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Five types of questionsBy:Sri Sri Ravi Shankaron Apr 30, 2013

The spark behind every great discovery that has taken place on this planet has been the spirit ofinquiry When that inquiry is directed outwardsWhat is this? How does it happen? it isscience and when it is directed inwardsWho am I? What am I here for? What do I reallywant? it is spirituality.

We have a daily informal gathering every evening and after some group singing, I takequestions from those present. Over so many years, I must have been asked hundreds ofthousands of questions on various topics. Even though the number of possible questions thatcan be asked is huge, there are really only five types of questions.

1. Out of misery: Many times people ask questions when they are feeling miserable. They areusually of the nature Why did this happen to me?, What did I do to deserve this? etc. Whenyou see someone asking a question out of pain, just listen to them. They just want somebody tohear them out. They are not really looking for an answer.2. Out of anger:I did nothing wrong. I was right. Why am I being blamed? Why is thishappening? This is the kind of questions that arise out of anger. Here also, the person iscaught in the whirlpool of their feelings and emotions and they want to justify them by askingsuch questions. When somebody is in such a volatile state of mind, no matter what answer yougive, it doesnt go in. On the contrary, it gives rise to more questions and justifications.3. To draw attention: Some people ask questions just to show everyone that they are alsothere. Their satisfaction lies in asking the question so that everybody notices them rather thanfinding the answer.4. To test: There are some who ask questions to test if the other person knows. They alreadyhave an answer in their mind and want to compare if the others answer matches with theirs.5. With sincerity: The fifth type of questions is asked by people who sincerely want to know

something and have faith that the person they are asking knows and will tell them. It is only thistype of question that should be answered.Most of the ancient scriptures whether it is the Bhagvad Gita, Yoga Vasishtha, AshtavakraGita, Tripura Rahasya or the Upanishads, begin with a question. The questions that have beenasked here are not merely out of curiosity but also with a sense of closeness. Upanishad itselfmeans sitting close to the Master, not just physically but feeling close to the Master. Knowledgeneeds an atmosphere of belongingness to flourish. The closer you feel to the Master, the moreknowledge unfolds by itself.

Every particle of this Existence is brimming with intelligence the seed knows when to sproutand the flower knows when to bloom. All of life that is happening in this Creation is expressing

that Infinite Intelligence. When you begin to behold this breathtaking phenomenon taking placeall around you, all your questions start dissolving into an overwhelming sense of wonder. Andthat is the Art of Living.

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