Sadhguru QA from kavitachhibber.com
Q: Sadhguru,Q: Sadhguru,
My dad killed my mom but it was attempted suicide-homicide really. My dad has been living with schizophrenia for over 15 yrs. The hospital had released him way too soon. It was my dad’s 4th suicide attempt as he couldn’t handle hearing the command voices. Previously after he tried to stab himself, he was in a hospice for less than a week and then released. His release was unexpected, but the hospital called and said "they need the bed",. My parents were divorced but they called my mom instead of me, and she said she will take him in for a few days.
A few days later he had a major mental attack again and stabbed her many times then tried to kill himself. Why was my mother’s life so short? Why do people have mental disorders and why my father. Is it karma?
Lina – Canada
Why do people have mental disorders? Dietary habit and the chemicals we consume have a small part to play but above all life styles, emotional instability, especially among people of Asian origin and especially South Asians is key. Most South Asians in the past had been used to a certain, very secure emotional structure in their life. The first or second generation of immigrants is facing this problem because of the drastic change in life style. In old days emotional stability was a direct result of a stable life style, due to stable marriages and division of work. The woman took care of home and children and the man was the bread winner. The community support too was immense. When all that was keeping things stable, cracks up, emotional instability follows.
The home front today is not as stable and the atmosphere for growing children where both parents have to go to work creates so many social, economic and life style compulsions. The stress of spreading yourself so thin will have an adverse effect and you will see more and more exhausted, stressed out and mentally unstable people. South Asians are more affected because its a major shift for them from the life they have been used to for generations.
There is also no need to ascribe everything bad that happens to negative Karma. When we talk about Karma we are not talking about it in terms of prize and punishment. Every action has a certain consequence – so it is not for something you did wrong in a previous birth so you are suffering today.
The consequences may be from a variety of inputs that you take in the form of life. Your choices may be limited at times because we are all subject to the ways of life or a particular age and time and social situation in which we exist. However how to handle these situations is within ourselves and an individual choice.
One needs to be considerably conscious in order to make an individual choice. When you make a compulsive reaction in your social, family and other situations in which you exist, mental problems are the consequence which one suffers.
What Lina needs is not solace, because nothing can console someone who has undergone such a tragedy, but what she needs is to stay strong and focus on looking deeper, and make life’s process more conscious than what it is. If you look at the history of mankind as I said in an earlier segment, death of parents at young ages was a common occurrence. There was no human being who didn’t lose a child or a parent in the process of living. That was how life used to be,
Today we have organized society in such a way that one event like this shocks us because in many ways we have excluded ourselves from the basic process of life.
I’m not trying to give a philosophical explanation to a horrible tragedy in someone’s life. What I’m saying is that today the whole purpose for being civilized and creating this civilization must be to make sure such an event does not repeat itself and for that everyone needs to take a deeper and longer look within to fix the inner situation of mankind. If that is not done more mental ailments will become the natural consequence that we will have to suffer in one way or another. If it has happened to one person it means it can happen to another one including you and me.
Q: In Hindu religion we have lot of gods like Siva, Vishnu, Muruga, Ganesh etc. etc. Right from childhood I have been brought up by praying to all these gods. I somehow now feel I don’t have focus, and am not able to fix on one idol in my mind to worship. Did these gods really live on this earth or were they created by man? Though I have the clarity that there is one divine eternal I am unable to stop worshiping other gods. Its all confusing and bothering me.
Can you give an insight on this?
Also, what is the difference between Krishna, Jesus, Buddha(Gods) and great souls like Shirdi Saibaba, Ramakrishna Paramahansa? Are you one among these great souls? I wish to follow one guru and go towards the divine. But whom to follow? Here also I am confused. I am impressed by your words and I wish to become your disciple. –Anandhi Kartikeyan
All the Gods you have mentioned-many of them were historical figures who lived as larger than life figures so naturally they were respected as Gods of those times and eulogized to some extent in an exaggerated way.
Fundamentally human beings are always seeking something to hold on to-whether its sports or other celebrities being looked up to like they were Gods or anyone else that inspires awe. Fundamentally unless human beings can focus on something or someone they can’t focus on their lives or take themselves forward. This happens more in Asian cultures where they have always idolized past heroes. Past heroes are best because you don’t have to worry about how they lived their lives. You just create an idealized image of that person and that becomes your ideal and guiding force but its only a psychological process.
I’m hopeful that today’s intellect has developed sufficiently on the planet to look beyond this way of existence where you idolize something as ideal and try to live by it because if your ideal and somebody’s else’s ideal are different then it creates a variety of conflicts and differences.
You should try to nurture yourself to your ultimate possibilities without idolizing anything or anybody around you. The whole science of yoga is geared towards this. If you want to use idealizing or worshipping someone as a temporary crutch in your path to higher consciousness then it is okay to do so during the growing phase but it cannot be the ultimate solution.
The names you have given of learned men-well they are dead and I’m alive so I’m not among them(laughter). Jokes apart, you must not see these people as names of great saints but see them as certain possibilities, and certain qualities. So whether its Krishna , Jesus or me, look for the qualities they represent and try to embrace those. Sadly if these qualities had already touched you, you wouldn’t be asking so many questions or shopping around for gurus or even struggling with who to worship and what to worship.
Take your steps in the right direction. We can certainly help you at Isha.
Again I have to say that though people refer to me as Sadhguru, I have not become who I am by reading or studying anything. It has come from an inner perception and I’m a living example for every human being to realize that everything you need to know is within you and is possible for you.
If you need the guidance, seek and we are ready to give you the guidance but then use the tools to find the solution within yourself..
The reason why people are so confused is because we have stereotyped spirituality. People have been made to believe that to be spiritual you cannot wear this, you cannot eat this, and you cannot be a certain way or live a normal life. In the last so many years I have lived as I always have –you will see me riding a motor cycle with sun glasses and jeans, as well as other clothes. I have not tried to project myself this way or that way.
People must realize that spirituality is a process that begins within and not what you do on the outside.-what clothes you wear, the car you drive makes no difference. You do what you have to do but ask yourself whether you are doing something by compulsion or by choice and act accordingly.
Q: My girlfriend has been more intensely involved with Isha programs and hence assimilated to a greater degree, the essence of what Isha has to offer. So the question is from my girlfriend, to Sadhguru.
I am 20 and my hormones are playing havoc. I stay in a foreign land alone. People around me are indulging in activities that you described as going below the mind though I myself don’t. With my practices I have managed to achieve some level of awareness. But it has not become a living reality in me yet. In the meanwhile I am scared of those moments of weakness in the company of such people that could wreck me. What would be your advice to youth like me whose actions and thoughts are controlled by hormones?
