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CONTENTS
Lead Article
Who is the Real Sadhguru?Sadhguru in the Past and Present 4
Musings
Eating A Doorway to Liberation? 7
In Conversation with the Mystic
Deepen the Question and You Will KnowSadhguru in Conversation with Actor Siddharth 8
Leela Series
Banumathi Torn between Duty and Devotion 11
News & Happenings
Optimal Health and Wellbeing
Conversation with Sadhguru at Duke University 13
The California Isha Center Takes Root 14
Socially Conscious BusinessDiscussion with Sadhguru and Paul Hawken 14
The Call of the WildIsha Nature Awareness Program for Children 15
Sharing Experiences
Isha Brahmacharis on a Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram 16
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The following is an excerpt from a Q&A session
with Sadhguru during a Sathsang for Anaadhi
participants at the iii, McMinnville, Tennessee, on24 June 2010.
Questioner:There are people who say that Sadhguru
Shri Brahma was the real Sadhguru. If that is so,
what are we seeing today? Is there a real Sadhguru,
and if so, who is he?
Sadhguru: These are all archival people. They have
come with me for the second or third lifetime. For
them, Sadhguru means he must be blazing, because
that is how they knew him. Now when they see
am not denying it. But what is wrong with this
one [Sadhguru today]? That one [Sadhguru Shri
Brahma] was fantastic, but it failed in its mission.This one may not be so fantastic, but it has made it
work. It is a conscious compromise. It is not that
we have succumbed to the ways of the world;
we have just learnt to live in the world because
we want to do something in the world. If we
have no intention of doing anything in the world
anymore, we will retract to that kind of mode,
just to chase people away.
Now, we are not trying to chase people away; we
are inviting people doing PR going around the
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He took this form in this lifetime because he
thought that this is going to work, and it did. By
option, he works in both realms sometimes, he
becomes like this; sometimes, he becomes like
that. That was a beautiful one; this is a smart one.You not only enjoy the warmth of the sun, you
also like the coolness of the moon.
Only when he was meditating, tears owed from
his eyes. Whether his mother, father, friend, or
disciples died, no one ever saw him shed a single
tear for anyone. Even when his own mission died,they only saw him more and more furious; never a
drop of tear. Now I can shed tears with eyes open or
eyes closed. I can hug you and shed tears. If someone
dies, I can shed tears. If a tree is cut, I can shed tears.
Or I can sit blazing without a tear in my eyes. This
time around, I am more versatile, more exible,
because the nature of activity we have taken up is
different from what we had taken up at that time.
It is all right for my archival disciples who are still
with me to feel that way. I am not saying this for
self-aggrandizement, but it is important for any
disciple to see that their Guru is the best for them.Otherwise, their mind will not stay focused. Unless
you think that your wife is the best person you can
have in your life, you will look all over the place.
Similarly, only if you see, There is no better Guru
for me, your mind will be capable of staying with it
and beneting from it.
If you keep looking here and there, if you go
Guru shopping, you will not get anywhere. If
you know this has something nourishing to give
you, you must dig it all the way. If you shift every
time. What were these changes, and why did you
allow them to happen?
Sadhguru: I didnt just allow it; I did it. Before
the consecration, I was on a one-point mission.My whole life my mind, my body, my energies,
my capabilities everything was on a one-point
agenda. With the outside world, I worked in
compartments. People only saw a fringe aspect of
me. Only when they came to the 90-day program,
I slowly opened up a few aspects of me, which
were very shocking for them. This nice, youngman, who came from Karnataka like the coolness
of Kaveri, was suddenly blazing and talking about
building a temple! Until then, I had not uttered
the word Dhyanalinga not even to people who
were immediately around me.
Eighteen years, I had been on a goodwill mission,
not saying a word to just about anyone. But not
one breath in those 18 years happened without the
purpose of Dhyanalinga behind it. Trying to garner
and assimilate all kinds of forces social, worldly,
natural, and otherworldly so that this could be
accomplished, I was living many lives within myselfand outside myself. When people saw me at different
times, they almost thought this is a different man
altogether. We thought we will anyway go once
the consecration was done, so we didnt plan much
for the future. But when we somehow managed to
restructure the body and decided to stay on, with
the mission completed, what was left in life was
only fooling around.
