Coordinates	47°09′25″N27°35′25″N
title	Forbes
image file	Forbes building in NYC.jpg
editor	Steve Forbes
editor title	Editor-in-chief
previous editor	Muzaffar Khan Malik II
publisher	Forbes publishing
firstdate	1917
country	United States
based	New York City
language	English
website	forbes.com
issn	}}

Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the ''Forbes'' magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are ''Fortune'', which is also published biweekly, and ''Business Week''. The magazine is well-known for its lists, including its lists of the richest Americans (the Forbes 400) and its list of billionaires. The motto of ''Forbes'' magazine is "The Capitalist Tool." Its editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes.

Company history

B. C. Forbes, a financial columnist for the Hearst papers, and his partner Walter Drey, the general manager of the ''Magazine of Wall Street'', founded ''Forbes'' magazine in 1917. Forbes provided the money and the name and Drey provided the publishing expertise. The original name of the magazine was ''Forbes: Devoted to Doers and Doings''. Drey became vice-president of the B.C. Forbes Publishing Company, while B.C. Forbes became editor-in-chief, a post he held until his death in 1954. B.C. Forbes was assisted in his later years by his two eldest sons, Bruce Charles Forbes (1916–1964) and Malcolm Stevenson Forbes (1917–1990).

Bruce Forbes took over on his father's death, and his strengths lay in streamlining operations and developing marketing. During his tenure, 1954–1964, the magazine's circulation nearly doubled.

On Malcolm's death, his eldest son Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes Jr. (1947–) became President and Chief Executive of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine. Between 1961 and 1999 the magazine was edited by James Michaels. In 1993, under Michaels, ''Forbes'' was a finalist for the National Magazine Award. In 2006, an investment group Elevation Partners that includes rock star Bono bought a minority interest in the company. A 2009 ''New York Times'' report said: "40 percent of the enterprise was sold ... for a reported $300 million, setting the value of the enterprise at $750 million. According to Mark M. Edmiston of AdMedia Partners, 'It’s probably not worth half of that now.'"

The popularity of Forbes magazine has extended to mainstream and Hip-Hop culture. 50 Cent has released the official remix to his hit single, "I Get Money" off his September 11, 2008 album, ''Curtis,'' entitled Forbes 1,2,3 (also known as the "Billion Dollar Remix"). The title of the song comes from the fact that Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Diddy were listed as Forbes' Top 3 money-making Kings of Hip-Hop, respectively. The unfinished video for Forbes 1,2,3 can be seen as the intro to 50 Cent's single, "I Still Kill" featuring Akon, off his multi-platinum album ''Curtis.'' As well, in the song "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars, it mentions being on 'the cover of Forbes magazine, smilin' next to Oprah and the Queen'.

Other publications

matt collins ceo of forbes Apart from ''Forbes'' and its lifestyle supplement, ''ForbesLife'', other titles are published, including ''Forbes Asia'' and fifteen local language editions. Steve Forbes and his magazine's writers offer investment advice on the weekly Fox TV show ''Forbes on Fox'' and on ''Forbes On Radio''. Other company groups include Forbes Conference Group, Forbes Investment Advisory Group and Forbes Custom Media. From the 2009 ''Times'' report: "Steve Forbes recently returned from opening up a Forbes magazine in India, bringing the number of foreign editions to 10. In addition, this year the company began publishing ''ForbesWoman'', a quarterly magazine with a companion Web site."

The company formerly published ''American Legacy'' magazine as a joint venture, although that magazine separated from Forbes as of May 14, 2007.

The company also formerly published ''American Heritage'' and ''Invention & Technology'' magazines. After failing to find a buyer, Forbes suspended publication of these two magazines as of May 17, 2007. Both magazines have since been purchased by the American Heritage Publishing Company, and have resumed publication as of Spring 2008.

Forbes.com

David Churbuck founded ''Forbes'' Web site in 1996. The site uncovered Stephen Glass' journalistic fraud in ''The New Republic'' in 1998, an article that drew attention to internet journalism. At the peak of media coverage of alleged Toyota sudden unintended acceleration in 2010 it exposed the California “runaway Prius” as a hoax, as well as running five other articles by Michael Fumento challenging the entire media premise of Toyotas suddenly gone bad. The site, like the magazine, publishes many lists focusing on billionaires and their possessions, especially expensive homes, a critical aspect of the website's apparent popularity. See a list of lists below.

