CONTENTS Lead Article
Who is the Real Sadhguru?
Sadhguru in the Past and Present
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Sadhguru in Conversation with Actor Siddharth
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Leela Series Banumathi – Torn between Duty and Devotion
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Musings
Eating – A Doorway to Liberation?
In Conversation with the Mystic
Deepen the Question and You Will Know
News & Happenings
Optimal Health and Wellbeing
Conversation with Sadhguru at Duke University
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The California Isha Center Takes Root
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Socially Conscious Business
The Call of the Wild
Discussion with Sadhguru and Paul Hawken
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Isha Nature Awareness Program for Children
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Sharing Experiences
Isha Brahmacharis on a Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram 16 Sailing Solo around the World 18
Upcoming Programs and Events
Isha Yoga – Program Highlights
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Isha Recipes For Healthy Living
Masala Buttermilk
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Zen Speaks: Mind like a Mirror FOREST FLOWER
23 July 2013
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SADHGURU
The following is an excerpt from a Q&A session with Sadhguru during a Sathsang for Anaadhi participants at the iii, McMinnville, Tennessee, on 24 June 2010.
Questioner: There are people who say that Sadhguru Shri Brahma was the real Sadhguru. If that is so, what are we seeing today? Is there a real Sadhguru, and if so, who is he? Sadhguru: These are all archival people. They have come with me for the second or third lifetime. For them, Sadhguru means he must be blazing, because that is how they knew him. Now when they see that he smiles, talks, and jokes, they think, “This is not him.” They talk about the one that they fell in love with. They are a little disappointed with this one today because their Sadhguru was so intense, fiery, and uncompromising. He would not even call anyone by name; he just said, “Hey!” These people like the rough and tumble so much that they think he is too soft and too public today. The public never dared to sit with Sadhguru Shri Brahma. These are all fiery people who were sitting with a ball of fire – for them, that is Sadhguru. It is – I 4
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am not denying it. But what is wrong with this one [Sadhguru today]? That one [Sadhguru Shri Brahma] was fantastic, but it failed in its mission. This one may not be so fantastic, but it has made it work. It is a conscious compromise. It is not that we have succumbed to the ways of the world; we have just learnt to live in the world because we want to do something in the world. If we have no intention of doing anything in the world anymore, we will retract to that kind of mode, just to chase people away. Now, we are not trying to chase people away; we are inviting people, doing PR, going around the world, and talking spiritual nonsense to all kinds of sleek idiots who are completely lost in their money, their possessions, their family – things that they think are theirs. When people who have been with me before see this kind of ignorance and disregard, they burn with anger. They cannot believe Sadhguru is being put through this, because that Sadhguru would have just looked and burnt people, had they behaved like that. This one [Sadhguru today] is not like that. This one is willing to crawl if need be – as long as it works. July 2013
He took this form in this lifetime because he thought that this is going to work, and it did. By option, he works in both realms – sometimes, he becomes like this; sometimes, he becomes like that. That was a beautiful one; this is a smart one. You not only enjoy the warmth of the sun, you also like the coolness of the moon. Only when he was meditating, tears flowed from his eyes. Whether his mother, father, friend, or disciples died, no one ever saw him shed a single tear for anyone. Even when his own mission died, they only saw him more and more furious; never a drop of tear. Now I can shed tears with eyes open or eyes closed. I can hug you and shed tears. If someone dies, I can shed tears. If a tree is cut, I can shed tears. Or I can sit blazing without a tear in my eyes. This time around, I am more versatile, more flexible, because the nature of activity we have taken up is different from what we had taken up at that time. It is all right for my archival disciples who are still with me to feel that way. I am not saying this for self-aggrandizement, but it is important for any disciple to see that their Guru is the best for them. Otherwise, their mind will not stay focused. Unless you think that your wife is the best person you can have in your life, you will look all over the place. Similarly, only if you see, “There is no better Guru for me,” your mind will be capable of staying with it and benefiting from it. If you keep looking here and there, if you go “Guru shopping,” you will not get anywhere. If you know this has something nourishing to give you, you must dig it all the way. If you shift every day, you will waste your life. You will be full of holes – no well; no water to drink; nothing to sustain you. These people are like that – though they know this one is the same in many ways, still, they feel their Sadhguru is the best Sadhguru. They need not appreciate me the way I am today. It is good for them to hold onto that because that will be their growth; that will be their wellbeing.
Questioner: Sadhguru, those who knew you during the Dhyanalinga consecration process say there have been changes in your personality since that FOREST FLOWER
time. What were these changes, and why did you allow them to happen?