- Vinod Krishnan Chennai
This question can be from any youngster, the girl friend or Vinod himself.
The moment you see something as evil, something as a temptation- all very fundamental religious words by the way, you will naturally be drawn towards it.
Why do you want to see something as evil? Yes when the hormones are raging there will be attractions and that is very normal but how far you want to go with these so called temptations should be out of choice. What you want to do with your life will not be affected by anything if you exercise you free will to choose. There is no need to avoid anything but look at it objectively and see what it is it that you want. Every action has a consequence as I said and you have to accept that consequence.
Q: Sadhguru, you talked about the story of your previous birth but Vedhathirimaharishi said that’s impossible to remember previous births. So I am confused because I believe both of you. Kindly clear my doubt.
Also I want to realize my self but I have failed to become good, I am addicted to tobacco materials ad constantly feel fear, complexes and negative thoughts. Please tell me how to improve myself.
- Jamohan Kandasamy, Chennai
So someone says remembering past lives is impossible and someone says something else. What is possible or impossible is always according to each individual. If I ask you to run 100 meters in 10 seconds you may say it is impossible for me, isn’t it? But someone else is doing just that. So lets not see things in term of possible or impossible, nor must you blindly believe anything I say or anyone else says. You must live your own life with more depth and believe that what you experience as a result. What you call ‘ myself” is much more than the body you accumulated over time. To overcome addictions, you have to bring a certain amount of discipline and meditation into your life. In Chennai Isha yoga is very much available to help you.
Q: How does one make one’s faith and devotion stronger? What can one do to please God? What does He like devotees to do?
We have had many idols (murtis) in our home alter for many years and they are too many for proper maintenance (Abhishek, pooja, etc.). In view of the explanation provided by Sadhguru (in response to the question by Sunjoy Dattagupta), what can we do to reduce the number of idols and how can these be removed from the home?
Raya bidaye Toronto
Leave God alone to do his business. Every day thousands of people are telling God to do this and that for them. He will be most happy to be left alone. Also what makes you happy? When you do something where you excel, isn’t it-or if your child turned out to be even better than you? Similarly if you become the best version of yourself, that is what will please God since you consider yourself his creation.
It is better to keep pictures in the house than idols. However the idols that are meant to be worshipped are made in a particular way. Anything else that you may have in your house as decoration purposes will not have any problems. If you are maintaining it in your pooja room and and pray to it even though you don’t know the rituals, it is still okay to keep them because discarding them may cause much more disturbance in you.
If there is no maintenance and it doesn’t mean much to you but you don’t know what to do, take a wet cloth, dip it in turmeric or dip it in water with turmeric, wrap it and put it in a water body.
Remember that the whole idea of any kind of worship is to make you worshipful-to develop an indiscriminate sense of love is the whole point of worship.
If you are filled with love, just in front of the idol and live your life without love or compassion or without developing your inner consciousness then there is no point in doing any kind of worship.
If you can learn to look at every human as your own mirror image then you won’t need to worship any thing outwardly.
Q: Kindly tell me how one can continue to be patient, conscious, happy and pursue inner development in spite of his father’s untimely death by cancer, who was his best companion in this earth, an unhappy marriage and unfair in laws? -Bapa West Bengal
When people can’t handle their lives they complain when they are in it. But when they come out of it, they complain even more. We don’t know your real situation because we are only hearing one side of it. Whatever the problem may be whether it is from your parents, or partner or in laws or even children or friends-it really doesn’t matter. These are all life’s situations and our inability to handle those situations is what causes the stress. Turn inward and see what the nature of your existence is. You are in India, and it is very easy to access Isha. Go and spend some time at one of our centers. It will not only give you a break from your situation, we will help you go through a certain process that will give you the tools to handle anything in life that causes you stress. It is then up to you to do the needful.
Q: Dear Sadhguru,
Recently I read an interview with Bikram Choudhary who has become a yoga icon in the US. He has even patented certain yoga postures, when he was asked what were his diet and exercise secrets because he doesn’t look his age he said that he does yoga thrice a week and works out in a steam room on other days. He does not eat fruits and vegetables “because they are all chemicals. The body never accepted them, and never digested them.” He eats only one meal comprising of meat, fish, egg and chicken. He says that vegetarians die early and adds “think of what the tiger looks like and what the buffalo looks like!”
I found the response in direct contrast to what I have heard all these years-that yoga should not make you sweat and dry fruit and a vegetarian diet is the best.-Alex Masters, New York
I cannot comment on what others follow and I’m not familiar with Bikram Choudhary. I can only speak of my personal experience.
Now you can eat anything and survive if you are putting in the necessary exercise. There is a man who eats light bulbs and is doing fine, another may live on air and another may eat mud. But is that a diet suitable for everyone is the question. A buffalo is an herbivore and a tiger is a carnivore. They are not eating meat or vegetables by choice-its just the way their systems have been structured. The human system resembles that of an herbivore but we are capable of adapting to anything and surviving. If you listen to your body it will clearly tell you what it is happy with, what it can really handle. The body in my experience handles vegetable and fruits very easily. Frankly the focus should not be to convert and exist but to constantly go towards a healthier way of life, be it food or anything else. In the 1970s and 80s for example people thought they could put certain pills in their system and survive and we have all seen the consequences. Whatever ideas there are about food and health are mostly made up in your mind. If you align yourself with nature you wont make mistakes.
Does Yoga help with food and other types of allergies? I have a low thyroid (hypothyroid), which is a lack of the thyroid hormone being produced. When someone begins yoga, is this one of the medical conditions you should monitor for change? I’m also emotional and have a hard time being “logical”. I often tell people, that I just love everyone, and want to find solutions that will make everyone happy. So ironically, when I attended this course, my desire was to lessen my “love” for everyone so that I could become more “logical’. I often try to down play all the emotion I feel (for others) with humor. So, in some ways I feel like the opposite of what most “logical” people…any suggestions or words of wisdom on this? - Jackie Fitzgerald
Yes Yogic practice can really help allergies and thyroid conditions. We have a practice called Shaktichalan Kriya. It is combined with shunya meditation and it would make a huge difference for Jackie. We have had a huge number of people who have gained from it.
As far as being emotional is concerned, there is no reason to attach unnecessary meanings or interpretations with it. Jackie just needs to find a mind body balance and if she can go to the ashram in Tennessee on a weekend the teachers there can teach her the yogic exercises like surya namaskar etc to achieve that balance. The Shambhavi kriya she learnt in the inner engineering course should also help her to some extent. She must also get into some physical activity, which will help as well.