Forbes.com employs the slogan "Home Page For The World's Business Leaders" and sometimes claims to be the world's most widely visited business web site. The current president and chief executive officer is James J. Spanfeller; the current editor is Paul Maidment; the current managing editor is Carl Lavin, who succeeded founding managing editor Michael Noer and Dan Bigman.

Forbes.com now employs a new slogan – "Information for the World's Business Leaders". According to Forbes.com, the Web site is among the most trusted resources for senior business executives, providing them the real-time reporting, uncompromising commentary, concise analysis, relevant tools and community they need to succeed at work, profit from investing and have fun with the rewards of winning.

Forbes.com also publishes subscription investment newsletters, and an online guide to web sites, ''Best Of The Web''.

Forbes.com is part of Forbes’ Digital, a division of Forbes Media LLC. Forbes.com and affiliated properties include:

Forbes.com Realclearmarkets.com Realclearsports.com Realclearpolitics.com

Together these sites reach more than 27 million unique visitors each month.

The 2009 ''Times'' report said that, while "one of the top five financial sites by traffic [throwing] off an estimated $70 million to $80 million a year in revenue, [it] never yielded the hoped-for public offering."

Sale of headquarters to New York University

In January 2010, Forbes reached an agreement to sell its headquarter building located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to New York University. Terms of the deal were not publicly disclosed, but Forbes will continue to occupy the space under a five year sale-leaseback arrangement.

Lists

Wealth:

Australia & New Zealand's 40 Richest

China's 400 Richest

Hong Kong's 40 Richest

India's 100 Richest

Indonesia's 40 Richest

Japan's 40 Richest

Korea's 40 Richest

Malaysia's 40 Richest

Philippines 40 Richest

Singapore's 40 Richest

Taiwan's 40 Richest

Thailand's 40 Richest

The 400 Richest Americans

The World's Billionaires

Companies:

100 Best Small Companies

400 Best Big Companies

America's Largest Private Companies

Asia's Best Under A Billion

Asia's Fab 50 Companies

Global High Performers

The Forbes 2000

Top Micro finance Institutions

People:

48 Asian Altruists

The Best Brokerage Analysts

The Celebrity 100

The Forbes Fictional 15

The World's Most Powerful Women

The World's Top-Earning Models

Top Earning CEO's

Top-Earning Dead Celebrities

Money & Investing

International Investing

Mutual Fund Guide

The 100 Best Mid-Cap Stocks

The 200 Largest U.S. Charities

The Best Brokerage Analysts

The Investment Guide

Places

America's Best Colleges

Best Business Schools

Best Cities For Singles

Best Countries For Business

Best Places For Business And Careers

Most Expensive ZIP Codes

The Best States For Business

Sports

Most Valuable Sports Teams

Most Valuable NASCAR Teams

Most Valuable Soccer Teams

The Business Of Baseball

The Business Of Basketball

The Business Of Football

The Business Of Hockey

Top-Paid Tennis Stars

Technology

Tech's Top Deal Makers

The 25 Fastest-Growing Tech Companies

The E-Gang

The Web Celeb 25

Education

America's Best College Buys

America's Best Colleges

Best Business Schools

Entertainment

The Best-Paid Celebs Under 30

Food and Drink

India’s Fine Wine Hotspots

Ten Bordeaux and California Reds Head-to-Head

Ten Great Unfiltered Wines to Try

The World’s Most Coveted Champagnes

Top-Earning Celebrity Chefs

World’s Most Expensive Fast Food

Health

America’s Fittest Cities

America’s Most Polluted Cities

Eleven Way to Boost Your Energy

Ten Meals You Should Memorize

The Healthiest Foods on Earth

The World’s Diet Secrets

Real Estate

America’s 25 Best Places to Move

America’s Fastest-Falling Cities

America’s Most Expensive Zip Codes

America’s Most Congested Cities

America’s Top 25 Towns to Live Well

America’s Top-Selling Luxury Neighborhoods

America’s Thriftiest Cities

U.S. Cities Where It’s Hardest to Get By

World’s 20 Best Places to Live

Style

Most Powerful U.S. Fashion Magazine Editors

Sneaky Ways You’re Lured to Shop

Spa Treatments Too Bizarre To Believe

What Your Dog Says About You

Winter Gear Worth the Buck

World’s Most Expensive Cities to Live

World’s Most Powerful Luxury Brands

World’s Most Stylish Cities

Travel

Deluxe Designer Hotels

Hidden Treasures of the Middle East

Travel Etiquette in the World’s Most Visited Countries

Wallet-Friendly Last-Minute Getaways

World’s 10 Best Airports

Vehicles

2009’s Fastest Cars Under $100,000

America’s Most Overpriced Cars

America’s Most Popular Car Colors

Best Cars for Suburban Drivers

Best Convertibles of 2009

Highest Quality Cars of 2009

Most Affordable 2009 Vehicles

Ten Cars That Changed the World

Toughest Cars on the Road

World’s Most Expensive Commutes

Notes

Further reading

Forbes, Malcolm S. (1974) ''Fact and Comment'' Knopf, New York, ISBN 0-394-49187-4; twenty-five years of the editor's columns from ''Forbes''

Grunwald, Edgar A. (1988) ''The Business Press Editor'' New York University Press, New York, ISBN 0-8147-3016-7

Holliday, Karen Kahler (1987)''A Content Analysis of ''Business Week'', ''Forbes'' and ''Fortune'' from 1966–1986'' Masters of Journalism thesis from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 69 pages, OCLC 18772376, available on microfilm

Kohlmeier, Louis M.; Udell, Jon G. and Anderson, Laird B. (eds.) (1981) ''Reporting on Business and the Economy'' Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, ISBN 0-13-773879-X

Kurtz, Howard (2000) ''The Fortune Tellers: Inside Wall Street’s Game of Money, Media, and Manipulation'' Free Press, New York, ISBN 0-684-86879-2

Tebbel, John William and Zuckerman, Mary Ellen (1991) ''The Magazine in America, 1741–1990'' Oxford University Press, New York, ISBN 0-19-505127-0

Parsons, D. W. (1989) ''The Power of the Financial Press: Journalism and Economic Opinion in Britain and America'' Rutgers University Press, New Jersey, ISBN 0-8135-1497-5

External links

Category:American business magazines Category:Publications established in 1917

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#REDIRECTBruno Mars

Rich List may refer to:

BRW Rich 200, the annual published list of rich individuals in Australia

Forbes China Rich List, the annual published list of rich individuals in China

Challenges Les 500, the annual published list of rich individuals in France

Forbes Korean Rich List, the annual published list of rich individuals in South Korea

Sunday Times Rich List, the annual published list of rich individuals in the United Kingdom

Forbes 400, the annual published list of rich individuals in the United States of America

The Rich List (disambiguation), a game show franchise

This is a list of people whose names in English are commonly appended with the phrase "''the Great''", or who were called that or an equivalent phrase in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes such as ''e Bozorg'' and ''e azam'' in Persian and Urdu respectively.

In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to be a colloquial version of the Old Persian title "Great King". This title was first used by the conqueror Cyrus II of Persia.

The Persian title was inherited by Alexander III of Macedon (336–323 BC) when he conquered the Persian Empire, and the epithet "Great" eventually became personally associated with him. The first reference (in a comedy by Plautus) assumes that everyone knew who "Alexander the Great" was; however, there is no earlier evidence that Alexander III of Macedon was called "''the Great''".

The early Seleucid kings, who succeeded Alexander in Persia, used "Great King" in local documents, but the title was most notably used for Antiochus the Great (223–187 BC).

Later rulers and commanders began to use the epithet "the Great" as a personal name, like the Roman general Pompey. Others received the surname retrospectively, like the Carthaginian Hanno and the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great. Once the surname gained currency, it was also used as an honorific surname for people without political careers, like the philosopher Albert the Great.

As there are no objective criteria for "greatness", the persistence of later generations in using the designation greatly varies. For example, Louis XIV of France was often referred to as "The Great" in his lifetime but is rarely called such nowadays, while Frederick II of Prussia is still called "The Great". A later Hohenzollern - Wilhelm I - was often called "The Great" in the time of his grandson Wilhelm II, but rarely later.

