Bengaluru: What do you do when fear gets in the way of taking a stand? Can ambition be pursued without getting trapped in the race for achievement? How does one communicate with parents who may not understand one’s choices? And can a desire for money, luxury, and professional success coexist with spirituality?
These were among the many candid questions that more than 2,000 youngsters from Generation Z brought to the Art of Living International Center in Bengaluru on Saturday, as they interacted with global spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in a lively session that combined introspection with humour, music and celebration.
Far from a conventional spiritual gathering, the event was filled with singing, cheering, laughter, music and youthful energy. Participants posed questions on consciousness, relationships, career, money, ambition and the pressures of contemporary life, while Gurudev responded with a mix of wit, practicality and reflection.
On the challenge of taking a stand while being afraid, Gurudev urged youngsters to remain firm without becoming rigid.
“You have to take a stand. At the same time, be flexible,” he said, pointing out that an individual’s understanding is shaped by knowledge, which is itself limited and constantly evolving. As knowledge grows, perspectives can change, he said, making it important to stand by one’s convictions while remaining open to new understanding.
For a generation constantly under pressure to achieve, the question of how to remain ambitious without sacrificing inner peace also came up. Gurudev’s answer was brief: “Meditation.”
The often-complicated relationship between parents and young adults was another subject that drew attention. Asked how youngsters could communicate their intentions without hurting their parents or compromising their own confidence, Gurudev advocated compromise rather than confrontation.
“Sometimes theirs, sometimes yours,” he said, suggesting that youngsters could even tell their parents, “Last time I agreed with you, this time you agree with me.” His light-hearted verdict: “That is your brownie point.”
Relationships and love also found their way into the conversation. Rather than offering a formula for navigating relationships, Gurudev asked the youngsters whether they knew how to ride a bicycle. The analogy was simple: one learns to navigate life through experience rather than by endlessly analysing every situation. “You just be who you are,” he said.
He also rejected the idea that spirituality and professional success were contradictory. According to Gurudev, spirituality can strengthen professional performance by developing resilience, intuition and the ability to recover from setbacks. It can also provide an ethical foundation for ambition.
“You don’t want someone to cheat you, right? So, you don’t cheat others,” he said, linking personal success with integrity.
On the familiar Gen Z dilemma of choosing between passion and a lucrative career, Gurudev offered a pragmatic response. “Nobody can take away your passion. But to get a high-paying job is difficult. So, better you take a high-paying job and keep your passion and keep doing what you want to do,” he said.
The interaction eventually moved from questions and answers to celebration. A fashion show added colour and creativity to the event, reflecting the youthful spirit of the gathering. The evening concluded with a session of “Bhajan Clubbing” featuring Nirvana Station, where devotional music blended with contemporary beats as youngsters sang, danced and celebrated together.
The gathering ultimately brought together seemingly contrasting aspects of modern youth life—spirituality and pop culture, ambition and inner peace, serious questions and celebration.
For the thousands who attended, it was less a conventional spiritual discourse and more an open conversation on navigating the complexities of life while remaining authentic, ambitious and grounded.
