The Transformative Power of the One World Vision of Sri Narayana Guru

This chapter focuses on the life and achievements of Sri Narayana Guru, a transformative figure in the social, political, and intellectual landscape of modern Kerala whose impact has been felt across all communities even as he remains a largely unknown figure in north India. The manner in which one person's intervention in one community is receiving attention from individuals and groups beyond the shores of Kerala and outside the original community within which he had his receptivity is shown as providing the transformative power to effect social change not only in Kerala but even beyond. Narayana Guru and his successors in the Gurukula Foundation lineage provide the vantage point for the potential of the movement. The unique approach of the Guru in challenging domination without antagonizing the other nor deprecating the elegance of the self, cutting through the societal sham, offers a renewed 'advaita' accessible to all, as argued in this chapter.