guru
Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
and spiritual leader. He is also referred to as Sri Sri or Gurudev. From around the mid 1970s, he worked as an
apprentice
Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...
under
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma, 12 January 191? – 5 February 2008) was the creator of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and leader of the worldwide organization that has been characterized in multiple ways, including as a new ...
Art of Living Foundation
The Art of Living Foundation is a volunteer-based, humanitarian and educational non-governmental organization (NGO). It was founded in 1981 by Ravi Shankar. The Art of Living Foundation has centers in 180 countries.
The foundation is dedicate ...
.
Life
Shankar was born on 13 May 1956 in
Papanasam
Papanasam is a Panchayati raj in India, panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Kumbakonam. The name literally translates to "Destruction of Sins" in the Tamil language. It ...
,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, to Vishalakshi and R.S.Venkat Ratnam. He was named "
Ravi
Ravi may refer to:
People
* Ravi (name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Ravi (composer) (1926–2012), Indian music director
* Ravi (Ivar Johansen) (born 1976), Norwegian musical artist
* Ravi (rapper) (born 1993), a Sou ...
" (an Indian name which means "sun") because his birth was on a Sunday, and "Shankar" after the eighth-century Hindu saint,
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and h ...
, whose birthday was the same day as Shankar's.
Shankar's first teacher was Sudhakar Chaturvedi, an Indian Vedic Scholar and a close associate of
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree. After graduation, he travelled with his second teacher,
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma, 12 January 191? – 5 February 2008) was the creator of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and leader of the worldwide organization that has been characterized in multiple ways, including as a new ...
, giving talks and arranging conferences on Vedic science, and setting up Transcendental Meditation and
Ayurveda
Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...
centers.
In the 1980s, he initiated a series of practical and experiential courses in spirituality around the globe. He says that his rhythmic breathing practice, Sudarshan Kriya, came to him in 1982, "like a poem, an inspiration", after a ten-day period of silence on the banks of the Bhadra River in
Shivamogga
Shimoga, officially Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the Karnataka state of India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of the Western Ghats, the city ...
, in the state of
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
, adding, "I learned it and started teaching it".
In 1983, he held the first Art of Living course in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. In 1986, he travelled to
Apple Valley, California
Apple Valley is an incorporated town in the Victor Valley of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Its population was 75,791 as of the 2020 United States census. The town is east of and adjoining to the neighboring cities of Victor ...
, in the US to conduct the first course to be held in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
.
Philosophy and teachings
Spirituality
He believes spirituality is that which enhances human values such as love, compassion and enthusiasm. It is not limited to any one religion or culture. Hence it is open to all people. According to him, the spiritual bond we share as part of the human family is more important than nationality, gender, religion, profession, or other identities that separate us.
According to him, science and spirituality are linked and compatible, both springing from the urge to know. The question, "Who am I?" leads to spirituality; the question, "What is this?" leads to science. Emphasizing that joy is only available in the present moment, his stated vision is to create a world free of stress and violence. His programs are said to offer practical tools to help accomplish this. He sees breath as the link between body and mind, and a tool to relax the mind, emphasising the importance of both meditation/spiritual practice and service to others. In his view, "Truth is spherical rather than linear; so it has to be contradictory."
Peace and humanitarian work
Pakistan
He visited Pakistan in 2004 on a goodwill mission and again in 2012 when he inaugurated Art of Living centers in
Islamabad
Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...
and
Karachi
Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
. The Islamabad center was burned down by armed men in March 2014.
Iraq
During his visits to Iraq, at the invitation of Prime Minister
Nouri al Maliki
Nouri Kamil Muhammad-Hasan al-Maliki (; born 20 June 1950), also known as Jawad al-Maliki (), is an Iraqi politician and leader of the Islamic Dawa Party since 2007. He served as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014 and as Vice President ...
, in 2007 and again in 2008, he met with political and religious leaders to promote global peace. In November 2014, Shankar visited the relief camps in
Erbil
Erbil (, ; , ), also called Hawler (, ), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The city is the capital of the Erbil Governorate.
Human settlement at Erbil may be dated back to the 5th millennium BC. At the h ...