I’ve known a few families that have attended the Inner Engineering program and drastically changed their lives like quitting their jobs and sent their children to Isha schools and became volunteers in the Isha organization and gave up on everything else. I’m not clear on whether this is right or wrong and if this drastic change that people are making lasts for ever? I thought that this program is more for people to live their normal lives in a better way, in whatever field or situation they are in. But, giving up on everything and becoming 100 % spiritual? Was this the intension? Is this OK?-Bhavana Srivelu Tampa Florida
People are sending their children to Isha schools because they find them better schools, not because they have given up on everything. It’s like this-if you are in a particular job and you find a better opportunity, will you not accept that opportunity? Just because some people choose to live their life differently from your life, does not mean they have given up everything because they have not. In fact they have become more interactive with others and are living full lives. Many of them have more focus in their lives and are doing all kinds of new work, from business to creative activities to working with people much more than they had done before. They have come out of the caves of their homes where they were locked up and are very much active in the society and working with many more people than they had earlier. They have shifted their activities into a different gear which seems more meaningful for them.Inner engineering does not encourage this or that. It is just to create inner well being, but once the person receives more clarity it helps them to make choices that work for them. They may not be your current choices but that does not make them wrong choices.
Sadhguru’s philosophy is divine but is it fair to say that he believes in the philosophy that an enlightened human being after the spiritual path can become god. If so does he believe that the Ramanuja-Vishistaadvaita philosophy where they claim that no human being can ultimately be God is false? (By the way I know nothing about philosophy but have been itching to ask this.)
I never said that you can become God. I said you can go beyond God because Gods were created by human beings. If a human being reaches his ultimate potential he/she becomes far more than God, because you have read in stories how even the Gods were jealous, envious, angry and so on. A human being can raise himself way above all that.
Sadguru’s words are inspiring but probably because I am educated, sometimes when Sadhguru blames the current education system for all evils, is it not going too far? For instance even the schools he is setting up teach computer and math skills. So why blame the education system? Has India not produced some great people and even the world through the education system? Granted that improvements are possible.
I’m not blaming the education system for everything. I’m saying that the way we are operating after so many years of knowledge and experience with life and education is not good enough. We should be doing a better job and not just teaching people to earn a living. The focus of education should be to create more harmonious and inclusive human beings otherwise there will many more tragedies like the ones you see in educational institutions these days. The Virginia Tech tragedy just happened recently.
Is bhakti more important or is knowledge more important. Can a person with just bhakti and no knowledge achieve enlightenment?
The question is not which is more important but what are you suited for?
No matter how much bhakti you have your intellect will always tie you down with questions, its own logic. Your mind, body, emotions, energy, gnana, kriya, bhakti all must be addressed together. Then only one can move ahead. They are like the four wheels of your car. You can’t drive with just one.
Granted that pure rituals without understanding meaning is not worthy of pursuing. Sadhguru’s project green hands is worthy of praise. But why does Sadhguru and and his project green hands promotional CD so strongly classify Annam pindam etc as pure nonsense? After all Sadhguru himself admits the importance of faith and devotion--uneducated people following Jesus etc.
What is wrong if people believe that offering food to people who passed away through pindam is ok? In guru puja when we offer flowers and sweets --is it not the same thing? –Raghavan Santhanam
If you are performing the rituals for emotional reasons for a short period of time, its okay but I see no point in feeding the dead 25 years after they are dead because they are not going to eat your food, The living have more need for it and you would do so much better if you fed the living who are dying of hunger. In the old days there was a yogic science behind Annam pindam, where the priests had the knowledge and capability to conduct rituals where they could contact the departed souls who had left their bodies for some further instructions or guidance. But that could be done for a very specific period of time. Today most priests perform the rituals blindly without knowing much about it. So I don’t see any reason for a ritual to be performed when it serves no purpose.
What does Sadhguru experience when he meditates?-Wendy Behr
I don’t meditate. I have become one with meditation long time ago. All I can say is where I am today, I would not exchange it with the world, and Wendy or anyone else can reach the same state if the necessary attention is paid.
I recently read Amritanandmayi’s biography written by one of her disciples. It chronicled the severe abuse she faced and tolerated for years at the hands of her family. She said that the abuse was purification to further elevation. And then she started performing so many miracles that the family too started loving her. While I know there is no such thing as unconditional love this was a bit much to digest. Another divine mother left an unhappy home and two kids and followed another saint and become who she became. So is severe familial abuse the path to divinity? Only in the case of Karunamayi does one read about how her family treated her with respect and love from the beginning recognizing that a spiritual soul was born in their house.- Karen Connors, Tennessee
This is something even the most educated people don’t understand. I have heard people say-India is so spiritual then why is India poor? Why isn’t India doing good business? Well to do good business you have to do the necessary work. Meditation is going to take you towards inner well being, but it wont help you in taking care of your family’s needs.
In a certain family some member may recognize the spiritual nature of a person and create a nurturing environment but such cases are very few. Most families expect every member to be doing certain chores that go towards family well being, and if the person is doing something that is contrary to that, be it bhakti or anything else, the other members will not take to it kindly. You can glorify the Meera Bais today but do you realize what a pain Meera Bai was in her time and how much her husband King Bhojraj had to put up with? There she was talking about another man, talking to him, dancing and dallying a sleeping with him, writing love songs for him. For a husband to accept all that is not easy and yet the man tried his best to accommodate her but eventually everyone’s wrath descended on her. People who walk the path of bhakti understand that and somehow know how to deal with it. Amritanandmayi is no exception. Her organization has done some very good work in the past 5 years.
I was wondering whether you know where kantisarovar is? Thanks- Ranjit Rao
It’s a few kilometers beyond Kedar.
Q: My cousin sister and her husband were brutally murdered in January, in New York. Their bodies were discovered by their 12 and 13 year old sons when they returned from school. We still have not found the culprits. The older son asked this question of his parents’ spiritual teacher - You say its God’s will. Fine, but why my parents? - Uma Sharma
When it comes to human society these things have always been there because there is greed, avarice, mental imbalance in people. So tragedies like these are realities that the human society has already lived with.
Today a couple being murdered is very shocking because it is not a daily occurrence. A thousand years ago it happened all the time. Parents got murdered in wars, tribal fights and so on.
Today these kinds of tragedies become even more saddening because of the new nucleus family of father mother and just the kids. When such a family breaks the world of young children is torn apart. In the old days when people lived in joint families, while the tragedy was heart breaking, the support system was phenomenal and it was a lot easier to learn to live with it.
The realities have changed and the best thing to do is to create a graceful atmosphere of love, caring and warmth for those children.