My sense of aesthetics has always been strong and I
am very particular about how things should be, but
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at the peak. Once the consecration was done, there
was no point of staying on the peak. We thought we
will come down to the valleys and do what people
understand. Suddenly, people found that I can
actually joke. Initially, when I was teaching, I justwore my faded denims and a t-shirt, or whatever
clothing people gave me. We did not have any
microphones at that time. When I taught what you
see today as the basic program (in a different format),
I walked up and down furiously like a caged tiger.
I was on fire, having a time limit and a mission thatI had not been able to complete for three lifetimes.
Determined to see that it happens this time around,
I moved all kinds of forces in one direction, to
the point of fixing which womb people should be
born in. People thought they got married because
their horoscopes matched or they fell in love, but
actually, I had fixed all this. They thought that their
child being born was a God-given thing, but all that,
I had fixed for them. This manipulation on all levels
left me so intense, focused, and fiery. People hung
around me not because they liked me but because
they had no choice. They were just sucked into the
energy vortex that happened wherever I walked.I was not dressed like a spiritual teacher; I did not
behave like one. What I was doing as a fulltime
activity was just a minor part of my life. My secret
life was elsewhere.
After the consecration was done, I thought I will
make my life more like an open book, and that ishow it is today. Just about everyone knows what
I eat, where I go, what I do. This was a shift from
existing at peak intensity to a very relaxed pace of
life. People still think this is too intense. If this is my
idea of a relaxed phase of life, you can imagine how
intense life was earlier.
Some people who were with me at that time
wondered at some point what was actually
happening, why they were being drawn to me.
They took a picture of me, went to Sai Baba, and
asked, See, this is my Guru. Is he okay? They
wanted a diagnosis. He looked at the image and
gave a very clever answer: You should go to this
man only if you seek ultimate wellbeing. If you
seek a good life, you should come to me. That is
what I am always saying this is for those who are
seeking ultimate wellbeing.
A Partnership with Sadhguru7
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The following is an excerpt from a Q&A session with
Sadhguru during a meditators retreat in Lebanon
Junction, KY, USA, in February 2005.
Questioner: Once, while eating an apple, I told
myself to be aware of it. All of a sudden, the apple
started to taste like licorice. Is every flavor in the
world in that apple, or was I just hallucinating?
Sadhguru: That you should know by now. You have
had enough experiences of hallucination.
In terms of eating and awareness generally,wherever possible, I eat alone. That is something
a lot of people dont like; they like to eat and
talk. There are even doctors who claim that if you
laugh and talk while eating, you will eat less; it
will be better for digestion, and you will not get
fat. In the yogic culture, people always prefer to
eat alone. Even if you eat in a group, you neverlook at what or how someone is eating. What
someone else is doing is not your business; you
just eat, because eating is not a small thing. You
are converting these beans, apples, carrots, bread,
once lying there as filth and transformed itself into
food, and you make that into a human being.
If you do it with absolute involvement, you will not
just see the taste of licorice or whatever in it but
something else. In the Bhava Spandana program, we
put participants through a process where if you give
yourself totally to it, just a mouthful of food will
be explosive. Every day, food should be like that.
And if you become subtler, your very breath will
be like that. With every inhalation and exhalation,
you include the whole world. This air that you are
inhaling, do you know how many times, how manymillion creatures on the planet humans and every
other kind have recycled it? There has been no
external input; the atmosphere has been the same
for millions of years.
If you inhale properly, everything that is worth
knowing is right here. You can inhale a Buddha,a Patanjali, or a Jesus right now, because they also
breathed the same air. Is it all in the air? That is
not the point. This air has touched everything.
And above all, this inhalation itself is becoming
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In another edition of the In Conversation with the Mystic series, Sadhguru met with youngactor Siddharth on 10 January 2013 in Hyderabad under the theme Youth and Truth. Hereis the fourth part of their conversation.
Siddharth: A common point of conflict in
relationships, whether its between a man and
a woman or whatever ones choice, is to listen to
the other person; the question of who is right, and
sticking to ones standpoint. Based on whatever
little interaction I have had with you, you are in ahabit of being right a lot. Does that make Sadhguru
impossible to be in a relationship with? I dont think
any woman wants to always say, Yeah, Sadhguru.
