This is Part 2 of our interview with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a globally renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian and founder of Art of Living Foundation. He established the foundation 43 years ago; today, it consists of more than 10,000 centers in 180 countries.

The first question we ask refers to the Art of Living’s flagship program, the Happiness Program. In this course, attendees are taught Sudarshan Kriya, a breathing technique that imparts several reported benefits, including stress relief and increased immunity. More than 45 million people worldwide have taken the program.

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I first learned about Art of Living when someone told me how the Happiness Program changed their life. What are the most common ways a person’s life changes once they learn Sudarshan Kriya and practice it regularly?

The Art of Living Program impacts a person on many levels. It’s a holistic program that corrects imbalances in body as well as mind and uplifts the spirit. [The] Sudarshan Kriya [aka, “SKY breath”] that is shared in the program brings more positivity into the system and helps one handle negative feelings and emotions. One learns about seven layers of our existence—body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, ego and the self. In short, it’s a program that educates and empowers one to be a more conscious and happy individual.  

There are many reasons that people who have not been spiritually active start looking for a path, including life crises, the influence of friends or role models, and transcendent experiences. In your experience, what are the initial motivating factors that correlate with sustained learning and practice on the spiritual path?

There are four types of people who come to the spiritual path. The first type are those who come when they feel all the doors are closed and there is no hope in life. There is sadness and desperation. The second type come seeking progress and success in life, feeling they need inner strength, an important ingredient for success. The third type are inquisitive and want to know more about life. They have a philosophical bent of mind and sharp intellect. The fourth type are conscious and aware of the impermanent nature of the world. They seek something higher and have had a glimpse of a higher purpose in life.

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This article is Part 2 of a two-part interview. Part 1 can be found here:

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Meditation became popular in America in the 2010s. The primary reason Americans try meditation is to reduce stress and anxiety and increase relaxation. There are, of course, spiritual reasons to meditate, and the practices are different as well. How do you define meditation in terms of purpose and practice? And how is the meditation you practice different from what Americans call mindfulness meditation, the components of which include attention on the moment, non-judgment and focused attention on an object—often the breath?

Mindfulness is just the beginning—a driveway to the home that is meditation. One has to put in a lot of effort in achieving mindfulness, whereas meditation is effortless. Mindfulness demands energy. Meditation on the other hand provides you energy. If I start talking about the benefits, there are more than a hundred scientifically proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness is simply one of the byproducts of meditation.

For those readers who may be experiencing significant stress and anxiety but aren’t ready to embrace and practice pranayama or meditation, what is your best advice on very simple and easy things they can do to reduce stress and anxiety?

It’s like saying, “I’m thirsty, but I don’t want to drink water!” Just try it once. You’ll see that it’s effortless, it’s doable and you’ll also enjoy it. That’s why Art of Living programs are appreciated by people of all ages—because they are easy, fun and effective.

In a YouTube video of yours, you say that two questions constitute the vehicle for one’s spiritual journey: “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” On the surface, some might find the first question silly, thinking, “I’m so-and-so, and I think these things, value these things and do these things,” and the second question baffling. Please expand on your comment and explain why these questions lie at the heart of one’s spiritual journey.

The very fact that these questions arise in one’s mind shows the sign of intellectual maturity and growth. Be with this question and use it as a tool for inner exploration. The process of asking this question helps clear mental cobwebs and paves the way for deeper self-understanding. Do not be in a hurry to find the answer. This journey itself is valuable and transformative. We usually identify ourselves with what we have and what roles we play, but if one keeps digging deeper with this spirit of inquiry, they will explore more secrets about themselves. And so, it’s very pertinent to ask these questions. Often, people find their lives meaningless and lacking purpose. Questions like “Why am I here?” offer one a bigger context to life.

The next few questions were inspired from reading your book, Notes for the Journey Within. You write that “true love is always one-sided.” Please explain.

A love that is unconditional, where you expect nothing from others and only care for their well-being, is what I would call true love. For example, the love of a grandmother or mother for a child, that of a teacher for a student, or that of a doctor for their patient. 

An often-heard directive is “Don’t judge.” But it seems that judgment is necessary if we are to evolve in a positive manner. For example, if we didn’t judge that lying, stealing and killing are “bad” and/or “wrong,” then there wouldn’t seem to be an incentive against not doing those things. If we didn’t judge that one person is more ethical/moral and worthy of imitation, we could just as easily imitate someone who lacks ethics and morals. Please share with us your thoughts regarding judgment.

Until you judge something as good or bad, you cannot really commit to an action. Judgment is unavoidable in daily life. However, you must put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Suppose you’ve made a mistake and someone always holds it against you or sees you only through that lens. Would you like it? Of course, you cannot entirely move without judgment, but holding on to a judgment also colors your vision and limits your perception, which could be erroneous.

See the possibility that people and things change all the time, and don’t hold on to judgments. Let your judgments be light and passing—like a breeze. Not hard and heavy like a rock. Only in the state of being, when you are full of love and compassion, can you ever be free from all judgments. 


You also write that “from a state of elevated consciousness, you don’t see the flaws in others.” \ How does an elevated state of consciousness make one not see flaws in others? And why is that a “good thing?”

You cannot read these statements out of context. In an elevated state of consciousness, you’ll notice even the smallest flaws; however, you’ll also see the possibility of transformation. In this sense, you don’t hold on to the flaws; instead, you move toward perfection. When you see the possibility of transformation and perfection, you would naturally not hold on to the flaws. ❧