When someone says why my parents, it brings forth the question, would it have been better if it was someone else’s parents? It isn’t is it?
Why something like this happens is a random act. Its not due to this or that or to say its divine will. Certain people happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and became victims of this tragedy. In New York, it happened to one couple but all over the world parents of young children are dying because of war or disease, terrorism and so many other things. The media is full of such news.
It is most important for humanity to bring up future generations with compassion and sensitivity to the world. Unless we consider all tragedies as “ours” we cannot reduce the possibility of these kinds of tragedies repeating themselves to us and others around us.
There is no divine explanation for something like this. This is a physical reality which we need to respond to with a deeper sensitivity. Even after thousands of years of civilization we still can’t stop exploiting each other and fighting wars. We continue with the strife as individuals, as a society and as a nation. When we have invested so much worldwide in arms and ammunition, we obviously carry the intention of repeating this violent tragedy for so many around the world.
Q: What is the difference between Sadhguru and Buddha?. When he meets an enlightened person, is he instantly aware of it? Is he aware of things happening on the other side of the planet? Is he psychic? - Mark Carter
The most significant difference is Buddha is dead and I’m alive! Jokes apart, the most significant difference is that Buddha’s way was only for the monks. That is why he kept it so dry and uni-dimensional. My way is for every one. There are monks, married people, and single people young and old: all kinds.
As for being psychic or knowing when I meet an enlightened being, I do know everything that goes around me when I’m in a certain state. When you use the word” Yoga” it means union but one cannot live in that union all the time. One knows it and has access to that possibility again and again. So when I’m in that state I’m aware of everything, but that state is not sustainable. You cannot contain that in the human body for long. Its like a spell. And also I don’t want to burden myself with that kind of awareness all the time.
Psychic is a very poor way to be really. All you do is try desperately to read someone’s mind. What is the point? Its better to be in a position where you are reasonably aware of what is happening around you by simply being sensitive to life. If you close your eyes and someone walks into your house, you will sense their presence if you make yourself aware of your surroundings.
People have become so wrapped up in all the psychological activities in their mind that they have missed out on all possibilities like these.
Every human being is capable of knowing so many things on his own, but allows these perceptive abilities to be lost in that noise.
Q: Guruji, first time I read your book mystic musings although impressed, I wasn’t attracted. Second time I felt this great urge to see dhyanalinga, experience the force, ask him to be my spiritual guru and get some spiritual progress. But my visit to the temple was disappointing, even after sitting in silence in the temple for hours I felt nothing. I must admit that at some level I was skeptic about you, the foundation and the temple and thought I might not get spiritual progress there. They say that when the student is ready the teacher arrives, I know I am not ready but need a teacher to get me ready, a guru who will tell me what I am doing wrong. How can I find one and how will I know when I have found him.
These were the same questions I had in my mind when I left the dhyanalinga temple to visit the pateeswarar temple. A man clad in white dress came up before me from nowhere and said "I am also from velaingiri" and showed his rudraksh, I was attracted to him but ignored him thinking he is a beggar and went ahead to have the deity's dharshan, when I came out of the sanctum within a 2-3 minutes he was nowhere to be seen. Just when I entered the temple he signaled with his hand in a way that to me meant "go!!"
Did the guru come in front of me and did I miss recognizing him. Will he ever come again? - Badrinath
This is a problem I see all the time. People are always looking for things to happen because they are raised on a staple diet of fantasy ridden stories of how a guru will appear in a most mysterious way.
Don’t search for the guru because there is no reason to do so. Create a longing and when that longing becomes deeper you’ll fine many ways to learn.
I would like to share a story with Badri and your readers. There was a yogi who was on his death bed. Somebody lets say it was Badri who came to him and said-you are obviously enlightened. Who is your guru? The yogi said I have had thousands of gurus but I’m about to die so I can’t share the stories. When Badri insisted the yogi said okay I will talk about only three of my gurus.
His first guru, said the Yogi was a thief. “I walked into town one day very late at night and saw the thief trying to rob a house. I asked him if I could find a place to stay in the town. The thief said, it was too late at night and none of the places would be open, so if I was okay with it I could stay with him. I went to the thief’s house-he shared what he had and put me up. In the morning he did not disturb my sadhana and went about his business. Each night he came back empty handed and I asked him-what happened? Were you not successful in looting a home? He replied-no but it will happen tomorrow. I stayed a month in his house and each night the same thing happened.
During my prayers and meditation there were many days that did not yield any results but I learnt from the thief that there was always tomorrow to look forward to. And things did happen one day.”
So Badri needs to understand that he cannot come to a temple for an hour and expect to find a guru or have things happen to him.
The yogi’s next guru was a dog. The yogi was about to drink water from a lake when he saw a thirsty dog come by and do the same-except when the dog peered into the water he saw a dog looking back at him-he barked but the dog barked at him and the dog fled. The dog in the lake seemed a lot bigger in size. A little while later he returned because his thirst got the better of him but again he fled when he saw the other dog was still there snarling back at him. The third time the dog couldn’t handle the thirst and instead of barking at his reflection plunged right into the lake, didn’t find the dog, drank his fill and left with his thirst quenched. “ I realized then that it is not enough to just come to the edge and peer in, but you have to take the plunge totally. I plunged in and beautiful things happened to me.”
So Badri needs to not just come infrequently as a visitor but take the plunge.
The Yogi’s third guru was a six year old boy. The boy, a Priest’s assistant was taking a lit lamp to the temple. The yogi asked him-“ Young boy when the lamp goes off where will the light go?” The boy looked at him as if he was mad and blew the light out, and said-you fool where will it go? If I blow it, it is finished-it ceases to exist.”
So Badri needs to know that he must give himself enough time to know it will happen tomorrow and for that he has to plunge right in. He must realize also that he must not get caught in the hype of someone showing him a rudraksh, someone appearing in white suddenly before a temple as a so called possible mysterious guru, but to create a longing. If the longing isn't there there is nothing.
I may be a guru to a million people, but if you don’t create a longing and experience me that way, I’m nothing to you.
So create a longing, stick to it and things will happen.
Q: Sadhguru, how can one overcome fear? - Rajshri, Chennai
Fear is always about what will happen in the next moment. Its never about the present. When the future is not yet manifested, and not an existed reality why be afraid? You are actually suffering for that which does not exist-and so you cannot overcome that which does not exist.
Q: Sadhguru, I have been told that I should not keep Shiva and Ganesha idols in the house. The ganesha idols must have their back to a wall which has nothing behind it for in front of Ganesha is prosperity and behind him is poverty. What shall I do? - Sanjoy Duttagupta
You’ll need a lot of airspace then if all the Ganesha idols you have need to have their backs to nothing but air, but I suppose it will be good for ventilation!
