collection of some articles by sadhguru
Post on 11-Jul-2015
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1
Collection of Some Articles written or spoken
by Sadhguru
2
1 The Three Fundamental Nadis ndash Ida Pingala and Sushumna
Sadhguru speaks about the three fundamental nadis or energy pathways in the system
the Ida Pingala and Sushumna
Sadhguru Within the spine if you know its physical construction you will know there are
two holes on either side of the spine which are like conduit pipes for all the nerves to pass
This is the Ida and the Pingala the left and the right channels
In the Pranamayakosha or the energy body there are 72000 nadis The 72000 nadis spring
from three basic nadis ndash the left the right and the central ndash the Ida Pingala and Sushumna
The word ldquonadirdquo does not mean nerve Nadis are pathways or channels of prana in the
system These 72000 nadis donrsquot have a physical manifestation In the sense if you cut the
body and look in you will not find them But as you become more aware you will notice the
energy is not moving at random it is moving in established pathways There are 72000
different ways in which the energy or prana moves
Only when energies enter into Sushumna life really begins
The Ida and Pingala represent the basic duality in the existence It is this duality which we
traditionally personify as Shiva and Shakti Or you can simply call it masculine and
feminine or it can be the logical and the intuitive aspect of you It is based on this that life is
created Without these two dualities life wouldnrsquot exist as it does right now In the
beginning everything is primordial there is no duality But once creation happens there is
duality
When I say masculine and feminine I am not talking in terms of sex ndash about being male or
female ndash but in terms of certain qualities in nature Certain qualities in nature have been
identified as masculine Certain other qualities have been identified as feminine You may
be a man but if your Ida is more pronounced the feminine may be dominant in you You
may be a woman but if your Pingala is more pronounced the masculine may be dominant
in you
Bringing a balance between the Ida and Pingala will make you effective in the world it will make
you handle life aspects well Most people live and die in Ida and Pingala Sushumna the
3
central space remains dormant But Sushumna is the most significant aspect of human
physiology Only when energies enter into Sushumna life really begins
Vairagya
Fundamentally Sushumna is attribute-less it has no quality of its own It is like empty
space If there is empty space you can create anything you want Once energies enter into
Sushumna we say you attain to Vairagya ldquoRagardquo means color ldquoVairagrdquo means no color you
have become transparent If you have become transparent if what is behind you is red you
turn red too If what is behind you is blue you turn blue too If what is behind you is yellow
you turn yellow too You are unprejudiced Wherever you are you become a part of that but
nothing sticks to you Only if you are like this only if you are in a state of Vairag then you
will dare to explore all dimensions of life when you live here
Right now you are reasonably balanced but if for some reason the outside situation goes
crazy you will also go crazy in reaction to that because that is the nature of Ida and Pingala It
is reactive to what is outside But once the energies enter into Sushumna you attain to a
new kind of balance an inner balance where whatever happens outside there is a certain
space within you which never gets disturbed which is never in any kind of turmoil
which cannot be touched by the outside situations Only if you create this stable situation within
yourself you will dare to scale the peaks of consciousness
4
2 The Types of Yoga Understanding the Four Essential
Paths
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru answers a question on the different types of yoga and explains
that any yoga that you do comes under four essential paths
Questioner Sadhguru there are so many different types of yoga How do I know which kind of yoga
is best for me
Sadhguru Right now the only things which are in your experience areyour body your mind
and your emotions You know them to some extent and you can infer that if these three
things have to happen the way they are happening there must be an energy that makes
them happen Without energy all this cannot be happening Some of you might have
experienced it Others can easily infer that for these three things to function there must be
an energy behind them For example a microphone amplifies a personrsquos voice Even if you
donrsquot know anything about the microphone you can infer that there is a source that powers
it
These are the only four realities in your life body mind emotion and energy Whatever you
wish to do with yourself it must be on these four levels Whatever you wish to do you can
only do it with your body your mind your emotions or your energy If you use your
emotions and try to reach the ultimate we call this bhakti yoga That means the path of
devotion If you use your intelligence and try to reach the ultimate we call this gnana yoga
That means the path of intelligence If you use your body or physical action to reach the
ultimate we call this karma yoga That means the path of action If you transform your
energies and try to reach the ultimate we call this kriya yoga That means internal action
These are the only four realities in your life body mind emotion and
energy Whatever you wish to do with yourself it must be on these four
levels
These are the only four ways you can get somewhere either through karma gnana bhakti
or kriya ndash body mind emotion or energy ldquoNo no I am on the path of faith I donrsquot need to
do anything elserdquo Is there anyone who is only head no heart hands and energy Is there
anyone who is only heart not the other things You are a combination of these four things
5
It is just that in one person the heart may be dominant in another person the head may be
dominant in yet another person the hands may be dominant but everybody is a
combination of these four So you need a combination of these four It is just that only if it
is mixed in the right way for you it works best for you What we give for one person if it is
given to you it may not work well for you because that person is so much heart and this
much head That is why on the spiritual path there is so much stress on a live Guru He
mixes the cocktail right for you otherwise there is no punch
The four yogis
It happened once Four men were walking in the forest The first was a gnana yogi the
second was a bhakti yogi the third was a karma yogi and the fourth was a kriya yogi
Usually these four people can never be together The gnana yogi has total disdain for all
other types of yoga His is the yoga of intelligence and normally an intellectual has
complete disdain for everyone else particularly these bhakti types who look upward and
chant Godrsquos name all the time They look like a bunch of idiots to him
But a bhakti yogi a devotee thinks all this gnana karma and kriya yoga is a waste of time
He pities the others who donrsquot see that when God is here all you need to do is hold His hand
and walk All this mind-splitting philosophy this bone-bending yoga is not needed God is
here because God is everywhere
Then there is the karma yogi the man of action He thinks all the other types of yogis with
their fancy philosophies are just lazy
But a kriya yogi is the most disdainful of all He laughs at everyone Donrsquot they know that all
of existence is energy If you donrsquot transform your energy whether you long for God or you
long for anything else nothing is going to happen There will be no transformation
These four people customarily canrsquot get along But today they happened to be walking
together in the forest and a storm broke out It grew very intense and began raining heavily
They started running looking for shelter
6
The bhakti yogi the devotion man said ldquoIn this direction there is an ancient temple Letrsquos
go thererdquo Hersquos a devotee he knows the geography of temples very well
They all ran in that direction They came to an ancient temple All the walls had crumbled
long ago just the roof and four columns remained They rushed into the temple not out of
love for God but just to escape the rain
There was a deity in the center They ran towards it The rain was lashing down from every
direction There was no other place to go so they moved closer and closer Finally there was
no alternative They just hugged the deity and sat down
The moment these four people hugged the idol there was a huge fifth presence Suddenly
God appeared
In all their four minds the same question arose Why now They wondered ldquoWe expounded
so many philosophies did so many poojas served so many people did so much body-
breaking sadhana but you didnrsquot come Now when wersquore just escaping the rain you turn up
Whyrdquo
God said ldquoAt last you four idiots got togetherrdquo
If these dimensions donrsquot walk together human beings will be one big mess Right now for
most people these dimensions are aligned in different directions Your mind is thinking and
feeling one way your physical body is going another way your energy another way Yoga is
simply the science of aligning these three dimensions
Yoga ndash The ultimate union
When we say ldquoyogardquo for many of you it probably means some impossible physical postures
That is not what we are referring to here Yoga simply means to be in perfect tune When
you are in yoga your body mind and energy and existence are in absolute harmony When
your body and mind are in a relaxed state and at a certain level of blissfulness you can be
free of so many nagging ailments Let us say you go and sit in your office with a nagging
headache Your headache is not a major disease but just that throbbing could take away
7
some of your enthusiasm for work and perhaps some of your capability for that day But
with the practice of yoga your body and mind can be kept at the highest possible peak
When you experience everything as one in your consciousness then you are in yoga
The word ldquoyogardquo literally means ldquounionrdquo When you experience everything as one in your
consciousness then you are in yoga To attain to that unity within you there are many ways
For example there is hatha yoga Hatha yoga means you start with the body The body itself
has its own attitudes its own ego its own nature Apart from your mind do you see your
body has its own ego Suppose you say ldquoFrom tomorrow I want to get up at five in the
morning and walk on the beachrdquo You set the alarm The alarm rings You want to get up but
your body says ldquoShut up and sleeprdquo It has its own way
So we start with the body Hatha yoga is a way of working with the body disciplining the
body purifying the body and preparing the body for higher levels of energy All of us are
alive all of us are human beings But all of us do not experience life to the same intensity
because our pranic energies are not the same Different people experience life in different
levels of intensity
For example someone sees a tree A tree is just a tree Most people donrsquot even see it
Somebody sees the tree in more detail An artist sees every shade of it Someone else not
only sees the tree but also sees the divine in it Seeing is not the same because the level of
intensity with which you experience life is not the same
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next step into the unknown We have made
this yogic science almost like a physical science
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next
step into the unknown We have made this yogic science almost like a physical science
Suppose you mix two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen you get water Even when a
great scientist puts it together it is water Even if an idiot puts it together it is only water
Similarly in yoga too whether a great yogi does it or an ignorant person does it it does not
matter If he does the practices and sadhana properly the result is there to be seen
8
In yoga these systems have been identified To start with you work with the body then you
move to thebreath then to the mind then to the inner self Like this many steps have been
created They are only different aspects They are not really different types of yoga In fact
we address all of them at once It is important that in a very balanced way all of them are
addressed at once as one unit Otherwise if you work just with the body it is only
preparatory in nature So there is really no division as such Yoga is a union of all these
9
3 Kundalini Yoga Beneficial or Dangerous
Sadhguru speaks about what kundalini is and looks at the process of Kundalini Yoga He
explores how this powerful spiritual process should be approached with utmost
responsibility and reverence
Sadhguru In the yogic culture the snake is a symbolism for kundalini ndash the unmanifest
energy within you The nature of kundalini is such that when it is still you do not even know
it exists Only when it moves you realize there is so much power within you Till it moves it
is almost non-existent Because of this kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-
up snake is so hard to see unless it moves Similarly you do not see this coiled-up energy
unless it moves If your kundalini is aroused miraculous things that you cannot believe
possible will happen with you An unleashing of a completely new level of energy begins and
your body and everything behaves in a completely different way
Kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-up snake is so hard to see unless it moves
Heightened states of energy are also heightened states ofperception The whole yogic system
is aimed only towards enhancing your perception A spiritual process essentially means just
that ndash to enhance your perception because you know only what you perceive This is the
reason for the symbolism of Shiva and a snake It indicates that his energies have reached
the peak His energies have reached the top of his head and so his third eye has opened
The Third Eye
The third eye does not mean someonersquos forehead has cracked and something came out It
simply means another dimension of perception has opened up The two eyes can see only
that which is physical If I just cover them with my hand they cannot look beyond that That
is how limited they are If the third eye has opened it means another dimension of
perception which is inward looking which looks at life completely differently has opened
up and everything that can be perceived is perceived
If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and
dangerous
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
2
1 The Three Fundamental Nadis ndash Ida Pingala and Sushumna
Sadhguru speaks about the three fundamental nadis or energy pathways in the system
the Ida Pingala and Sushumna
Sadhguru Within the spine if you know its physical construction you will know there are
two holes on either side of the spine which are like conduit pipes for all the nerves to pass
This is the Ida and the Pingala the left and the right channels
In the Pranamayakosha or the energy body there are 72000 nadis The 72000 nadis spring
from three basic nadis ndash the left the right and the central ndash the Ida Pingala and Sushumna
The word ldquonadirdquo does not mean nerve Nadis are pathways or channels of prana in the
system These 72000 nadis donrsquot have a physical manifestation In the sense if you cut the
body and look in you will not find them But as you become more aware you will notice the
energy is not moving at random it is moving in established pathways There are 72000
different ways in which the energy or prana moves
Only when energies enter into Sushumna life really begins
The Ida and Pingala represent the basic duality in the existence It is this duality which we
traditionally personify as Shiva and Shakti Or you can simply call it masculine and
feminine or it can be the logical and the intuitive aspect of you It is based on this that life is
created Without these two dualities life wouldnrsquot exist as it does right now In the
beginning everything is primordial there is no duality But once creation happens there is
duality
When I say masculine and feminine I am not talking in terms of sex ndash about being male or
female ndash but in terms of certain qualities in nature Certain qualities in nature have been
identified as masculine Certain other qualities have been identified as feminine You may
be a man but if your Ida is more pronounced the feminine may be dominant in you You
may be a woman but if your Pingala is more pronounced the masculine may be dominant
in you
Bringing a balance between the Ida and Pingala will make you effective in the world it will make
you handle life aspects well Most people live and die in Ida and Pingala Sushumna the
3
central space remains dormant But Sushumna is the most significant aspect of human
physiology Only when energies enter into Sushumna life really begins
Vairagya
Fundamentally Sushumna is attribute-less it has no quality of its own It is like empty
space If there is empty space you can create anything you want Once energies enter into
Sushumna we say you attain to Vairagya ldquoRagardquo means color ldquoVairagrdquo means no color you
have become transparent If you have become transparent if what is behind you is red you
turn red too If what is behind you is blue you turn blue too If what is behind you is yellow
you turn yellow too You are unprejudiced Wherever you are you become a part of that but
nothing sticks to you Only if you are like this only if you are in a state of Vairag then you
will dare to explore all dimensions of life when you live here
Right now you are reasonably balanced but if for some reason the outside situation goes
crazy you will also go crazy in reaction to that because that is the nature of Ida and Pingala It
is reactive to what is outside But once the energies enter into Sushumna you attain to a
new kind of balance an inner balance where whatever happens outside there is a certain
space within you which never gets disturbed which is never in any kind of turmoil
which cannot be touched by the outside situations Only if you create this stable situation within
yourself you will dare to scale the peaks of consciousness
4
2 The Types of Yoga Understanding the Four Essential
Paths
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru answers a question on the different types of yoga and explains
that any yoga that you do comes under four essential paths
Questioner Sadhguru there are so many different types of yoga How do I know which kind of yoga
is best for me
Sadhguru Right now the only things which are in your experience areyour body your mind
and your emotions You know them to some extent and you can infer that if these three
things have to happen the way they are happening there must be an energy that makes
them happen Without energy all this cannot be happening Some of you might have
experienced it Others can easily infer that for these three things to function there must be
an energy behind them For example a microphone amplifies a personrsquos voice Even if you
donrsquot know anything about the microphone you can infer that there is a source that powers
it
These are the only four realities in your life body mind emotion and energy Whatever you
wish to do with yourself it must be on these four levels Whatever you wish to do you can
only do it with your body your mind your emotions or your energy If you use your
emotions and try to reach the ultimate we call this bhakti yoga That means the path of
devotion If you use your intelligence and try to reach the ultimate we call this gnana yoga
That means the path of intelligence If you use your body or physical action to reach the
ultimate we call this karma yoga That means the path of action If you transform your
energies and try to reach the ultimate we call this kriya yoga That means internal action
These are the only four realities in your life body mind emotion and
energy Whatever you wish to do with yourself it must be on these four
levels
These are the only four ways you can get somewhere either through karma gnana bhakti
or kriya ndash body mind emotion or energy ldquoNo no I am on the path of faith I donrsquot need to
do anything elserdquo Is there anyone who is only head no heart hands and energy Is there
anyone who is only heart not the other things You are a combination of these four things
5
It is just that in one person the heart may be dominant in another person the head may be
dominant in yet another person the hands may be dominant but everybody is a
combination of these four So you need a combination of these four It is just that only if it
is mixed in the right way for you it works best for you What we give for one person if it is
given to you it may not work well for you because that person is so much heart and this
much head That is why on the spiritual path there is so much stress on a live Guru He
mixes the cocktail right for you otherwise there is no punch
The four yogis
It happened once Four men were walking in the forest The first was a gnana yogi the
second was a bhakti yogi the third was a karma yogi and the fourth was a kriya yogi
Usually these four people can never be together The gnana yogi has total disdain for all
other types of yoga His is the yoga of intelligence and normally an intellectual has
complete disdain for everyone else particularly these bhakti types who look upward and
chant Godrsquos name all the time They look like a bunch of idiots to him
But a bhakti yogi a devotee thinks all this gnana karma and kriya yoga is a waste of time
He pities the others who donrsquot see that when God is here all you need to do is hold His hand
and walk All this mind-splitting philosophy this bone-bending yoga is not needed God is
here because God is everywhere
Then there is the karma yogi the man of action He thinks all the other types of yogis with
their fancy philosophies are just lazy
But a kriya yogi is the most disdainful of all He laughs at everyone Donrsquot they know that all
of existence is energy If you donrsquot transform your energy whether you long for God or you
long for anything else nothing is going to happen There will be no transformation
These four people customarily canrsquot get along But today they happened to be walking
together in the forest and a storm broke out It grew very intense and began raining heavily
They started running looking for shelter
6
The bhakti yogi the devotion man said ldquoIn this direction there is an ancient temple Letrsquos
go thererdquo Hersquos a devotee he knows the geography of temples very well
They all ran in that direction They came to an ancient temple All the walls had crumbled
long ago just the roof and four columns remained They rushed into the temple not out of