, Iraq. He also hosted a conference to address the dire condition of
Yazidis
Yazidis, also spelled Yezidis (; ), are a Kurdish languages, Kurdish-speaking Endogamy, endogamous religious group indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. The major ...
and other non-Muslims in the region.
Colombia and FARC
In June 2015, Shankar met with the delegations of
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
n government and the
FARC
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army (, FARC–EP or FARC) was a Marxist–Leninist guerrilla group involved in the continuing Colombian conflict starting in 1964. The FARC-EP was officially founded in 1966 from peasan ...
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Gandhian principle of non-violence to attain their political objectives and social justice. For his efforts, Colombia's House of Representatives awarded him the Simón Bolívar Order of Democracy, Knight Cross grade.
Venezuela
In 2019, Shankar met with
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
n leaders from both sides to encourage dialogue, end the political conflict and restore peace and stability in the country.
Kashmir, India
The South Asian Forum for Peace was launched in November 2016 at a conference titled "Kashmir Back to Paradise" in
Jammu
Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
. According to Shankar, 90% of people in
Kashmir
Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...
want peace but are neglected. He added, "The solution to the Kashmir problem can only come from the Kashmiris". This forum is intended to bring together eight South Asian countries to cooperate in areas such as entrepreneurship, skill development, cultural exchange, educational partnerships and women's empowerment.
Northeast India
68 militants from 11 militant outfits surrendered to the government in Manipur on the eve of India's 71st Independence Day in August 2017. The Chief Minister of Manipur, N. Biren Singh, lauded Shankar for his efforts in making this happen and "bringing peace in troubled areas". Shankar organization has been working in Manipur for the last 15 years.
In September 2017, at the "Strength in Diversity – North East Indigenous People's Conference", Shankar claimed that another 500 militants were waiting to "lay down weapons and join the peace process". The conference was attended by representatives from 67 rebel outfits from the Northeast. Expressing his willingness to facilitate the peaceful transition of any rebel group wanting to join the mainstream, Shankar claimed that his organization has been working for this for the last 10–12 years and "will continue to work until the last gun is laid down". Former ULFA General Secretary,
Anup Chetia
Anup Chetia ( Assamese: অনুপ চেতিয়া) (real name Golap Baruah also known as Sunil Baruah, Bhaijan or Ahmed) is the General Secretary of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam in Assam. He is also one of the founder le ...
, who was also the convenor of the conference, appreciated Shankar's interest and efforts for peace in the region.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir dispute
Shankar's efforts at mediation in the
Ayodhya dispute
The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site regarded since at least the 18th century amo ...
in 2017 received a mixed response from both Hindu and Muslim leaders. Based on
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...
's suggestion for an out-of-court settlement, he proposed a mutual compromise where both communities "gift" neighbouring pieces of land to each other. This proposal was met with a lot of skepticism and resistance.
In March 2019, he was appointed by the Supreme Court of India to a 3-member mediation committee tasked with finding a resolution for the case in 8 weeks. In its final
verdict
In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. In a bench trial, the judge's decision near the end of the trial is simply referred to as a finding. In England and Wales ...
, the
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...
assigned the disputed land to a trust for building a temple and an alternate piece of land nearby to build a mosque.
Interfaith dialogue
Shankar is involved in
interfaith dialogue
Interfaith dialogue, also known as interreligious dialogue, refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religion, religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spirituality, spiritual or humanism, hum ...
and currently sits on the Board of World Religious Leaders for the
Elijah Interfaith Institute
Elijah Interfaith Institute is a nonprofit, international, UNESCO-sponsored interfaith organization founded by Alon Goshen-Gottstein in 1997. The organization is headquartered in Jerusalem, with offices and representatives in different cou ...
. Through interfaith summits in 2008 and 2010, he has been engaging faith-based leaders for collective action against HIV. In July 2013 at a meeting in
UNAIDS
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS; , ONUSIDA) is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
The mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an ex ...
headquarters in Geneva, issues including HIV prevention, gender based violence, stigma and discrimination were discussed.
Prison program
In 1992, he started a prison programme to rehabilitate prison inmates and help them reintegrate into society.
Awards and recognition
*
Honorary Order of the Yellow Star
The Honorary Order of the Yellow Star ( Dutch: ''Ere-Orde van de Gele Ster'') is the highest state decoration of the Republic of Suriname. The Order was instituted in 1975 at the independence of Suriname and replaced the Dutch Order of the Net ...
