QnA
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar answers the 10 most often asked questions on love & relationships
By Gurudev Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Love is preserved by wisdom, destroyed by demand, tested by doubt, nourished by longing. It blossoms with faith and grows with gratitude. Love is the essence of the universe. You are Love!
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Is there a way to ensure that love keeps growing?
1
If you remember, that you receive more love than you deserve, you will not demand it. And when you don’t demand love in life, it keeps increasing.
How much to express?
2
Love should be planted like a seed. If you sow the seed too deep into the earth, then it won’t sprout. And if you keep it on the surface of the mud, then also it won’t sprout, it won’t take roots. We should take a middle path - express a little, but not too much. We shouldn’t talk too much about love because it is inexpressible, actually! Excessive expression diminishes our depth, luster, and serenity.
How to handle conflicts in a relationship?
3
Ask yourself this question: Do you seek harmony in every situation, or do you seek to widen the differences and prove your righteousness?
I am not sure if I am with the right partner. What do I do?
4
When you are looking for security, love, and comfort from your partner, you become weak. If your relationship is from the level of sharing, then it can last longer.
If a relationship is not going smoothly, what to do?
5
The strength of a relationship lies in the ability to accommodate the rough patches. See the situation as an opportunity to learn how to adapt and how to be accommodating, understanding, and considerate.
How can one have a successful relationship?
6
When both partners have a common goal in life, that makes their relationship last longer and brings more harmony.
My partner and I have so many differences.
7
Usually, we get stuck in our differences, because we have lost sight of ourselves. When you love somebody and see their faults, stay with them, and help them fill the holes. This is wisdom.
How to keep on loving without expecting?
8
When you have a larger context, all these trivial things don’t really bother you. Self knowledge uplifts you. With self knowledge, you do not drown in the ocean of emotions and hurt.
Gurudev my partner says hurtful and mean things to me at times. How do I handle myself in such situations?
9
Make them feel that you are only to give them some comfort, and you are there for them.
Why do we lose our freedom and lightness as soon as a relationship goes deeper?
10
When you come from the attitude that, “I am going to be a part of this person, give whatever I can, and contribute whatever I can to this person’s life”, then it lasts longer.