love for God but just to escape the rain
There was a deity in the center They ran towards it The rain was lashing down from every
direction There was no other place to go so they moved closer and closer Finally there was
no alternative They just hugged the deity and sat down
The moment these four people hugged the idol there was a huge fifth presence Suddenly
God appeared
In all their four minds the same question arose Why now They wondered ldquoWe expounded
so many philosophies did so many poojas served so many people did so much body-
breaking sadhana but you didnrsquot come Now when wersquore just escaping the rain you turn up
Whyrdquo
God said ldquoAt last you four idiots got togetherrdquo
If these dimensions donrsquot walk together human beings will be one big mess Right now for
most people these dimensions are aligned in different directions Your mind is thinking and
feeling one way your physical body is going another way your energy another way Yoga is
simply the science of aligning these three dimensions
Yoga ndash The ultimate union
When we say ldquoyogardquo for many of you it probably means some impossible physical postures
That is not what we are referring to here Yoga simply means to be in perfect tune When
you are in yoga your body mind and energy and existence are in absolute harmony When
your body and mind are in a relaxed state and at a certain level of blissfulness you can be
free of so many nagging ailments Let us say you go and sit in your office with a nagging
headache Your headache is not a major disease but just that throbbing could take away
7
some of your enthusiasm for work and perhaps some of your capability for that day But
with the practice of yoga your body and mind can be kept at the highest possible peak
When you experience everything as one in your consciousness then you are in yoga
The word ldquoyogardquo literally means ldquounionrdquo When you experience everything as one in your
consciousness then you are in yoga To attain to that unity within you there are many ways
For example there is hatha yoga Hatha yoga means you start with the body The body itself
has its own attitudes its own ego its own nature Apart from your mind do you see your
body has its own ego Suppose you say ldquoFrom tomorrow I want to get up at five in the
morning and walk on the beachrdquo You set the alarm The alarm rings You want to get up but
your body says ldquoShut up and sleeprdquo It has its own way
So we start with the body Hatha yoga is a way of working with the body disciplining the
body purifying the body and preparing the body for higher levels of energy All of us are
alive all of us are human beings But all of us do not experience life to the same intensity
because our pranic energies are not the same Different people experience life in different
levels of intensity
For example someone sees a tree A tree is just a tree Most people donrsquot even see it
Somebody sees the tree in more detail An artist sees every shade of it Someone else not
only sees the tree but also sees the divine in it Seeing is not the same because the level of
intensity with which you experience life is not the same
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next step into the unknown We have made
this yogic science almost like a physical science
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next
step into the unknown We have made this yogic science almost like a physical science
Suppose you mix two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen you get water Even when a
great scientist puts it together it is water Even if an idiot puts it together it is only water
Similarly in yoga too whether a great yogi does it or an ignorant person does it it does not
matter If he does the practices and sadhana properly the result is there to be seen
8
In yoga these systems have been identified To start with you work with the body then you
move to thebreath then to the mind then to the inner self Like this many steps have been
created They are only different aspects They are not really different types of yoga In fact
we address all of them at once It is important that in a very balanced way all of them are
addressed at once as one unit Otherwise if you work just with the body it is only
preparatory in nature So there is really no division as such Yoga is a union of all these
9
3 Kundalini Yoga Beneficial or Dangerous
Sadhguru speaks about what kundalini is and looks at the process of Kundalini Yoga He
explores how this powerful spiritual process should be approached with utmost
responsibility and reverence
Sadhguru In the yogic culture the snake is a symbolism for kundalini ndash the unmanifest
energy within you The nature of kundalini is such that when it is still you do not even know
it exists Only when it moves you realize there is so much power within you Till it moves it
is almost non-existent Because of this kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-
up snake is so hard to see unless it moves Similarly you do not see this coiled-up energy
unless it moves If your kundalini is aroused miraculous things that you cannot believe
possible will happen with you An unleashing of a completely new level of energy begins and
your body and everything behaves in a completely different way
Kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-up snake is so hard to see unless it moves
Heightened states of energy are also heightened states ofperception The whole yogic system
is aimed only towards enhancing your perception A spiritual process essentially means just
that ndash to enhance your perception because you know only what you perceive This is the
reason for the symbolism of Shiva and a snake It indicates that his energies have reached
the peak His energies have reached the top of his head and so his third eye has opened
The Third Eye
The third eye does not mean someonersquos forehead has cracked and something came out It
simply means another dimension of perception has opened up The two eyes can see only
that which is physical If I just cover them with my hand they cannot look beyond that That
is how limited they are If the third eye has opened it means another dimension of
perception which is inward looking which looks at life completely differently has opened
up and everything that can be perceived is perceived
If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and
dangerous
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
3
central space remains dormant But Sushumna is the most significant aspect of human
physiology Only when energies enter into Sushumna life really begins
Vairagya
Fundamentally Sushumna is attribute-less it has no quality of its own It is like empty
space If there is empty space you can create anything you want Once energies enter into
Sushumna we say you attain to Vairagya ldquoRagardquo means color ldquoVairagrdquo means no color you
have become transparent If you have become transparent if what is behind you is red you
turn red too If what is behind you is blue you turn blue too If what is behind you is yellow
you turn yellow too You are unprejudiced Wherever you are you become a part of that but
nothing sticks to you Only if you are like this only if you are in a state of Vairag then you
will dare to explore all dimensions of life when you live here
Right now you are reasonably balanced but if for some reason the outside situation goes
crazy you will also go crazy in reaction to that because that is the nature of Ida and Pingala It
is reactive to what is outside But once the energies enter into Sushumna you attain to a
new kind of balance an inner balance where whatever happens outside there is a certain
space within you which never gets disturbed which is never in any kind of turmoil
which cannot be touched by the outside situations Only if you create this stable situation within
yourself you will dare to scale the peaks of consciousness
4
2 The Types of Yoga Understanding the Four Essential
Paths
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru answers a question on the different types of yoga and explains
that any yoga that you do comes under four essential paths
Questioner Sadhguru there are so many different types of yoga How do I know which kind of yoga
is best for me
Sadhguru Right now the only things which are in your experience areyour body your mind
and your emotions You know them to some extent and you can infer that if these three
things have to happen the way they are happening there must be an energy that makes
them happen Without energy all this cannot be happening Some of you might have
experienced it Others can easily infer that for these three things to function there must be
an energy behind them For example a microphone amplifies a personrsquos voice Even if you
donrsquot know anything about the microphone you can infer that there is a source that powers
it
These are the only four realities in your life body mind emotion and energy Whatever you
wish to do with yourself it must be on these four levels Whatever you wish to do you can
only do it with your body your mind your emotions or your energy If you use your
emotions and try to reach the ultimate we call this bhakti yoga That means the path of
devotion If you use your intelligence and try to reach the ultimate we call this gnana yoga
That means the path of intelligence If you use your body or physical action to reach the
ultimate we call this karma yoga That means the path of action If you transform your
energies and try to reach the ultimate we call this kriya yoga That means internal action
These are the only four realities in your life body mind emotion and
energy Whatever you wish to do with yourself it must be on these four
levels
These are the only four ways you can get somewhere either through karma gnana bhakti
or kriya ndash body mind emotion or energy ldquoNo no I am on the path of faith I donrsquot need to
do anything elserdquo Is there anyone who is only head no heart hands and energy Is there
anyone who is only heart not the other things You are a combination of these four things
5
It is just that in one person the heart may be dominant in another person the head may be
dominant in yet another person the hands may be dominant but everybody is a
combination of these four So you need a combination of these four It is just that only if it
is mixed in the right way for you it works best for you What we give for one person if it is
given to you it may not work well for you because that person is so much heart and this
much head That is why on the spiritual path there is so much stress on a live Guru He
mixes the cocktail right for you otherwise there is no punch
The four yogis
It happened once Four men were walking in the forest The first was a gnana yogi the
second was a bhakti yogi the third was a karma yogi and the fourth was a kriya yogi
Usually these four people can never be together The gnana yogi has total disdain for all
other types of yoga His is the yoga of intelligence and normally an intellectual has
complete disdain for everyone else particularly these bhakti types who look upward and
chant Godrsquos name all the time They look like a bunch of idiots to him
But a bhakti yogi a devotee thinks all this gnana karma and kriya yoga is a waste of time
He pities the others who donrsquot see that when God is here all you need to do is hold His hand
and walk All this mind-splitting philosophy this bone-bending yoga is not needed God is
here because God is everywhere
Then there is the karma yogi the man of action He thinks all the other types of yogis with
their fancy philosophies are just lazy
But a kriya yogi is the most disdainful of all He laughs at everyone Donrsquot they know that all
of existence is energy If you donrsquot transform your energy whether you long for God or you
long for anything else nothing is going to happen There will be no transformation
These four people customarily canrsquot get along But today they happened to be walking
together in the forest and a storm broke out It grew very intense and began raining heavily
They started running looking for shelter
6
The bhakti yogi the devotion man said ldquoIn this direction there is an ancient temple Letrsquos
go thererdquo Hersquos a devotee he knows the geography of temples very well
They all ran in that direction They came to an ancient temple All the walls had crumbled
long ago just the roof and four columns remained They rushed into the temple not out of
love for God but just to escape the rain
There was a deity in the center They ran towards it The rain was lashing down from every
direction There was no other place to go so they moved closer and closer Finally there was
no alternative They just hugged the deity and sat down
The moment these four people hugged the idol there was a huge fifth presence Suddenly
God appeared
In all their four minds the same question arose Why now They wondered ldquoWe expounded
so many philosophies did so many poojas served so many people did so much body-
breaking sadhana but you didnrsquot come Now when wersquore just escaping the rain you turn up
Whyrdquo
God said ldquoAt last you four idiots got togetherrdquo
If these dimensions donrsquot walk together human beings will be one big mess Right now for
most people these dimensions are aligned in different directions Your mind is thinking and
feeling one way your physical body is going another way your energy another way Yoga is
simply the science of aligning these three dimensions
Yoga ndash The ultimate union
When we say ldquoyogardquo for many of you it probably means some impossible physical postures
That is not what we are referring to here Yoga simply means to be in perfect tune When
you are in yoga your body mind and energy and existence are in absolute harmony When
your body and mind are in a relaxed state and at a certain level of blissfulness you can be
free of so many nagging ailments Let us say you go and sit in your office with a nagging
headache Your headache is not a major disease but just that throbbing could take away
7
some of your enthusiasm for work and perhaps some of your capability for that day But
with the practice of yoga your body and mind can be kept at the highest possible peak
When you experience everything as one in your consciousness then you are in yoga
The word ldquoyogardquo literally means ldquounionrdquo When you experience everything as one in your
consciousness then you are in yoga To attain to that unity within you there are many ways
For example there is hatha yoga Hatha yoga means you start with the body The body itself
has its own attitudes its own ego its own nature Apart from your mind do you see your
body has its own ego Suppose you say ldquoFrom tomorrow I want to get up at five in the
morning and walk on the beachrdquo You set the alarm The alarm rings You want to get up but
your body says ldquoShut up and sleeprdquo It has its own way
So we start with the body Hatha yoga is a way of working with the body disciplining the
body purifying the body and preparing the body for higher levels of energy All of us are
alive all of us are human beings But all of us do not experience life to the same intensity
because our pranic energies are not the same Different people experience life in different
levels of intensity
For example someone sees a tree A tree is just a tree Most people donrsquot even see it
Somebody sees the tree in more detail An artist sees every shade of it Someone else not
only sees the tree but also sees the divine in it Seeing is not the same because the level of
intensity with which you experience life is not the same
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next step into the unknown We have made
this yogic science almost like a physical science
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next
step into the unknown We have made this yogic science almost like a physical science
Suppose you mix two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen you get water Even when a
great scientist puts it together it is water Even if an idiot puts it together it is only water
Similarly in yoga too whether a great yogi does it or an ignorant person does it it does not
matter If he does the practices and sadhana properly the result is there to be seen
8
In yoga these systems have been identified To start with you work with the body then you
move to thebreath then to the mind then to the inner self Like this many steps have been
created They are only different aspects They are not really different types of yoga In fact
we address all of them at once It is important that in a very balanced way all of them are
addressed at once as one unit Otherwise if you work just with the body it is only
preparatory in nature So there is really no division as such Yoga is a union of all these
9
3 Kundalini Yoga Beneficial or Dangerous
Sadhguru speaks about what kundalini is and looks at the process of Kundalini Yoga He
explores how this powerful spiritual process should be approached with utmost
responsibility and reverence
Sadhguru In the yogic culture the snake is a symbolism for kundalini ndash the unmanifest
energy within you The nature of kundalini is such that when it is still you do not even know
it exists Only when it moves you realize there is so much power within you Till it moves it
is almost non-existent Because of this kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-
up snake is so hard to see unless it moves Similarly you do not see this coiled-up energy
unless it moves If your kundalini is aroused miraculous things that you cannot believe
possible will happen with you An unleashing of a completely new level of energy begins and
your body and everything behaves in a completely different way
Kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-up snake is so hard to see unless it moves
Heightened states of energy are also heightened states ofperception The whole yogic system
is aimed only towards enhancing your perception A spiritual process essentially means just
that ndash to enhance your perception because you know only what you perceive This is the
reason for the symbolism of Shiva and a snake It indicates that his energies have reached
the peak His energies have reached the top of his head and so his third eye has opened
The Third Eye
The third eye does not mean someonersquos forehead has cracked and something came out It
simply means another dimension of perception has opened up The two eyes can see only
that which is physical If I just cover them with my hand they cannot look beyond that That
is how limited they are If the third eye has opened it means another dimension of
perception which is inward looking which looks at life completely differently has opened
up and everything that can be perceived is perceived
If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and
dangerous
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
4
2 The Types of Yoga Understanding the Four Essential
Paths
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru answers a question on the different types of yoga and explains
that any yoga that you do comes under four essential paths
Questioner Sadhguru there are so many different types of yoga How do I know which kind of yoga
is best for me
Sadhguru Right now the only things which are in your experience areyour body your mind
and your emotions You know them to some extent and you can infer that if these three
things have to happen the way they are happening there must be an energy that makes
them happen Without energy all this cannot be happening Some of you might have
experienced it Others can easily infer that for these three things to function there must be
an energy behind them For example a microphone amplifies a personrsquos voice Even if you
donrsquot know anything about the microphone you can infer that there is a source that powers
it
These are the only four realities in your life body mind emotion and energy Whatever you
wish to do with yourself it must be on these four levels Whatever you wish to do you can
only do it with your body your mind your emotions or your energy If you use your
emotions and try to reach the ultimate we call this bhakti yoga That means the path of
devotion If you use your intelligence and try to reach the ultimate we call this gnana yoga
That means the path of intelligence If you use your body or physical action to reach the
ultimate we call this karma yoga That means the path of action If you transform your
energies and try to reach the ultimate we call this kriya yoga That means internal action
These are the only four realities in your life body mind emotion and
energy Whatever you wish to do with yourself it must be on these four
levels
These are the only four ways you can get somewhere either through karma gnana bhakti
or kriya ndash body mind emotion or energy ldquoNo no I am on the path of faith I donrsquot need to
do anything elserdquo Is there anyone who is only head no heart hands and energy Is there
anyone who is only heart not the other things You are a combination of these four things
5
It is just that in one person the heart may be dominant in another person the head may be
dominant in yet another person the hands may be dominant but everybody is a
combination of these four So you need a combination of these four It is just that only if it
is mixed in the right way for you it works best for you What we give for one person if it is
given to you it may not work well for you because that person is so much heart and this
much head That is why on the spiritual path there is so much stress on a live Guru He
mixes the cocktail right for you otherwise there is no punch
The four yogis
It happened once Four men were walking in the forest The first was a gnana yogi the
second was a bhakti yogi the third was a karma yogi and the fourth was a kriya yogi
Usually these four people can never be together The gnana yogi has total disdain for all
other types of yoga His is the yoga of intelligence and normally an intellectual has
complete disdain for everyone else particularly these bhakti types who look upward and
chant Godrsquos name all the time They look like a bunch of idiots to him
But a bhakti yogi a devotee thinks all this gnana karma and kriya yoga is a waste of time
He pities the others who donrsquot see that when God is here all you need to do is hold His hand
and walk All this mind-splitting philosophy this bone-bending yoga is not needed God is
here because God is everywhere
Then there is the karma yogi the man of action He thinks all the other types of yogis with
their fancy philosophies are just lazy
But a kriya yogi is the most disdainful of all He laughs at everyone Donrsquot they know that all
of existence is energy If you donrsquot transform your energy whether you long for God or you
long for anything else nothing is going to happen There will be no transformation
These four people customarily canrsquot get along But today they happened to be walking