Order of Fiji
The Order of Fiji is the highest Order (honour), honour of the Fijian honours system. Established 1 March 1995, the order is presented for achievement and merit to Fiji and mankind as a whole. The order is divided into a general division and mili ...
, (Officer) Fiji's highest civilian honour
*
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan ( , lit. "Lotus Grandeur") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons w ...
, India's second highest civilian honour, January 2016
*Dr. Nagendra Singh International Peace Award, India, November 2016
*Medalla de la Integración (Grand Officer), Peru
*Orden de la Democracia Simón Bolívar, Colombia
* Gandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builders Prize
*Orden Nacional al Mérito de Comuneros, Paraguay, 13 September 2012
*Illustrious citizen by the Paraguayan Municipality, 12 September 2012
*Illustrious guest of the city of Asunción, Paraguay, 12 September 2012
*Tiradentes Medal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3 September 2012
*Sivananda World Peace award, Sivananda Foundation, South Africa, 26 August 2012
*Crans Montana Forum Award, Brussels, 24 June 2011
*Culture in Balance Award, World Culture Forum, Dresden Germany, 10 October 2009
*Phoenix Award, Atlanta, USA, 2008
*Honorary Citizenship and Goodwill Ambassador, Houston, USA, 2008
*Proclamation of Commendation, New Jersey, USA 2008
*Sant Shri Dnyaneshwara World Peace Prize, Pune, India, 11 January 2007
*
Order of the Polar Star
The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...
, Mongolia, 2006
*Bharat Shiromani Award, New Delhi, India, 2005
* Honorary Doctorates from – Universidad Autónoma de Asunción of Paraguay, Buenos Aires University, Argentina; Siglo XXI University Campus, Cordoba, Argentina; Nyenrode Business University, Netherlands; Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur
In 2009, Ravi Shankar was named by ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' magazine as the fifth most powerful leader in India.
Criticism
In 2012, Shankar, while attending a function in
Jaipur
Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...
, claimed that some Indian government schools are breeding grounds for Naxalism, a movement of militant communist groups in India declared to be terrorist organisations. "All government schools and colleges should be privatised. The government should not run any school. It's often found that children from government schools get into Naxalism and violence. Children from private schools don't get into this," he was quoted as saying by media reports, his comments were condemned by educationists and ministers as "unfortunate, illogical", and termed it as a "bizarre logic for privatisation" Later, he issued a clarification that he didn't mean that all government schools breed Naxalism. More clarification followed on his Twitter account: "I specifically referred to sick government schools in Naxal affected areas. Many who have turned to Naxalism have come from these schools. I did not say all Govt schools (where lakhs study) breed Naxalism. Great talents have emerged from these schools & I would never generalize."
In March 2018, he faced criticism from political leaders for his commentary, where he said, India will turn into Syria if the Ram temple issue is not resolved soon.
Bibliography
* ''An Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker''; Vol. 1: , Vol. 2: , Vol. 3: , Vol. 4: , Vol. 5: , Vol. 6: , Vol. 7:
* ''Buddha: manifestation of silence'',
* 1999 – ''Be A Witness: The Wisdom of the Upanishads'', 106 pp.
* 2000 – ''God Loves Fun'', 138 pp.
* 2001 – ''Celebrating Silence: Excerpts from Five Years of Weekly Knowledge 1995–2000'', 206 pp.
* ''Celebrating Love''
* 2005 – ''Narada Bhakti Sutra'', 129 pp.
*''Hinduism & Islam, the common thread'', 34 pp, 2002
* ''Secrets of Relationships'', Arktos, 2014
* ''Patanjali Yoga Sutras'', Arktos, 2014
* ''Ashtavakra Gita'', 2010,
* ''Management Mantras'', Arktos, 2014
* ''Know Your Child: The Art of Raising Children'', Arktos, 2014
* ''Notes for the Journey Within: Essentials of the Art of Living.''
See also
*
List of peace activists
This list of peace activists includes people who have proactively advocated Diplomacy, diplomatic, philosophical, and non-military resolution of major territorial or ideological disputes through nonviolent means and methods. Peace activists usua ...