You are right. Tell me honestly because you are a
romantic at heart, you are childlike have you ever
said, I dont know. I am wrong. You are right, to a
woman? [Laughter and applause]
Sadhguru: This is a revenge question. [Laughter]
That is what I was telling you if you utter the word
relationship today, it hasto be man/woman. You
hormones, and the society is being crafted for that
hacked intelligence. It is time we understand that
we can have profound relationships without having
anything to do with those peoples bodies. Constantly
seeing people for their gender is something that has
to stop in the world. Why cant you just look athuman beings as they are? Looking at them as a
woman or a man is only needed for one type of
relationship. There is no need to always identify
people by body parts. If you must identify them by
body parts, at least lets choose the brain, not the
reproductive organs.
People say, Love is the core of the universe. It is
not. Love is just a certain sweetness of emotion. It is
a human need to get it and to give it to each other.
Unfortunately most human beings can give that
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About always being right this conversation is
about Youth and Truth. So you are supposed to
be wrong, and I am supposed to be right. Because
youth means, you must be a bundle of confusion;
truth means, I must be right so I am playingthe role properly. This doesnt mean this is how I
always live. Do I say, I do not know to a woman?
All the time.
Siddharth: Smart man!
Sadhguru: I have a young woman in my house,my daughter. Every day, people come with all
kinds of problems, and our organization is growing
at a phenomenal pace. There are administrative
problems, nancial situations, human problems
every kind of problem comes to us. These are very
complex things, but ever since she was three years
of age, I have been telling her, This is what theyresaying. What to do? She would think and come up
with very simple, sometimes absolutely fantastic,
sometimes childish answers, but at least, she started
looking at the problems. I never give her an answer
for anything. If she comes up with a question, I
always put another question to deepen her question.
I do not have a teaching. If someone asks a question
about life in a supercial way, I will only deepen
their question. Are you life?
Siddharth: Very much.
Sadhguru: You are. If you are life, who the hellam I to give you an answer? The only thing is, you
are not able to delve into the depths of life because
your question is not sharp enough. My business is to
sharpen your question and leave it with you. Even
being, so who am I to tell you how to be one?
You are as human as you can be human in the
sense of being in a certain state of evolution; not
just in terms of mind or intelligence life itself
is in a certain state of evolution.
Your humanity does not nd full expression because
you picked up all kinds of ideas, philosophies,
principles, and belief systems. The burden of this
is sitting on your head, so you try to nd solutions
in teachings, books, sacred talks, and whatever
else. Spiritual process means to take you away fromall those things and to turn you inward. That will
only happen when your questions become burning
enough, sharp enough. Otherwise, you will try to
nd explanations, not answers. I am not here to give
you any explanations, or say whats right or wrong
I am here only to deepen the question. But if you ask
about lms, I will give you my opinion.
Siddharth: I am scared to go there. Fortunately, you
have only seen one of my lms. He thought Rang De
Basantiwas 15 years back! I said, How old do you
think I am? He is trying to prove he is young that
doesnt mean he has to prove I am old! Thats very
unfair. [Sadhguru laughs]
Sadhguru: No, I just thought you are a mature actor.
Siddharth: I told you, I canpretend. Maturity is one
of my best pretenses.
Sadhguru: [Laughs] So, Rang De Basanti. I do notget enough time to really go and sit in a theater to
watch a movie. Only when someone recommends
one and brings me the DVD, I may see it. In this
case too, someone said, You must see this. This is
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United States of America many times; I am sure you
have been involved in many such debates. I think
that if the government of this country lets things
continue the way they are, then eventually, like in
this Hindi lm, everyone will take the law into theirown hands; gun culture and total chaos will be an
inevitable consequence. In the context of individuals
seeking vigilante justice, people needing to protect
themselves and their families with weapons and
guns, where are we heading in a country like India?
Sadhguru: Our center in the United States is inTennessee. In Tennessee, no one lives without a
gun, even today, even the ladies. Almost no one
walks around without a gun in their handbag.
One reason is because in Tennessee, homes are far
away from each other. The American nation was
built on guns, and even today, they have a right tobear arms. Every time some violent act happens,
people talk about taking away the guns, but there
is always someone else saying, No way! This has
been happening for almost one and a half centuries.