together in the forest and a storm broke out It grew very intense and began raining heavily
They started running looking for shelter
6
The bhakti yogi the devotion man said ldquoIn this direction there is an ancient temple Letrsquos
go thererdquo Hersquos a devotee he knows the geography of temples very well
They all ran in that direction They came to an ancient temple All the walls had crumbled
long ago just the roof and four columns remained They rushed into the temple not out of
love for God but just to escape the rain
There was a deity in the center They ran towards it The rain was lashing down from every
direction There was no other place to go so they moved closer and closer Finally there was
no alternative They just hugged the deity and sat down
The moment these four people hugged the idol there was a huge fifth presence Suddenly
God appeared
In all their four minds the same question arose Why now They wondered ldquoWe expounded
so many philosophies did so many poojas served so many people did so much body-
breaking sadhana but you didnrsquot come Now when wersquore just escaping the rain you turn up
Whyrdquo
God said ldquoAt last you four idiots got togetherrdquo
If these dimensions donrsquot walk together human beings will be one big mess Right now for
most people these dimensions are aligned in different directions Your mind is thinking and
feeling one way your physical body is going another way your energy another way Yoga is
simply the science of aligning these three dimensions
Yoga ndash The ultimate union
When we say ldquoyogardquo for many of you it probably means some impossible physical postures
That is not what we are referring to here Yoga simply means to be in perfect tune When
you are in yoga your body mind and energy and existence are in absolute harmony When
your body and mind are in a relaxed state and at a certain level of blissfulness you can be
free of so many nagging ailments Let us say you go and sit in your office with a nagging
headache Your headache is not a major disease but just that throbbing could take away
7
some of your enthusiasm for work and perhaps some of your capability for that day But
with the practice of yoga your body and mind can be kept at the highest possible peak
When you experience everything as one in your consciousness then you are in yoga
The word ldquoyogardquo literally means ldquounionrdquo When you experience everything as one in your
consciousness then you are in yoga To attain to that unity within you there are many ways
For example there is hatha yoga Hatha yoga means you start with the body The body itself
has its own attitudes its own ego its own nature Apart from your mind do you see your
body has its own ego Suppose you say ldquoFrom tomorrow I want to get up at five in the
morning and walk on the beachrdquo You set the alarm The alarm rings You want to get up but
your body says ldquoShut up and sleeprdquo It has its own way
So we start with the body Hatha yoga is a way of working with the body disciplining the
body purifying the body and preparing the body for higher levels of energy All of us are
alive all of us are human beings But all of us do not experience life to the same intensity
because our pranic energies are not the same Different people experience life in different
levels of intensity
For example someone sees a tree A tree is just a tree Most people donrsquot even see it
Somebody sees the tree in more detail An artist sees every shade of it Someone else not
only sees the tree but also sees the divine in it Seeing is not the same because the level of
intensity with which you experience life is not the same
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next step into the unknown We have made
this yogic science almost like a physical science
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next
step into the unknown We have made this yogic science almost like a physical science
Suppose you mix two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen you get water Even when a
great scientist puts it together it is water Even if an idiot puts it together it is only water
Similarly in yoga too whether a great yogi does it or an ignorant person does it it does not
matter If he does the practices and sadhana properly the result is there to be seen
8
In yoga these systems have been identified To start with you work with the body then you
move to thebreath then to the mind then to the inner self Like this many steps have been
created They are only different aspects They are not really different types of yoga In fact
we address all of them at once It is important that in a very balanced way all of them are
addressed at once as one unit Otherwise if you work just with the body it is only
preparatory in nature So there is really no division as such Yoga is a union of all these
9
3 Kundalini Yoga Beneficial or Dangerous
Sadhguru speaks about what kundalini is and looks at the process of Kundalini Yoga He
explores how this powerful spiritual process should be approached with utmost
responsibility and reverence
Sadhguru In the yogic culture the snake is a symbolism for kundalini ndash the unmanifest
energy within you The nature of kundalini is such that when it is still you do not even know
it exists Only when it moves you realize there is so much power within you Till it moves it
is almost non-existent Because of this kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-
up snake is so hard to see unless it moves Similarly you do not see this coiled-up energy
unless it moves If your kundalini is aroused miraculous things that you cannot believe
possible will happen with you An unleashing of a completely new level of energy begins and
your body and everything behaves in a completely different way
Kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-up snake is so hard to see unless it moves
Heightened states of energy are also heightened states ofperception The whole yogic system
is aimed only towards enhancing your perception A spiritual process essentially means just
that ndash to enhance your perception because you know only what you perceive This is the
reason for the symbolism of Shiva and a snake It indicates that his energies have reached
the peak His energies have reached the top of his head and so his third eye has opened
The Third Eye
The third eye does not mean someonersquos forehead has cracked and something came out It
simply means another dimension of perception has opened up The two eyes can see only
that which is physical If I just cover them with my hand they cannot look beyond that That
is how limited they are If the third eye has opened it means another dimension of
perception which is inward looking which looks at life completely differently has opened
up and everything that can be perceived is perceived
If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and
dangerous
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
5
It is just that in one person the heart may be dominant in another person the head may be
dominant in yet another person the hands may be dominant but everybody is a
combination of these four So you need a combination of these four It is just that only if it
is mixed in the right way for you it works best for you What we give for one person if it is
given to you it may not work well for you because that person is so much heart and this
much head That is why on the spiritual path there is so much stress on a live Guru He
mixes the cocktail right for you otherwise there is no punch
The four yogis
It happened once Four men were walking in the forest The first was a gnana yogi the
second was a bhakti yogi the third was a karma yogi and the fourth was a kriya yogi
Usually these four people can never be together The gnana yogi has total disdain for all
other types of yoga His is the yoga of intelligence and normally an intellectual has
complete disdain for everyone else particularly these bhakti types who look upward and
chant Godrsquos name all the time They look like a bunch of idiots to him
But a bhakti yogi a devotee thinks all this gnana karma and kriya yoga is a waste of time
He pities the others who donrsquot see that when God is here all you need to do is hold His hand
and walk All this mind-splitting philosophy this bone-bending yoga is not needed God is
here because God is everywhere
Then there is the karma yogi the man of action He thinks all the other types of yogis with
their fancy philosophies are just lazy
But a kriya yogi is the most disdainful of all He laughs at everyone Donrsquot they know that all
of existence is energy If you donrsquot transform your energy whether you long for God or you
long for anything else nothing is going to happen There will be no transformation
These four people customarily canrsquot get along But today they happened to be walking
together in the forest and a storm broke out It grew very intense and began raining heavily
They started running looking for shelter
6
The bhakti yogi the devotion man said ldquoIn this direction there is an ancient temple Letrsquos
go thererdquo Hersquos a devotee he knows the geography of temples very well
They all ran in that direction They came to an ancient temple All the walls had crumbled
long ago just the roof and four columns remained They rushed into the temple not out of
love for God but just to escape the rain
There was a deity in the center They ran towards it The rain was lashing down from every
direction There was no other place to go so they moved closer and closer Finally there was
no alternative They just hugged the deity and sat down
The moment these four people hugged the idol there was a huge fifth presence Suddenly
God appeared
In all their four minds the same question arose Why now They wondered ldquoWe expounded
so many philosophies did so many poojas served so many people did so much body-
breaking sadhana but you didnrsquot come Now when wersquore just escaping the rain you turn up
Whyrdquo
God said ldquoAt last you four idiots got togetherrdquo
If these dimensions donrsquot walk together human beings will be one big mess Right now for
most people these dimensions are aligned in different directions Your mind is thinking and
feeling one way your physical body is going another way your energy another way Yoga is
simply the science of aligning these three dimensions
Yoga ndash The ultimate union
When we say ldquoyogardquo for many of you it probably means some impossible physical postures
That is not what we are referring to here Yoga simply means to be in perfect tune When
you are in yoga your body mind and energy and existence are in absolute harmony When
your body and mind are in a relaxed state and at a certain level of blissfulness you can be
free of so many nagging ailments Let us say you go and sit in your office with a nagging
headache Your headache is not a major disease but just that throbbing could take away
7
some of your enthusiasm for work and perhaps some of your capability for that day But
with the practice of yoga your body and mind can be kept at the highest possible peak
When you experience everything as one in your consciousness then you are in yoga
The word ldquoyogardquo literally means ldquounionrdquo When you experience everything as one in your
consciousness then you are in yoga To attain to that unity within you there are many ways
For example there is hatha yoga Hatha yoga means you start with the body The body itself
has its own attitudes its own ego its own nature Apart from your mind do you see your
body has its own ego Suppose you say ldquoFrom tomorrow I want to get up at five in the
morning and walk on the beachrdquo You set the alarm The alarm rings You want to get up but
your body says ldquoShut up and sleeprdquo It has its own way
So we start with the body Hatha yoga is a way of working with the body disciplining the
body purifying the body and preparing the body for higher levels of energy All of us are
alive all of us are human beings But all of us do not experience life to the same intensity
because our pranic energies are not the same Different people experience life in different
levels of intensity
For example someone sees a tree A tree is just a tree Most people donrsquot even see it
Somebody sees the tree in more detail An artist sees every shade of it Someone else not
only sees the tree but also sees the divine in it Seeing is not the same because the level of
intensity with which you experience life is not the same
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next step into the unknown We have made
this yogic science almost like a physical science
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next
step into the unknown We have made this yogic science almost like a physical science
Suppose you mix two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen you get water Even when a
great scientist puts it together it is water Even if an idiot puts it together it is only water
Similarly in yoga too whether a great yogi does it or an ignorant person does it it does not
matter If he does the practices and sadhana properly the result is there to be seen
8
In yoga these systems have been identified To start with you work with the body then you
move to thebreath then to the mind then to the inner self Like this many steps have been
created They are only different aspects They are not really different types of yoga In fact
we address all of them at once It is important that in a very balanced way all of them are
addressed at once as one unit Otherwise if you work just with the body it is only
preparatory in nature So there is really no division as such Yoga is a union of all these
9
3 Kundalini Yoga Beneficial or Dangerous
Sadhguru speaks about what kundalini is and looks at the process of Kundalini Yoga He
explores how this powerful spiritual process should be approached with utmost
responsibility and reverence
Sadhguru In the yogic culture the snake is a symbolism for kundalini ndash the unmanifest
energy within you The nature of kundalini is such that when it is still you do not even know
it exists Only when it moves you realize there is so much power within you Till it moves it
is almost non-existent Because of this kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-
up snake is so hard to see unless it moves Similarly you do not see this coiled-up energy
unless it moves If your kundalini is aroused miraculous things that you cannot believe
possible will happen with you An unleashing of a completely new level of energy begins and
your body and everything behaves in a completely different way
Kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-up snake is so hard to see unless it moves
Heightened states of energy are also heightened states ofperception The whole yogic system
is aimed only towards enhancing your perception A spiritual process essentially means just
that ndash to enhance your perception because you know only what you perceive This is the
reason for the symbolism of Shiva and a snake It indicates that his energies have reached
the peak His energies have reached the top of his head and so his third eye has opened
The Third Eye
The third eye does not mean someonersquos forehead has cracked and something came out It
simply means another dimension of perception has opened up The two eyes can see only
that which is physical If I just cover them with my hand they cannot look beyond that That
is how limited they are If the third eye has opened it means another dimension of
perception which is inward looking which looks at life completely differently has opened
up and everything that can be perceived is perceived
If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and
dangerous
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
6
The bhakti yogi the devotion man said ldquoIn this direction there is an ancient temple Letrsquos
go thererdquo Hersquos a devotee he knows the geography of temples very well
They all ran in that direction They came to an ancient temple All the walls had crumbled
long ago just the roof and four columns remained They rushed into the temple not out of
love for God but just to escape the rain
There was a deity in the center They ran towards it The rain was lashing down from every
direction There was no other place to go so they moved closer and closer Finally there was
no alternative They just hugged the deity and sat down
The moment these four people hugged the idol there was a huge fifth presence Suddenly
God appeared
In all their four minds the same question arose Why now They wondered ldquoWe expounded
so many philosophies did so many poojas served so many people did so much body-
breaking sadhana but you didnrsquot come Now when wersquore just escaping the rain you turn up
Whyrdquo
God said ldquoAt last you four idiots got togetherrdquo
If these dimensions donrsquot walk together human beings will be one big mess Right now for
most people these dimensions are aligned in different directions Your mind is thinking and
feeling one way your physical body is going another way your energy another way Yoga is
simply the science of aligning these three dimensions
Yoga ndash The ultimate union
When we say ldquoyogardquo for many of you it probably means some impossible physical postures
That is not what we are referring to here Yoga simply means to be in perfect tune When
you are in yoga your body mind and energy and existence are in absolute harmony When
your body and mind are in a relaxed state and at a certain level of blissfulness you can be
free of so many nagging ailments Let us say you go and sit in your office with a nagging
headache Your headache is not a major disease but just that throbbing could take away
7
some of your enthusiasm for work and perhaps some of your capability for that day But
with the practice of yoga your body and mind can be kept at the highest possible peak
When you experience everything as one in your consciousness then you are in yoga
The word ldquoyogardquo literally means ldquounionrdquo When you experience everything as one in your
consciousness then you are in yoga To attain to that unity within you there are many ways
For example there is hatha yoga Hatha yoga means you start with the body The body itself
has its own attitudes its own ego its own nature Apart from your mind do you see your
body has its own ego Suppose you say ldquoFrom tomorrow I want to get up at five in the
morning and walk on the beachrdquo You set the alarm The alarm rings You want to get up but
your body says ldquoShut up and sleeprdquo It has its own way
So we start with the body Hatha yoga is a way of working with the body disciplining the
body purifying the body and preparing the body for higher levels of energy All of us are
alive all of us are human beings But all of us do not experience life to the same intensity
because our pranic energies are not the same Different people experience life in different
levels of intensity
For example someone sees a tree A tree is just a tree Most people donrsquot even see it
Somebody sees the tree in more detail An artist sees every shade of it Someone else not
only sees the tree but also sees the divine in it Seeing is not the same because the level of
intensity with which you experience life is not the same
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next step into the unknown We have made
this yogic science almost like a physical science
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next
step into the unknown We have made this yogic science almost like a physical science
Suppose you mix two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen you get water Even when a
great scientist puts it together it is water Even if an idiot puts it together it is only water
Similarly in yoga too whether a great yogi does it or an ignorant person does it it does not
matter If he does the practices and sadhana properly the result is there to be seen
8
In yoga these systems have been identified To start with you work with the body then you
move to thebreath then to the mind then to the inner self Like this many steps have been
created They are only different aspects They are not really different types of yoga In fact
we address all of them at once It is important that in a very balanced way all of them are
addressed at once as one unit Otherwise if you work just with the body it is only
preparatory in nature So there is really no division as such Yoga is a union of all these
9
3 Kundalini Yoga Beneficial or Dangerous
Sadhguru speaks about what kundalini is and looks at the process of Kundalini Yoga He
explores how this powerful spiritual process should be approached with utmost
responsibility and reverence
Sadhguru In the yogic culture the snake is a symbolism for kundalini ndash the unmanifest
energy within you The nature of kundalini is such that when it is still you do not even know
it exists Only when it moves you realize there is so much power within you Till it moves it
is almost non-existent Because of this kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-
up snake is so hard to see unless it moves Similarly you do not see this coiled-up energy
unless it moves If your kundalini is aroused miraculous things that you cannot believe
possible will happen with you An unleashing of a completely new level of energy begins and
your body and everything behaves in a completely different way
Kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-up snake is so hard to see unless it moves
Heightened states of energy are also heightened states ofperception The whole yogic system
is aimed only towards enhancing your perception A spiritual process essentially means just
that ndash to enhance your perception because you know only what you perceive This is the
reason for the symbolism of Shiva and a snake It indicates that his energies have reached
the peak His energies have reached the top of his head and so his third eye has opened
The Third Eye
The third eye does not mean someonersquos forehead has cracked and something came out It
simply means another dimension of perception has opened up The two eyes can see only
that which is physical If I just cover them with my hand they cannot look beyond that That
is how limited they are If the third eye has opened it means another dimension of
perception which is inward looking which looks at life completely differently has opened
up and everything that can be perceived is perceived
If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and
dangerous
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
7
some of your enthusiasm for work and perhaps some of your capability for that day But
with the practice of yoga your body and mind can be kept at the highest possible peak
When you experience everything as one in your consciousness then you are in yoga
The word ldquoyogardquo literally means ldquounionrdquo When you experience everything as one in your
