“We must overcome loneliness and depression.”
Venkat Raman
Auckland, October 27, 2024
Sri Ravi Shankar, one of the world’s most popular spiritual leaders, said that New Zealand could be the happiest place if people can engage with each other with warmth, understanding, and goodwill.
Addressing a public meeting at the Aotea Centre in Auckland CBD on Thursday, October 24, 2024, he said that while New Zealand has the potential, loneliness and depression must be overcome to achieve a happy state of mind.
According to him, happiness can be achieved at three levels (a) Within society and the environment (b) Within one’s mind and (c) Within one’s Soul.
“People must engage with each other and do community service,” he said and asked, “How would you feel in a place where everybody around you thinks only of himself or herself? Would you like to be in such a group where there is no sharing, no sense of belonging and no happiness?”
“Instead of preparing to be happy, be happy now and resolve to remain naturally happy. Resolve every day to be happy and contended,” he said.
Overcoming Loneliness
At a Media Conference held at Sofitel on Wednesday (October 23), Sri Ravi Shankar spoke about loneliness being one of the most formidable challenges facing humanity, especially the younger generation. Loneliness breeds depression which in turn leads to suicidal tendencies.
“We hear that New Zealand has the highest rate of suicide in the developed world. All of us must work together to address this issue,” he said.
According to Sri Ravi Shankar, the biggest challenge faced by humankind is the anxiety issue.
“There is uncertainty, anxiety, unhappiness and loneliness in most of us. About 45% of the American people feel lonely, despite having everything such as social media, amenities, and comforts compared to what people had 30 years ago. The post-Covid-world does not have the human touch. Mental Health will become a very big issue if it is not attended to immediately. Prevention is better than cure,” he said.
(Photo by Hemant Parikh)
Depression, the mass killer
Sri Ravi Shankar mentioned breathing, community service and giving a broader perspective on life itself could be among the curative aspects of depression.
“After Covid, the whole population is rattled by depression. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has accepted that the biggest challenge today is the mental health crisis. On the one side, there is aggression- the youth are so aggressive, the classroom is aggressive, and the teachers are depressed and on the other side, there is loneliness and helplessness,” he said.
“Instead of being selfish, be a part of others and overcome loneliness. Every individual should believe that he or she can contribute to society and be a part of social life in a meaningful manner. The breathing technique and meditation have helped tremendously,” he added.
Rejuvenating the Youth
According to him, one of the attributes of a modern lifestyle is stress and tension.
“One aspect of stress is that there is too much to do in too little time and there is no energy. People should be doing less but they are increasing day by day. Time is constant. One thing that is variable is the energy level. If they can boost their energy level with proper food, enough sleep, reducing their time on the screen and then breathing meditation. A few minutes of meditation boosts our energy level five times; they will feel healthy and energetic,” he said.
Among his recommendations are a balanced diet, the right amount of sleep (six to eight hours), deep-breathing exercises to increase the energy level and meditation.
“A few minutes of conscious deep relaxation (Meditation) will do immense good. A few minutes of meditation can relieve all types of stress. If you meditate in the morning and evening for 15 to 20 minutes, it is good enough,” he said at the public meeting and engaged the audience with these exercises for about 20 minutes.
(X (Twitter) Photo by Sri Ravi Shankar
Happiness Programmes
Sri Ravi Shankar said that the Art of Living Foundation (which he established more than 40 years ago) conducts the Happiness Programme which its website says has benefited millions of people all over the world.
“The Happiness Programme and ‘Sudharshan Kriya,’ its central breathing technique, effectively reduces stress and seems to take people effortlessly into a state of deep meditation. Fortune 500 Companies, Olympic athletes, top business schools and chief executives have discovered the power of Sudharshan Kriya. Not-for-Profits institutions that are our partners, use the same technique in service projects to support communities in need. Returning Soldiers, at-risk students, prisoners and disaster victims have all experienced relief from trauma and stress,” it says.
While the need to eliminate stress is felt, there are no attempts to achieve this, Sri Ravi Shankar said and recommended the Art of Living programmes to all New Zealanders.
“The Programme is taught in 135 Universities across the world and at the Institutes of Technology and Engineering Colleges in India as a part of the induction course. Students in New Zealand should not be deprived of it,” Sri Ravi Shankar said.
Soft Power of Spirituality
It was suggested during the media conference that political leaders have not been successful in resolving the conflicts of the world and the threats posed to its safety- the Middle East Crisis, the Hezbollah, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, Hamas, the War in Ukraine and so on.
Can and will Spiritual Leaders use their soft power to solve the crisis?
Sri Ravi Shankar said that the responsibility belongs to all people everywhere.
“Of course, Spiritual Leaders can pitch and do whatever they can and mobilise their soft power and spirituality. We have done this in Sri Lanka. I have been involved with peace negotiations; soft power can bring a change of mind and heart. Political power sometimes cannot achieve what spiritual power can,” he said.
When asked if he had talked to the leaders of Hezbollah, the PLO and the Ukrainians, he said, “From my side, I am always ready but there has to be a willingness on all sides. I was invited by the Ukrainian Parliament in 2010. I told them that you cannot ignore a sizeable part of your population along the border of Russia and impose the Ukrainian language on them. It is going to be a struggle for you. And that is what happened. There are vested interests who cash in on these conflicts. That is an issue. It is not just conflict as it appears. It has many other strings attached to it. There needs to be a collaboration among all the people concerned,” he said.
The Art of Silence
Describing Silence as ‘The Mother of all Creativity,’ Sri Ravi Shankar said that it allows people to concentrate on their work (journalists writing reports for example) and be creative. Art of Living Foundation conducts Silence Programmes which “help people drop limiting briefs, regrets, worries and tap into a bigger vision for themselves.”
Sri Ravi Shankar said, “You can come back to your life more grounded and centred, unshaken by outer circumstances. The more often you do this retreat, the more this strength and freedom build inside you. I would recommend three or four days of silence every quarter,” he said.
Sri Ravi Shankar is on a four-day visit to Fiji from October 25 to October 28, 2024.
On Saturday, October 26, Fijian President Wiliame Katonivere made him an ‘Honorary Officer of the Order of Fiji,’ the highest Civilian Honour of Fiji, in recognition of his teachings and efforts in uniting people and societies, as well as helping millions overcome addition.’