Sadhguru: I didn’t just allow it; I did it. Before the consecration, I was on a one-point mission. My whole life – my mind, my body, my energies, my capabilities – everything was on a one-point agenda. With the outside world, I worked in compartments. People only saw a fringe aspect of me. Only when they came to the 90-day program, I slowly opened up a few aspects of me, which were very shocking for them. This nice, young man, who came from Karnataka like the coolness of Kaveri, was suddenly blazing and talking about building a temple! Until then, I had not uttered the word “Dhyanalinga” – not even to people who were immediately around me. Eighteen years, I had been on a goodwill mission, not saying a word to just about anyone. But not one breath in those 18 years happened without the purpose of Dhyanalinga behind it. Trying to garner and assimilate all kinds of forces – social, worldly, natural, and otherworldly – so that this could be accomplished, I was living many lives within myself and outside myself. When people saw me at different times, they almost thought this is a different man altogether. We thought we will anyway go once the consecration was done, so we didn’t plan much for the future. But when we somehow managed to restructure the body and decided to stay on, with the mission completed, what was left in life was only fooling around. My sense of aesthetics has always been strong and I am very particular about how things should be, but those 20 years until the Dhyanalinga consecration, I did not even choose the clothes that I wore. Whatever people bought – all kinds of clownish clothing, which was their idea of aesthetics – I just wore without a word. I can’t believe that I actually wore those Lucknowi kurtas that they gave me with this horrible embroidery. Even today, I am getting such items. They all go to the drama cupboard. My focus was only on Dhyanalinga. All other aspects of my life – what I ate, where I went, what I did, what I wore – did not matter. I was constantly living July 2013
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at the peak. Once the consecration was done, there was no point of staying on the peak. We thought we will come down to the valleys and do what people understand. Suddenly, people found that I can actually joke. Initially, when I was teaching, I just wore my faded denims and a t-shirt, or whatever clothing people gave me. We did not have any microphones at that time. When I taught what you see today as the basic program (in a different format), I walked up and down furiously like a caged tiger. I was on fire, having a time limit and a mission that I had not been able to complete for three lifetimes. Determined to see that it happens this time around, I moved all kinds of forces in one direction, to the point of fixing which womb people should be born in. People thought they got married because their horoscopes matched or they fell in love, but actually, I had fixed all this. They thought that their child being born was a God-given thing, but all that, I had fixed for them. This manipulation on all levels left me so intense, focused, and fiery. People hung around me not because they liked me but because they had no choice. They were just sucked into the energy vortex that happened wherever I walked. I was not dressed like a spiritual teacher; I did not behave like one. What I was doing as a fulltime
activity was just a minor part of my life. My secret life was elsewhere. After the consecration was done, I thought I will make my life more like an open book, and that is how it is today. Just about everyone knows what I eat, where I go, what I do. This was a shift from existing at peak intensity to a very relaxed pace of life. People still think this is too intense. If this is my idea of a relaxed phase of life, you can imagine how intense life was earlier. Some people who were with me at that time wondered at some point what was actually happening, why they were being drawn to me. They took a picture of me, went to Sai Baba, and asked, “See, this is my Guru. Is he okay?” They wanted a diagnosis. He looked at the image and gave a very clever answer: “You should go to this man only if you seek ultimate wellbeing. If you seek a good life, you should come to me.” That is what I am always saying – this is for those who are seeking ultimate wellbeing.
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July 2013
The following is an excerpt from a Q&A session with Sadhguru during a meditators’ retreat in Lebanon Junction, KY, USA, in February 2005.
Questioner: Once, while eating an apple, I told myself to be aware of it. All of a sudden, the apple started to taste like licorice. Is every flavor in the world in that apple, or was I just hallucinating? Sadhguru: That you should know by now. You have had enough experiences of hallucination. In terms of eating and awareness – generally, wherever possible, I eat alone. That is something a lot of people don’t like; they like to eat and talk. There are even doctors who claim that if you laugh and talk while eating, you will eat less; it will be better for digestion, and you will not get fat. In the yogic culture, people always prefer to eat alone. Even if you eat in a group, you never look at what or how someone is eating. What someone else is doing is not your business; you just eat, because eating is not a small thing. You are converting these beans, apples, carrots, bread, chicken, or whatever else you eat into a human being. Something is becoming a part of you. You must put yourself totally into this process. There are many other ways inclusion could happen. Eating is such a physical thing, and so is sexuality. With sex, you are only trying to make something a part of you. It seems like that but it does not actually happen. With eating, you successfully make something a part of yourself. It is a much bigger thing – not in terms of taste; in terms of experiencing inclusion. With food, you take something that was FOREST FLOWER
once lying there as filth and transformed itself into food, and you make that into a human being. If you do it with absolute involvement, you will not just see the taste of licorice or whatever in it but something else. In the Bhava Spandana program, we put participants through a process where if you give yourself totally to it, just a mouthful of food will be explosive. Every day, food should be like that. And if you become subtler, your very breath will be like that. With every inhalation and exhalation, you include the whole world. This air that you are inhaling, do you know how many times, how many million creatures on the planet – humans and every other kind – have recycled it? There has been no external input; the atmosphere has been the same for millions of years. If you inhale properly, everything that is worth knowing is right here. You can inhale a Buddha, a Patanjali, or a Jesus right now, because they also breathed the same air. Is it all in the air? That is not the point. This air has touched everything. And above all, this inhalation itself is becoming you. You cannot be without it for a single minute. When this is so precious to you, everything that is making it must be equally precious. If you do it with full awareness, everything in existence is a way to your enlightenment. Every atom in existence is a doorway to your ultimate nature. Which one you use is your choice. If you are willing to give yourself to it, you could liberate yourself by eating an apple.