An idol that is consecrated needs maintenance, especially those made of metal and stones. That is why most temples have regular daily puja, rituals like kumbhabhishekham etc to keep the idols alive with positive energy. If this daily maintenance is not done then it becomes a receding or negative energy and it can harm the people around it by creating a vacuum that can suck you in. If an idol gets damaged it is removed from the temple. There is a whole science behind it. Generally it is not advisable to keep too many idols in the house. If you keep those that are made a certain way, and contain certain features to create energy, then you must take care of them on a daily basis. If you don’t it becomes like an elephant you keep in the house and starve. In a few days it will be mad with hunger and destroy the house.
Q: If you would review your interview you may realize the overall 'feel good' nature of Sadhguru's responses. Appeal to one's logic and reason while diverting attention away from substantive issues. Thus Shiva becomes an embodiment of Universality, and not worshipped as part of the Hindu trinity. The Dhyanalinga (a representation of Shiva in the form of a phallus), the Sanskrit slokas, the bija mantras, invoking Sadhguru's presence by chanting the hymn to Lord Vasudevaya – all these are non-religious!
Also note that Sadhguru glossed over the screening process. My conscience alone knows the dedication and fervor with which I pursued this path. I wish I had paid attention to what was happening around me – I would have pulled out sooner. This response again is typical of a cult. The blame is always the individual and the person's lack of faith. My experience has shown that the process is geared towards enslaving a person's mind, and as such rises to the level of a cult. I give below some of the signs typical of a cult leader that I gleaned from the net:
1. Extreme obsessiveness regarding the leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.
2. Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower's mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused--as that person's involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens.
3. Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.
4. Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently, analyze situations, independent of the group/leader's involvement.
5. Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supersede any personal goals or individual interests.
6. A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.
7. Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.
8. Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.
The crux of the organization is the offer of 'liberation'. This liberation is exemplified by altered states of consciousness brought on by sleep deprivation, meditation, constant chanting, yelling, screaming etc., I am now suspect of any group that requires that one suspend one's logic. Since this 'knowledge' is 'beyond' logic.
In any scientific study the results are open to scrutiny. The results ought to be both reliable and repeatable. A pharmaceutical company cannot claim that the randomness in the efficacy of their drug is due to the doubting nature and short attention span of the patients. But this is precisely what these organizations get away with. Could the Sadhguru tell us how many else became enlightened through his process besides himself. Why then the claim that the 'inner possibility' is as open to Shyam as it was to the Buddha or Sadhguru himself. With regard to the altered states of consciousness itself: it is not limited to Yoga or Hinduism - we can find it in the sects of Christian Pentacosts, Islamic Sufism, Dervishes, Sri Sri Sri Ravishankar etc., To lay out a process that brings about these states and then use it to convince people that they have found THE way is both disingenuous and duplicitous.
Do not be a follower, but be a prophet unto thy own. During my days in Isha there was this Jewish doctor who was sought by Sadhguru as well as a competitor to serve in their ashram. Sadhguru preaches about his yoga hospital in the ashram where people are treated in holistic methods. This doctor who visited the ashram reported that she was shocked to find that there was no such hospital in existence. We collectively reasoned this away by convincing ourselves that it is his intention to bring the yogic hospital to fruition in the future. Alas such is the power of mindless delusion!” - Name withheld on request
Spiritual science is about inner well being. To create the inner well being we use every possible method that life allows. Modern science has proved that the whole existence is just a reverberation of energy. Where there is a vibration there is bound to be a sound. So the whole existence is seen as yoga of complex amalgamation of sound. What you call the cosmos is a complex web of sound called nadabrahma. In it are some key sounds. These key sounds when applied to the right door can open a whole dimension for you. This is how a mantra works. You cannot look at everything also from a religious perspective. The reason you do that is because of the culture you were brought up on and the tools that were used to create that inner well being in you. May be some religions have staked a claim on these mantras or these tools but that doesn’t make it religious.
In India we light a lamp in the evening. It may look like a religious ritual-“ before sunset light a lamp before God”, but when there was no electricity then lighting a lamp was basic common sense, isn’t it?
So there is an elaborate science of mantras behind the process of using sounds for inner well being. Today people say music has a healing quality, cows are giving more milk , hens are laying more eggs and plants are thriving when certain music is played. Here you arrived at a certain healing or productive procedure through accident but in effect there is a whole elaborate science of mantras and how to use these sounds for inner as well as outer well being.
Just because someone says Vasudevayah does not make it my name. I would advice Mr. anonymous to look at IT closely and see what impact it has on the people rather than being focused on finding faults behind a hidden name. If he has some scientific background, I invite him to come with his instruments so I can show him that just by uttering the word vasudevayah what kind of activity it’ll create in the brain, because today we measure all these things scientifically.
The Jewish doctor he is talking about had heart and other problems that prevented her from undertaking anything strenuous, or even flying. When she came here she was expecting a hospital with drips and sick patients lying in bed. When she didn’t see that she came and asked me where was the yogic temple and I told her –look at the people around you-the ones in the kitchen, those mopping the floors-these are all sick people but we put them to work. Seventy percent of all illnesses are self created. Today that doctor is still with us and she walked about 60 kms with us in the Himalayas and she has talked about her experiences on a video.
There are thousands of people who come and go from here and I’m sure some of them are disgruntled like this man because someone rubbed them the wrong way. There are no super human beings here These are people who are imperfect and are striving to grow. If they were perfect they would not need me or anyone else.
I must say this man’s understanding of enlightenment seems very rudimentary, especially if he has to go to the internet and describe what is a cult. He couldn’t even come up with his own interpretation.
Now what is a cult? Today whatever is considered religion was called a cult yesterday. That is why when Jesus was alive he was called a cultist and crucified. Anyone who did not follow the established religion was punished. I guess people may want to do the same to me but today(laughter) the law doesn’t permit it. Frankly that cult was more meaningful than the existing religion right now because people experienced it then-today its only belief and this man’s interpretation of cult is also based on western interpretation.
If he is so concerned, disappointed and disturbed then I invite him to come and do both the basic and the next course and rip it in front of me, and make me look like a fool if he can. He should have the courage to stop his fellow humans from suffering and I would like to know myself because I’m also concerned. If he is afraid he need not reveal his name but I invite him to come and demolish the program if he can show that it doesn’t work. Why is he letting such wrong things happen to others?
If he is just there to sit and criticize or find faults without proving it scientifically then we won’t waste our time with him.