You know, there is this saying, If you outlaw guns,
only outlaws will have guns.
Isnt that the truth in India too? Those who have
them dont have good intentions towards anyone.
Suppose ten people with violent intentions walk
into your house today if you call the police, how
long do you think it will take for them to come?
Siddharth: If you get through, which you usuallywont.
Sadhguru: Suppose you got through?
ddh h
gun of her own? When the mechanism to protect
the citizens of a nation is not even efcient enough
to protect peoples life and property in the heart
of the capital city not in a jungle, not on top of
a mountain naturally, people will try to protectthemselves. Everyone has a right to their life. Now
all the criminals have guns; only regular citizens
dont. Does this mean we must provide guns to the
citizens? No. Can you take away the guns from
the criminals? You cannot. They will always nd
a way to get one.
Gun culture is not the basis of violence. Nations arm
themselves as a deterrent force. India has so many
issues we cannot even feed our people but do you
know the amount of money we spend on defense?
Just the mountain corps is going to cost 81,000 crores
in the 12th ve year plan. Why are we spending this
kind of money? Because we know a deterrent forceis needed for a nation right now. You need to have
guns; otherwise, someone else will walk over you.
Unfortunately, we have not come to the utopian
state of consciousness where all of us will love each
other and live together in harmony. We can strive
for it, but thats not yet a reality.
An idea, an aspiration is one thing; reality is another
thing. You can aspire for an ideal, but day-to-day
dealing is only with reality. The reality is, in the
heart of the capital city, your daughter, your wife,
or your mother anyone could get raped and killed.
If such realities repeat themselves, every father willwish his daughter will be carrying a gun, or at least a
knife, or a chili spray; something to hurt somebody.
Once they have it in their pocket, will all of
them use it with the necessary discretion? No.
h l h
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The following is an excerpt from Leela, the path of
the playful, a unique exploration with Sadhguru
into the mystical realm of Krishna, which tookplace at the Isha Yoga Center in September 2005.
Theres a beautiful incident in the Mahabharata
where Krishna is not in the scene, but is very much
a part of it.
Duryodhanas wife, who was just 18 or 19 yearsof age, was pregnant with their first child. She
was a simple girl who didnt know anything
other than dedicating her life to her husband.
That was what the tradition taught them then.
Duryodhana had just been to the Swayamvara
to win over Draupadi as his wife. Banumathiwas going through her own emotional turmoil
because Draupadi came from a much bigger royal
family; she was Drupadas daughter and a very
powerful, fiery woman. Banumathi was a very
beautiful but simple person. She didnt have the
intrigue of a Draupadi behind her.
She was happy that Duryodhana had lost the
Swayamvara. You see, everyone has their own
agenda. Duryodhana was burning with shame
for having lost and above all for Arjuna winning
All his plans had come to naught because of this,
and this bothered him. Banumathi said, You know
it says in our scriptures, whatever is written onour forehead by God, thats what will happen.
Why are you bothered? You have Hastinapur, a
large kingdom. Everything is going well for you
here. You have 99 brothers with you. We have
wonderful parents. They are all there for you,
and I am fully dedicated to you too. Why are
you bothered about Draupadi marrying Arjuna?
You have enough. We have enough. We should
be thankful for what we have.
He flew into a rage, You stupid woman! You dont
understand statecraft what is involved in it, and
where it is heading to. He went on like this for awhile. Finally, being at his wits end, he asked, Tell
me, what should I do? Banumathi said, I think
you should consult Krishna Vasudeva. Hes here in
Hastinapur right now. Im sure he will tell you whats
best for you. She trusted that even if someone is his
enemy, Krishna would tell him whats best for him.
She had this trust in him because of an earlier
incident that had happened when she was just 17
years of age. She was an extremely beautiful girl
d K i h D dh i h l
Leela Series
The path of the playful
Part XLV
Banumathi Torn between Duty and Devotion
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control, and the situation was almost on the verge
of becoming an orgy. Banumathi lost control over
herself. She fell on Krishna and started expressing
her desire for him. Krishna saw that in her condition,
she may do something that she would not be able tohandle later; as a queen of Hastinapur, she would
be nished. So he held her like a baby, carried her
to Gandharis chambers, and handed her over to
her mother-in-law. The next morning, Banumathi
was absolutely grateful to him for having done this.
