Wonder (Turning Questions into Wonder is Enlightenment)

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a spiritual leader and humanitarian, was born in 1956 in southern India. He was often found deep in meditation as a child. At the age of four, h astonished his teachers by reciting the Bhagavad Gita. To globalise the knowledge of leading a happy, stree-free life, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar established an international educational and humanitarian NGO- The Art of Living, in 1892. Today with a presence in over 155 centuries, the Art of Living is one of the largest voluntary organizations in the world.

Man has always wanted to know more about life. This intense quest has caused all the progress humanity has made today and yet there still remain many unanswered questions. In this book, Gurudev takes questions while interacting with gatherings all over the world covering eclectic subjects- the mundane and the profound , the physical and the metaphysical, the personal and the universal, some philosophical and some even irrational, answering them with his characteristic simplicity, playfulness and depth of wisdom.

No matter how much one learns, there is always much more to learn in life. Many times, we carry questions within ourselves but they remain in the background behind various things that demand our attention in daily life. Many times, we do not find anybody close who would understand us and be able to provide answers.

Wherever he is in the world, Gurudev likes to hold informal gatherings in which there is a little bit of singing, some mediation and some discussion. His bearing is relaxed and sensitive and in the secure and celebrative environment around him, many people spontaneously feel, “Maybe He can tell ,me...”

Watching questions begin to pop out from the gathering when Gurudev opens the floor for them can be anything from moving, inspiring, illuminating, hilarious and, on occasion, bizarre too. It is a phenomenon to watch Gurudev respond to questions. They dwell on a wide array of subjects-relationships, health, environment, politics, meditation, social issues and just about anything under the sun and He is at ease answering all of them. The manner of his response is such that even if it is not your own question, you still find something opening up within that take you to simple yet deeper understanding of life and yourself.

Quite often, he is asked similar questions or even one that he has answered many times. He might or might not repeat his response. In this book, we have made an effort to capture all possible responses he has given to the same questions.

Gurudev often says that knowledge should be like gossip light and fun. That is the flavour that colours everthing he does an we hope it reaches you through this book.