Our Inspiration
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a humanitarian leader, spiritual teacher, and global ambassador of peace.
His vision of a stress-free, violence-free society has inspired millions of people across the world through service initiatives and transformative programs offered by The Art of Living. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has united people of different races, traditions, economic and social status, and nationalities.
Today, this community spans 180 countries, forming a one-world spiritual family united by service and wisdom.
Gurudev's Message
“People should be encouraged to treat the planet as sacred, to treat trees and rivers as sacred, to treat people as sacred, and to see God in nature and in people. The health of our planet is of utmost importance. Earth sustains life and life should sustain.”
The Beginning
Born in 1956 in Southern India, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar showed exceptional brilliance from a young age. By the age of four, he could recite portions of the Bhagavad Gita, the ancient Sanskrit scripture, and was often found in deep meditation. His first teacher, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, was a respected scholar who had a close association with Mahatma Gandhi. By the age of seventeen, in 1973, Gurudev had graduated with degrees in both Vedic literature and physics.
Inspiring service and Globalizing wisdom
Programs under the guidance of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar have positively impacted people from a wide range of backgrounds – victims of natural disasters, survivors of terror attacks and war, children from marginalized populations, and communities in conflict, among others. The strength of his message has inspired a wave of service based on spirituality through a huge body of volunteers, who are driving these projects forward in critical areas around the globe.
As a spiritual teacher, Gurudev has rekindled the traditions of yoga and meditation and offered them in a form that is relevant to the 21st century. Beyond reviving ancient wisdom, Gurudev has created new techniques for personal, and social transformation. These include the Sudarshan Kriya which has helped millions of people to find relief from stress and discover inner reservoirs of energy and inner silence in daily life.
A figure of Peace
As an ambassador of peace, Gurudev has played a key role in conflict resolution around the world as he shares his vision of non-violence at public forums and gatherings worldwide for free. Regarded as a neutral figure with a sole agenda of peace, he represents hope to people in conflict. He has received particular credit for bringing opposing parties to the negotiating table in Colombia, Iraq, the Ivory Coast, Kashmir, and Bihar.
Through his initiatives and speeches, Gurudev has consistently emphasized the need for reinforcing human values and recognizing that we belong to a one world family. Fostering interfaith harmony and calling for multi-cultural education as the remedy for fanaticism are significant parts of his efforts to achieve sustainable peace. Gurudev has touched the lives of millions around the world through a reawakening of human values and service. Going beyond race, nationality, and religion, Gurudev has rekindled the message of a one world family, which is free from stress, and violence.
Awards / Accolades
- "Padma Vibhushan", Highest Annual Civilian Award, India
- Highest Civilian Award, Orden De La Democracia Simon Bolivar, Bogota, Colombia
- Global Humanitarian Award - American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, USA
- Bharat Kirtimaan Alankaran 2022, World Book of Records
- Saint of Modern India - Suryadatta National Lifetime Achievement Award 2022
- Order of the Pole Star, the Highest Civilian Awards
- Honorary Order of the Yellow Star (Ridder), Highest Civilian Award, Suriname Highest Civilian Award from the Goverments of Mongolia,
- Honored by the City of Tampa, Florida, USA by declaring June 18, 2015 as "A Day of Happiness"
- Humanitarian Award from the Municipality of Lima, Peru 25 Honorary Doctorates by Universities Across the World
- 27 Cities have been declared as Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Days in the US & Canada