consciousness then you are in yoga To attain to that unity within you there are many ways
For example there is hatha yoga Hatha yoga means you start with the body The body itself
has its own attitudes its own ego its own nature Apart from your mind do you see your
body has its own ego Suppose you say ldquoFrom tomorrow I want to get up at five in the
morning and walk on the beachrdquo You set the alarm The alarm rings You want to get up but
your body says ldquoShut up and sleeprdquo It has its own way
So we start with the body Hatha yoga is a way of working with the body disciplining the
body purifying the body and preparing the body for higher levels of energy All of us are
alive all of us are human beings But all of us do not experience life to the same intensity
because our pranic energies are not the same Different people experience life in different
levels of intensity
For example someone sees a tree A tree is just a tree Most people donrsquot even see it
Somebody sees the tree in more detail An artist sees every shade of it Someone else not
only sees the tree but also sees the divine in it Seeing is not the same because the level of
intensity with which you experience life is not the same
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next step into the unknown We have made
this yogic science almost like a physical science
The whole process of yoga is to take you from something that you know and take the next
step into the unknown We have made this yogic science almost like a physical science
Suppose you mix two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen you get water Even when a
great scientist puts it together it is water Even if an idiot puts it together it is only water
Similarly in yoga too whether a great yogi does it or an ignorant person does it it does not
matter If he does the practices and sadhana properly the result is there to be seen
8
In yoga these systems have been identified To start with you work with the body then you
move to thebreath then to the mind then to the inner self Like this many steps have been
created They are only different aspects They are not really different types of yoga In fact
we address all of them at once It is important that in a very balanced way all of them are
addressed at once as one unit Otherwise if you work just with the body it is only
preparatory in nature So there is really no division as such Yoga is a union of all these
9
3 Kundalini Yoga Beneficial or Dangerous
Sadhguru speaks about what kundalini is and looks at the process of Kundalini Yoga He
explores how this powerful spiritual process should be approached with utmost
responsibility and reverence
Sadhguru In the yogic culture the snake is a symbolism for kundalini ndash the unmanifest
energy within you The nature of kundalini is such that when it is still you do not even know
it exists Only when it moves you realize there is so much power within you Till it moves it
is almost non-existent Because of this kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-
up snake is so hard to see unless it moves Similarly you do not see this coiled-up energy
unless it moves If your kundalini is aroused miraculous things that you cannot believe
possible will happen with you An unleashing of a completely new level of energy begins and
your body and everything behaves in a completely different way
Kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-up snake is so hard to see unless it moves
Heightened states of energy are also heightened states ofperception The whole yogic system
is aimed only towards enhancing your perception A spiritual process essentially means just
that ndash to enhance your perception because you know only what you perceive This is the
reason for the symbolism of Shiva and a snake It indicates that his energies have reached
the peak His energies have reached the top of his head and so his third eye has opened
The Third Eye
The third eye does not mean someonersquos forehead has cracked and something came out It
simply means another dimension of perception has opened up The two eyes can see only
that which is physical If I just cover them with my hand they cannot look beyond that That
is how limited they are If the third eye has opened it means another dimension of
perception which is inward looking which looks at life completely differently has opened
up and everything that can be perceived is perceived
If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and
dangerous
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
8
In yoga these systems have been identified To start with you work with the body then you
move to thebreath then to the mind then to the inner self Like this many steps have been
created They are only different aspects They are not really different types of yoga In fact
we address all of them at once It is important that in a very balanced way all of them are
addressed at once as one unit Otherwise if you work just with the body it is only
preparatory in nature So there is really no division as such Yoga is a union of all these
9
3 Kundalini Yoga Beneficial or Dangerous
Sadhguru speaks about what kundalini is and looks at the process of Kundalini Yoga He
explores how this powerful spiritual process should be approached with utmost
responsibility and reverence
Sadhguru In the yogic culture the snake is a symbolism for kundalini ndash the unmanifest
energy within you The nature of kundalini is such that when it is still you do not even know
it exists Only when it moves you realize there is so much power within you Till it moves it
is almost non-existent Because of this kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-
up snake is so hard to see unless it moves Similarly you do not see this coiled-up energy
unless it moves If your kundalini is aroused miraculous things that you cannot believe
possible will happen with you An unleashing of a completely new level of energy begins and
your body and everything behaves in a completely different way
Kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-up snake is so hard to see unless it moves
Heightened states of energy are also heightened states ofperception The whole yogic system
is aimed only towards enhancing your perception A spiritual process essentially means just
that ndash to enhance your perception because you know only what you perceive This is the
reason for the symbolism of Shiva and a snake It indicates that his energies have reached
the peak His energies have reached the top of his head and so his third eye has opened
The Third Eye
The third eye does not mean someonersquos forehead has cracked and something came out It
simply means another dimension of perception has opened up The two eyes can see only
that which is physical If I just cover them with my hand they cannot look beyond that That
is how limited they are If the third eye has opened it means another dimension of
perception which is inward looking which looks at life completely differently has opened
up and everything that can be perceived is perceived
If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and
dangerous
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
9
3 Kundalini Yoga Beneficial or Dangerous
Sadhguru speaks about what kundalini is and looks at the process of Kundalini Yoga He
explores how this powerful spiritual process should be approached with utmost
responsibility and reverence
Sadhguru In the yogic culture the snake is a symbolism for kundalini ndash the unmanifest
energy within you The nature of kundalini is such that when it is still you do not even know
it exists Only when it moves you realize there is so much power within you Till it moves it
is almost non-existent Because of this kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-
up snake is so hard to see unless it moves Similarly you do not see this coiled-up energy
unless it moves If your kundalini is aroused miraculous things that you cannot believe
possible will happen with you An unleashing of a completely new level of energy begins and
your body and everything behaves in a completely different way
Kundalini is symbolized as a snake because a coiled-up snake is so hard to see unless it moves
Heightened states of energy are also heightened states ofperception The whole yogic system
is aimed only towards enhancing your perception A spiritual process essentially means just
that ndash to enhance your perception because you know only what you perceive This is the
reason for the symbolism of Shiva and a snake It indicates that his energies have reached
the peak His energies have reached the top of his head and so his third eye has opened
The Third Eye
The third eye does not mean someonersquos forehead has cracked and something came out It
simply means another dimension of perception has opened up The two eyes can see only
that which is physical If I just cover them with my hand they cannot look beyond that That
is how limited they are If the third eye has opened it means another dimension of
perception which is inward looking which looks at life completely differently has opened
up and everything that can be perceived is perceived
If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and
dangerous
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
10
Nowadays a lot of books and yoga studios talk about Kundalini Yoga and its benefits
though they donrsquot know anything about it Even to utter the word ldquokundalinirdquo we always
bring a sense of reverence and then utter the word because it is so enormous If you have to
activate the kundalini the necessary preparation in your body mind and emotion should
happen because if you pump energy into a system which is not ready for that kind of voltage
or volume things will fuse out So many people have come to me who have lost their mental
balance and physical capabilities because they tried to do Kundalini Yoga without the
necessary guidance and assistance If the necessary supportive atmosphere is not there
simply attempting to raise kundalini could be very irresponsible and dangerous
Energy has no discretion
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous
because it is the most potent also What is most potent is always the most dangerous if
improperly handled For example there are various kinds of ways in which electricity is
being produced One of the ways we do it is through nuclear reactors It is the most efficient
way of producing energy that we know right now but it is also the most dangerous way isnrsquot
it When things are going right it is the easiest and best way to produce energy on the
planet When things go wrong they go seriously wrong in ways that you canrsquot fix it Similarly
with Kundalini Yoga it is the most potent and it is the most dangerous Without the
necessary preparation without constant expert guidance and observation no one should
ever attempt it But the problem is books have been written about it and everybody wants to
do the highest yoga Nobody wants to start with ldquoArdquo everybody wants to start the alphabet
with ldquoZrdquo This attitude itself is dangerous
Kundalini Yoga in its essence is the most dangerous form of yoga I am saying dangerous because it is the most potent also
In classical yogic traditions there is a certain type of yoga we teach for people who live in
family situations There is a certain other type of yoga we teach for ascetics We never teach
those in family situations the ascetic form That is the most potent way to do it but it will
demand a certain dimension of discipline and focus which your regular lives will not allow
If you do that kind of yoga it will dismantle your outside life instantly
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
11
This doesnrsquot mean there is something wrong with Kundalini Yoga It is a very fantastic
process but it needs to be done properly because energy has no discretion of its own You
can make your life out of it or you can burn your life out of it Electricity is making our life
But if you stick your little finger into it you know what will happen Energy has no
discretion How you use it is how it is Kundalini is also like that You are using it right now
but in a minimal way If you maximize it you can raise beyond your limitations of existence
All yoga in one way is towards that but Kundalini Yoga is particularly towards that In fact
all life is towards that In some way people want to experience life more intensely than they
are experiencing it right now Someone wants to sing someone else wants to dance
someone wants to drink alcohol someone else wants to pray ndash why are they doing all this
They want to experience life more intensely Everyone is trying to raise their kundalini but
they are doing it haphazardly When you approach it scientifically with a proper method we
say it is yoga
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
12
4The Benefits of Meditation ndash Shambhavi and Good Health
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one
beyond the limitations of body and mind Teachers and practitioners of these ldquoinner
technologiesrdquo have also experienced the many physical and mental benefits of meditation
and yoga In recent years a growing number of scientific studies and research on meditation
have corroborated these experiences
Isharsquos introductory practice is the Shambhavi Mahamudra an ancient kriya that has
millions of dedicated practitioners who aver that they experience greater emotional balance
concentration focus stability and better health with regular practice of the meditation In
fact there have been several scientific studies that measure the various benefits of
practicing the kriya regularly ndash both with regard to brain activity during the kriya as well as
statistical research of how it affects peoplersquos health and well-being
How does the Kriya Work
The reason why most people are unhappy or unhealthy is that the physical the mental and
the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru says ldquoThere is a certain way to engineer our system to make this body to make
this mindhellip the very chemistry within us the way we want itrdquo Traditionally yoga sees the
human being as five layers of body the physical body the mental body the pranic energy
body the etheric body and the bliss body The reason why most people are unhappy or
unhealthy is that the physical the mental and the ldquopranicrdquo body are not in alignment
Sadhguru explains ldquoIf they are properly aligned a natural expression an overwhelming
expression of joyfulness will naturally happen within a human being Now we are looking at
the technology of keeping these three bodies constantly aligned so that joyfulness is not an
accidental happening joyfulness becomes a normal condition a natural way of living for
yourdquo
The Studies
Studies on Shambhavi Mahamudra have been varied some have examined its impact on
disease status and medicine usage some have looked specifically at menstrual disorders
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
13
while others have studied the benefits of this meditation on sleep heart rate variability
brain activity etc Other studies have researched general well-being and improved attention
spans among regular meditators
Letrsquos take a look at the results of some of the key studies
Improved Cardiac Health
Two studies published in 2008 and 2012 examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported
cardiac health The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac
Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during
the practice A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations and is
said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals A lower HRV on the other hand
has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease hypertension
chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction The researchers conclude that practitioners
of the Shambhavi Mahamudra and other Isha Yoga practices have higher exercise tolerance
better cardiac response to stressful situation lower probability of undergoing hypertension
of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction
Greater Coherence Within the Brain
A study from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering IIT Delhi looked at EEG
(Electroencephalography) data from practitionerrsquos brains before during and after practicing
the kriya The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence
between the right and left hemispheres of the brain EEG coherence is known to be a
measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are Higher coherence indicates
greater exchange of information between various regions as well as improved functional
coupling and coordination Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores
on IQ and creativity tests as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility
The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as
the alpha beta delta and theta Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha
band power in general indicating that they experienced lower stress levels There was a high
increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power A
reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension excitement
and anxiety Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
14
indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation ldquoDelta rhythms combined with
alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar a kind of sixth senserdquo the
researchers note
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
15
4 Why North isnrsquot the Best Direction and Position To Sleep
Sadhguru looks at why Indians traditionally never slept with their heads pointing north
and explores a few other things that can help us sleep well and rest better
Sadhguru In India you were told that you should not place your head to the north
while sleeping Why First letrsquos look at the way your body is engineered Your heart is not
located half-way down it is placed three-fourths of the way up because pumping blood up
against gravity is more difficult than pumping it down The blood vessels which go upward
are a finer arrangement compared to those going down As they go up into the brain they
are almost hair-like to such a point that they cannot even take one extra drop If one extra
drop is pumped in something will burst and you will have a hemorrhage
Most people have hemorrhages in their brain This does not incapacitate you in any major
way but small damages happen You may become duller which people are becoming Your
level of intelligence after the age of 35 drops in many ways unless you take enormous care to
keep it up You are managing because of your memory not because of your intelligence
When you put your head to the north what happens If you have any kind of blood-related
problem letrsquos say anemia what would a doctor prescribe Iron It is an important
ingredient in your blood You have heard of the magnetic fields on the planet In many ways
the earth is engineered because of its magnetism Thatrsquos how powerful the magnetic forces
are on the planet
When the body is positioned horizontally you can immediately make out that your pulse
rate drops The body makes this adjustment because if blood is pumped at the same level
too much will go into your head causing damage Now if you place your head to the north
and stay that way for 5 to 6 hours the magnetic pull will cause pressure on your brain If
you are beyond a certain age and your blood vessels are weak you could have hemorrhages
and paralytic strokes Or if your system is sturdy and these things donrsquot happen to you you
could get up agitated because there is more circulation in the brain than there should be
when you are sleeping It is not that if you do this for one day you will fall dead But if you
do this every day you are asking for trouble What kind of trouble depends on how strong
your system is
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
16
So which is the best direction to sleep with your head pointing towards East is the best
direction North-east is okay West is alright South if you must North no This is true as
long as you are in the northern hemisphere ndash sleeping with your head towards any side
except north is okay In the southern hemisphere donrsquot put your head to the south
The Right and Wrong Side of the Bed
Your heart is an important aspect of your physiology The station that pumps life across the
body ndash if this one thing doesnrsquot happen nothing happens ndash starts from your left side In
India the culture has always said that when you wake up you must roll to your right side
and then get out of bed When your body is in a certain state of relaxation its metabolic
activity is low When you get up there is a certain surge of activity So you need to roll over
to your right side and get up because at a lower level of metabolic activity if you suddenly
roll to your left you will put pressure upon your cardiac system
The First Thing You See
In the tradition they also told you that before you get up in the morning you must rub your
hands together and place your palms upon your eyes They said that if you do this you will
see God It is not about seeing God
There is a heavy concentration of nerve endings in your hands If you rub your palms
together all the nerve endings are activated and the system comes awake immediately
When you wake up in the morning and still feel sleepy and drowsy just do this and see
everything comes awake Instantly a whole range of nerves connected with your eyes and
other aspects of your senses come awake Before you move your body your body and brain
should be active You shouldnrsquot get up dumb thatrsquos the idea
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
17
5 Kriya Yoga ndash A Powerful Way To Walk The Spiritual Path
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at what kriya yoga means and what it takes to walk this path and
explore the very mechanics of the life process
Sadhguru Fundamentally kriya means internal action When you do inner action it does
not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to
you When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy then it is a kriya
If you do external activity we call it karma If you do internal activity we call it kriya In a
way both are certain kind of karmas or both are certain kind of kriyas But traditionally or
in the general sense of the term it is understood like this karmas are those which bind you
kriyas are those which release you
Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a different kind of depth to life
Whatever we do with your body your attitudes and your thought for example today your
thoughts may go in one direction Tomorrow if another person comes and influences you
they will go another way Similarly whatever we do with your body your body is well today
so it likes asanas Tomorrow morning if your body is stiff you will hate asanas
