On Tour with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar  

"Don't wait to witness a situation go bad, instead take the ownership and responsibility immediately to make a better India,” Sri Sri urged young leaders at the 1st Parliament of Student Council Leaders at the MIT School of Government, Pune.

Sri Sri was the keynote speaker for the ‘India versus Bharat: Urban rural divide and its spiritual contribution’ session. The former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was also present at the event.

Sri Sri asked the students to imbibe the best qualities from across the globe: teamwork from Japan; precision and perfection from Germany; etiquettes and decency from Britain; marketing skills from the US; and spirituality from India. “Don't give up on your smile. Do everything happily as anger causes destruction," he advised.

In Mumbai after three years, Sri Sri launched the ‘Muskurae Mumbai’ campaign aimed at destressing Mumbaikars.

While addressing the media at the Press Club on January 12, Sri Sri lauded the media for exposing corruption in the government. “We need to spread a sense of belonging through satsangs as Mahatma Gandhi did. What is needed is a Gross Domestic Happiness Index!”

He urged the media to highlight stories that show human values in society.

Sri Sri shared that his dream of a ‘Serene India’ lay in empowering the youth, wiping out corruption, increasing self-reliance of the rural masses and increasing the sense of belonging amongst people.

“We want vibrant youth to lead our country,” Sri Sri said at the HDIL Youth Concert, later that evening. “Vision and far-sightedness will come only when we meditate, go inward and become more intuitive.”

A day later, Sri Sri led thousands of people in a meditation for world peace and harmony. The gathering pledged to contribute towards a more peaceful society.

Thousand people attended a satsang at Thane’s Dadoji Kandeo Stadium where Sri Sri emphasized the role of sadhana (spiritual practices) in destressing the mind.

Sri Sri interacted with lawyers from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He advised lawyers to practice meditation which is the best medicine for better and stress-free living. He also urged lawyers to take up three cases in a year free of cost. The Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and members of the executive committee were present.

A spread of 5,000 vegetarian dishes met the eye on November 2 at Annam Brahm in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The event demonstrated a complete journey of food: the effects of food on the mind, the right eating practices as well as guidelines towards maintaining good health. All the dishes were made with organic ingredients and prepared using ayurvedic principles of cooking. People of all religions participated with the aim to showcase the unique cuisines from different communities. The food was then distributed as Bal Bhoj among 35,000 underprivileged children from eight slums at Vejalpur and Satellite of Ahmedabad.

Earlier that day, Sri Sri was a special speaker at the Earth Charter Program in Ahmedabad where he urged farmers to avoid excess use of pesticides.

Later in Baroda, Sri Sri met with 300 graduates of the Yes!+ program. “I want them to be well equipped to take the stress that comes along. I want nothing to break them," he said.

"Over 3,500 people attended the advanced meditation course that was held during the Diwali and Gujarati New Year celebrations. For the occasion of the New Year, Sri Sri also visited a 300-year-old temple in a village Jhanjharka near Ahmedabad. Addressing a 30,000 strong crowd of Dalits (lower caste Hindus), Sri Sri said: Don't think of yourself as exploited or downtrodden. We are not high or low. Let us forget the past and work together for a bright future. “

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar embarked on a 10-day tour of Russia beginning Sept 5, 2010.

He inaugurated the second International Art and Music Festival ‘Kremlin live’ on Sept 11 in Kazan. The aim of this festival was to develop culture and popularize the arts. Sri Sri was also the guest of honor and delivered the keynote address. The Minister of Culture, Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan, Mrs. Valeyava Z.R, welcomed the gathering.

During his tour, Sri Sri visited several cities including St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan and Irkutsk. He interacted with members of the government, businessmen, students and the public. In St. Petersburg (Sept. 5–6), Sri Sri addressed a gathering of over 25,000 people on ‘Yoga for Health and Happiness’ and held a meeting with the city administration. In Moscow (September 7 and Septembr 12), Sri Sri met government officials and addressed students at the International University of Skolkova and Moscow State University. He also addressed a business seminar titled ‘Business Ethics and Fighting Corruption’.

The event was attended by some 400 guests, among whom were prominent business figures, celebrities and representatives of the secular media. Sri Sri shared his views on the further development of relations in the modern business world. Identified the most pressing problems, gave advice on conflict resolution, and pointed to examples of the importance of social responsibility of business in modern conditions.

In Kazan, Sri Sri addressed a gathering of 7,000 people where 300 accordionists performed together and entered the Guinness Book of World Records.

Sri Sri’s last stop was at Irkutsk (September 13–14) where he gave a public talk on ‘Life Secrets’ and conducted a workshop on ‘Yoga for Health and Happiness’.

Sri Sri addressed the European Business Group (EBG) in Delhi. He said: “This sense of contributing, taking pride in giving is missing today. If that happens again, there will be a big difference. Pride in giving, pride in non-violence are two things which are missing in today’s education. If you watch movies, one who is aggressive and loses his temper, is shown as a hero. One who is calm, accepts everything and offers his other cheek are not considered heroes. This value shift has to happen.”

People from all over the world gathered to participate in the Guru Poornima celebrations with Sri Sri in Hartford, Connecticut. While addressing the audience, Sri Sri said: “There are so many bees that sit in a bee hive but there is only one queen bee. If that queen bee goes away, every other bee will disappear, the entire hive disappears. In the same way, in our body, there is an atom, the tiniest of the tiny atom, the atma which is everywhere yet nowhere. That is the queen bee – that is what you are. The queen bee, that is what the Divine is. The queen bee, that is what the Guru principle is.”

Sri Sri was on a one-day visit to Bokaro in Jharkhand. He addressed the administration and workers of the Bokaro Steel Plant on stress management. “To create a successful working environment, you need to be stress-free," he said.

He also visited the prisoners of the Bokaro prison and encouraged them to give up the path of violence. “Return to mainstream society, we (the Art of Living) will extend all help in setting up your own occupation.” In the evening, over 12,000 people gathered for satsang. Sri Sri urged them to have faith in the Divine. “If God is with you, no one can harm you."

Sri Sri was the guest of honor at the 2nd Symposium on Shelters for Children organized by the Peter Maffay Foundation and co-hosted by the Klaus Wowerit, Mayor of Berlin on May 18.

People from 50 countries meditated for world peace to mark Sri Sri’s 54th birthday celebrations on May 13. Speaking on inner fulfillment, Sri Sri said: “The consumerism that is eating society today can only be checked by inner fulfillment, by quenching that inner quest for the Self, for spiritual energy or inner joy. Fulfillment comes through spiritual knowledge. The greatest fortune in human life is to be able to say, ‘I want nothing. I am here for you.’ ‘I want nothing’ comes from a state of fulfillment and not of denial.”

Sri Sri reached Germany on May 13 after leading an advanced meditation program in Arosa, Switzerland. He also gave a commentary to the international audience on the Bhagavad Gita, a timeless classic of spirituality.