Rulers

Abbas I of Persia (1571-1629), Shah of Iran

Akbar (1542-1605), ruler of the Mughal Empire of South Asia, mainly India

Alain I of Albret (1440-1522), French aristocrat

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), King of Macedonia, Persia, Greece, Egypt, and all of Mesopotamia

Alexander I of Georgia (1386–1446), King of Georgia

Alfonso III of León (c. 848-910), King of León, Galicia and Asturias

Alfred the Great (848/849-899), King of Wessex

Antiochus III the Great (c. 241–187 BC), ruler of the Seleucid Empire

Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BC), Indian emperor of the Maurya dynasty

Ashot I of Iberia “the Great”(died 826/830), presiding prince of Iberia (modern Georgia),

Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442–1538), ruler of the Songhai Empire

Bhumibol Adulyadej (born 1927), King of Thailand

Bolesław I Chrobry (967-1025), sometimes called "the Great", first King of Poland

Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the following section)

Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (1736-1809), founder and ruler of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (in what is now Thailand)

Cnut the Great (c. 985 or 995-1035), King of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden

Casimir III the Great (1310-1370), King of Poland

Catherine the Great (1729-1796), Empress of Russian

Chandragupta II (reigned 375-413/415), also known as Vikramaditya, ruler of the Gupta empire in India

Charlemagne (died 814), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans

Chulalongkorn (1853-1910), King of Siam (now Thailand)

Chlothar II (584-629), King of Neustria and King of the Franks

Conrad, Margrave of Meissen (c. 1097-1157), Margrave of Meissen

Constantine I (c. 272-337), Roman Emperor

Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC or 576 BC–530 BC), founder and ruler of the Persian or Achaemenid Empire

Darius the Great (550 – 486 BC), third ruler of the Persian Empire

Devapala (died 850), ruler of the Pala Empire in the Indian subcontinent

Dionysius I, Greek tyrant of Syracuse

Ferdinand I of León and Castile (c. 1015–1065), King of León and Count of Castile

Frederick the Great (1712-1786), King of Prussia

Genghis Khan (1162?-1227), founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire

Gero (c. 900–965), ruler of Marca Geronis, a very large march in Europe

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594-1632), King of Sweden, founder of the Swedish Empire, and noted military leader

Gwanggaeto the Great, King of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea

Hanno the Great, the name of three leaders of Carthage, in the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BC

Henry I, Duke of Burgundy (946–1002)

Henry IV of France (1553-1610), King of France and King of Navarre

Herod the Great (73/74 BC-4 BC), King of Judea

Hugh the Great (898-956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris

Hugh Magnus of France (1007-1025), co-King of France

Hugh I, Count of Vermandois (1057-1101)

Humphrey I de Bohun (died c. 1123), Anglo-Norman aristocrat

Ivan III of Russia (1440-1505), Tsar of Russia

John I of Portugal (1358-1433), King of Portugal and the Algarve

John II of Aragon (1398-1479), King of Aragon and, through his wife, King of Navarre

Justinian I (483-565), Byzantine Emperor

Kamehameha I (c. 1758-1819), first King of Hawai'i

Kanishka (died c. 127), ruler of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia and parts of India

Kvirike III of Kakheti (1010-1029), King of Kakheti in eastern Georgia

Kublai Khan (1215-1294), Mongol ruler in the 13th century and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan Dynasty

Llywelyn the Great (c. 1172–1240), Prince of Gwynedd and de facto ruler of most of Wales

Louis I of Hungary (1326-1382), King of Hungary, Croatia and Poland

Mangrai the Great (1238-1317), Lanna, northern Thailand

Emperor Meiji (1852-1912), Emperor of Japan

Mircea I of Wallachia (1355–1418)

Mithridates II of Parthia (died 88 BC), ruler of the Parthian Empire (in present day Iran)

Mithridates VI of Pontus (134 BC–63 BC), ruler of Pontus and the Bosporan Kingdom

Mstislav I of Kiev (1076-1132), Grand Prince of Kievan Rus

Narai (1633-1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)

Naresuan (1555-1605), King of Ayutthaya

Odo the Great (died c. 735), Duke of Aquitaine

Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912-973)

K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603-683), ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque

Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa (1123–1186), King of Sri Lanka

Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia (died 1075), King of Croatia

Peter the Great (1672-1725), Tsar of Russia

Peter III of Aragon (1239-1285), King of Aragon and King of Sicily

Pompey (106 BC-48 BC), military and political leader of the late Roman Republic, rival of Julius Caesar

Radama I (1793–1828), first king of greater Madagascar

Raja Raja Chola I (c. 947-1014), Indian emperor of the Cholas.

Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014-1044), Tamil King of India

Ramesses II (reigned 1279 BC – 1213 BC), considered the greatest pharaoh of Ancient Egypt

Ram Khamhaeng (around 1237 to 1247-1298), King of Sukhothai (in present day Thailand)

Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona (1082-1131), also Count of Provence and various other counties

Rhodri the Great (c. 820–878), King of Gwynedd (in present day Wales)

Roman the Great (after 1160-1205), Grand Prince of Kiev

Samudragupta (c. 335–375), ruler of the Gupta empire in the Indian subcontinent

Sancho III of Navarre (c. 992-1035), King of Kingdom of Navarre

Sargon of Akkad (died c. 2215 BC), ruler of the Akkadian Empire

Sejong the Great (1397-1450), Korean king

Shapur II (309-379), king of the Sassanid Empire, Persia

Simeon I of Bulgaria (864/865-927), ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire

Stephen III of Moldavia (1433-1504), Prince of Moldavia (Romania)

Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia (c. 1308-1355), King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks

Taksin (1734-1782), King of the Thonburi Kingdom (Thailand)

Timur (1336-1405), better known as Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid Dynasty

Theobald II, Count of Champagne (1090–1151), Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV, Count of Champagne and of Brie

Theodoric the Great (454-526), King of the Ostrogoths, regent of the Visigoths and a viceroy of the Byzantine Empire

Theodosius I (347-395), Roman emperor

Tigranes the Great (140-55 BC), Emperor of Armenia

Tiridates III of Armenia (285-339), King of Armenia

Umar (c. 586 to 590–644), second caliph of the Muslim Empire

Valdemar I of Denmark (1131-1182), King of Denmark

Valentinian I (364-375), Roman Emperor

Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 958-1015), ruler of Kievan Rus

Vytautas (c. 1350-1430), archduke of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy

William I, Count of Burgundy (1020-1087), Count of Burgandy and Mâcon

William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969-1030), also Count of Poitou

Xerxes I (519-465 BC), King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire (Persia)

Yu the Great (c. 2200-2100 BC), legendary ruler in ancient China

Religious figures

Abraham the Great of Kashkar (ca. 492-586), monk and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East

Abraham Kidunaia (died c. 366, hermit, priest, and Christian saint of Mesopotamia

Albertus Magnus (1193/1206–1280), medieval German philosopher and theologian

Anthony the Great (c. 251–356), early Christian saint of Egypt

Babai the Great (c. 551–628), Assyrian church leader

Basil of Caesarea (330-379), Greek bishop and theologian

Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the previous section)

Euthymius the Great (377-473), abbot and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint

Gertrude the Great (1256-c. 1302), German Benedictine, mystic, theologian and Roman Catholic saint

Pope Gregory I (c. 540-604)

Hiyya the Great, 3rd-century rabbi, Palestine

Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

Pope Leo I (c. 391 or 400-461)

Macarius of Egypt (c. 300-391), Egyptian hermit

Pope Nicholas I (c. 800-867)

Photius I of Constantinople (c. 810–c. 893), Eastern Orthodox saint and Patriarch of Constantinople

William of Maleval (died 1157), founder of the Catholic congregation of Williamites

Other

Beli Mawr, a figure in medieval Welsh literature and genealogies

Emmy the Great, folk singer

Matteo Rosso the Great, Roman politician and father of Pope Nicholas III

Prokop the Great, Hussite general in Bohemia

See also

Epithet

List of monarchs by nickname

List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility: G-I

James, son of Zebedee, also known as James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus

Ajax (mythology), called Ajax the Greater

Notes

Category:Monarchs Great, List of people known as The Category:Greatest Nationals Category:Epithets

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Coordinates	47°09′25″N27°35′25″N
Name	Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Birth date	May 13, 1956
Birth place	Papanasam, Tamil Nadu, India
Footnotes	}}

Ravi Shankar () usually known as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, born Ravi Shankar Ratnam, born 13 May 1956) is a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation (founded 1982), which aims at relieving both individual stress and societal problems and violence. It is an NGO with UNESCO consultative status. He is also frequently referred to simply as "Sri Sri" (honorific) or as Guruji or Gurudev,. He also established in 1997 a Geneva-based charity, along with the 14th Dalai Lama, the International Association for Human Values, an NGO that engages in relief work and rural development and aims to foster shared global values. In 2010 Shankar was named by Forbes Magazine as the fifth most influential person in India.