Youremotions are not at all reliable At any moment they can shift from this to that But your
energies are different Once we start working with the energy in a certain way it has a
different kind of depth to life Suddenly there is a different dimension to every aspect of
your life because your energies have been touched and activated in a completely different
way
A powerful way
Kriya yoga is a very powerful way to walk the spiritual path but at the same time it is a very
demanding way What it demands out of a person is so tremendous For a modern educated
person today kriya yoga would be inhuman because it needs that kind of discipline and a
certain exactness about everything Most people donrsquot have the body the mind or the
stability of emotion for the kriya yoga path anymore because right from childhood people
are in too much comfort Comfort does not mean physical comfort Sitting in a comfortable
chair is not an obstruction But your whole being is seeking comfort always that is a great
obstruction If you are sitting on something which is comfortable enjoy it ndash there is no
problem about it But if you are constantly seeking comfort then that kind of mind and
emotion is unsuitable for the path of kriya yoga Kriya yoga cannot be done with people who
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
18
are loose people who talk ldquofreedomrdquo everywhere ldquoAm I not free to do this am I not free to
do that canrsquot I eat this canrsquot I sleep thererdquo
If you take someone into the path of kriya if I tell you sleep with your legs up and head
down that is how you should sleep without asking questions because all of it can never be
explained You may understand as you go but it can never be explained And if it has to be
explained the essence of the kriya will be lost If people start asking stupid logical questions
for everything kriyas cannot be imparted
If we want to teach you kriyas just as a physical practice I can write a book about it and you
can read and learn it But if you want the kriya to be a live process if we want the kriya to be
imprinted into your system in a certain way then it needs discipline and dedication It
needs trust to open up your energies to the other person so that you become absolutely
vulnerable He may do anything with you and initially you will start wondering what the
hell he is doing with you because the initial stages of kriyas can be such that you donrsquot know
whether you are getting enlightened or you are going mad You must have enough trust to
sustain through those periods Otherwise kriya will be difficult
So generally on the path of kriya most Gurus make the disciples wait You come and you
want to learn kriya yoga ldquoOkay sweep the floorrdquo ldquoNo I want to learn kriya yogardquo ldquoThat is
why I said sweep the floorrdquo You swept the floor for one year and said ldquoI did one year of
sweepingrdquo ldquoOh you are done with one year of sweeping the floor Wash the dishesrdquo Just
make him wait wait and wait Use him misuse him abuse him and still his trust does not
shake ldquoOh there must be some reasonrdquo When he comes to this then he can be initiated
into kriyas Otherwise once you power him in a particular way that his system is vibrant
beyond normal standards if his attitudes and emotions are not proper he will cause
immense damage to himself
But in todayrsquos world to get that kind of time with people to make them wait and go through
all this and when they come to that kind of trust then imprinting this is a little remote It is
not impossible but it is a little remote in the modern world
The mechanics of life
Kriya yoga is important only if you want to do things beyond realization If your interest is
only to somehow escape this prison and get away you just want enlightenment or mukti
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
19
then you donrsquot really have to walk the kriya yoga path because kriyas are so elaborate and
involve so much discipline and focus If you just want to be liberated then kriyas can be
used in a small way it need not be too intense Kriya as a whole path is not necessary
because it needs too much application
With the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making
If you follow the path of kriya very intensely without guidance it may take a few lifetimes to
mature If there is someone alive who can do things with you then it can happen in this life
Otherwise kriya is a little roundabout way With the path of kriya you are not only seeking
realization you also want to know the mechanics of life-making You want to know the
engineering of how life is built ndash what to do about it That is why it is a much longer process
People who have come up on kriya have a completely different kind of presence about them
because of the mastery over their energies They can dismantle life and put it back together
But if you are just pursuing other ways like gnana for example you are razor-sharp you can
do many things with your mind but still there is nothing much you can do with your energy
If you are on bhakti there is nothing you can do and you donrsquot care you only want to
dissolve If you are on the path of karma yoga you do many things in the world but you can
do nothing with yourself But kriya yogis can do whatever they wish with themselves in
terms of energy and they can do a lot with the world also
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
20
7The Moment of Death ndash Using the Dying Process For
Spiritual Growth
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the dying process and how maintaining awareness at the
moment of death can be a means of spiritual growth He also explains how some of the traditions
in Indian culture surrounding the moment of death evolved
Questioner In the Bhagavad Gita it says that whatever state of being one remembers during
the dying process he will attain that state being absorbed in its thought Is it so Sadhguru
Can we use the moment of death to create pleasantness in whatver comes later
Sadhguru Yes it is that simple Buthellip There is a very beautiful story Wherever he went
Sage Narada only said ldquoNarayana Narayanardquo Narada had a passport for all the three worlds
ndash he freely traveled everywhere One day he saw a farmer plowing his land in a state of
ecstasy and bliss Narada was eager to find out what the secret of his bliss was When he
approached the farmer to talk to him the farmer did not even notice him so engrossed he
was in plowing his land At noon time he took a break from his work and went to eat under
a tree He opened the container with whatever little food he had and just said ldquoNarayana
Narayana Narayanardquo and started eating The farmer wanted to share the meal with him but
because of the caste system Narada would not eat with him Narada inquired ldquoWhat is the
source of your blissrdquo The farmer said ldquoEvery day Narayana appears in his true form to me
That is the source of my blissrdquo Narada asked him ldquoWhat sadhana do you dordquo The farmer
said ldquoI donrsquot know anything Irsquom an ignorant illiterate man It is just that when I wake up in
the morning I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I start my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I end my work I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three times When I eat I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three
times When I go to bed I say lsquoNarayanarsquo three timesrdquo Narada calculated how many times
in 24 hours he himself was saying lsquoNarayanarsquo It ran into millions But still if he wanted to
see Narayana he had to go all the way to Vaikuntha[1] which was a long journey But to this
farmer who just said ldquoNarayanardquo three times before eating before plowing and whatever
else Narayana came right there Narada thought this is not fair it must be some kind of a
mistake
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that
moment you must practice awareness for a lifetime
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
21
Immediately he made his journey to Vaikuntha and asked Vishnu ldquoI say your name all the
time but you donrsquot appear for me I have to come and see you But to this farmer you
appear every day and he is living in ecstasyrdquo Vishnu looked at Narada asked Lakshmi to get
a vessel filled to the brim with oil and told Narada ldquoFirst there is an errand to be done
Please take this vessel full of oil to Bhuloka without spilling a drop leave it there and come
back We will answer the question laterrdquo Narada took the vessel with oil went to Bhuloka
left it there and came back ldquoNow answer my questionrdquo Vishnu asked ldquoWhen you were
carrying this vessel full of oil how many times did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquordquo Narada said ldquoHow
could I say lsquoNarayanarsquo at that time You said not a drop should spill so I had to pay
attention to that But coming back Irsquove said many lsquoNarayanasrsquordquo Vishnu said ldquoThat is the
whole thing This farmerrsquos life is like carrying a vessel full of oil that may spill any moment
He has to earn his food he has to do so many things In spite of that he is saying
lsquoNarayanarsquo When you carried the oil in this vessel not once did you utter lsquoNarayanarsquo When
you have nothing to do it is easyrdquo
Using the dying process
When the moment of death comes it takes something to be aware enough to say what you
want to say Most people die in unawareness In this culture if someone is dying they will
always start a chant like ldquoRam naam satya hairdquo ldquoAum Namah Shivayardquo or whatever they
know because they want the dying one to utter a godrsquos name or somehow become aware in
the last moment You donrsquot even have to say anything If you can maintain your awareness
in the moment you are shifting from one dimension of life to another from the physical to
the beyond that is mukti But to come to awareness in that moment you must practice
awareness for a lifetime Or you must be in the presence of someone who can make that
happen for you In that context Krishna said that if you can think of him in the moment of
death he will be there and ensure that you pass
Here he talks about an inner reality ndash the yoga of attaining the Absolute When it comes to
attaining the Absolute if you do the right things it is 100 sure that it will work because
the only ingredient is you ndash nothing else but you So he could say with absolute certainty ldquoIf
you do this I will take care of itrdquo When it comes to outer realities he would never have said
such a thing because he knew life ndash external realities are subject to so many factors
If you can maintain your awareness in the moment of transition from the physical to the
beyond you can attain This is why for most people the moment of realization and the
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
22
moment of leaving the body are the same If the awareness comes when you are leaving the
body anyway you will leave it But even if it is not yet time to leave your body but your
awareness rises to such a peak where you and your body are clearly separated you most
probably will not have the necessary capability to hang on to the body unless you are in
situations where certain control mechanisms are in place that ensure you will not slip out of
the body
The moment of death and future births
If you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the quality of your future birthThat is the reason why in this
culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go to the forest to die ndash this is Vanaprastha
One more aspect is if you have a certain thought at the moment of death it becomes the
quality of your future birth We must create an atmosphere of peacefulness and wellbeing for
people during the dying process because whatever is the dominant factor in their mind and
emotions in the last moment will become the quality of their future lives That is the reason
why in this culture we always said you should not die among your family People used to go
to the forest to die ndash this isVanaprastha Even emperor Dhritarashtra his queen Gandhari
and Kunti went into the forest after the Kurukshetra war with just Sanjaya as an assistant
They had all become old so they went to the forest to die there rather than in the palace
Though Dhritarashtra was blind and stupid in many ways that much awareness was there
which is missing in the world today Now that her children had become emperors Kunti
who had suffered all kinds of hardship in her life could have enjoyed the palace but she
also decided to go and die in the forest
So they went into the forest and climbed up a very steep hill There was a forest fire Since
they were old they could not run or fight the forest fire so they just decided to offer
themselves to the fire So Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya ldquoYou have served me very well till
now but you are still a young man ndash go away The three of us will give ourselves to the firerdquo
Sanjaya refused to leave them and all four got burnt in the forest fire
If you die among the family you will die with a huge sense of attachment which in the
future will not bring wellbeing You know that in India even today people go to Kashi to
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
23
die because it is a holy place They want to die in the grace of Shiva They donrsquot want to die
with their family throwing their emotions at them
Time to pay back the loan
Death is the only certainty in life If you lived your life well death is not at all a bad thing If
when you were alive every moment there was hesitation fear hatred anger it means you
never lived If when death comes you want to live that is no good After all what is death
You are shedding the body The body is a loan you took from Mother Earth If you take letrsquos
say 10 million loan from the bank and letrsquos say in the next 50 years you made these 10
million into 10 billion if your banker comes to reclaim the loan you will pay him joyously
with interest You will treat him and give him gifts But suppose you squandered these 10
million and lost everything if the banker comes terror arises within you You will try to
hide So many tricks you will try to play Similarly the Earth gave you this loan If you have
made this into a blessed life if you really put it to absolute use and you lived in great
sweetness within yourself then when Mother Earth says it is time to pay back the loan you
will joyfully pay it back And there is no interest For one who joyfully pays back the loan it
is over because when you are joyful being aware comes naturally When you are aware you
are on the path of liberation Definitely the last momentrsquos quality will become a major
quality of your future lives ndash if you wish to have future lives If you want dissolution into the
Ultimate if you want to become one with it then there is no future life People have been
telling me ldquoSadhguru donrsquot use this negative terminology ndash it scares us We are going to
dissolve and become nothingrdquo We could say instead ldquoWhen you attain mukti you will
become everythingrdquo
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
24
8 A Home for Growth ndash Sadhguru on How to Grow
Spiritually
Can onersquos home feel like an ashram even in the midst of the city madness Sadhguru looks at how to
grow spiritually and create a conducive atmosphere at home
Questioner When I stay in the ashram my spiritual practices happen so effortlessly But
when I go home after a while it becomes very mechanical How to grow spiritually and
maintain this effortlessness even at home
Sadhguru Essentially a home is an arrangement to live People make arrangements
according to their means and according to their needs ndash or sometimes according to their
neighborsrsquo needs I hope your home is according to your needs and not according to
someone elsersquos idea as to how you should live You must make your home the way it works
for you
A home is not just the building It also includes all your other arrangements ndash your wife or
husband your children maybe your parents your neighbors and the neighborhood The idea of
living in a town or city instead of living in the forest is to make our lives easier to have
infrastructure and a community It may not be working for you right now but you chose to
live in the city so that life would be a little more effortless You choose an arrangement that
is convenient for whatever purpose you live for
What Makes an Ashram an Ashram
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone is here because they want to be here ndash they
are not trapped here You need to create such a situation in your home too Just see if
anyone is feeling trapped in your home There may be people who feel that way and you
donrsquot even know They may be speaking to the neighbors not to you They may not feel
entirely trapped but maybe suffocated in some way If they are feeling suffocated open
larger windows for them or put them on the rooftop ndash whatever is needed to make sure
everyone is there because they want to be there
Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at home toohellipYour home should be an arrangement for your growth
Once you create this atmosphere suddenly home is a nice place to be But if there is even
one person who does not want to be there he will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe
that is difficult to live with First of all check yourself ndash is this the place you want to be If it
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
25
is not see why If it is see why Engineer your home in such a way that it feels like a
wonderful place for you to do your sadhana(spiritual practices) to live well to be peaceful
and to be joyful Let this not become a hellhole for you ndash it is your home It is an
arrangement that you made ndash no one shoved you into it It must work the way you want it to
Above all clean yourself from all the stupid competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city You do not have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things You can be completely different do completely different things and still get there In
many ways I am a living example of this regarding the spiritual process People think you
are not spiritual if you turn your head briskly They think you must turn it slowly and you
must speak gently People have certain ideas how someone who is spiritual is supposed to
be Set patterns are destroying your life
Set Up A Conducive Atmosphere
If you are a spiritual seeker why canrsquot your home be set up like an ashram It would be great
if everyone was a volunteer at home Do not volunteer only in the ashram ndash be a volunteer at
home too Many people have shared with me ldquoNever in my life I ever thought cutting
vegetables could be such a fantastic experiencerdquo I said ldquoWhy You never ate vegetables in
your liferdquo ldquoYes buthelliprdquo When they are at home they expect someone else to do it
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone is there because they want to be there Set
an atmosphere where your home is not a place to be stuck in but a place to grow in Your
home should be an arrangement for your growth
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
26
9 The Golden Mean of Blissfulness
Sadhguru answers a question about the ups and downs of life and looks at the importance of
creating a golden mean of blissfulness as a stable platform to go through life
Questioner Sadhguru there are days when I am extremely happy and there are days when I
am extremely sad for no reason How to deal with these ups and downs
Sadhguru In southern India if someone laughs too much and is too happy they say ldquoDonrsquot
laugh so much It will be followed by miseryrdquo This is an unfortunate kind of wisdom some
people have come to because life has been like that to them If they experience too much joy
today misery will strike them tomorrow This is because people work themselves up In
their minds they multiply both misery and joy Now you may ask ldquoIf we donrsquot do this
where is the beauty in liferdquo Life is beautiful as it is You do not have to give it a coat of
make-up
It is because you have no attention for life in its fundamental sense that you are lost in your
psychological reality The psychological and physiological aspects of who you are happen in
cycles You may be overly exuberant and on a high today and hit the bottom tomorrow Most
human beings are going through this psychological rollercoaster You will always find some
outside influence as an excuse but even if we lock you up in a room and there is no one who
can cause happiness or misery to you still these psychological cycles will happen Similarly
there are physiological cycles and both the psychological and the physiological cycles can
influence each other depending on which is the bigger force at that moment
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful
The knowledge about these cycles has sunk into people in a certain way and they kind of
psych themselves into believing that anyway misery will strike them ndash and it will If you
understand that you alone make up both joy and misery there will be no problem The
biggest mistake that people make is they try to be happy And not only happy ndash they try to
be happier than someone else That is a serious problem Do not try to be happy Once you
experientially know that whatever happens within you is caused by you and nothing else but
you you will be blissful You will neither be flying high nor will you be in the dumps ndash you
will just be blissful This maintainable height of pleasantness may be different from person
to person depending upon the intensity and the amount of energy that you have but it is a
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
27
stable platform If you want to enjoy an ecstatic state you can always go up and come back
If you like melancholy you can go down and come back up again
The Golden Mean
This mean experience of blissfulness is the golden mean the middle path that the Buddha
and others have talked about It is just that different people arrive at a different mean This
is not a passive sedate state but a lively pleasant state ndash like a nice morning No thunder
claps but everything is fine going well This is where the ldquoGood morningrdquo comes from
When you wake up in the morning after having been removed from the world for a period of
time it feels so nice Even the afternoon is nice and so is the evening and everything else
but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this It is like after having nothing but kanji
[liquid porridge] for five days you eat regular food again You will suddenly notice how nice
it is Every moment is good in its own way but it takes a withdrawal for you to notice this
