The Shankaracharya tradition has always upheld the principle that spiritual knowledge, initiations, and blessings are freely given, not commodities to be sold. This deep-rooted ethos in the Guru-Disciple relationship is a hallmark of the lineage, stretching from Adi Shankaracharya to the present-day Shankaracharyas. And it’s this sacred principle that brings us to a serious question:   
  
**Did Shankaracharya Brahmananda Saraswati, the revered former head of Jyotir Math, or his  authorized, bonafide and current disciples, ever granted permission and authority to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar or the Art of Living (AOL) to :**

**1. Charge money for teaching spiritual practices and offering personal mantra initiations during the Sahaj Samadhi Meditation courses?**

**2. Charging high fees for Guru Puja Phase 1 & Phase 2, which teach participants to venerate the Shankaracharya Tradition—when ironically the Shankaracharya Tradition is an esteemed lineage that upholds the core principle of not charging money for spiritual initiations?**

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Art of Living organization often associate themselves with the Shankaracharya lineage of Jyotirmath, claiming to be part of this ancient spiritual tradition. They offer courses like Guru Puja for significant fees—often up to **$1,400** for teaching a practice that is supposed to honor the Guru Parampara. Additionally, they charge as much as up to **$400** for initiating a personal mantra in the Sahaj Samadhi Meditation, which is given to participants after venerating Shankaracharya Brahmananda Saraswati and the Guru Parampara. 

But this raises a critical question: **Did Shankaracharya Brahmananda Saraswati ever make Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a Guru within the lineage of Jyotir Math, and did he or his bonafide disciples ever pledge Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's allegiance to this sacred Guru Parampara of the Jyotirmath Shankaracharyas ?** 

More specifically, we need to ask: **Did a legitimate disciple of Shankaracharya Brahmananda Saraswati ever formally recognize Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as a spiritual authority and declare him as part of the Guru lineage who was allowed to deviate from the core principles of the Shankaracharya Tradition by charging fees to impart spiritual initiations and teach how to worship the Guru Parampara?** Has Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's connection to the Shankaracharya tradition been officially sanctioned by the Jyotir Math or one of its acknowledged disciples in the past or more importantly the present?

These are crucial questions because, traditionally, the Guru-Disciple relationship within the Shankaracharya tradition is established through the blessings and formal recognition of a legitimate Guru from the Math. So, if no such formal recognition was made by Brahmananda Saraswati or his direct disciples, **can Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s teachings and initiations be considered a true extension of that tradition?** 

**What gives Sri Sri Ravi Shankar the authority to claim lineage to the Guru Parampara of Shankaracharyas of Jyotirmath and give personal mantra initiations in the name of the Jyotirmath Shankaracharya through the Art of Living's Sahaj Samadhi Meditation courses?** 

The Shankaracharya lineage, particularly under the guidance of Brahmananda Saraswati, has been clear about its spiritual and ethical principles. Charging for initiation into sacred practices—especially those intended to honor the Guru—is directly at odds with the values this lineage has upheld for centuries.

**So, what would the revered and former Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath Swami Brahmananda Saraswati think of these monetized programs?** What would his stance be on charging large amounts of money for spiritual teachings and initiations in the name of the Guru Parampara?

>Take a look at the images of Brahmananda Saraswati and his teachings in this post. He was a man dedicated to simplicity, austerity, and spiritual purity. **Would he have allowed an organization to use his name and the sacred lineage of the Shankaracharya tradition to sell courses?** Would he have sanctioned charging **$1,400 for Guru Puja** or **$400 for personal mantra initiations?** 

This question brings us to a larger issue: **Has the Art of Living’s business model diverged from the authentic spirit of the Shankaracharya tradition?** When they claim to uphold this lineage, are they doing so genuinely, or are they capitalizing on a spiritual brand for financial gain and merely paying lip service to it in the Guru Puja ?

 **Is this kind of commercialization truly in line with the traditions of ancient Gurus like Brahmananda Saraswati, or is it an exploitation of their sacred name for business purposes?**

Then, how is anything that Art of Living is selling in the name of the Shankaracharya Tradition—be it **Sahaj Samadhi Meditation**, personal mantra initiations, **Guru Puja Phase 1**, or **Guru Puja Phase 2**—legitimate and consistent with the Shankaracharya Tradition?

**Did you ever know this?** Have you pondered upon it and considered questioning your Sahaj Samadhi Meditation teacher? Try asking them some tough questions like these to uncover the truth, and see how their answers illuminate the situation. 

1. *Did Shankaracharya Brahmananda Saraswati ever formally recognize Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as a Guru and authorize his teachings within the Shankaracharya lineage?* 
2. *Doesn't the Art of Living’s practice of charging substantial fees for Guru Puja and mantra initiations contradict the fundamental principle of the Shankaracharya tradition, which prohibits charging for spiritual teachings and initiations?*
3. How well do Art of Living’s offerings, such as Sahaj Samadhi Meditation and Guru Puja, align with the core values of the Shankaracharya Tradition? 
4. What do the current Shankaracharyas from the four recognized institutions\* that were established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, willing to endorse and affirm that Sahaj Samadhi Meditation, with its use of personal mantras, is truly a technique preserved and passed down within the Shankaracharya Tradition since ancient times?                                                                                                     (\*Sringeri Sharada Peetham (South India), Dwaraka Peetham (West India), Puri Govardhan Peetham (East India),Jyotir Math (North India)
5. *Who, then, granted Sri Sri Ravi Shankar the title of Guru within the Jyotirmath’s Shankaracharya Tradition? Was it Shankaracharya Brahmananda Saraswati himself? if not, then who gave him the recognition and authority to use the Guru Parampara of Jyotirmath for giving spiritual initaitions ?*
6. *Hasn’t Swami Swaroopananda Saraswati, a direct disciple of Shankaracharya Brahmananda Saraswati, and the former Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peetham clearly stated in an interview that genuine Gurus don’t sell knowledge for money but instead share it freely?* 
7. *Did Sri Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, a prominent direct disciple of Brahmananda Saraswati, and current Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath recognize Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as part of the Guru Parampara of Jyotirmath and approve of him charging expensive fees for imparting spiritual initiations and teaching the worship of the Guru Parampara?*

Looking forward to your thoughts and insights on this complex issue. 🙏

In The Name of Guru Parampara: When Shankaracharya Tradition Rejects Charging for Spiritual Initiations—How Does The Art of Living & Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Follow This Tradition They Claim Lineage to, or Do They Merely Pay Lip Service While Profiting from Selling Initiations and Courses in Its Name?