Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankar is an internationally-recognized humanitarian, spiritual leader, and ambassador of peace. His transformation of age-old wisdom into simple messages for everyday citizens and his vision of a society free of stress and violence have inspired millions of people around the world through the Art of Living's courses and service projects.
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The highest recognition granted to a civilian in Colombia, Mongolia, Paraguay and Suriname.
The highest annual recognition for a civilian in the Republic of India.
Government recognitions in Sri Lanka, Iraq, Colombia, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and India.
From 26 International Institutions.
From 43 other institutions
in multiple countries.
Government recognitions in Sri Lanka, Iraq, Colombia, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and India.
From 23 International Institutions.
GURU, LEADER, AND AMBASSADOR OF PEACE
Gurudev, as he is popularly known, was born on May 13, 1956 in South India. In his childhood he was already considered a precocious boy, capable of reciting parts of the Bhagavad Gita by heart and entering deep meditation at only four years old. His first teacher was Sudhakar Chaturvedi, who was a long-time collaborator of Mahatma Gandhi. In 1973 he graduated with degrees in Vedic literature in physics.
However, his figure began to transcend borders in 1981. Gurudev entered a period of ten days of silence in Shimoga, India, after which he created the Sudarshan Kriya, a powerful breathing technique that became the centerpiece of the foundation courses.
That same year Sri Sri launched The Art of Living as an international non-profit educational and humanitarian organization. Their personal development programs offer powerful tools to de-stress and foster a sense of well-being.
In 1997, he co-founded the International Association for Human Values (IAHV), aimed at sustainable development projects that promote human values and to coordinate the resolution of war conflicts, in association with El Arte de Vivir.
Recognized as a humanitarian leader, his programs have provided assistance to people experiencing a wide range of problems: victims of natural disasters, survivors of terrorist attacks and wars, children from communities in conflict, among others.
The power of his message has generated a surge of service through a huge corps of volunteers around the world.
As an ambassador for peace, Sri Sri took a key role in conflict resolution and extended his vision of nonviolence in public forums and congresses around the world. Nominated on several occasions for the Nobel Peace Prize, he intervened at the negotiating table in Iraq, the Ivory Coast and Kashmir. He also served as a mediator in the conflict between the FARC and the Colombian authorities, in 2016.
Sri Sri has vindicated the tradition of yoga and meditation, which it offers in a simple way adapted to the needs of this era. For more than 40 years, its programs have raised the quality of life and have captivated more than 370 million people in 156 countries.