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In another edition of the “In Conversation with the Mystic” series, Sadhguru met with young actor Siddharth on 10 January 2013 in Hyderabad under the theme “Youth and Truth.” Here is the fourth part of their conversation. Siddharth: A common point of conflict in relationships, whether it’s between a man and a woman or whatever one’s choice, is to listen to the other person; the question of who is right, and sticking to one’s standpoint. Based on whatever little interaction I have had with you, you are in a habit of being right a lot. Does that make Sadhguru impossible to be in a relationship with? I don’t think any woman wants to always say, “Yeah, Sadhguru. You are right.” Tell me honestly because you are a romantic at heart, you are childlike – have you ever said, “I don’t know. I am wrong. You are right,” to a woman? [Laughter and applause] Sadhguru: This is a revenge question. [Laughter] That is what I was telling you – if you utter the word “relationship” today, it has to be man/woman. You put it in politically correct terms for people who may not be man/woman but they play man/woman. But essentially, what you say is, a relationship means two bodies must be involved. Just 25 years ago, if you said, “I have a relationship,” it was not synonymous with a physical relationship. I have a relationship with my mother, my father, my sister, my brother, my friend, and so many others. Today, we have reduced our social discourse to the level that if we say “relationship,” it must be hormone-fired. Intelligence has been hijacked by 8
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hormones, and the society is being crafted for that hijacked intelligence. It is time we understand that we can have profound relationships without having anything to do with those people’s bodies. Constantly seeing people for their gender is something that has to stop in the world. Why can’t you just look at human beings as they are? Looking at them as a woman or a man is only needed for one type of relationship. There is no need to always identify people by body parts. If you must identify them by body parts, at least let’s choose the brain, not the reproductive organs. People say, “Love is the core of the universe.” It is not. Love is just a certain sweetness of emotion. It is a human need to get it and to give it to each other. Unfortunately, most human beings can give that sweetness of emotion only to a person who will give them physical satisfaction. I am not like this. I am deeply involved, engaged, and have love affairs with millions of people. Having seen you in the movies, millions of people may be having love affairs with you, but you are not having love affairs with them. The fundamental difference with me is, I don’t know whether they like me or not, but I am having a fabulous love affair with just about anyone that I see and that I cannot see, because for me, love is not about them; love is about how I am within myself. July 2013
About always being right – this conversation is about “Youth and Truth.” So you are supposed to be wrong, and I am supposed to be right. Because youth means, you must be a bundle of confusion; truth means, I must be right – so I am playing the role properly. This doesn’t mean this is how I always live. Do I say, “I do not know” to a woman? All the time.
Siddharth: Smart man! Sadhguru: I have a young woman in my house, my daughter. Every day, people come with all kinds of problems, and our organization is growing at a phenomenal pace. There are administrative problems, financial situations, human problems – every kind of problem comes to us. These are very complex things, but ever since she was three years of age, I have been telling her, “This is what they’re saying. What to do?” She would think and come up with very simple, sometimes absolutely fantastic, sometimes childish answers, but at least, she started looking at the problems. I never give her an answer for anything. If she comes up with a question, I always put another question to deepen her question. I do not have a teaching. If someone asks a question about life in a superficial way, I will only deepen their question. Are you life?
Siddharth: Very much. Sadhguru: You are. If you are life, who the hell am I to give you an answer? The only thing is, you are not able to delve into the depths of life because your question is not sharp enough. My business is to sharpen your question and leave it with you. Even now, in a round-about way, all I am doing is trying to make the questions you ask sharper, because questions are tools to dig deeper. If it comes to life, all answers are stupid. If you ask me how to engineer this place with less steel, I will give you an answer. If you ask me how to make yourself a better human being, I will only deepen the question, because you are a human being. If you were a monkey who wanted to become a human being, I would have told you, you can act it out. But you already are a human FOREST FLOWER
being, so who am I to tell you how to be one? You are as human as you can be – human in the sense of being in a certain state of evolution; not just in terms of mind or intelligence – life itself is in a certain state of evolution. Your humanity does not find full expression because you picked up all kinds of ideas, philosophies, principles, and belief systems. The burden of this is sitting on your head, so you try to find solutions in teachings, books, sacred talks, and whatever else. Spiritual process means to take you away from all those things and to turn you inward. That will only happen when your questions become burning enough, sharp enough. Otherwise, you will try to find explanations, not answers. I am not here to give you any explanations, or say what’s right or wrong – I am here only to deepen the question. But if you ask about films, I will give you my opinion.
Siddharth: I am scared to go there. Fortunately, you have only seen one of my films. He thought Rang De Basanti was 15 years back! I said, “How old do you think I am?” He is trying to prove he is young – that doesn’t mean he has to prove I am old! That’s very unfair. [Sadhguru laughs] Sadhguru: No, I just thought you are a mature actor. Siddharth: I told you, I can pretend. Maturity is one of my best pretenses. Sadhguru: [Laughs] So, Rang De Basanti…. I do not get enough time to really go and sit in a theater to watch a movie. Only when someone recommends one and brings me the DVD, I may see it. In this case too, someone said, “You must see this. This is about the youth of India.” I saw it, and once again, it was about rage. I appreciated it. I am sure everyone, even the actors and the directors, later distanced themselves from the last scene. They should not. We must say that this is going to happen if you do not do the right things. Not that we want it to happen, but it would be foolish to not even dare to look at the natural consequence of certain actions, or the lack of action. Siddharth: Talking about Rang De Basanti; just a quick comment on gun culture. You’ve visited the July 2013
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United States of America many times; I am sure you have been involved in many such debates. I think that if the government of this country lets things continue the way they are, then eventually, like in this Hindi film, everyone will take the law into their own hands; gun culture and total chaos will be an inevitable consequence. In the context of individuals seeking vigilante justice, people needing to protect themselves and their families with weapons and guns, where are we heading in a country like India?
