Love as Existence: The Philosophy of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Understanding the Origins of This Philosophy
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Indian spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation, stands as one of the most influential contemporary spiritual teachers. Yet Western audiences know him less well than figures like the Dalai Lama or Deepak Chopra. Born in 1956 in Karnataka, India, he grew up in a highly educated family with strong ties to the Vedic tradition. His atmosphere was rich with spiritual inquiry and intellectual rigor. His father was an accomplished Sanskrit scholar and Indian philosophy expert. His mother was a deeply spiritual woman. They shaped the foundational influences for his later teachings.
At age five, according to his biographical accounts, Ravi Shankar astounded those around him. He demonstrated an intuitive understanding of complex philosophical concepts. He displayed unusual calm and wisdom that seemed far beyond his years. This precocious spirituality was not miraculous or superhuman in the Western sense. Rather, it was a natural flowering of human consciousness. Others might cultivate this through practice and understanding.
The quote “Love is not an emotion. It is your very existence” emerges from Ravi Shankar’s broader philosophy. He seeks to distinguish between fleeting feelings and fundamental truths about human nature. He likely articulated this declaration during one of his many discourses, retreats, or Q&A sessions. These have become hallmarks of his teaching method since the 1980s. The context typically involves audiences struggling with conventional Western understanding. They view love as a romantic feeling dependent on external circumstances. You fall into or out of it based on another person’s behavior or appearance.
Ravi Shankar reorients this discussion. He asks his listeners to consider something different. What they call love in its truest form is not something that comes and goes. Rather, it is the essential fabric of consciousness itself. This philosophical repositioning draws heavily from Advaita Vedanta, the non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy. It emphasizes the unity of all existence. Ravi Shankar translates these ancient concepts into language accessible to modern, globally-diverse audiences.
Love is not an emotion. It is your very existence
To fully appreciate this quote, understand the trajectory of Ravi Shankar’s spiritual development. A crisis catalyzed his teaching mission. In 1982, while in deep meditation, Ravi Shankar reportedly experienced a spontaneous spiritual awakening. It profoundly transformed his perception of reality. Rather than retreat into monastic isolation, he made an unconventional choice. He remained engaged with ordinary people. He founded the Art of Living Foundation with an explicit mission. It brings meditation, breathing techniques, and stress-relief practices to the mainstream. Lesser-known facts about Ravi Shankar include his formal credentials.
He holds degrees in both Vedic studies and modern science. He speaks multiple languages fluently. He deliberately studied Western psychology and neuroscience. This bridges the gap between ancient wisdom traditions and contemporary understanding. Before his spiritual teachings gained international prominence, he was an accomplished musician and composer. He demonstrated considerable talent in classical Indian music. This aspect of his background informs the poetic and artistic dimension of his philosophical expression. This combination of scientific literacy, artistic sensibility, and spiritual depth gives his teachings unique character. It resonates with educated professionals and skeptics who might otherwise dismiss spiritual guidance.
How This Truth Transforms Your Daily Life
The philosophy in this quote represents a radical reframing of love. It has significant implications for how we understand human relationships and psychological well-being. In Ravi Shankar’s framework, conventional love is emotion rather than genuine love. Conventional love involves attachment to a person based on external qualities. It depends on sexual attractiveness or reciprocation of our feelings. This distinction does not diminish romantic relationships. Rather, it suggests they are most fulfilling when rooted in something deeper. The “existence” he refers to is not merely biological existence. It is consciousness itself—the awareness that underlies all experience.
When he suggests that love is your very existence, he proposes something specific. Love is not something you do or feel. It is something you are. It is a quality of consciousness that cannot be shaken by external circumstances. It does not depend on them. This idea challenges the transactional view of love prevalent in consumer culture. Consumer culture portrays love as something to chase, win, or conquer. You do this through the right appearance or behavior.
The cultural impact of Ravi Shankar’s teachings has been substantial. It is often subtle and dispersed across global networks rather than concentrated in a single movement or institution. The Art of Living Foundation reports engaging millions of people. They reach people across more than 150 countries through its programs. Many prominent politicians, business leaders, and celebrities have publicly credited his teachings. His teachings have transformed their lives. His philosophy has permeated popular consciousness in a noteworthy way. The self-help and wellness industry carries his ideas forward. Yet they are not always explicitly attributed to him. The idea that meditation and breath-work can fundamentally alter one’s experience of life comes from various lineages.
You can trace it back to teachers like Ravi Shankar. The idea that happiness comes from within rather than external circumstances has the same origin. Within spiritual circles, this particular quote has become something of a rallying cry. It speaks against the sentimentalization and commodification of love in contemporary culture. It appears frequently on social media, in wellness blogs, and in contemporary spiritual literature. People invoke it to help distinguish between obsessive attachment and genuine compassion. The quote’s accessibility makes it memorable and quotable. Its simplicity and directness aid this quality. Yet its depth rewards continued contemplation.