April 4, 2003
Spiritual leader comes North on
world tour
Guru revered in India,
followers say
Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar will be at the Anglican Parish Hall in Iqaluit at 7:30 p.m.
on April 15.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF
THE ART OF LIVING FOUNDATION)
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MIRIAM
HILL
His holiness Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar, a spiritual master from Bangalore, India, will be in Iqaluit this month
to meet with politicians and members of the public.
Shankar is the founder
of the Art of Living Foundation, a non-profit humanitarian organization, and
travels around the world as a spiritual teacher. He will make a public appearance
at the Anglican Parish Hall at 7:30 p.m. on April 15. The following day he will
travel to Pangnirtung.
Marcy Jackson, teacher
and regional coordinator for i&I Art of Living Foundation in Vancouver,
was in Iqaluit last week preparing for his visit.
"Hes doing a
world tour and hes always wanted to see the North, to see the land and
meet the people," she said.
Woody Woods, an independent
producer, is working on a film about Shankars visit to the Arctic for
Vision TV. It will be called Guru in the Arctic.
"Its the first
time a guru has ever come to the Arctic as far as I know," he said. "He
is considered the biggest spiritual leader in India at the moment, so the fact
that hes coming up to this small community is quite a thing."
In India, Jackson said,
thousands of people come to hear Shankar speak he is like a pop star,
teaching people a path to happiness and the similarities that exist between
world religions.
While in Iqaluit, Shankar
will lead guided meditations, an element of courses he has rolled out in several
countries. His public appearance, Woods said, will focus on something like the
state of the world at the moment, and he always makes time to answer questions
from the audience.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity," Woods said. "I have seen many fake gurus; this guy is
the genuine article."
Premier Paul Okalik has
agreed to meet with Shankar, Woods said, if his schedule permits. With the Canadian
Association for Suicide Prevention conference taking place in May, Woods said,
the group may come back to show how Shankars breathing techniques can
transform lives.
Woods hopes Shankars
trip will inspire interest in the Art of Living workshops, he said, adding that
the gurus teachings are practised in Russia, China, Africa and Poland.
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