[4] After many of these "educational experiments" took place and were successful, Ariyaratne and others developed ideals that have served as the basis of the Sarvodaya Movement.

"[5] The original Sanskrit definition of Sarvodaya is "the welfare of all," but Ariyaratne has redefined the term to reflect a Buddhist ideal, "the awakening of all.

"[6] The Sarvodaya movement places the people at the center of social change, "The village represents the heart of the nation and the source of its spiritual and moral vision.

The call of this movement has been for a non-violent spiritual revolution to replace structural violence as the basis of the social order.

Ariyaratne used the Buddhist approach to nonviolence which "is grounded in a systematic 'attitude adjustment' in which negative, reactive states such as hatred, greed, and delusion are transformed into positive social orientations through meditative self-training.

"[8] Ariyaratne used this idea of nonviolence to promote the village development that is a major part of Sarvodaya Shramadana.

The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement reinterprets this to mean that "villagers should recognize problems such as poverty, disease, oppression, and disunity in their environment.

The Fourth Noble Truth means that the end of this suffering can be attained by Eightfold Path to Nirvana.

The Eightfold Path includes right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Ariyaratne reinterprets this to mean that each part of the Eightfold Path can be applied to the restoration of the people.

For example, in the case of right mindfulness, Sarvodaya Shramadana interprets this to mean that one needs to "stay open and alert to the needs of the village.

Ariyaratne sees his idealised version of ancient Sri Lankan villages as the center of the social order.

He has been actively working for peace in Sri Lanka for many decades, and has stated that the only way to peace is through "the dispelling of the view of 'I and mine' or the shedding of 'self' and the realization of the true doctrines of the interconnection between all animal species and the unity of all humanity,"[17] thus advocating social action in Buddhist terms.

He stated in one of his lectures, "When we work towards the welfare of all the means we use have to be based on Truth, Non-violence and Selflessness in conformity with Awakening of All.".

As a devout Buddhist, he led tens of thousands of "family gatherings" and meditations with millions of people throughout Sri Lanka and other parts of the world.