Life

Ravi Shankar was born to Smt. Vishalakshi Ratnam and R. S. Venkat Ratnam, who was then active in the automobile business. He was named "Ravi" (a common Indian name meaning "sun") because his birth was on a Sunday, and "Shankar" after the 8th century Hindu saint Adi Shankara, with whom he shares the birthday. He received a Bachelor of Science degree at the age of 21 from St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore University.

After graduation, Shankar traveled with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and was invited by Maharishi to give talks on Vedic science, arrange conferences on the Vedas and science, and set up Ayurveda centers. He was with the Maharishi at the inauguration of the first of the Golden Domes at Maharishi International University. He was earlier addressed as "Pandit Ravi Shankar" (or "Punditji") but in the early 1990s changed his name to "Sri Sri Ravi Shankar" after the renowned sitarist Ravi Shankar objected that the guru was using the name he had made famous.

The 1980s saw Shankar initiate a series of practical and experiential courses in spirituality around the globe. Shankar says that his rhythmic breathing exercise ''sudarśana-kriyā'' () came to him in 1982 "like a poem, an inspiration", after a ten-day period of silence on the banks of the Bhadra River in Shimoga, state of Karnataka, adding, "I learned it and started teaching it".

Shankar says that every emotion has a corresponding rhythm in the breath and regulating breath could help relieve personal suffering. After realizing Sudarshan Kriya, Shankar started sharing it with others through the Art of Living course, first held in Shimoga.

Shankar inspired his father and several other prominent citizens of Bangalore to found ''Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth'', an educational and charitable trust, in 1981. Under the auspices of this trust, he opened a school south of Bangalore for local rural children which now provides free education for 2,000 such children.

In 1983 Shankar held the first Art of Living course in Europe in Switzerland. In 1986 he travelled to Apple Valley, California in the USA to conduct the first course to be held in North America.

In 2010 Shankar appeared on MTV's "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory" in which he and Rob's manager, Jeremy Larner, attempt to help Rob find true happiness in life.

Teaching

Spirituality

Shankar teaches that spirituality is that which enhances such human values as love, compassion and enthusiasm. It is not limited to any one religion or culture. Hence it is open to all people. He feels the spiritual bond we share as part of the human family is more prominent than nationality, gender, religion, profession, or other identities that separate us.

According to him, science and spirituality are linked and compatible, both springing from the urge to know. The question, "Who am I?" leads to spirituality. The question, "What is this?" leads to science. Emphasizing that joy is only available in the present moment, his stated vision is to create a world free of stress and violence. His programs are said to offer practical tools to help accomplish this. He sees breath as the link between body and mind, and a tool to relax the mind, emphasizing the importance of both meditation/spiritual practice and service to others. In his view, "Truth is spherical rather than linear; so it has to be contradictory."

Peace and humanitarian work

In the 1990s, Shankar initiated a number of humanitarian projects, which continue to this date, under the auspices of the Art of Living Foundation and its numerous national organizations. In 1992 he started prison programs to rehabilitate prison inmates and help them reintegrate into the mainstream. 1997 saw the beginning of the International Association for Human Values, a humanitarian organization, and its 5H program, which aims to bring sustainable development to rural areas and revive human values. After the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Art of Living Foundation offered free courses in stress reduction to New Yorkers. The group also ran a relief program in Kosovo for the war-ravaged population and for public health, university and UN personnel. The organization also started an operation in occupied Iraq in 2003 aimed at relieving the stress of the Iraqi population, particularly the rising population of traumatized widows. A similar program was implemented in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2006 teaching war victims as well as UN and NGO personnel. In 2007, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited Iraq at the invitation of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and also met with Sunni, Shia and Kurdish leaders. He visited Pakistan in 2004 and met with political and religious leaders there as a part of his efforts to promote global peace. He is also involved in interfaith dialogue, and currently sits on the Board of World Religious Leaders for the Elijah Interfaith Institute. Many volunteers assisted the 2004 tsunami victims and Hurricane Katrina victims, in Haiti, and many other regions of conflict and natural disaster. There is also a prison stress management and rehabilitation techniques program, known as Prison SMART (Stress Management and Rehabilitation Training), which assists many prisoners and prison staff worldwide.