Sadhguru: Our center in the United States is in Tennessee. In Tennessee, no one lives without a gun, even today, even the ladies. Almost no one walks around without a gun in their handbag. One reason is because in Tennessee, homes are far away from each other. The American nation was built on guns, and even today, they have a right to bear arms. Every time some violent act happens, people talk about taking away the guns, but there is always someone else saying, “No way!” This has been happening for almost one and a half centuries. You know, there is this saying, “If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns.” Isn’t that the truth in India too? Those who have them don’t have good intentions towards anyone. Suppose ten people with violent intentions walk into your house today – if you call the police, how long do you think it will take for them to come?
Siddharth: If you get through, which you usually won’t…. Sadhguru: Suppose you got through? Siddharth: I think postmortem. Sadhguru: Yeah. So when that is the situation – now these horrible things that happened to this girl in Delhi – wouldn’t her father wish she had had a
gun of her own? When the mechanism to protect the citizens of a nation is not even efficient enough to protect people’s life and property in the heart of the capital city – not in a jungle, not on top of a mountain – naturally, people will try to protect themselves. Everyone has a right to their life. Now all the criminals have guns; only regular citizens don’t. Does this mean we must provide guns to the citizens? No. Can you take away the guns from the criminals? You cannot. They will always find a way to get one. Gun culture is not the basis of violence. Nations arm themselves as a deterrent force. India has so many issues – we cannot even feed our people – but do you know the amount of money we spend on defense? Just the mountain corps is going to cost 81,000 crores in the 12th five year plan. Why are we spending this kind of money? Because we know a deterrent force is needed for a nation right now. You need to have guns; otherwise, someone else will walk over you. Unfortunately, we have not come to the utopian state of consciousness where all of us will love each other and live together in harmony. We can strive for it, but that’s not yet a reality. An idea, an aspiration is one thing; reality is another thing. You can aspire for an ideal, but day-to-day dealing is only with reality. The reality is, in the heart of the capital city, your daughter, your wife, or your mother – anyone could get raped and killed. If such realities repeat themselves, every father will wish his daughter will be carrying a gun, or at least a knife, or a chili spray; something to hurt somebody. Once they have it in their pocket, will all of them use it with the necessary discretion? No. Because they are in anger, people may shoot someone. All these things will follow because there is a certain breakdown in the fundamental mechanisms that make a nation.
To be continued…
Leela Series The path of the playful – Part XLV
Banumathi – Torn between Duty and Devotion The following is an excerpt from Leela, the path of the playful, a unique exploration with Sadhguru into the mystical realm of Krishna, which took place at the Isha Yoga Center in September 2005. There’s a beautiful incident in the Mahabharata where Krishna is not in the scene, but is very much a part of it. Duryodhana’s wife, who was just 18 or 19 years of age, was pregnant with their first child. She was a simple girl who didn’t know anything other than dedicating her life to her husband. That was what the tradition taught them then. Duryodhana had just been to the Swayamvara to win over Draupadi as his wife. Banumathi was going through her own emotional turmoil because Draupadi came from a much bigger royal family; she was Drupada’s daughter and a very powerful, fiery woman. Banumathi was a very beautiful but simple person. She didn’t have the intrigue of a Draupadi behind her. She was happy that Duryodhana had lost the Swayamvara. You see, everyone has their own agenda. Duryodhana was burning with shame for having lost, and above all, for Arjuna winning Draupadi. He was not able to eat or sleep and was just walked up and down, fuming. In this mood, he came on the terrace where Banumathi was sitting with freshly washed hair and both her hands stretched out to dry the mehndi. Duryodhana told her, “I can’t face the world anymore after losing the competition, that too to Arjuna of all people. We didn’t know that these five brothers are still alive. Now they have even married Drupada’s daughter and have a huge army behind them!”