Q-Sadhguru ji, how would I know, if my meditation is going right. I do my daily meditations in the sequence we learnt, but I don’t feel anything yet, neither am I able to view anything, when I close my eyes, I am blank. So please let me know if I am doing it right. Thank you- Ravi Sohal
Sadhguru: Meditation is not an act. It’s a certain quality. If this quality has to come forth in you, it can only happen when the fundamental work of bringing the body, mind, emotion and energy to a certain level of maturity and cultivating them in a certain direction has been achieved. Then meditation will blossom.
Meditation is not something you can do-it is a state of becoming. So if right now you feel that the meditation is not working, there is nothing to worry about. Just check the process, and if you are doing everything properly, allow the process to continue. You cannot force things to occur. It may take different amounts of time for different people to reach that state. Sometimes nothing happens because you are anxiously expecting something to happen.
Its like growing a plant. Just because you want a mango to drop out of a tree, its not going to happen. You have to nourish the roots for sometime and then the fruit will come forth.
Depending on the individual’s receptivity, it will take different amounts of time for the meditative state to occur. There is no person who is totally unreceptive. It just depends on what they feel within themselves.
Q-A wonderful interview with Sadhguru in the emag. My question is-why does a secular organization like Isha talk of embracing Shiva as was said in the interview? I understand that you are talking about embracing a person in totality, but is Shiva not a Hindu God? Please elaborate-Revathy Shivakumar
Sadhguru: In the yogic culture, Shiva is not seen as a God. Shiva is considered the Adiyogi-the first yogi, and the first instructor of yoga. Even today there is a place called Kantisarovar where the first yoga program happened with seven disciples known as the Saptarishis. So in yogic culture, we honor and respect Shiva, not as a God but as the equivalent of what God may be perceived in religion, because he gave us this science and the possibilities that come with it.
The word Shiva literally means-that which is not and interestingly, that which is not is the basis of what is.
Today modern physics has gone many rounds and come to the conclusion that everything comes from nothing and goes back to nothing. Interestingly we have always referred to Shiva as “the dark one” and today the modern physicists say that everything has evolved out of dark matter. So everything comes from Shiva and goes back to Shiva. By that we are not referring to a person or a God. We are referring to that primordial possibility- except that we call it Shiva.
Q-Sadhguru, I have been listening to your lectures for quite some time, and I may not exactly understand what all you say, as I’m just 21 yrs old. You say that experience is one truth which you can believe but there are so many different experiences each one goes through may be because of our karma or whatever. But if the solution is knowing your inner self then nature should have given this ability to every person in life. Why is it that only few people like you know the way to reach the ultimate when it is important for every one?
Like when hungry even an insect knows it has to feed itself. Similarly if experiencing the inner core was so important nature would have taught us in some way or the other. Why would it only give that ability to a Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev?
I just have this doubt. Can you answer my question? I’m sorry if I sound rude.-Shyam Balakrishnan
Sadhguru: You don’t sound rude at all Shyam. When it comes to “external” capabilities and possibilities, all of us are capable in a unique and different way. What one person can do another may not be able to and vice versa. This is how the world is. However when it comes to inner possibilities all of us are equally capable. There is no doubt about that. If it hasn’t happened its because people have not paid attention to it. Their whole involvement is with the external situations as well as the emotional and psychological situations which we all deal with on the outside.
What is gathered within your mind, and found in your thoughts and emotions has come from outside, and what you see outside is also outside.
Most people are so engrossed in that they never approach what is inside. No attempt is made to see inside. You are as capable as Buddha or me Shyam, when it comes to inner possibilities. Externally we are not equally capable.
Q-Your initial program is pretty good and I would be the first one to urge anyone to attend it. One will notice though during the last couple of classes how volunteers urge the ’freshmen’ to take the next level course. What a beautiful experience it is, etc., There is no screening process whatsoever. Nothing about people who are ready or not ready. Like the analogy of a frog thrown into boiling water which jumps out of danger versus the one that is left in water at room temperature and slowly cooked to its death, one is drawn in deeper and deeper into a cult like environment. The analogy is extreme I know, because people enjoy themselves and ’believe’ they are achieving moksha. Now isn’t this the very thing that you seek to dispel? That one should not believe but know? How come then, when one undergoes altered states of consciousness that one should attribute it (believe) that that is an indication that he/she is on the true path to nirvana? Just because one does not know how these states are brought about? How about I slip some LSD in your drink, make you experience ’bliss’ and make you ’know’ that I am GOD?
And in your interview with Kavita, you say about Islam, how somewhere along the line someone usurped the Faith and did not allow it to evolve! Anyone with a conscience would acknowledge that the Faith had its origins in violence, grew through violence and exists through violence. Ironically most of our friends are Moslems, but know that a good Moslem is one who does not follow his faith, for anyone who follows it both in word and spirit is required to annihilate ’kaffirs’. –Name withheld on request
Sadhguru: Indeed many chemicals tend to create the notion that you are in certain states because after all every human experience is rooted in our chemistry. By manipulating that chemistry we can have certain experiences but what happens after the chemical effect wears off? You are down again.
As far as sufficient screening is concerned the first program that we offer does that. To do the basic first course you don’t need any special capabilities other than a willingness to want to do it. If people pay to spend a weekend in a place which is not particularly comfortable-its more like a boot camp-and commit the time then its obvious they are there because they want to be.
If a person leaves dissatisfied, its because he is too busy looking at others and their personal experiences trying to find out what it is that is happening to them or what is not happening to them. Obviously the focus then is not on yourself.
Again when you go through a spiritual process, remember its not about the guru or the other people out there. Its all about you. If you don’t understand that, you’ve missed the whole point about being there.
As far as this being a cult organization, is there a definition?
When I was in Paris last time, they did give me a list which said if you are vegetarian and chant in some unknown language, if you sing and dance with your eyes closed, and at times roll your eyeballs, then you are a cult, By that token, we definitely qualify for being a cult!
As far as Islam is concerned, we don’t know for sure what Islam really said in the original version. All we hear today has been versions of others. These days it is not one religion but most major religions unfortunately, who feel that it has to be their way or no way, except may be for the eastern religions. Whenever any religion feels its their way or no way, violence will happen. Why single out Islam?
Q-Why do we see so many dysfunctional relationships? – Rekha Krishnamurthy
Sadhguru: Education should have expanded one’s horizon and made the world more inclusive. In the old days a family in the village meant not just your blood relatives but an extended family of the 300-400 villagers. Today the family first meant blood relatives, and then came down to the couple their kids, their parents. Then it was shortened to just the couple and their kids. Today its just the couple and they too meet on weekends, because they cant get along on a daily basis. The idea of individualism has grown in the world. The very nature of the today’s intellectual mind and logic is to dissect things to know. The scientist pulls at the petals to get to the core, but when you pull at life and break it apart, there is nothing left.
