Sri Sri Calls For Creating A Stress-Free Society

Amidst escalating tension in the Eastern Asiatic regions due to North Korean's rocket launch on Friday, Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has called for creating a stress-free and violence-free society.


Indian spiritual leader, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (L) and Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihiko Noda
The spiritual leader was in Japan on his three-day tour as a part of his world tour campaign called "Waves of Happiness" which aimed at spreading the message of a stress-free and violence-free society.


Addressing the students of Tokai University, Sri Sri said, "A stress-free and violence-free society is the birthright of every individual. We will create waves of happiness in Japan."


Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda lauded Ravi Shankar. The Prime Minister said, "I am very happy that Sri Sri visited the epicenter of the tsunami and met with the displaced victims. I appreciate the participation of The Art of Living in Japan where the suicide rates are becoming very high."  Read More

Sudarshan Kriya powers Tine's Mount Everest climb

Mount Everester Tine Mena tells how the Sudarshan Kriya helped her when she was struggling to breathe!
She has not only climbed the Mount Everest, but also conquered the summit of life. Coming from a remote village in Arunachal Pradesh, India and born into a poor family of farmers, Tine Mena had to scale many a peak of life before she actually climbed the famed Himalayan summit. For the record, this 25-year old from Eshali village near the Indo-China border scaled the peak on May 9, 2011, becoming the first lady from the North East India to do so.


Everything, except her grit, was going against her. The raging wind had knocked off her tent when she reached 7200m, forcing her to take shelter in the tent of another expedition. She was fatigued. On the eve of her D-day, she had to survive on a half-a-packet of instant noodles. Her wireless phone was already off power, which meant there was no communication with the base camp for three days. Read More

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Art of Breathing

"You can experiment," says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. "For a few moments, keep your body steady and keep your eyes steady. You will see, almost immediately, the mind will also become steady. The mind and breath will come to a standstill. This is when time stops. That is the state where you feel you could stay like this for a million years, where the mind freezes, like you put vegetables in the freezer and they stay fresh forever. This is the secret of youthfulness, the secret of bubbling enthusiasm, the secret of renewal of life. This is samadhi, steadiness."

In the 30 years since spiritual leader and humanitarian His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar started the Art of Living Foundation, he has seen his programs become adopted on six continents and in 151 countries, with participation by heads of state, people in inner cities, prisoners and guards, cultural and corporate leaders, veterans, social and environmental activists, people in areas of natural disaster and conflict, and warring parties (who, in several places, have been inspired to lay down their arms). There is a biography about Sri Sri (as he is known) by well-known French journalist François Gautier, with the telling title, "The Guru of Joy."

Read More

Spirituality in India: Countering the Roots of Corruption

The world's largest democracy held Legislative Assembly elections in February this year across five states. Greed, in the form of unchecked corruption, bribery, and entrenched special interests, is a burning issue for the people.


In India, bribes are a common occurrence. If you want a building permit, you expect to pay a bribe. Bribery is found not just in the government sector. If you want the death certificate of a dear one, you pay a bribe. Even a birth certificate comes with a price!


However, the people of India are angry and fed up. Over the past year, they have been using their collective power to call for change, including passage of the Jan Lopkal Bill, which would establish independent anti-corruption bodies in every state. (Jan is Sanskrit word for "citizens." Lokpal means "protector of the people.") This is a stronger version of Lopkal bills that have been introduced ten separate times since 1968, without success.


Corruption begins where belongings ends. A lack of faith, and a missing attitude of service and compassion also contribute to corruption, as do selfishness and a sense of insecurity. People try to find security solely in money. But even after acquiring money, the insecurity does not disappear. In fact, a person becomes more fearful if the money is not earned in an ethical way. Read More