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All his plans had come to naught because of this, and this bothered him. Banumathi said, “You know it says in our scriptures, whatever is written on our forehead by God, that’s what will happen. Why are you bothered? You have Hastinapur, a large kingdom. Everything is going well for you here. You have 99 brothers with you. We have wonderful parents. They are all there for you, and I am fully dedicated to you too. Why are you bothered about Draupadi marrying Arjuna? You have enough. We have enough. We should be thankful for what we have.” He flew into a rage, “You stupid woman! You don’t understand statecraft – what is involved in it, and where it is heading to.” He went on like this for a while. Finally, being at his wits’ end, he asked, “Tell me, what should I do?” Banumathi said, “I think you should consult Krishna Vasudeva. He’s here in Hastinapur right now. I’m sure he will tell you what’s best for you.” She trusted that even if someone is his enemy, Krishna would tell him what’s best for him. She had this trust in him because of an earlier incident that had happened when she was just 17 years of age. She was an extremely beautiful girl and Krishna was Duryodhana’s guest in the palace. Duryodhana had a plan to get Krishna drunk and get some kind of commitment from him. He arranged a party and made sure a sufficient amount of wine was there. Almost everyone drank too much. Only Krishna maintained his cool and went on meeting and charming everyone. In this whole enthusiasm, Banumathi had also consumed more than she should have. She was a young girl who wasn’t used to drinking. At some point, everyone got so tipsy that things went out of July 2013
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control, and the situation was almost on the verge of becoming an orgy. Banumathi lost control over herself. She fell on Krishna and started expressing her desire for him. Krishna saw that in her condition, she may do something that she would not be able to handle later; as a queen of Hastinapur, she would be finished. So he held her like a baby, carried her to Gandhari’s chambers, and handed her over to her mother-in-law. The next morning, Banumathi was absolutely grateful to him for having done this. From then on, she was like a devotee of Krishna. So she told her husband, “Consult Krishna. He would be the best one to ask.” The moment she uttered the word “Krishna,” Duryodhana flew into a rage. He said, “Go and live with him if you want.” She was very offended by this. “Krishna is not an ordinary man. You cannot tell your wife, ‘Go live with him.’” She wanted to meet Krishna, who was in town, but now Duryodhana said, “You’re not going to meet him – never again. You will neither send any kind of communication to him, nor will you go and meet him, nor will he come into this palace.” She was disconsolate. The birth of her child was just a few days away and she wanted her child to be blessed by Krishna. Then Jalandhara, Banumathi’s sister, came by while Duryodhana was still around, and she asked him, “What is this nonsense? Why are you making this woman cry? She’s pregnant. This is not the time to talk to her like this.” Duryodhana said, “If you talk to me like this, I will slap you.” Jalandhara was a spirited girl. She replied, “If you slap me, I’m going to bite
your fingers off.” She would have been capable of that. Then she actually asked Duryodhana to get out of the place, and she hugged her sister. Banumathi said, “You know, I’m going to deliver my first baby soon. I want to see Krishna before, but now I cannot see him anymore because Duryodhana has given this instruction. He’s the king and my husband.” Jalandhara wanted to make an arrangement to meet with Krishna, but she did not know how. Then she thought of Bhima, the strongest of the Pandavas brothers, who had been paying some attention to her. Bhima has good access to Krishna. So she thought if she approaches him, it could work. She sent a message with a maid, saying that Jalandhara wants to secretly meet Bhima late at night in the gymnasium. Bhima was thrilled that Jalandhara wanted a secret rendezvous with him. He dressed himself up properly, put on fragrances, and went there. When Jalandhara came with her maid, Bhima asked what she wanted. Jalandhara said, “I actually came because I want to meet with Krishna.” Bhima got mad. “You want to meet Krishna? For that you call me here in the middle of the night? The whole day, the man is sitting there, meeting people. From morning to evening, whether it’s a woman, man, or child, he’s making love to every one of them with his eyes. You can go and meet him there. Why did you call me here? I thought you came to meet me.”
To be continued…
Leela the path of the playful Special Collector’s DVD Edition A unique exploration with Sadhguru into the mystical realm of Krishna
Eight DVDs – Rs. 1500 Available at www. ishashoppe.com
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July 2013
The most recent episode of the In Conversation with the Mystic series took place at Duke University Medical Center on 5 May. Sadhguru was joined by Dr. Tracy Gaudet of the United States Veteran’s Health Administration for an Experiential Symposium on Optimal Health and Wellbeing. The afternoon began with a thought-provoking presentation by Dr. Mitchell Krucoff on “Spirituality and Intangible Human Healing Capacities: The Future of High Tech Medicine.” Dr. Krucoff is Professor of Medicine/Cardiology and an Interventional Cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Krucoff’s presentation outlined his research which is laying the groundwork to illuminate the role of spirituality in medical practice. The MANTRA Study Project, which Dr. Krucoff directs, is working to examine the impact of noetic therapies – including intercessory prayer, music, imagery, and touch therapy – on patients with heart disease. Sadhguru then took the floor along with Dr. Tracy Gaudet, the Director of the Unites States Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Gaudet asked insightful questions stemming from her depiction of the current state of healthcare in the US, from theory and treatment paradigms, to health education FOREST FLOWER
reform, as well as the mental and emotional health of soldiers and veterans. Dr. Gaudet’s first question centered on shifting the fundamental model of medical care from an “attack mode” of disease treatment to a marriage of prevention and treatment. Medicine in the West, Sadhguru elaborated, originated from the treatment of infectious disease, which must be treated as an invasion. However, the majority of ailments and diseases today are self-created, stemming from food and lifestyle choices, as well as stress and anxiety. The ideal, Sadhguru explained, would be a system which looked at the total wellbeing of a person. He related that in yoga, health is nurtured through the purification of the five elements in a person. Sadhguru gave the attendees an experiential glimpse of these simple tools by leading them through a meditative process called Isha Kriya, which supports increased mental clarity and creates a distance from the mind and the body. After the meditation, the conversation was opened up for audience’s questions. During this time, several members of the Duke faculty in attendance expressed their support in continuing the spirit and direction of the conversation, agreeing with Dr. Gaudet that this event marked just the beginning of necessary change and progress. July 2013
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Mother’s Day was extra special for 300 Isha meditators from the US and Canada, as they spent the day with Sadhguru, planting 1008 trees in the new Isha Center in California. Sadhguru and the meditators gathered at San Juan Bautista, California to plant 1008 olive trees on the hills of the newly founded Isha Center – a 62-acre parcel of land donated by a mediator a few years ago. Each of the trees was given a name by the person who planted it. The first tree was planted by Sadhguru, and he named his tree Bhuma (Sanskrit for earth, abundance). After a morning of tree planting, a scrumptious brunch was laid out by local volunteers. Later, everyone gathered near the wide canopy of the buckeye tree, under which Sadhguru conducted a sathsang. He shared how the yoga center in India took root many years ago, how it has grown since, and how he wishes to see the same in California. He announced that by 15 September 2015, there would
On 13 May, the Commonwealth Club of California auditorium in San Francisco witnessed a lively discussion between Sadhguru and Paul Hawken, environmentalist, entrepreneur, and author. Paul opened the discussion by describing the concept of socially conscious business, which was also the title of the talk. “Modern business is about speed and growth, not human wellbeing. As a result, business is destroying its host (the planet). To remedy this, businesses have to refocus on the triple bottom line of ‘people, planet, and profit,’ not just profit alone. One way to change this is to make businesses and banks local.” Sadhguru responded with, “Business and wealth have been internationalized like never before. The way technology is progressing, it is inevitable that Bangalore and the Bay Area will soon feel like 14
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be a consecrated space and infrastructure at the California center. The volunteers and meditators are all fired up to make it happen!
