About Ravi
Raviji (Ravi Sankar Madhavan, born 1966) is a contemporary global humanitarian who is committed to spreading and establishing Silence in the world and in human lives through Nidhidhyāsana (Self-enquiry). An ardent devotee of Sri Ramana Maharshi, his teachings are based on the Advaita Vedanta (Non-duality). Unlike other forms of meditation prevalent in the world, most of which are mind-based that use the mind to transcend the mind, Nidhidhyasana is a process of simple and surrendered Silence sitting, which helps to uproot the very mind from its illusory existence. When one succeeds in the Self-enquiry (‘Who am I?’), one is naturally pushed into Self-abidance. Once a sincere seeker is established in the Self-abidance, Self-realization is not really too far. Raviji’s only work is to help people understand that the purpose of this precious human birth is justified when one knows the Truth.
Though formerly an IT professional who worked in the US, the Middle East, Europe and India, he was overwhelmed by endless life questions without having convincing answers, which continued to make him seek solutions that would give lasting peace and happiness.
His spiritual journey
At some point, he decided to learn Hatha Yoga. His sincere and dedicated Hatha Yoga practices led him to silent meditativeness. He was initiated by Sadhguru into Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya and later attended the Samyama Silence. After this, his spiritual practices matured to a point where he could sit in silence for a long time. Upon realizing that ‘bliss’ is something so freely available and costs nothing, he started spending more time in silence by creating more free time from his worldly engagements. Thereafter, he was able to quickly touch the stillness within and could get lost in the timelessness, at will, anytime.
Sri Ramana Maharishi’s teachings are a strong foundation and have made a huge impact on Raviji’s spiritual insights. Through Ramana’s ‘Who Am I?’ Self-enquiry methods and with the insights from Vedanta, he advanced and gained clarity in Jnana Yogam (Path of Wisdom). By now, the spiritual fire had engulfed him, and he was completely convinced that the only true purpose of his life was ‘Self-Realization’. The demands of a corporate job posed a big hurdle in realizing his purpose, so he quit his job and became a full-time seeker. He wandered across India visiting various spiritual places, mountains, staying at temples and ashrams and spent days in silence. Later, he moved into Sadhguru’s Isha Yoga Ashram as a full-time volunteer.
His humble offering
After a few years of ashram life, he decided to renounce the world and moved to Rishikesh, the Himalayas. There, he went into ekanta (complete solitude) for over a year. It was during this time that he was graced with some profound mystical experiences. Being in a state of bliss and absolute unmoving stillness became the living reality of his life.
Raviji is currently based at Maunashram, Tiruvannamalai. According to him, Silence is the only need of this noisy world. In the upcoming days, Silence will become a huge scarcity in the world. It can be achieved by offering Mauna Yogam through Nidhidhyāsana to the world. He initiates true seekers into Silence first and also conducts Nidhidhyāsana Silent Retreats, both online and offline, through initiated Acharyas (Teachers). His humble effort is to bring restfulness to the ever-wandering minds and help beings discover and abide in the Self.
"I'm not a guru, or a teacher, nor am I any peace-giver. Mind is a ghost, and I'm here to chase out the ghost! - Ravi