Sudarshan Kriya

Sudarshan Kriya is a "breathing-based technique" that is a core component of the Art of Living courses and "the cornerstone of ... Art of Living Foundation's trauma relief programs".

In some of his talks Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has described Sudarshan Kriya as a rhythmic breathing exercise that cleanses and harmonizes the physical, mental, and emotional levels.

A number of medical studies on its preparatory practices have been published in international peer-reviewed journals. A range of mental and physical benefits are reported in these studies, including reduced levels of stress (reduced cortisol—the “stress” hormone), improved immune system, relief from anxiety & depression (mild, moderate & severe), and increased antioxidant protection, enhanced brain function(increased mental focus, calmness & recovery from stressful stimuli), among other findings.

Persons enrolling for the courses sign a non-disclosure agreement with an undertaking not to teach the learned techniques (including Sudarshan Kriya) to other people without taking Teacher's Training.

Criticism

While there are a number of published peer-reviewed studies on Shankar's techniques, some Art of Living volunteers have been criticized for using pseudo-scientific language in presentations, such as claims that HIV cannot survive in the oxygen rich environment produced by Sudarshan Kriya. It has also been claimed that Sudarshan Kriya may involve hyperventilation, could cause hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis. However, according to Bharti Verma, M.D., in ''The Way of Grace,'' by David Lucas Burge and Gary Boucherle, "Sudarshan Kriya is not hyperventilation.... The process is unlike hyperventilation and seems much more complex in its nature. A person hyperventilating will often experience lightheadedness, blurred vision, muscle spasms of hands and feet, a general feeling of being unwell, fainting and loss of consciousness. In contrast, course participants learning Sudarshan Kriya report a state of deep relaxation while feeling rejuvenated and re-energized. Clearly the experiences of persons practicing Sudarshan Kriya are exactly the opposite of what a hyperventilating exercise would be expected to produce."

Local Art of Living organizations exist in 152 countries and Shankar is not likely involved in the promotional material they all produce. According to an article in Reader's Digest: "There is no doubt, however, that some of its claims are exaggerated. For instance, according to [a locally produced] AOL brochure its “Youth Empowerment Seminar” is compulsory at 10 German universities. A random check by Reader’s Digest at five of the universities revealed that not only is the seminar not compulsory, it is not even part of the academic curriculum. It is offered as a leisure activity, alongside tennis and aerobics."

See also

Art of Living Foundation

Further reading

Numerous books are based on Shankar's discourses and teachings, and are available in a number of languages.

An Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker (volumes 1-7)

ISBNs: Vol 1: 1885289294,V2: 1885289308,V3: 1885289332,V4: 1885289367,V5: 1885289383,V6: 1885289405,V7: 1885289413

Buddha: manifestation of silence ISBN 8189291912

1999 - Be A Witness: The Wisdom of the Upanishads, 106 pp. ISBN 8176210633

2000 - God Loves Fun, 138 pp. ISBN 1-885289-05-7

2001 - Celebrating Silence: Excerpts from Five Years of Weekly Knowledge 1995-2000, 206 pp. ISBN 1-885289-39-1

Celebrating Love ISBN 1885289421

2005 - Narada Bhakti Sutra, 129 pp. ISBN 8178110296

Notes

References

Gautier, François, ''The Guru of Joy. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar & the Art of Living'', Carlsbad, California, Hay House, Inc., 2008. ISBN 978-1-4019-1761-6 (First edition: India, Books Today, 2002. ISBN 8-187-47842-X)

External links

Official website

Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Hindu gurus Category:Indian religious leaders Category:People from Tamil Nadu Category:Tamil Brahmins

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