This golden mean is not non-participating If you want you can fly up and land again or
you can go down and come back again but in any case you maintain a certain level of
blissfulness Organizing this blissfulness is the work of your kriya If you do your kriya
properly you will hit that golden mean and maintain it From there you can strive to set
your golden mean at a higher more exuberant level Depending on how much energy and
aliveness you generate within yourself your mean will settle at a higher or lower level But
wherever it settles it will be a beautiful experience for you It is not effervescent ecstasy
because you cannot maintain that or if you do you cannot be active in the world You can
get sozzled with ecstasy but then you will not be able to do whatever you have to do
If you want to be effective in the world you need to maintain the golden mean of
blissfulness ndash a blissfulness that is for lack of better words a combination of natural
peacefulness and joyfulness Letrsquos say you are moving around in the morning making your
breakfast humming without knowing you simply feel nice ndash this is blissfulness Ecstasy is a
freaked-out state of pleasantness You cannot stay there unless you have reached a certain
level of energy There are yogis ndash they are called avadhutas ndash who are in such states of
ecstasy that they do not even know that they must eat They do not care to do anything
Someone has to feed them someone has to take them to the toilet ndash as if they were
completely drugged out But in todayrsquos world there is no one to take care of you ndash you better
come down
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
28
A Stable Platform
You must hit your golden mean It is time to simply sit ndash no matter if your knees swell your
ankles hurt like hell ndash you are blissful One part is in heaven one part is in hell ndash in between
is the golden mean That is why long meditations ndash to arrive at a state where you can be
engaged in everything in the world but still be blissful If you do not have this stable
platform and you get into activity you will get lost In todayrsquos world most of peoplersquos lives
are too controlled ndash nothing extreme happens to you Suppose you were living in the wild
your golden mean of blissfulness would make you very alert and enhance your survival
capabilities
If you are miserable and depressed you will not survive well ndash you will want it all to end and
become the tigerrsquos lunch today If you are too ecstatic you do not care if the tiger eats you
either Only if you are in the golden mean you can maintain your survival instinct do all the
work that you can and still be pleasant to yourself and to everyone around you which is
important if you want to live in the world If you are so freaked out in ecstasy that you do
not care what happens around you have to withdraw completely Such people usually will
not last too long ndash they will die young but this does not matter ndash ecstasy serves its own
purpose They are in such a freaked-out state of ecstasy that life may pop out any moment
If instead of living for fifty years they were in freaked-out ecstasy for five years and then
died it is perfectly all right They have seen everything that human experience can touch ndash
there is nothing more to do
The Bhava Spandana program is to show you that you can freak out in ecstasy for no reason
which is nice but you cannot stay there If you want to always be in a pleasant state you
need to create a stable platform ndash a golden mean of blissfulness Meditating a few days in a
year will not do The idea is to take the sadhana into your life If you give yourself to
sadhana I will be a living reality in your life Right now I am a thought a memory in your
mind If you want me to be a living reality every moment of your life you have to invest
some time into bringing clarity to who you are If who you are is murky whatever I am will
be missed There is no space no nook or corner not one atom which is not touched by the
Grace of the Creator but you completely miss it as long as who you are is murky If you
settle this suddenly it will be like a new existence altogether
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
29
10 Patanjali ndash The Father of Modern Yoga
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru explores the incredible life and capabilities of Patanjali the father of
modern yoga and the author of the celebrated yoga sutras
Sadhguru If you look at Patanjali as an enlightened being he canrsquot be more enlightened
than someone else There is no such thing Realization is realization But as a man and
above all as an intellect he is such an intellect that the great scientists of today look like
kindergarten children in front of him The breadth of his understanding of life is so big that
you cannot believe that this is possible in one human being In his mastery of language
mathematics and in his perception of astronomy he is so fantastic Todayrsquos scholars argue
that this is not one manrsquos work that many people must have worked to make this happen
because it is so big it cannot fit into one manrsquos intellect It is one manrsquos work He is probably
one of the greatest intellects ever on this planet
He is known as the father of modern yoga He did not invent yoga Yoga was already there in
various forms which he assimilated into a system Shiva the Adiyogi or first yogi
transmitted yoga to the Sapta Rishis or the seven sages many thousands of years ago He had
the highest understanding of human nature but he didnrsquot put anything down in writing He
was too wild to be a scholar He found it was too difficult to put everything he knew into one
person so he chose seven people and put different aspects of yoga into them These became
the seven basic forms of yoga Even today though these have branched off into hundreds of
systems yoga has still maintained seven distinct forms
The Yoga Sutras
Patanjali came much later and sort of assimilated everything He saw that it was getting too
diversified and complex for anyone to understand in any meaningful way So he assimilated
and included all aspects into a certain format ndash as the Yoga Sutras
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the human body mind consciousnesshellip
Sutra literally means a thread Or in modern language we can say it is like a formula
Anyone who knows the English alphabet even a kindergarten child can say E=mcsup2 but
there is an enormous amount of science behind that little formula which most people do
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
30
not understand The sutras are like this in thread form Out of ignorance people have just
taken these sutras and are trying to implement it as it is A thread is of no consequence by
itself There can never be a garland without the thread but no one ever wears a garland for
the sake of the thread The thread was given so that each master makes his own kind of
garland You can put flowers on it or beads or pearls or diamonds The thread is vital but
that is not a goal by itself
Unless you are exposed to the culture it is a little difficult to understand what kind of mind
Patanjali is Even though the Indian scriptures like theVedas and the Upanishads are quite
phenomenal by themselves both in terms of grammatical excellence and in their poetic
beauty and content the Yoga Sutras are an absolutely brilliant piece of work compared to
any of the scriptures on the planet talking about life and beyond
They are a tremendous document about life and the most uninterestingbook on the planet It
is the driest and dullest book you can read It is not scholarly in the usual sense Patanjali
does not teach any practice in them He did this intentionally and his mastery over
language and composition was such that he wrote it in a way that no scholar would be
interested in it The idea is this is a formula to open up life If people like the poetry and
literary part of it all kinds of people especially scholars will read it Once they read it they
will make a 100 different interpretations of it
The sutra will mean something only to a person who is in a certain level of experience
Otherwise it is just a bundle of words which donrsquot make any sense Someone who is
exploring his consciousness if he is in a certain state of experience if he just reads one
sutra it will be explosive You are not required to read the whole book If you read one sutra
and make it true with your life thatrsquos enough It will realize you
And Now Yoga
Just to give you some sense of what kind of a man he is ndash he starts such a great document of
life in such a strange way the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras is just half a sentence not
even a full sentence The sentence is like this ldquoAnd Now Yogardquo What do you make out of it
Intellectually it doesnrsquot make any sense but experientially what it is saying is if you still
think that building a new house or finding a new wife or getting your daughter married will
settle your life it is not yet time for yoga If you have seen money power wealth and
pleasure you have tasted everything in your life and you have realized that nothing is going
to fulfill you ultimately and work in the real sense if you have gotten that point then it is
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
31
time for yoga All the nonsense that the whole world is involved in Patanjali just brushes it
aside with half a sentence This is why the first sutra is ldquoand now yogardquo That means you
know nothing works and you do not have a clue about what the hell this is The pain of
ignorance is tearing you apart Now yoga Now there is a way to know
It is improper to call Patanjalirsquos Yoga Sutras a book because it is not a book It is a complex
arrangement of tools ndash such fantastic tools arranged in such a brilliant way that if at all
something similar ever happens it is too far away Because someone with that kind of inner
experience usually would not care or bother with scholarly nonsense And someone who is
so scholarly is usually so lost in his scholarship that he never has any inner experience
Never before has there been one person with an absolute depth of inner experience but with
that kind of erudition and scholarly mastery over language
He just understood humanity inside out ndash not as people but as a total mechanism of the
human body human mind human consciousness ndash everything ndash in such absolute detail and
completeness There is simply no better way to look at it It is not fair actually because
whatever you try to say the guy has already said it You think of the most brilliant idea and
try to say something but he has already said it He did not leave anything for anyone to say
about life
The musician
They say he played a variety of instruments and was a great musician and singer The veena
was one of his favorite instruments and he composed many ragas His intellect was such
that he could find a way through anything He was absolutely audacious in everything and
did things in a challenging way that no one could break through
There was another sage Vyagrapada who was his contemporary Vyagrapada means ldquoone
who has tigerrsquos feetrdquo And there was someone else with a name that meant ldquoone with horns
on his headrdquo Once in their banter they got into an argument and teased Patanjali He then
took a challenge that he will compose music in any raga without using alphabets with
ldquohornsrdquo This is almost impossible but he composed a complicated series of music If you
listen to it you will just see it seems impossible but still the music sticks to the tones and
tunes of the ragas without those alphabets It is so incredible That is the kind of man he
was
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
32
Chidambaram temple
In South India there were five lingas created for the five elements in nature Patanjali
consecrated the linga for space which is inChidambaram
In the yogic system the snake is used as a symbolism for unmanifest energy
or kundalini because till it moves you donrsquot even realize that it is there Patanjali was such a
great being for him divinity is not an upward movement He is a cascade of divinity He is a
kind of human being that gods would be envious of He is symbolically depicted in the
famous half-man half-snake form indicating that he has risen above the duality of life and
attained to ultimate oneness and in doing so has opened the door for others to achieve the
same Half of his body has been symbolically made into snake because he is not seen as a
person anymore He is seen as the very basis of the yogic system
Chitta Vritti Nirodha
Patanjali defined yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodha which literally means that if you still the
modifications and activity of the mind you are in yoga Everything has become one in your
consciousness We may be pursuing many things in our lives and going through processes
that we call achievements but to go beyond the modifications of the mind is the most
fundamental and at the same time the highest achievement one can attain because this
releases a human being from what he is seeking ndash from what is within and what is outside ndash
from everything If only he stills his mind he becomes an ultimate possibility The mind
becomes a plain mirror not a wavy mirror A wavy mirror will distort onersquos whole
perception of life At least if you donrsquot look at it you may have some idea how you are but if
you look at it every day it will give you a completely distorted vision of everything
Right now most human beings are using their mind only between their memory and
imagination Memory and imagination are not two separate things Memory is accumulated
past imagination is an exaggerated version of that If you bring your mind to a state where
you are neither contaminated by memory nor deluded by imagination then it is a truly
intelligent penetrative mind It sees everything there is to see ndash life and its source For the
survival process your memory and imagination are good enough but if you want to explore
other dimensions of life then memory and imagination are not sufficient because they are
only a recycling of your past Once you recycle your past there is a pattern to your life And it
is an unbreakable pattern if your mind is just engaged in memory and imagination Once
you are trapped by a pattern it does not matter who created the pattern it is a kind of
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
33
slavery Essentially realizing that one is trapped in psychological realities and missing out
on the existential experience of the grandeur of creation is the first step towards liberation
This is the reason why of all the beautiful ways in which it could be expressed Patanjali
chose the description Chitta Vritti Nirodha for yoga ndash a technology which can take you
towards your liberation or realization
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
34
11 The Most Important Things in Life to Fulfill Your
Potential
Yogi and mystic Sadhguru looks at the most important things in life that can help every
individual live a full-fledged life and blossom to their fullest potential
1 Reflect what is around you
Sadhguru Your inner world ndash if you want to call it that ndash should only be a reflection of what
is around you This may be diametrically opposite to some moral theories that say the outer and
the inner should not touch each other otherwise you would immediately get corrupted by
everything around you That is not true You get corrupted by what is around you only when
you have opinions about everything
You look at one thing as good something else as bad You get attached to what you consider as
good You desperately try to avoid what you consider as bad and of course that will rule you
from inside This is not the way to be Seeing everything just the way it is ndash that is the way to be
within If you see something other than what is there it means you are contaminating the
world with your opinions and prejudices
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and emotions is the greatest and one of the
most important things in life you can do
Creation is made so that you see it the way it is not to make it the way you want to make it
This is an obscenity that humanity is committing upon the Creatorrsquos creation Such a
magnificent creation ndash what is there for you to do Absorb it if you can ndash nothing more ndash
and even that is not simple because creation is phenomenally multi-tiered There are not
just things so many phenomena are happening right here ndash one inside the other all in one
space all in one time
Everything that you think is past everything that you think will be future is right here If
you see everything the way it is if the whole creation reflects within you if you can contain
creation the way it is within you you become the very source of creation That is the way to
be inside and outside
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
35
2 Donrsquot be a psychological case
Either you exist here as a piece of creation which is pretty good or you become like the very
source of creation which is fantastic But being a psychological case is not a good thing To
be just a psychological case you need not have put your mother through the trouble of
delivering you She could have delivered a file and someone could have studied the case It
is not worth being a psychological case If you consider only your thoughts and emotions as
your life and there is nothing beyond that for you you are a psychological case You should
not die as a psychological case ndash abundle of thoughts emotions opinions and prejudices You
must become a vibrant full-fledged life These are the most important things in life
Touching the ultimate rather than defining yourself through patterns of thoughts and
emotions is the greatest and one of the most important things in life you can do You should
strive to become an absolutely full-fledged life A full-fledged life does not mean going out
and doing all kinds of exploits in the world It means allowing yourself to grow to full depth
and dimension Every human being should do this
3 Doing whatrsquos really needed What we do is determined by what is needed These days wherever I go people recognize me
as someone who planted so many trees educating so many children built so many hospitals
and so on I squirm at the thought that this is what I am known for It is most unfortunate
that most people cannot think beyond food education and things like that
Suppose the country or the world was doing really well ndash everyone had enough to eat
everyone was well educated everything was happening well ndash what meaning would it have
to start an Isha Vidhya school and to give a midday meal Right now when the children have
not eaten properly the midday meal seems like a great blessing It is a blessing only because
of the cruelty of poverty It is not a true blessing Only because we created human beings
without having the necessary food for them serving them a meal feels like a great thing I
donrsquot think it is It is unfortunate that such things are still needed in the world
Your inner world should only be a reflection of what is around you
Even if everyone had eaten well and they had everything they wanted enhancing the
experience of life to its ultimate possibility would still always be relevant Ultimately this is
the purpose of all life ndash to blossom to its fullest potential Whether it is a little plant a tree
an elephant an ant a man or a woman ndash the ultimate goal is to become a full-fledged life
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
36
But being in the world we have to play some game Let us play a game that is of maximum
usefulness and meaning to everyone around us If you reflect creation just the way it is
there is no personal need to play a game and no compulsion to be a part of any game
Whether you withdraw into a cave or plunge into the marketplace it is still a game The only
way to not be part of any game is to dissolve That is a great thing to do but when human
beings attain to a certain clarity within themselves they are of immense value to everyone
around so it is good if they hang around for a while and bring a little more clarity to others
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
37
12What is Conscience ndash Should I listen to what it says
How do we decide what is the right thing to do and not do Can our conscience help
Letrsquos look at what is conscience with yogi and mystic Sadhguru as he explores the limitations of
morality and contrasts it against our humanity
Question What is conscience Should we allow it to guide us in life
Sadhguru Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great What
you feel guilty about or what you feel is right or wrong is essentially a social phenomenon
That has been injected into you by social norms Morality is of the society and it is different
from one group of people to another Different times in history and different points of
geography have had different moralities Whatever your grandmother thought was
absolutely immoral is something you do shamelessly today So morality always differs from
person to person according to times and situations It has no existential relevance But your
humanity has existential relevance
What is conscience Conscience means that which hurts when everything else is feeling great
If your humanity was alive and active every moment of your life it wouldnrsquot be necessary for
somebody to tell you to behave this way or that way It is only because people failed to keep
their humanity up that society has tried fixing it with morality But though everyone has
received every kind of moral that they should we havenrsquot been able to fix the world With
morality you have just learnt to pretend with the rest of the people around you Within
yourself all the nonsense is still going on If your humanity is full-blown you wouldnrsquot need
morality You would be fine the way you are
Consciousness vs Conscience
With morality you will develop a conscience not consciousness If your humanity is full-
blown and on full-time you will not need any morality Morality is an imitation of humanity
Morality may fix a few things in society but it will cause complete havoc within the inner
nature of the human being Humanity will also bring social order but in a loose way without
any enforcement It will make the human being beautiful That is what is most important If
humanity flowers and overflows then divinity will be the next natural step Only if you allow
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
38
your humanity to overflow within you then divinity will flower Without the richness of
humanity divinity cannot happen no matter what you do
Make a list of all the things that the major religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin
Morality never brought divinity It has brought guilt shame and fear because no one can
fulfill the kind of morals which have been set Make a list of all the things that the major
religions of the world call as sin You will see just to be alive is a sin Anything that you do is
a sin Your very birth is a sin Since the very process of life is supposed to be a sin you
always feel guilty and terrified
India is a culture without morality There are no morals carved in stone to tell you ldquoThis is what
you do and this is what you donrsquot dordquo We never depended upon morality because we
created human beings who are capable of stirring up humanity in such a big way So the
need for morality or a moral code never arose in each generation
Three keys for humanity
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals
To stir up this humanity we set up three fundamentals One is absolute passion towards
the source of creation This is manifested in this culture in a million different ways When
we wanted to build a town or a city the first thing we built was a grand temple The people
who built this temple lived in huts but they built a phenomenally grand temple This is
especially so in the south of India The other two fundamentals are compassion for all life
around you and dispassion towards yourself If you maintain these three things your
humanity will be always on Otherwise your humanity will get switched off and you will have
to pretend like a fake human being with a set of morals Then you will develop a conscience
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
39
13The True Miracle of Life
Are miracles real or are they just stories told to the gullible Yogi and mystic Sadhguru reminds us
that the answer lies in realizing that the true miracles are in the life happening around us every day
Sadhguru A lot of people keep asking me ldquoSadhguru all the othergurus are claiming all
kinds of miracles Why arenrsquot you performing any miraclesrdquo According to them a miracle
means you must pull a rabbit out of a tissue box At least if you pull a tissue you can use it
but what will you do with a rabbit
Anything that is not in peoplersquos perception or understanding is called a miracle Today with
a piece of plastic and a little bit of metal I can call and talk to someone across the ocean If I
did this a hundred years ago and told you I was talking to someone half way around the
world if you were a rationalist you would definitely think I was either bluffing or I was some
kind of an idiot talking to himself But today it is a simple fact
Everything in Life is a Miracle
As your understanding and knowing of the existence widens and expands there is no miracle for
you Everything is just reality If your understanding and experience of life is very limited
everything is a miracle for you Life happens in many different ways Because people have
limited themselves to just the physical and the logical ndash physical in experience and logical in
thinking ndash they call anything beyond this a miracle So there are no miracles at least in the
way people are thinking If there is a miracle then everything in existence is a miracle
Every atom is a miracle Otherwise there are no miracles and everything is just the way it is
It is natural Whether you call it natural or a miracle it is the same thing
These are the two ways to look at life You see everything as a miracle or you see nothing as
a miracle Everything is explainable This is the difference of approach between science and
mysticism A scientist sees everything as a process A mystic looks at everything as a miracle
Just look at the soil beneath your feet If you put manure into it you get a beautiful flower
on the tree You put stinking manure but look at the fragrance If you did not know the
process and I were to tell you I am going to convert manure into a fragrant flower would
you believe me But now it is going through the tree and happening Suppose if I were to
take a lump of dung in my hands and make it into a beautiful flower then you would call it a
miracle But when a tree does it you donrsquot think itrsquos a miracle Why this prejudice
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
40
The True Miracle of Life
The true miracle of life is not in you doing something but in you realizing that life is already
a big miracle Everything here is magical If you eat a banana or a piece of bread or a fish it
becomes a human being over an afternoon What greater miracle do you want All of you
are performing the miracle The only problem is that it is happening unconsciously If you
could consciously make a banana into a human being you are the very Creator isnrsquot it
Either you exist as the Creator or you exist as a piece of creation If you live on the surface
you live as a piece of creation If you go a little deeper you exist as the Creator That is the
choice every human being has
Recently I happened to have some time before a meeting so I decided to go swimming
After swimming we met for lunch and one of the people said ldquoI saw you swimming in the
poolrdquo I said ldquoWere you expecting me to walk upon waterrdquo He said ldquoNo but you
were swimmingrdquo I said ldquoYes I swim in the water and walk upon the earth Do you want it
another wayrdquo Land is good enough for walking isnrsquot it If you start walking on water
where will you swim
We are missing the essence of life by getting diverted by all kinds of fanciful things Silly
stories are being passed off as great But let me tell you about my miracle I can show you
hundreds of people around me for whom not a single day passes without tears of bliss flowing
from their eyes This is my fortune that people around me are shedding tears of bliss around
me wherever I go I can show you people for whom not a single moment of irritation or
agitation have come in them in many months I think this is the miracle the world needs
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
41
15Reality Check ndash 5 Things You Should Never Forget
Given the fast-paced world we live in life can get overwhelming at times if we do not find ways to
stay rooted in reality Here is a quick checklist of five things you could try not to forget
1 There is great intelligence in humility
Sadhguru
The difference between a fool and an intelligent person is that an intelligent person knows
how foolish he is a fool does not Noticing the stupidity of who you are is great intelligence
Anything in this existence ndash a tree a blade of grass a grain of sand one single atom ndash do
you understand any of these things fully No When this is your level of intelligence and
perception how should you walk in the world Gently with a little humility respect and
love for everything around you
If not love then at least with awe because you donrsquot understand a damn thing in this world
If you just learn to walk like this you will not escape a spiritual process You donrsquot need any
teaching It will happen to you anyway This is why in the eastern cultures always you bow
down to whatever you see whether it is a rock an animal or a human being Being in
reverence towards the very earth that you walk upon towards the air that you breathe the
water that you drink the food that you eat the people that you come in touch with and
everything else that you use including your body and mind is a way of ensuring success in
every endeavor that we partake in
2 Joy is not for saving
Sadhguru
What you save will never be your quality What you dispense will be your quality If you save
your joy at the end of your life no one will take account ldquoShe saved every bit of joy in her
shersquos the most joyfully deadrdquo They will say ldquoThis horrible creature never even smiled in her
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
42
liferdquo But if every day you dispensed your joy and love people would say ldquoOh she was a
joyful and loving beingrdquo
3 You are mortal
Sadhguru
A significant thing every human being has to do is structure their psychological and
emotional framework around the most fundamental fact of their life ndashtheir mortality Right
now it takes a lifetime for people to understand that they are mortal they need a heart
attack or the appearance of a malignant lump somewhere to remind them
You need to celebrate and enjoy every moment of your life because life does not wait for you
even for a moment If you were immortal you could enjoy a hundred years each of
depression anxiety madness and misery and then on the 500th anniversary you could
become joyful But that is not the case You are mortal and it is ticking away So there is no
time for frustration depression anxiety anger or for any unpleasantness in this life
In the ashram I always tell people no matter what work you are doingevery day you must
stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour This will build a natural physical memory
a bodily memory in you that you are mortal
4 You can create a loving world
Sadhguru
You can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life Creating a
loving world does not mean doing something more or less If you live your life constantly
focused on what you want it will unquestionably happen in your immediate surroundings
and it will also begin to happen in the larger surroundings
Creating a loving world is not a service that you do for someone else Within yourself is it
more pleasant to be loving or to be angry hateful and jealous Which is a more intelligent
way to exist Loving isnrsquot it All I am saying is please live intelligently This is not for
someone elsersquos sake It is pleasant and beautiful for you It is an intelligent way to exist
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
43
5 The quality of life is determined by what lies within
Sadhguru
In many ways peoplersquos happiness peace and love are mortgaged to the external situation
So if the stock market goes up you are happy if the stock market goes down you are
unhappy The quality of life is not about what is around you Our ability to live joyfully here
does not depend on the size of the house we live in or the car that we drive These things
make your life comfortable and convenient but the essential quality of your life is how you
are within yourself right now
Living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you You were like that as a child isnrsquot it So I am
not talking about taking you beyond I am just talking about starting at the square one of
your life
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
44
16 Hellow Magazines Interview with Sadhguru
Sadhguru was recently interviewed by the lifestyle magazine Hello in which he responded to a range
of interesting questions In a three-part series we have been bringing you excerpts from the piece
which appeared in the magazinersquos May 2013 issue While the first two posts dealt with materialism
and spirituality and the challenges of modern life the third and final instalment has Sadhguru
speaking about our duty as human beings and how to reach our potential
Q Who is a good human being What are his primary duties towards himselfherself and
society
Sadhguru As a human being your only duty is that you grow to your full potential If you
grow to your full potential your very way of being is absolutely useful The best things will
happen around you there is no need for you to do any duty
If you do not know how to make yourself happy is there any possibility of you making the
world a happy place to live in If you do not know how to manage your body mind and
emotions can you manage the world It is not going to happen If you do not know how to
keep yourself you will definitely not know how to keep the world So donrsquot worry about
your duty see how to nurture yourself to the highest possible level Then you will do what
you should do
Q How can one align the mind body and soul in a way that holds the three together in a fine
balance
Sadhguru In yoga we look at the human body as five sheaths The first sheath is
called annamaya kosha or the ldquofood bodyrdquo because what you call as the physical body is just a
heap of food The second sheath is calledmanomaya kosha or the mental body These two
layers can only function in connection with the third dimension the energy body
or pranamaya kosha You can compare this to computers today ndash there is hardware and
software but by themselves they cannot do anything unless you plug the computer into
quality power
Pranamaya kosha is the dimension in which most of the yogic practices function If you keep
your pranamaya kosha in perfect balance and fully activated there can be no such thing
as disease either in your physical or mental body Keeping the energy body in full flow is not
about doinghealing or things like that This is about going to the foundations of your energy
system and activating it in a proper way by building a foundational yogic practice that
establishes your energy in such a way that your bodyand mind are naturally fine
Q How does one evoke happiness from within
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
45
Sadhguru As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing there is a science and
technology for inner wellbeing Yoga is an inner technology When I say yoga donrsquot think in
terms of impossible physical postures or twisting yourself like rubber bands This is a deeper
understanding of your own body mind and energy and about creating an inner situation
where you are joyful and peaceful by your own natureBeing peaceful and joyful is not the
ultimate goal in life it is the most fundamental thing in a human beingrsquos life If you cannot
be peaceful and joyful you are incapable of exploring any other dimension within yourself
So to be peaceful and joyful we have simple methods If you just make your life energies
function in a certain way you are naturally peaceful and joyful by your own nature
Q How does one get rid of fear especially fear of disease death and material loss
Sadhguru The physical in the existence is constantly under threat because the physical is
always within limited boundaries ndash it is always demarcated With anything which is
demarcated there is always a fear of losing it For instance this physical ldquoyourdquo is constantly
under threat No matter how healthy strong or young you are right now tomorrow morning
you may be dead I am not wishing it upon you but you may be dead isnrsquot it Because the
physical is under constant threat Nobody can avoid it
Fear has become so fundamental simply because your experience of life has not gone
beyond the physical If we had explored and established ourselves in other dimensions of
experience the body would not be such a big issue But now no matter what kind of
teachings other people give you whether someone tells you that you
are atman paramatman or whatever else your whole experience is limited to the physical
body So the fear of losing it is natural But if you establish yourself in other dimensions of
experience the body becomes an easy thing to handle Life or death wonrsquot make such a big
difference
Q Do you think we control our destinies or does destiny control us
Sadhguru What you refer to as ldquodestinyrdquo are those situations which are going on without
your permission they seem to be unfolding themselves without your intent I know you
have been told that God is making your destiny and plotting your life for you but I think you
are adult enough these days There is no such thing as destiny Whatever you call destiny is
something you have created unconsciously
You are doing more things unconsciously than consciously I would say for most average
educated intelligent human beings only about two percent of their life is conscious They
create an enormous amount of their life unconsciously which leads them in so many
directions
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
46
The whole effort of all spiritual processes is to see that you create your life consciously
instead of blundering through it Once you make that effort you will see more and more of
your life becomes self-determined not pre-determined If you have mastery over your
physical body 15 to 20 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have mastery
over your mind 50 to 60 of your life and destiny will be in your hands If you have
mastery over your very life energy 100 of your life and destiny will be in your hands ndash
every moment of your life can become self-determined
Questioner You have talked about attaining spirituality while being in the material world
and enjoying its benefits Is there anything one must give up to experience a higher state of
being
Sadhguru These questions are always being asked ldquoIf I follow a spiritual path can I live
with my family Can I wear good clothes and eat wellrdquo Distinguishing between material
and spiritual life has come from a certain level of ignorance The earth you walk upon the
air you breathe and the food you eat are material The body itself is material Can we
separate whatever you refer to as the spirit in you from your body So how can you separate
the material and the spiritual
What we need to change is not the content of our life We need to change the context of our
life Even if you go to a Himalayan cave you are still the same person arenrsquot you So this is
not about changing our world we are changing the way we experience it
As far as I can see everyone is striving for happiness everyone is striving to be free That
means every human being is seeking spirituality A few are striving consciously most are
striving unconsciously If you find unconscious expression to it it gets labeled as
materialism If you find conscious expression to it we call it a spiritual process Isnrsquot it
better to seek consciously with eyes open rather than closed
Questioner In times when not managing a front-row invite the latest designer bagcar or a
fancy holiday can cause stress to many how does one justify material want when it is likely
to come with much angst
Sadhguru Essentially every human being is trying to have a larger slice of life If he knows
only money he is thinking of a little more money if he knows power a little more power if
he knows love a little more love But if you apply your awareness and look at it you can
clearly see that you are not seeking money property love or pleasure what you are seeking
is expansion How much expansion would settle you for good If you look at this you can
see that you are looking for infinite expansion It is definitely time to stop and look at what
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
47
is driving us like crazy to possess more and do more because it is not the ldquothingsrdquo that we
are after There is something within you which does not like boundaries which is looking for
a boundless experience
It is wonderful that you are seeking the infinite itself but the problem is you are seeking it in
installments You can never reach the infinite by counting 1 2 3hellip Unless you use the right
instrument it will not happen If you are looking for something boundless it has to be non-
physical The moment you seek that which is not physical we say you are spiritual
Questioner Some critics have often termed new-age spirituality as a fad How would you
respond to them
Sadhguru Unfortunately today spirituality is the most misunderstood and misrepresented
aspect of life The way it is being presented worldwide some of it is utterly ridiculous a lot
of it is crooked much more of it is well-meaning but stupid Sometime ago in the US
someone took me to a spiritual expo where they were selling spiritual bath soap spiritual
toothpaste and what not This is like an Indian village shandy where they sell you a root
which makes you invisible People are desperately trying to make simple situations of life
mystical Any number of things have become spiritual except the human being ndash thatrsquos the
whole problem
Spirituality is not about right and wrong or about God and heaven Spirituality is
about exploring the ultimate limits of who you are Once you come here as a human being all
that is possible in this human being every dimension that exists as ldquoyourdquo must be
experienced isnrsquot it If you go without experiencing yourself thatrsquos a wasted life If there
was a possibility that every moment of your life no matter what is happening with the
outside situation you could be bursting with ecstasy within yourself wouldnrsquot you want it
Work-stress is a universal problem How should one deal with it
Sadhguru
It is not your lifestyle your work your family or the situations in which you exist which
cause stress The cause is your inability to manage your system ndash your body mind emotions
and energy It is your lack of understanding and your inability to use this system the way it
should be used
What can you do about stress You need not do anything about it Stress is like friction in a
machine There is friction either because the parts arenrsquot moving properly or there isnrsquot
enough lubrication The less friction you have the more efficient the machine becomes
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
48
I am not talking about managing stress or keeping it under the surface I am talking about
how not to create it because stress is your creation If you start a simple yogic process you
will find your whole system begins functioning at a certain ease Then there is no such thing
as stress You can be most effective in your life only when everything is at complete ease
within yourself If your ability to act becomes effortless then naturally there is no such thing
as stress
Q Divorces are becoming common What is the right approach towards a peaceful marriage
especially when couples complain of boredom in marriages
Sadhguru Relationships have become a problem because we are not using it to enhance our
lives we are trying to fill the gaps in our lives If relationships have to be really beautiful it
is very important that a human being turns inward and looks at himself or herself in a very
deep way before looking at someone else If you become a source of joy by yourself and your
relationships are about sharing your joy not squeezing joy out of someone you would have
wonderful relationships with anyone Is there anyone in the world who would have any
problem with you if you are going to share your joy with them No You are trying to extract
joy from them That is where the problem is If your relationship is about extracting
something out of someone it does not matter how much you manage there will be constant
trouble If your relationship was an offering to the person who is next to you right now
everything would be fantastic
Q Petty crimes as well as heinous ones such as rape and murder are on the rise We have
leaders with blood on their hands Can we change this fabric of society with individual effort
Sadhguru It has become a fashion to talk about how horrible the politicians are Politicians
