— Rami, let me thank you for your work, especially for your books. And especially for the fact that our children read them. By the way, what do you think we should teach our children first and foremost?
— Selflessness and the ability to give are the basis of success and happiness in any sphere of life. Only a selfless person can truly love and be loved. An egoist, on the other hand, will ruin their own life and the lives of others.
— You have an unusual biography. First, military institute, service in the Airborne Forces, and then five years of monasticism in Indian ashrams. What led you to this?
— Dissatisfaction with understanding the meaning of life. I saw people achieving high ranks, having a lot of money, but not being happy. My mother’s death also had a strong influence on me, then I keenly felt that we can lose everything, including life, at any moment.
— In your books, you say that the meaning of life is the pursuit of unconditional, divine love. So, the meaning of life is to love everyone?
— Yes, to love, to inwardly accept all living beings, all situations. Just be a loving presence. Here and now, not in the dreams of the mind. I recommend everyone to read Eckhart Tolle’s book «The Power of Now.»
— How can one accept, for example, the death of a child?
— I agree, it is a very difficult test. And, of course, it is a great sorrow externally. But internally, even such events must be accepted as a lesson. As we know, in this world there are actually no relatives, colleagues, friends, or enemies, there are only Teachers.
— Rami, please name five main mistakes that, in your opinion, modern people make.
— The main mistake is the fundamentally wrong idea of the purpose of life and the world order. I traveled the world and asked many thousands of people what the meaning of their lives was. 99% of individuals are at a loss for words after such a question. The second mistake is a restless, busy lifestyle, far from natural rhythms. And yet, as they say, no one on their deathbed regret spending too little time in the office, they regret completely different things — that they spent little time with loved ones, that they almost did not serve people. In principle, these are the two main global problems of humanity. Should I continue?
— I’m still curious to hear more.
— Modern people are easily ready to betray love for external material or spiritual values.
— But aren’t love and spirituality synonymous in a way?
— Not quite. Furthermore, spirituality differs from what we often associate it with: religious organizations, sects, dogmas, and principles. And sometimes people who have gone into such «spirituality» become very angry, aggressive, and even willing to kill for their idea. Where is the love here?
— And mistakes number four and five?
— Inability to live here and now and selfish thinking and behavior. Often, people know in theory how to live correctly, but in practice, little works out. These are two different moments: knowing and having information. Knowledge is implemented information. If a person claims to know that smoking is harmful but still smokes, then he/she knows nothing in reality. Today people are overloaded with a mass of unnecessary information that only fills the mind and becomes balls and chains that drag them down. The solution is to practice.
