Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a name that needs no introduction. The world has been shown the way of peace by the spiritual teacher and yoga guru. His remarks have inspired many people to use meditation to settle conflicts. Every year, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar travels to more than 40 nations, encouraging his disciples to live in peace. Many famous people visit his Ashram and follow him.
As Sri Sri celebrates his 67th birthday today, let’s learn more about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the man who is behind the art of living movement that will inspire you to follow him.
Childhood
Born into a religious and spiritual family in Tamil Nadu on 13th May 1956, Ravi Shankar was named ‘Ravi’ because his birth was on a Sunday, and ‘Shankar’ after the eighth-century Hindu saint, Adi Shankara, born on the same day. Ravi Shankar, a self-proclaimed child prodigy, has narrated how by the age of four, he was able to recite parts of the Bhagavad Gita, and was commonly found in meditation.
Ravi Shankar’s sister, Bhanumati Narsimhan describes him as a ‘gifted child’. “Just the thought that my Master shared the same womb fills me with gratitude. Often people ask me when I realized he was my guru. The truth is I have always followed him. Guruji was a leader at school as well. Sometimes even our teachers would speak to him for solace,” writes Bhanumati.
Early Years and His Gurus
Sudhakar Chaturvedi, an Indian Vedic scholar and close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, served as Ravi Shankar’s first mentor. After earning his Bachelor of Science from St. Joseph’s College in Bengaluru when he was 17 or 18, Ravi Shankar had already started meditating and leading Satsangs.
He started following Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at this time. Up until Yogi’s passing in 2008, Ravi Shankar primarily kept his guru’s passing a secret. He once recalled Mahesh Yogi by writing, “He often said that being with the Guru is like being in a cocoon – you are completely protected in the Guru’s aura, and after him you emerge as a butterfly soaring high.” In many ways, Ravi Shankar’s life reflects what his Guru thought.
Ravi Shankar spent 10 days in solitude in 1981, during which time the potent breathing method known as Sudarshan Kriya was developed. Sudarshan Kriya eventually took main stage in the AOL classes. Now a global, non-profit, educational, and humanitarian organisation, the Art of Living foundation.
The Global Connection
Art of Living claims to have more than 370 million followers and is active in about 155 countries worldwide. Apart from regularly travelling between the main ashram in Bengaluru and the “power hub” Delhi, Ravi Shankar divides his time throughout the year between his ashram in Baden, Germany, and AOL’s ashram near Montreal, Canada.
Ravi Shankar, who advocates for a stress-free lifestyle, often begins his day at 4 am with meditation sessions, meetings with followers, discussions of current events and pressing topics, and meetings with the media. His day normally finishes at 2:30 in the morning, but not before a few phone calls to other countries and conferences.
He has frequently been asked about meditation sessions that cost up to Rs 4000 because of his ambition to establish a “violence-free, stress-free world.” Nevertheless, both his fan base and his influence on a global scale have grown over time.
“The Mystery of Two Sris”
Ravi Shankar travelled to New York to attend a peace summit in the year 2000, as people throughout the world were surviving the fear of a “pralaya.” At the summit, Satyanarayan Goenkaji, another spiritual leader, advised Ravi Shankar to reconsider the name of his organisation since it could have been influenced by the title of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s book, “The Science of Being and the Art of Living.”
Ravi Shankar explains the decision of an additional honorific through a blog post, “that evening, I called our key organisers to discuss changing my name and that of the organisation. This was a grave matter and everybody had something to say. I easily dropped the ‘Pandit’ from my name. A colleague who had been with me at Maharishi’s came up with the idea of Sri Sri. Everybody agreed that one Sri is very common, generic and confusing. My opinion on the matter was irrelevant in this animated discussion. I was just a silent witness. And so, I was rechristened at Waldorf.”
Awarded by the President
Sri Sri was awarded the “Title of Yoga Shiromani” (Supreme Jewel of Yoga) by the President of India in 1986 for having a significant impact on a large number of people’s lives and promoting yoga and meditation to many.
Free Learning
More than 70,000 students are guided down the road of learning by the foundation of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, which operates a total of 702 schools to offer free education to the needy.
Support for the Environment
Sri Sri is actively engaged in bringing out the environmental changes and reviving 49 rivers and thousands of water bodies in India.
Padma Vibhushan awardee
Sri Sri has got a number of awards in his name including Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award. He also has been bestowed the highest civilian award in Colombia, Mongolia, and Paraguay with 23 Honorary Doctorates globally.
Famous Quotes by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Here are some wise words from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar about success, love, and life that everyone should keep in mind.
“Breath is the link between the body and mind. If the mind is a kite the breath is the thread. The longer the thread, the higher the kite can go.”
“Pranayam enhances performance. Children feel calmer, more attentive, and alert.”
“Laughter gives strength to manage any situation.”
“Don’t go seeking love. Just relax! Only when you’re free from tension, free from confusion, can you ever experience love.”
“Though love is the greatest strength on this planet, without wisdom the same love makes you weak, absolutely weak.”
“Love can only blossom in freedom. When freedom is restricted, love suffocates.”
“It is easier to build strong children rather than repairing broken adults.”