did not land here from the sky They are one among us who stood up to do something Now
for whatever reasons they have become the way they have become ndash and we cannot
generalize that because you do not know how many have become like that and how many
havenrsquot Whenever I go to public meetings people say ldquoThe politicians are corruptrdquo I ask a
simple question ldquoIf you are driving in your city and there is no policeman how many of you
will stop at a red light Not even 10 So if I make you the Minister what kind of Minister
will you berdquo We only have the kind of leaders we deserve No better no worse
Democracy is a peoplersquos government It cannot be a spectator sport it is a participatory
process Participation does not mean you come out once in five years to vote and your
responsibility is over Democracy has various instruments through which you can
participate on a daily basis in the governance of your country state city and street People
have not educated themselves about this because they have not cared Only when people are
actively involved in implementing government policies those in power will also be in line
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
49
Q These days babies are born with iPads and mobile phones next to them What is your
opinion of this generation of children that is so tech-savvy that they learn to operate remotes
before they learn to walk
Sadhguru Today there are so many forces influencing children ndash friends Facebook
advisors televisions three-year-old kids are glued to the screen and we donrsquot know what
they understand or take in This moment there is a toothpaste advertisement the next
moment somebody is talking about creating a beautiful world the next moment there is a
bombing We donrsquot know how a three-year-old is drinking it up
Would you give a sharp knife to an infant No I am telling you the technology that you
have today is sharper than a knife You must choose an appropriate age and level of
maturity before a child handles it Unfortunately society has moved in a certain way in
imitation of what somebody else is doing in the West Statistics say that there are 25-year-
old video game addicts in the United States who spend more than six hours a day playing
video games Twenty-five is the age when a man makes his life But they are playing video
games which are just ridiculous kidsrsquo stuff six hours a day They canrsquot come off it theyrsquore
just on it
Technology has no quality of its own How we use it can make us or break us It is left to the
individual and the culture to bring this awareness into the child that technology is made for
our wellbeing not to destroy ourselves If this is taught to every child I think they will use it
in a positive way
17 म का उ चारण मह वपण ह अथ नह
अगर हम िकसी म13 या ाथना का अथ नह पता हो तो या उसका उचारण करना बकार ह िकतना मायन रखता ह म13 का अथ जानना बता
रह ह
सद ग
सद ग गात ह
जनम सखदम मरण क13ण
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
50
िमलनम मधरम मरण क13ण
कलावशािधः सकल क13ण
समयािधपतः अिखल क13ण
सीः इसस पहल िक हम अपनी बातचीत क शआत कर इस म क बार म कछ बताए
सद ग यह एक आampान ह आampान )ाथ+ना नह ह )ाथ+ना िकसी स बातचीत करन क कोिशश होती ह जो हमार िव0ास स
पदा होती ह कोई िकसी चीज म िव0ास करता ह तो कोई नह करता यहा अलग-अलग स3कितय5 क लोग मौजद ह8 िजनका अपना-
अपना िव0ास ह आान का अथ ह अपन अतरतम को सबोिधत करना जीवन म अलग-अलग तरह क काम को करन क िलए हम अलग-अलग तरह क1 मनोदशा क1 ज3रत होती ह अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान हamp िजनक( मदद स आप अपन
अदर एक खास िथित म- आ सकत हamp
मान लीिजए आप 100 मीटर क1 दौड़ म भाग लना चाहत ह तो आपको एक खास तरह क1 मनोदशा म होना होगा अगर आप दतर म काम करना चाहत ह तो आपको एक अलग मनोदशा म आना होगा आप ltयान करना चाहत ह तो आपका मन एक अलग दशा म होना चािहए आपका शरीर मन भावनाए और ऊजा-इन सबको उस काम क िहसाब स तयार होना पड़ता ह िजस आप करन वाल ह
अकसर आप न अनभव िकया होगा िक िकसी िदन तो आप अपन काम को ठीक वस ही कर पात ह जसा आपन सोचा था जबिक िकसी दसर िदन उBह छोट-छोट काम को करन म आपको जझना पड़ता ह अगर आप चीज को सहज करन म सEम ह तो आप कहत ह िक आज म सही िFथित म हG तो आजकल Hयादातर लोग जीवन को जस-तस परी सहजता और कशलता क साथ जी पा रह ह ऐसा बस य ही हो रहा ह इसक पीछ कोई िवशष िLया नह ह लिकन योिगक पMित म हमन एक परा तरीका ईजाद िकया ह जो िसखाता ह िक िकसी काम को करन क िलए अपन अदर एक खास दशा म कस आए अलग-अलग काम क िलए अलग-अलग तरह क आान ह िजनक1 मदद स आप अपन अदर एक खास िFथित म आ सकत ह
भल ही अथ इतना महNवपण न हो लिकन आान का महNव तो ह हालािक असली चीज ह ltविन यिक कल िमलाकर हम इसम ltविन ही तो पदा कर रह ह अथ तो दसर लोग क िदमाग म बनत ह अब अगर म अOजी म बात कर रहा हG तो दरअसल म कवल ltविन पदा कर रहा हG मरी ltविन का अथ तो आप अपन िदमाग म बना रह ह तो असली चीज ltविन ही ह ltविन का ही अिFतNव ह शPद तो मनोवQािनक ह
अपन दश म म कोई भी म13 बोल सकता हG िकसी को उसका अथ समझ नह आता लिकन इसस उBह कोई फक नह पड़ता लिकन अमSरका म आपको अथ क1 ज3रत होती ह म इसका अथ आसान शPद म समझाता हG जBमम सखदम का अथ हः जBम कित या अिFतNव क1 कपा ह इसी तरह स मNय भी एक बहVत बड़ी कपा ह मान लीिजए आप मर नह सकत ओह िकतनी भयानक िFथित होगी मान लीिजए आपको यहा अगल दस हजार साल तक रहना पड़ सोिचए या हालत होगी आपक1 इसिलए हम इस बात को समझना चािहए िक मNय भी अपन आप म एक तरह क1 कपा ही ह
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
51
अगर कोई इसान समय स पर चला जाए तो उसक िलए हर चीज कपा ही ह समय हमार अनभव म ह यिक हम एक तरह स भौितकता म ही अटक हVए ह आपक पास एक Fथल शरीर ह और आप अपन आपको Fथल शरीर क 3प म ही महसस करत ह यही वजह ह िक हमार िलए यहा लब समय तक बठना एक समFया ह
आयािमक होन का अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क( कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह
ह ना अगर आप यहा दो घट तक बठ रह तो आपका शरीर चाहगा िक यहा स कह और चला जाए यिक भौितकता तो िववशताओ क1 एक [खला ह इन िववशताओ क1 वजह स ही हमार अनभव म समय मायन रखता ह इसीिलए कहा जाता ह िक अगर आप अपनी भौितक कित का अितLमण कर जात ह तो परा का परा ]ाड कणा ही ह और तब आपक िलए हर चीज शानदार होगी यिक आप भौितकता स पर जा चक ह
आज rsquoआltयािNमकrsquo शPद का इFतमाल हर जगह हो रहा ह कई जगह पर इस शPद का बहद गलत तरीक स योग हो रहा ह आltयािNमक होन का
अथ ह-भौितकता स पर क1 कोई चीज आपक िलए एक जीवत अनभव बन गई ह यिक हम इस कोई नाम नह दना चाहत हम इस आltयािNमक
कह दत ह लिकन इसका अथ भी िबगड़ चका ह
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
52
18 Launching of Vivaha by Sandhguru
We will be launching Vivaha mdash a certain form of consecration for marriages This is a very
ancient form probably not in vogue for quite some time Its origin is in the yogic system
where the fundamental process is Bhuta Shuddhi which means having knowledge and
mastery over the magic of the five elements The whole system of yoga is focused on this
When one wants to transcend he takes to sanyas and uses the methods ofBhuta Shuddhi to
bypass life But for those who have succumbed to the ways of life or have fallen in love with
the process of life and are not just focused on the ultimate goal there is another system The
same process of Bhuta Shuddhi can be used to bring a maximum sense of involvement and
merger between two people with minimum sense of entanglement
What Bhuta Shuddhi means on one level is purification of the five elements The refinement
of the elements will determine what type of life anyone or anything becomes In its grossest
form a life form will be inanimate As it refines it becomes many things a human being is
supposed to be the highest level of refinement If a human being refines further the
possibility of touching divinity is there and this is what the whole system of yoga is about
This refinement of elements also brings a certain union The separation of each individual
form is actually determined by the grossness of the elements in every human being
The nature ofVivaha is such that the benefit is not only for the bride and
the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it
At times you feel trapped in the limitations of your physical boundaries There are other
moments when you feel like you are part of everything else This is essentially determined
by how the elements are functioning within you With just these five what a magnificent
mischief has been created in the form of the Cosmos and in the form of life
With Radhe and Sandeeprsquos marriage we set this process We are now making it available to
the world We will be training people of a certain integrity and devotion to make this process
available to everyone For those of you who are interested in offering this to others you may
contact us particularly if you are a married couple
Offering this service to the bride groom and their families can be the most valued and
important process in their lives The nature of Vivaha is such that the benefit is not only for
the bride and the groom but for everyone who witnesses and engages in it Love amp Grace Sadhguru
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
53
19 What is Intuition- Sadhguru
Question What is intuition Can you please explain if it is an aspect of the spiritual path
Sadhguru What is intuition Everything that a human being does is happening from the
information that he or she has gathered Information does not mean you read a book or a
newspaper The five senses constantly gather information through what you see hear smell
taste and touch This continues to happen even when you are fast sleep Experiments have
been done where a person was fast asleep and ten sentences were spoken to him in a
language that he did not even understand In spite of that much later they could hypnotize
him and he would speak those ten sentences again He was not conscious but all of it was
recorded as good as on a tape-recorder
Intuition is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different
dimension of computing
So there is a phenomenal amount of information that you are not conscious of Just look at
the fact that you can walk Walking is so simple But if you analyze the process of what it
takes to walk on two legs it is an extremely complex process How the weight shifts what
happens in the muscles and how the whole thing happens is a phenomenally complex
process If you have to logically understand this you will go crazy You will not get it even if
you study it for a lifetime Thatrsquos how complex it is but all of us can walk We know this
intuitively not intellectually
A better analogy would be driving When you were first learning to drive a car you turned
on the ignition then pressed the clutch then the first gear and you slowly released the
clutch but the damn thing would just jump and stop no matter how many times you tried
But now you have been driving for ten years and you could be talking on your cell phone
and still everything happens right And even today after ten years of driving if you sit in the
car and think ldquoWhat should I do properly First ignition then clutch then first gear then
clutchhelliprdquo again you wonrsquot know how to drive
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance
your perception beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
54
If you go intellectually for every little thing that you do there are ten steps Instead of going
through these ten steps from one to ten if you jump that is what is intuition But intuition
is not a different dimension of perception it is just a different dimension of computing You
are computing it faster but still it is the same information If your brain becomes more
intuitive you can use what you know better To move from a ldquodumbrdquo phone to a smart
phone and from a smart phone to an iPad we did not discover anything new We are just
learning to use it better It is the same thing with your brain when you are intuitive But that
is not another dimension of perception
If another dimension of perception has to happen you have to enhance your perception
beyond its present boundaries Thatrsquos what spirituality is ndash to enhance your perception
Essentially to be spiritual means to go beyond the physical If a dimension beyond the
physical becomes a living reality for you you are spiritual When I say physical it is not just
the body andmind Everything else that you perceive through the five sense organs is
physical If you transcend that or if your perception transcends the limitations of the five
senses then you are spiritual
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
55
20 Why Vegetarian or Vegetarianism by Sadhguru
Questioner What is the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet and how it can be easily implemented in a
personrsquos life
Sadhguru What kind of food you eat should depend not on what you think about it or on
your values and ethics but on what the body wants Food is about the body When it comes
to food donrsquot ask your doctors or your nutrition experts because these people keep changing
their opinion every five years When it comes to food ask the body with what kind of food it
is really happy Try different foods and see how your body feels after eating the food If your
body feels very agile energetic and nice that means the body is happy If the body feels
lethargic and needs to be pumped up with caffeine or nicotine to stay awake the body is not
happy isnrsquot it
If you listen to your body your body will clearly tell you with what kind of food it is happy
But right now you are listening to your mind Your mind keeps lying to you all the time
Hasnrsquot it lied to you before Today it tells you this is it Tomorrow it makes you feel like a
fool for what you believed yesterday So donrsquot go by your mind You just have to learn to
listen to your body
Every animal every creature knows what to eat and what not to eat The human species are
supposed to be the most intelligent on the planet but they donrsquot even know what to eat
Forget about how to be human beings do not even know what to eat So it takes a certain
mindfulness and attention to learn to listen to your body Once you have that you know
what to eat and what not to eat
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form
what a difference it will make
In terms of the quality of food that is entering you definitely vegetarian food is far better for
the system than non-vegetarian We are not looking at it from a moral standpoint We are
just looking at what is suitable for the system ndash we try to eat foods which would make you
comfortable in the body Whether you want to do your business properly or study properly
or do any activity properly it is extremely important that your body is at ease So the kind
of food with which your body would be most at ease and would not struggle to get
nourishment out of that is the kind of food we should eat
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
56
Just experiment and see when you eat vegetarian food in its live form what a difference it
will make The idea is to eat as much live food as possible ndash whatever can be consumed in its
aliveness A live cell has everything to sustain life If you consume a live cell you will see the
sense of health in your system will be very different from anything that you have known
When we cook the foods it destroys the life in it Eating foods after its process of
destruction does not give the same amount of life energy to the system But when you eat
live foods it brings a different level of aliveness in you If one eats lots of sprouts fruit and
whatever vegetables that can be eaten in a live condition if you bring in at least thirty to
forty percent live food ndash things that are alive ndash you will see it will sustain the life within you
also very well
Above all the food that you eat is life It is other forms of life that we are eating ndash the other
forms of lives are giving up their life to sustain our life If we can eat with enormous
gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain our lives then the food
will behave in a very different way within you
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
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िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
57
21कम और मि खद ही बध हamp खद ही मgt त हगः
सदग
आप िजनस बहVत म करत ह या िजनस आप बहVत घणा करत ह उन दोन क साथ ही आपका बहVत सारा कम बधन ह कई बार होता ह िक आप
िकसी इसान स कभी नह िमल और वो भी कह बहVत दर ह िफर भी आप उसस नफरत करत ह
बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना जAरी नह ह इस तो आप खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत हamp अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म- अकल बठ कर िबता सकत हamp और
वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत हamp
िनि_त तौर पर आपका िलथआिनया क1 अपEा पािकFतान क साथ कम बधन Hयादा ह यिक भारत और पािकFतान क बीच इतना सब चल रहा ह तो कम इस वजह स नह होता यिक आप जीवन म िकसी स सबध बनात ह बि`क कम इसिलए ह िक आप अपन भीतर िकस तरह जझ रह ह यह ऐसी चीज ह जो जीवन आपक साथ नह कर रहा बि`क आप अपन साथ खद कर रह ह इसिलए आप अपन साथ िकस तरह का कम करत ह इसका चनाव आपको खद करना ह अगर आप चाह तो आप आनद पाल सकत ह इसी तरह
आप चाह तो दख पाल सकत ह आप चाह तो आनदमय हो सकत ह और चाह तो कतQता म जी सकत ह आप चाह तो िबना कारण खद को तकलीफ द सकत ह सब कछ आपका ही िकया-धरा ह इसिलए इस बात को समझना होगा िक कम का अथ हः करनी िकसक1 करनी मरी अपनी
करनी दसर शPद म कह तो यह आपक जीवन का एक बड़ा सच ह आपको यह समझ लना ह िक जीवन Fवय आपका रचा हVआ ह यह आपक1 खद क1 करनी ह िकसी और क1 नह चिक यह िसफ आपक1 करनी हकवल आपक( करनी इसिलए इसस मिa पाई जा सकती ह अगर यह भगवान क1 करनी होती तो आप इसका तोड़ कहा स िनकाल पात अगर यह भगवान का बनाया फदा होता रचियता का फदा तो आप सब कछ कर लत िफर भी इस तोड़ नह पात चिक इस आपन बनाया ह इसिलए आप ही इस तोड़ सकत ह आिखर यह आपक1 करनी जो ह
आप आसपास मौजद इसान का इFतमाल अपन कम को तोडन मिa का कम करन या िफर बधन का कम करन जस िकसी भी 3प म कर सकत ह इस तरह स आप लगातार कछ न कछ करत रहत ह कछ िकए िबना आप रह नह सकत ह िक नह सोत जागत शारीSरक मानिसक भावनाNमक व ऊजा क Fतर पर हर हाल म आपक साथ हमशा कछ-न-कछ होता रहता ह आप इसस छट नह सकत अगर आप जाग3क ह तो मिa का कम करग लिकन अगर आप जाग3क नह ह तो बधन का कम करग बधन का कम करन क िलए आपका िववािहत होना ज3री नह ह इस तो आप
खद-ब-खद भी कर सकत ह अपना शष जीवन एक कमर म अकल बठ कर िबता सकत ह और वहा बठ बठ भी आप ससार क अनिगनत लोग क साथ कम कर सकत ह इसक िलए िकसी क1 ज3रत नह यिक इसम तो आप जो कछ भी कर रह ह वो अपन साथ कर रह ह
यह िकसी और क साथ ससग या सपक नह ह यह वो ह जो आपक भीतर होता रहता ह आप रशम क क1ड़ क1 तरह ह रशम तो बहVत ही सदर धागा और कपड़ा होता ह लिकन यह रशम क उस क1ड़ क1 तरह ह जो अपनी ही मHजा स वह अपन िलए एक ककननमा कद बनता ह इस ककन यानी िपटारी का अपना महNव हअगर वह क1ड़ा िकसी िदन उस ककन को नह तोड़गा तो यह ककन एक िदन उसी का ाण ल लगा लिकन उस ककन को
तोड़ दन पर वह उसम स एक सदर िततली बन कर बाहर िनकलता ह और उडऩ क िलए Fवत13 हो जाता ह अगर वह ऐसा नह करता तो उस िपटारी क अदर ही दम तोड़ दगा बस यही कम ह
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
58
िजस पल आप सोचत हamp िक मरा कम मरी पनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हFआ मरी
ही करनी
यिद आप उसक1 पचीदगी को समझ ल तो यह आपक1 मिa का आधार बन जाता ह और िफर कछ ऐसा घिटत होता ह जो बहVत सदर होगा कोई भी क1ड़ा यह क`पना नह कर सकता िक िततली होन का मतलब या ह ह नलिकन अगर इस िपटारी क अदर रहत हVए आपक1 मNय हो जाती ह तो यह एक बहVत बड़ा बधन बन जाता ह यिक आप िकसी और क1 बनी हVई नह बि`क अपनी ही बनी हVई िपटारी म दम तोड़
दत ह इसका अथ यह ह िक कम िकसी और क बार म नह ह व आपक ियजन ह या दर का कोई और इसान होइसस कोई फक नह पड़ता कम वो ह जो आप अपन भीतर कर रह ह कम क1 मल बात यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह म जो कछ भी हG वह मरा ही िकया हVआ ह िजस पल आप सोचत ह िक मरा कम मरी पNनी क कारण ह तो आप परी बात पर गौर नह कर पात कम उसक या िकसी और क कारण नह ह कम का अथ ह मरा िकया हVआ मरी ही करनी यह मरा बनाया हVआ ह सार बधन मर बनाय हVए ह इसिलए मिa भी मरी ही करनी होनी चािहए हा कोई आपक1 सहायता कर सकता ह पर यह आपका आतSरक काय ह चिक यह आतSरक काय ह इसिलए थोड़ी-सी बाहरी सहायता क1 ज3रत होती ह हो सकता ह िक दो cयिa साथ रहत ह बहVत-स काम साथ करत ह लिकन सभव ह िक उनम स एक मa हो जाए और दसरा बधन म उलझ जाए या ऐसा नह हया ऐसा नह हो रहा दोन एक साथ रहत ह एक ही काम करत ह लिकन एक इस करनी का उपयोग बधन म उलझन क िलए कर रहा ह और दसरा मिa क माग पर आग बढऩ क िलए यिक यह उनक1 Fवय क1 करनी ह अगर यह परFपर एक-दसर क िलए क1 गई करनी होती तो दोन बधन म उलझ गए होत लिकन ऐसा नह ह कम शPद का अथ ही यह ह िक यह मरी करनी ह इसस िकसी दसर का कोई लना-दना नह ह
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
59
22दवता और राGस बस जरा सा अतर हः सदग
दिनया म दो तरह क ाणी होत ह कछ ाणी जो ाe करत ह उस व अपन तक ही सीिमत रखत ह और कछ ाणी उस बाट दत ह अगर आप बाटन
का चनाव करत ह तो आप दव बन जात ह
अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल- िफर उस खब यान स दख- आप पाएग िक सार क सार Kाणी िजतना Lयादा स
Lयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह हamp
अगर आप उस जमा करत जात ह तो आप राEस बन जात ह आप राEस इसिलए नह बनत यिक आप जो कर रह ह वो दसर क1 नजर म बरा ह बि`क इसिलए बनत ह यिक आपम दन का कोई भाव नह ह दव ऐस ाणी होत ह जो तजFवी होत ह िजनम िबखरन का गण होता ह
दन का भाव होन स मतलब यह नह ह िक य चीज दना या वो चीज दना इसका मतलब बस इतना ह िक आपक1 जीवन िLया ही ऐसी हो जाए िक आप हमशा कछ द रह ह जो भी िदया जा सकता ह उस द िदया जाए जहा भी उसक1 ज3रत हो इसम यह महNवपण नह ह िक आपको कहा दना ह िकतना दना ह और या दना ह इस तरह क िहसाब स सब बकार हो जाता ह अगर आप अपन जीवन को lsquoम या पा सकता हGrsquo स lsquoम या द सकता हGrsquo म 3पातSरत कर द तो आप दव बन जात ह
िसफ परोपकार क बार म सोच कर आप तजFवी नह बन जात आप तजFवी तब बनत ह जब आपक भीतर रख लन का भाव खNम हो जाता ह आप जीवन को थोड़ा ltयान स दखन क1 कोिशश कर आप पाएग िक यहा कछ भी ऐसा नह ह जो िदया जा सक यिक यहा ऐसा कछ भी नह ह जो आप अपन साथ लकर आए थ आज आपक पास जो कछ भी ह वह सब कछ आपन इसी धरती स िलया ह जरा सोच कर दिखए lsquoअगर म सब कछ द द तो मर साथ या होगाrsquo तब होगा य िक सारी दिनया आपक1 हो जाएगी हम अकसर सोचत ह lsquoअगर म यह द दगा तो इतना चला जाएगा अगर मन वह द िदया तो उतना चला जाएगाrsquo जबिक य सब िहसाब-िकताब बकार ह घिटया ह सच तो यह ह िक अगर आप अपना जीवन अपन आसपास मौजद हर इसान स बाटत रहत ह उनको दत रहत ह तो हर कोई आपक1 दखभाल करगा
lsquoमझ या करना चािहए अपनी तनfवाह का िकतना िहFसा मझ दान करना चािहएrsquo बात इसक1 नह ह आपको खद को 3पातSरत करना होगा या आपको लगता ह िक एक नाSरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाSरयल दन चािहए अगर म सौ नाSरयल द दगा तो य लोग Hयादा पस बना लग
gtया आपको लगता ह िक एक नाNरयल का पड़ य िहसाब लगाता ह िक मझ िकतन नाNरयल दन चािहए
चलो म पचास नाSरयल ही दता हG या आपको लगता ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ खद को रोक रहा ह सच तो यह ह िक नाSरयल का पड़ िजतना भी पोषण हो सकता ह उस पान क1 कोिशश करता ह और िफर Hयादा स Hयादा नाSरयल दता ह या आपको भी इसी तरीक स नह जीना चािहए
इस जीवन को तजFवी बनान क िलए आपको धमOथ पढ़न क1 ज3रत नह ह- Hयादा धमOथ आपको हजम नह हग दवताओ को पान क िलए ऊपर या नीच मत दिखए इस अिFतNव म बस एक ाणी को चन लीिजए अगर आपको क1ड़ा सही लगता ह तो क1ड़ा ही ल लीिजए अगर आपको पड़ अछा लगता ह तो पड़ को चन लीिजए बस िकसी भी एक जीवन को चन ल िफर उस खब ltयान स दख आप पाएग िक सार क सार ाणी िजतना Hयादा स Hयादा जीवन हो सकता ह व द रह ह
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
60
य िसफ इसान ही ह जो चीज अपन पास रोक रखन क1 कोिशश कर रहा ह शायद इसक1 वजह यह ह िक उसक1 बिM तो तािक क ह लिकन वह उसका सही इFतमाल करना नह जानता इस अिFतNव न सhा न आपको बिM इसिलए दी ह िक आप उसका वस इFतमाल कर सक जस ससार क दसर ाणी नह कर सकत- ऊचा उठन क िलए अपन 3पातरण क िलए न िक सचय क िलए यह बिM आपको इसिलए दी गई थी िक आप उन चीज तक पहVच सक जो इस दिनया स पर क1 ह कित को िवiास था िक आप उस असीम कित को खोजन क1 कोिशश करग न िक िहसाब
लगान म उलझ जाएग
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