“As I planted and watered my trees, I realized that they would be standing on the hill long after my mortal body was gone. It was blissful knowing that my hands had left something for the future.” – Bonnie Hale
“I was touched by the inspiring and humble leaders, the unwavering commitment of the meditators, and the beautifully orchestrated enthusiasm and energy brought by our community. We created a movement, which I am so fortunate and grateful to be a part of. I look forward to the impact the birthing of this center will make in years to come.” – Linda Yip
adjacent neighborhoods, despite being on opposite sides of the planet. All businesses are about human wellbeing, which is also my business as a spiritual leader. People are a lot richer now than a century ago, but not any happier, perhaps even less happier than before. If people realize that happiness comes from within, they will stop pursuing happiness in external objects through compulsive actions.” After their discussion, Sadhguru and Paul responded to questions from the audience with some wise and humorous answers. In the end, the host asked the speakers to state their ideas for saving the world in under a minute. Sadhguru explained that nurturing meditativeness in leaders around the world will lead to a more peaceful and socially conscious society. Paul said that his practice is not to change the world, instead to learn from it. July 2013
how each of these animals were so well adapted and in tune with their habitat.
In today’s world, children rarely have an opportunity to explore their connection with nature. Isha Nature Awareness Program is a funfilled four-and-a-half day residential summer camp that instills a love for nature in children. This year, over 180 children were a part of two programs from 13-17 May and 20-24 May. The children visited the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats. Elephants, gaur, hornbills, black langurs, malabar giant squirrels, and even a leopard (although for a very brief moment) were spotted and marveled at. The children observed
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Trekking through the ghats, the children passed through deciduous forest and verdant rainforest climes. They were quite wonderstruck by the beauty of nature, especially the abundance of life in the rainforest. They learnt about the rock-like nests of the hornbills, about frogs that live their whole lives in trees, and about how important the rainforest and it’s water cycle is even to a city dweller (they play a big role in certain perennial rivers). Some of the children remarked how cool the rainforest felt, even though they were trekking in the afternoon in the middle of summer. One of them commented, “If we had forests like this everywhere, we wouldn’t need any air-conditioning at all!” One of the program participants shares her experience: “The program changed me for the better. I came to respect the life-forms around me as well as the need to preserve them.”
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Namaskaram, It’s been 10 years since the brahmacharis went on a yatra. Now, finally we had an opportunity again in May this year. Over 150 of us went to visit Rameshwaram Temple and other spiritually significant spots along the journey. After 11 days of Shakti Sangamam and a Shivaratri, we were all charged up for the yatra. On Amavasya, just after the morning Guru Pooja, we loaded ourselves and our luggage into the bus and off we went. It was going to be a tightly packed two days! Our first stop was Nerur, home to Sadashiva Brahmendra’s Samadhi. A scene from his life is depicted in one of the panels of the Dhyanalinga Inner Parikrama. He was a naked yogi, an avadhuta, who had transcended the limitations of his body. Even when his arm was severed by a slash of the sword while he was walking, he remained undisturbed without breaking his stride. Isha volunteers welcomed us and showed us the way to his Samadhi, where a beautiful mahavilva tree stood. I later learned that this tree is the source of our mahavilva trees in the ashram. As I sat down and closed my eyes, I became lost in an inner world. A gentle nudge told me it was time to leave. 16
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After a refreshing snack, we set off for a grand lunch in Karur. Being used to the two meals in the ashram, I wondered how my system would handle so much food. The Karur volunteers had set up the place in such a way that it looked like a mini Bhiksha Hall. Their love and care was obvious in their every action, and I was filled with gratitude as they served me. Isha volunteers overwhelmed me throughout the journey. Wherever we went, we were so well taken care of, all our needs anticipated and addressed even before we could ask. Late night, we felt a salty breeze through our bus windows – we had reached the beach, Rameshwaram! After a sumptuous dinner (I think this was one of the most pampered days of my life), we called it a night. The next morning, we finished our practices and went to receive consecrated water (theertham) at the Rameshwaram Temple. Legend says the great sage Patanjali had consecrated 114 water bodies there, and that bathing in this water is of great significance. Only 22 of these water bodies are still available today. We chanted “AUM Namah Shivaya” as we visited each of the wells or tanks of water. The temple staff seemed to have endless energy as they drew bucket upon bucket of water, pouring it over our heads. July 2013