You’ve heard the saying-everyone in the world is queer except you and me, but even you seem to be a little queer. When someone starts to think that no one in the world is okay then it’s a sign of madness. Modern technology or education can be used both ways-in fact you can take anything and use it both for your well being or destruction.
Today people’s mentality has become exclusive and not inclusive. And when you exclude, the result is loneliness and dysfunctional relationships.
Q-I’m a bit upset with my two sons who are in their late twenties. They do their own thing, and when I tell them to respect my words because I speak from experience they say those are not their experiences. Am I wrong in my expectations?-Sarath Kumar
Sadhguru: Anyone who expects their experience to be respected isn’t making much sense. If your experience was that worthwhile, it would have been respected irrespective of your relationships or asking for it. So perhaps it really isn’t worthwhile or relevant to your sons. Respect is not something you can ask for-it comes automatically when you have made yourself valuable. When you moved from India to America, you moved to a different part of the world, with different values, different moral codes. Just because you may have a critical mass of fellow Indians around you, you can’t create a Little India of your own and expect your children to follow those values that you left behind. Your children don’t really grow up inside your home. Their major influences are outside and much bigger than the parental influences. Even in India things have changed, so expecting your children to blindly follow you is an unrealistic expectation.
Dear Sadhguru,
You said that each individual is a combination of masculine and feminine and it is possible for one to merge within themselves. How can one identify and merge with the other gender within oneself? What are the possible ways in which this can occur ? What sort of a change could this bring in individual transformation ? -R. Sridevi, Trichi
It is not possible for me to instruct you right now in cyber space. You need to come to the Ashram for that, but what I can say is this. If people do certain sadhanas and create the necessary balance in the system and create awareness just the observation itself will make you see how some parts of you are different from the others. That acceptance and understanding itself will transform your life, and make you less compulsive about identifying yourself with one gender or the other. It will make you a complete person but to get the best experience it has to be done under proper supervision.
What is the power of promise. what will happen if one misuses it. In the month of Feb I experienced a moment of nothingness. Or is it hallucination???!! I am sure it is nothingness so I proceed further. I have looked at myself in a different way. I saw myself unable to sustain in that nothingness, I think this is because of that am always shuttling between memory and imagination but not living in reality(as you always say). Now I clearly know what I want in my life. I need self satisfaction and happiness. I know I have some talent to survive in this competitive world but many times I have noticed when I give my input to any work with some involvement am not getting a satisfied output. I mean input is more but output is very less. And I don’t know the reason... How to correct this?-Rajshri Chennai
A joyful person is not really result oriented. Results happen automatically when you are happy. Do not pay unnecessary significance to the so called moment of nothingness. Spiritual processes are not about experience hunting. Experiences happen and are like milestones or like an inspiration to keep going. Focus more on your sadhana and clarity will come.
How many enlightened people are living on this planet today? Please can you name a few of the most famous, particularly westerners?-Margit Schweiger, Munich, Germany
There is one great yogi who will be passing away in the next couple of months. He is not available to the world, but the impact he has had on the planet is very visible. I can’t say anything beyond that.
Dear Sadhguru,
You say being enlightened is the ultimate possibility for a human being. Even other yogis and great men have said the same thing. We as normal human beings become materialistic and are far away from this inner possibility, but we have the capacity and the common sense to understand through our experiences or through your lectures that we are in the wrong direction and we should look inward. But what about those people who do not have the mental capacity to understand for example people who are mentally retarded and many such cases, what about them how will they realize such an important possibility- Shyam Balakrishnan
Both physical and mental ailments that have happened to a certain segment of people, is a reminder that by looking at them those who are well should realize the blessings of life to them. If they focus inwards and bring about awareness it will go a long way in bringing change and easing the suffering of the whole planet. People with mental and physical disability remind us of life happening in an improper way. Some of it can be fixed and some cannot through certain ways and means, but those who are healthy should bring relief in the lives of those who are not. That is a big difference right there.
Everything in my life is a struggle(mentally): at times I am able to take this as a step to grow but at times I just break! I do not know how I can maintain a balance between the two!-Vanita Chawla
There is no “two”-it is just a mental illusion that you are trying to create and see the inward and the outward as two different things. If you see it with awareness or understand it intellectually, you will realize that your expression is self created. Understand there is no division and your struggle will cease.
Dear Jaggi,
Namaskaram., kindly give more explanation about the triangle position during the prithista of dhyanalinga-Sriguru-Malaysia
The explanation is given in the last chapter of my book Mystic’s Musings. Please read it there.
I am a 20 year old and until 7 months I had been smoking marijuana for 5 years. I can leave the sitting in bus stops behind, I can leave the boring conversations behind but I can’t seem to let go of the obsession with the whole Bob Marley type thought and that smoking marijuana and these things can help you spiritually. Please offer me some advice- Reno
Bob Marley never got spiritual. He just died at 32 otherwise we would have heard some more good music for a few more years. So you have 12 more years if you want to be a Bob Marley. If you don’t, then clean up your act.
I wanted to ask about the usefulness and effect of the rudraksha mala and also about the restrictions of keeping it near metals. Is it ok to wear it with other silver/gold necklaces or should it be worn alone? Is it necessary to wear it all the time or can it be worn only while doing our practices. How do you make out the real rudraksha from a fake one. -ashutosh, Kathy, preeti from Australia, Germany and San Francisco.
The Rudraksha is a certain seed found at a certain altitude in the Himalayas. It has a very unique vibration, just as every substance on the planet has its own unique vibration. The fundamental nature of the Rudraksha is to cleanse your aura. An aura can be pure white to pitch black and in between there are million shades. The person’s aura can tell you about that person’s health and mental state and his karmic structure.
It doesn’t mean that the moment you put on a Rudraksha, you’ll have a halo around your head or neck. When a person tries to purify himself every little support helps. A Rudraksha mala becomes one of those supports.
Medically research has proven that a Rudraksha mala lowers blood pressure and calms your nerves down. People with many skin ailments also seem to find relief after wearing the Rudrakhsa mala. The Rudraksha also protects you from negative energies around you. It Is especially good for people who travel a lot because traveling and different kind of foods cause a havoc in the person’s system.
We usually prefer that it be worn alone in a silk thread. Often when it is strung in silver or gold, the beads tend to get cracked. You can wear it after purifying it 24 hours in ghee and 24 hours in milk. It is good to wear it at all times and even during the bath if you are not using chemical soaps.