The story is that Rama, to atone for the sin of killing Ravana, came to Rameshwaram, appealed to Shiva, and established the temple. The main deity is Ramanathaswamy (the Lord of Rama, or Shiva). It is one of the 12 jyotirlingas. This one is said to have been created by Sita out of sand. Another small linga (made of salt) can be found in the temple. The story goes that a sage just made a fist around some salt and this formed the linga, which is still intact today. One more powerful place was Patanjali’s Samadhi. As I sat down at this seemingly nondescript space, meditation became effortless. The day passed quickly, and we could not leave Rameshwaram without a visit to the beach! The sea was like a vast salty swimming pool, with hardly any currents and a long, shallow shoreline. It was wonderful to be with all the other brahmacharis. We had to move on though and were soon shuttling off to Uttarakosamangai Temple. Our buses reached the temple late for the procession of the Utsav Murti around the town, but the temple authorities had graciously waited for us! The swayambhu (self-created) linga at the Uttarakosamangai Temple is said to be over 13,000 years old. The temple is a treasure house of many scriptures and a place where great saints lived. Legend has that Shiva taught the Vedas to Parvati there upon her request. One thousand sages were entrusted to guard the Vedas. Meanwhile, at Mandodari and Ravana’s marriage, Mandodari expressed the desire that Shiva be born as her baby. Shiva acquiesced, saying she can experience this only for a few moments. When she delivered the baby, Ravana was filled with rage at Shiva being born to Mandodari, and he sought to kill the infant. At the same moment, the theertham
in the Uttarakosamangai temple burst into flames! The sages feared Shiva’s life was in danger, and not wanting to live in this world without him, 999 of them immolated themselves in the flames – all except one sage who stayed back with the Vedas. It turned out, of course, that Shiva was fine, and he came back to find the lone sage. Pleased with the sage, Shiva appeared as Sahasralingam. He told the sage he would have just one more birth as Manickavasagar, a well-known Tamil saint. In the temple, there is a beautiful emerald Nataraja statue, cloaked in sandal paste. The famous Mangaleshwari Devi Temple is also on the premises. She is the Devi who received the Vedas and is unique in that she takes care of both one’s physical wellbeing and one’s ultimate liberation. As soon as I entered, the air felt so tangible, explosive. As I gazed into the sanctum sanctorum, I was struck by her presence. The goddess was very much alive and present, dignified and graceful. It is a marvel that places like this exist in such vibrance – that even after thousands of years, the work of yogis who consecrated them is still evident. As our buses set off back to our beloved ashram, I was tired but fulfilled. This was a most memorable and eye-opening yatra. The consecrated spaces, the profoundness of the South Indian temples, the devotion of the volunteers – I am unable to articulate my experience fully. I bow down to Sadhguru for giving me this opportunity. I am thankful to live in the powerful space of the Isha Yoga Center. I hope we can maintain and keep this space available for many generations to come. Pranam, Isha Brahmacharini
Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy recently became the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop and unassisted world sailing tour. Here is an account of his 151-day journey around the globe, and how Shambhavi Mahamudra helped him accomplish this record-setting feat. “People have often wondered at the level of physical and mental fitness required to undertake such a voyage where you are out at sea at the mercy of the elements and sail around the world alone without any help from anyone, and I always tell them that meditation helped me both physically and mentally. I would always begin my day with Shambhavi (except the preparatory part because the boat would always be tossing about in rough seas). My voyage was one full of difficulties but I was always in a blissful state. Even in the worst conditions at sea I would be very happy and I laughed in the face of all troubles. I think I should attribute a big part of my success to Isha because the kriya kept me in the best possible condition during the voyage.” – Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy Project Sagar Parikrama 2 aimed to circumnavigate the earth solo, nonstop and unassisted under sail, covering a distance of at least 21,600 nautical miles, taking the boat south of the three great capes, viz., Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn, and Cape of Good Hope. The voyage was cast off on 1 Nov 2012 by the FOCin-C West, Adm. Shekhar Sinha, from the historic Gateway of India in Mumbai. In the course of her voyage, the boat ran into the doldrums in the outbound leg and was briefly 18
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becalmed before crossing the equator. She then headed in to the trade winds and along an S-ly to SSW-ly course till almost 30 deg. south before being hit by the first eastward-moving cold front. The first leg completed on 12 Dec when she passed Cape Leeuwin. The skipper and the boat crossed the International Date Line on New Year’s Eve and sailed further south into the Pacific Ocean all the way up to 58.5 deg. S, possibly becoming the only Indian to have gone that far south in a sail boat. The boat rounded Cape Horn on 26 Jan and unfurled the national tricolor just one mile south of the Horn. The first land sighting after leaving Mumbai happened at Cape Horn, followed by the Isla de los Estados, Argentina, the next day. That was also the first sighting of another vessel at sea after leaving the Indian subcontinent. The boat continued on her voyage and crossed the Prime Meridian on Valentine’s Day and rounded the Cape of Good Hope on 19 Feb before entering into the Indian Ocean. The boat and skipper headed north-east and then north and crossed the equator on Spring Equinox before being briefly becalmed. The circumnavigation was officially over when the boat entered Mumbai on Easter Sunday, 31 Mar 2013. On 6 Apr, she was accorded a ceremonial reception by the President of India at the Gateway of India. The event was also April 2013 July 2013
attended by the Governor of Maharashtra and the Chief of Naval Staff.