A Rudraksha is supposed to be a one time buy, and a lot of fake Rudraksha malas are being sold in the market. In fact there is a very poisonous seed called Badraksha, and that mala too is being sold in the market. It looks a lot like the Rudraksha.
Buy the mala from a reliable source, as it is not easy for a layman to know the real mala from a fake one.
Namaskaram.
I heard you say that women should avoid visiting Tanjore Big temple as the Siva Lingam there has not been consecrated in a proper manner; Jesus visited Kasi during his life time; you were a witness and experienced various subtle bodies during your recent Himalayan expedition and the list can go on. I heard you say many times that one should not believe such stories and they are good for a gossip in the next social party. I agree that mortals like me may take many janmas ( provided we sincerely follow spiritual process) before we experience what you are saying - as you are a Jivanmukthar.
Sadhguru, should I believe or disbelieve you. The reason why I am asking is, in my current state of awareness, I am not in position to experience what you proclaim. Let us suppose that I is believe you then I am not part of ISHA to follow the spiritual path that you teach us. Suppose I believe what you say (for example; the ones given above) then why should I not believe other such claims made by other masters.Net-net does it mean who is saying determines if it is a truth or not rather than the matter itself. Respectful regards-Srinivasan subramaniam, Chennai , India
I have answered this question before. The only experience that is true is what you experience personally. There is no need to be confused about what to believe or disbelieve what others say.
And who told you that if you don’t believe me you are no longer a part of Isha? That is also a presumption.
Sadhguru, This particular question is tickling my mind for more than a decade. Many elderly people especially religious leaders discourage people practicing kundalini yoga.
Many of my father’s friends who follow hatha yoga and prayanama did not encourage me even to talk about the Kundalini during my early twenties. They sow a sense of fear in the mind of aspirants who wish to take Kundalini diksha. Why this kind of stigma is attached to the practice of Kundalini yoga. Does the practice of Kundalini yoga brings mental imbalance to the sadaka?-V Dhanaraj
It is not a question of stigma. It is just to prevent people from not doing it correctly without guidance. How can you do PhD, when you don’t even know the ABC to begin with. Yoga is a very powerful and sensitive process and if not done properly it won’t benefit you. Kundalini yoga especially can cause severe physical and psychological damage and therefore must never be attempted without proper supervision.
Sadhguru, I attended the Samyama program during Feb 2007. It was a wonderful experience. I practice Shakti Chalana Kriya and Shambavi regularly, but after attending the Samyama program when ever I practice the Kriya, my body shakes uncontrollably. Since I have cervical spondylitis when ever my head is shaking in high speed (when I do kriya) I tend to develop giddiness. Can I continue to practice Kriyas and Shoonya and Presence Meditation? Sadhguru, Could you please guide me in this regard? Pranams to your lotus feet.- Dhanaraj V, Chennai
If you can spend a weekend at the Isha Ashram, they will teach you a special kind of Suryanamaskar which will bring balance to your system. Until you do so, you can start with 10-15 minutes of Sukha Kriya and then continue with your usual practices.
Namaskaram Sadhguru, the people who lived say 5000 years ago were more joyful, spiritually advanced and more humane and ethical. But during that period individual living comforts, transportation, health care, engineering etc, were not advanced, but rather primitive. May be people spent more time on spiritual path & religious duties and less on other activities. Over the last 5 to 6 centuries we have made tremendous progress in various areas of science & technology thereby increasing the quality of our material life but at the same time, humanity and ethical behavior of people has come down drastically. Even the number of spiritual gurus has come down to a trickle. In our current society one gets respect only with economic achievement and individual progress/talent. Today’s individual is dependent on others for survival and progress, hence to an extent an individual’s joy is dependent on other’s behavior and attitude, unless otherwise he/she is satisfied with lesser progress & achievement. Does it mean spiritual progress & economic growth are inversely linked?
Technological advancements have been made so that human beings could have more time to themselves. If after that you say that there is no time for inner well being, then obviously you don’t know how to use technology effectively. Five thousand years ago just to hunt for one meal meant searching for it all day. Today you can go to the supermarket and buy your food in ten minutes.
It is not that life situations have changed so you cannot be spiritual. Even 5000 years ago it is wrong to assume that everyone living in that time was spiritual. It is just that at least in India because the society considered the spiritual process to be the most important thing so history was written with a spiritual tilt always, so you believe what you read as a result. In terms of percentage it is more likely that the same number of people were spiritual then as they are now. Spiritual process and economic growth are not linked. You link it because you run after economic growth. That is because your happiness is dependent on the approval of others. If your inner being is healthy and happy then you do not need anyone’s approval to be who you are. What happens within you should not be affected by what happens outside of you. I never said you MUST be joyful, it’s your choice. If you choose to be miserable that’s fine with me as well. If you want to be joyful then why do you apply the reverse gear to that happiness? You create misery because you haven’t found anything within yourself that is worthwhile. So your entire existence is dependent on the opinion of others and you forget that people’s opinions change every day, so what are you running after? You are talking as a material being who is desperately trying to be spiritual. The fact is that we are spiritual beings first and we dabble with the material to physically exist in the world. So correct your perspective and stop looking at the world in an upside down way.
Namaskaram Sadhguru, it is a fact that Isha, led by you is performing a silent revolution in enhancing human wellbeing. In order to have a visible and tangible impact of your teachings in the society at large, how about you target the political and the religious leadership of the world instead of the common man.
Applying the normal process of negotiation and international civic wisdom, we have not brokered any lasting peace at any place in the world. May be, we, human beings are not spiritually matured enough to overcome our limitations and to come to an understanding to have peace. Sadhguru, since you have the abilities ( much higher than any one of us in the world) to influence the thought process and the energy levels of individuals by your presence, will it not make a huge difference to the world if you work with the key political leadership of the world on specific issues and bring about a solution? Respectful Regards- S Subramanian (Subbu) Chennai
What Subramanian needs to do is to make an attempt to introduce Isha Yoga to his local MLA, the local counselor and others who can make a difference in the community. Reaching out to world leaders is happening, and right now we are also reaching out to economic leaders because you will see that in 10-15 years from now, the economic leaders will play a much more important role in the world than the political leaders. In fact it is already beginning to happen. It is true that if there is change in the hearts and minds of the political and economic leaders it will change the world. But the fact remains that these leaders were not sent to us from heaven. They were chosen by the people. We never get a leader that is better than us. We often choose those who we resonate with, and think is like us. Democracy means that everyone is equal and who knows in the next few years Subramanian may be the Prime Minister of India. So it is very important that everyone joins hands at the grass roots level and sees what they can do in the local areas first and move upwards and I hope to see Subbu among them.
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