Here is what Abhilash shared with us about how Shambhavi Mahamudra helped in his voyage:
During her voyage, the boat went through almost all the weather zones possible, from the doldrums at the equator, to cold fronts, the threat of icebergs, violent storms, and 10 meter waves. Despite the difficult weather systems, the boat and the skipper fared well, and sustained only minor issues along the route. Problems with generator, engine etc. were attended to by the skipper; ropes were constantly repaired and torn sails either stitched or replaced; minor fiberglass and carpentry work attended to; electrical issues sorted out as the boat sailed along. The only reverse osmosis plant in the boat became defective almost one-third of the way out of Mumbai, and towards the end of the voyage, the stored water in the tanks and part of the bottled mineral water were contaminated as a result of a diesel leak onboard, leaving the skipper with about 10 liters of fresh water for as many days of sailing left to complete the voyage. The skipper then resorted to rain water harvesting and conservation of water to complete the voyage.
“This moment is inevitable.” I understood the true meaning of this only when I was at sea because there is never an absolutely good day when you are in the ocean. Either it is too hot or too cold or too windy or no winds at all or too dry or too wet or winds are from the wrong direction or something has already broken in the boat or is about to break. After I put the idea of “This moment is inevitable” into practice, things became much easier because I stop wishing that things were otherwise.
When Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy arrived at Mumbai on 31 Mar 2013, he had become the 1st Indian, 2nd th Asian and the 79 person in the world to have sailed around the world, solo, unassisted and nonstop.
For more info on Project Sagar Parikrama 2, visit www.sagarparikrama2.blogspot.in and check out their YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/sagarparikrama2
Perhaps it was due to the practice of Shambhavi that I was able to disconnect what was happening outside of me from what was happening within me. I had no control over what was happening outside but how to react to it was a choice that I had. It was possibly because of this that nothing affected me and there was no fear, even in the most trying times. It is not easy for any human being to remain completely alone for a prolonged duration. There have been cases of severe hallucinations reported by sailors who attempted to sail alone. Many have even committed suicide. However, I found the experience of solitude even in the roughest seas blissful.
Program Highlights Date
Program
Place
Contact
2–5 Jul 2013
Residential Program For Ladies
Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore – India
0422-2515300
3–9 Jul 2013
Inner Engineering
Navi Mumbai – India
99874 00339, 81089 00080
[email protected]
3–9 Jul 2013
Inner Engineering
Madhapur, Hyderabad – India
85000 64000
[email protected]
4–7 Jul 2013
Inner Engineering
Isha Life, Mylapore, Chennai – India
94449 02058
[email protected]
4–7 Jul 2013
Inner Engineering Retreat
Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore – India
0422-2515421
[email protected]
Bangalore – India
92434 10136, 90360 67181
[email protected]
Bhava Spandana
Residential Program
5–7 Jul 2013
12–14 Jul 2013
17–20 Jul 2013
Inner Engineering Conducted by Sadhguru
Sadhguruvudan Isha Yoga (Tamil) Residential Program Conducted by Sadhguru
Inner Engineering Retreat Residential Program
22 Jul–16 Dec 2013
Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Training Residential Program
23–28 Jul 2013
Inner Engineering Retreat Residential Program
7–8 Sep 2013
13–15 Sep 2013
In the Lap of the Master Residential Program Conducted by Sadhguru
Sadhguruvudan Isha Yoga (Tamil) Conducted by Sadhguru
Chennai, Vellore: 83000 11000 / Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore: 94434 94434 Coimbatore – India For other centers, please check our website. Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore – India
0422-2515421
[email protected]
Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore – India
9849011600
[email protected]
Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore – India
0422-2515421
[email protected]
Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore – India
0422-2515300
Meenambakkam, Chennai – India
94449 22290, 97899 83260
[email protected]
These programs are conducted in English, unless indicated otherwise. Current at the time of print, however subject to change. For full program schedules and updates, please visit our website: www.ishafoundation.org. 20
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July 2013
Isha Recipes
For Healthy Living
MASALA BUTTERMILK
INGREDIENTS 2 cups ½ inch 1 ¼ teaspoon ¼ teaspoon 3–5
Plain yogurt (curd) Fresh ginger Medium-sized cucumber Salt to taste Sesame oil Mustard seeds Cumin (jeera) seeds Curry leafs Fresh coriander leafs Raw mango (optional)
PREPARATION METHOD 1.
Blend the yogurt until smooth.
2.
Peel ginger and cucumber and chop into small pieces. Put them in the blender, along with the yogurt. Blend and add water until the desired consistency is achieved. Add salt to taste, once again blend thoroughly, and filter.
3.
Heat a little oil in a pan; add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Roast on medium heat until they splutter. Add the curry leafs and gently roast them too. Add the condiments to the filtered buttermilk.
4.
Garnish with chopped coriander leafs and serve cool.
Tasty Tip: Add tiny pieces of raw mango for extra flavor! Yogurt Yogurt is rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. In the fermentation process, much of the lactose contained in milk is converted into lactic acid, which makes yogurt more easily digestible than milk. The probiotics (beneficial bacteria) in yogurt balance the intestinal flora, support digestion, and help maintain a strong immune system. FOREST FLOWER FOREST FLOWER
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