From then on, she was like a devotee of Krishna.
So she told her husband, Consult Krishna. He would
be the best one to ask. The moment she uttered the
word Krishna, Duryodhana ew into a rage. He
said, Go and live with him if you want. She was
very offended by this. Krishna is not an ordinary
man. You cannot tell your wife, Go live with him.She wanted to meet Krishna, who was in town,
but now Duryodhana said, Youre not going to
meet him never again. You will neither send any
kind of communication to him, nor will you go
and meet him, nor will he come into this palace.
She was disconsolate. The birth of her child was
just a few days away and she wanted her child tobe blessed by Krishna.
Then Jalandhara, Banumathis sister, came by while
Duryodhana was still around, and she asked him,
What is this nonsense? Why are you making this
woman cry? Shes pregnant. This is not the time to
talk to her like this. Duryodhana said, If you talk to
me like this, I will slap you. Jalandhara was a spirited
girl. She replied, If you slap me, Im going to bite
your ngers off. She would have been capable of
that. Then she actually asked Duryodhana to get out
of the place, and she hugged her sister. Banumathi
said, You know, Im going to deliver my rst baby
soon. I want to see Krishna before, but now I cannotsee him anymore because Duryodhana has given
this instruction. Hes the king and my husband.
Jalandhara wanted to make an arrangement to meet
with Krishna, but she did not know how. Then she
thought of Bhima, the strongest of the Pandavas
brothers, who had been paying some attentionto her. Bhima has good access to Krishna. So she
thought if she approaches him, it could work.
She sent a message with a maid, saying that
Jalandhara wants to secretly meet Bhima late
at night in the gymnasium. Bhima was thrilled
that Jalandhara wanted a secret rendezvous withhim. He dressed himself up properly, put on
fragrances, and went there.
When Jalandhara came with her maid, Bhima asked
what she wanted. Jalandhara said, I actually came
because I want to meet with Krishna. Bhima got
mad. You want to meet Krishna? For that you callme here in the middle of the night? The whole
day, the man is sitting there, meeting people. From
morning to evening, whether its a woman, man, or
child, hes making love to every one of them with
his eyes. You can go and meet him there. Why did
you call me here? I thought you came to meet me.
To be continued
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The most recent episode of the In Conversationwith the Mystic series took place at Duke
University Medical Center on 5 May. Sadhguru was
joined by Dr. Tracy Gaudet of the United States
Veterans Health Administration for an Experiential
Symposium on Optimal Health and Wellbeing.
The afternoon began with a thought-provoking
presentation by Dr. Mitchell Krucoff on
Spirituality and Intangible Human Healing
Capacities: The Future of High Tech Medicine.
Dr. Krucoff is Professor of Medicine/Cardiology and
an Interventional Cardiologist at Duke University
Medical Center. Dr. Krucoffs presentation outlinedhis research which is laying the groundwork
to illuminate the role of spirituality in medical
practice. The MANTRA Study Project, which Dr.
Krucoff directs, is working to examine the impact
reform, as well as the mental and emotional healthof soldiers and veterans.
Dr. Gaudets first question centered on shifting
the fundamental model of medical care from an
attack mode of disease treatment to a marriage of
prevention and treatment. Medicine in the West,
Sadhguru elaborated, originated from the treatment
of infectious disease, which must be treated as an
invasion. However, the majority of ailments and
diseases today are self-created, stemming from food
and lifestyle choices, as well as stress and anxiety.
The ideal, Sadhguru explained, would be a system
which looked at the total wellbeing of a person. Herelated that in yoga, health is nurtured through the
purification of the five elements in a person.
Sadhguru gave the attendees an experiential glimpse
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Mothers Day was extra special for 300 Isha
meditators from the US and Canada, as they spent
the day with Sadhguru, planting 1008 trees in the
new Isha Center in California.
Sadhguru and the meditators gathered at San Juan
Bautista, California to plant 1008 olive trees on the
hills of the newly founded Isha Center a 62-acre
parcel of land donated by a mediator a few years ago.Each of the trees was given a name by the person who
planted it. The first tree was planted by Sadhguru,
and he named his tree Bhuma (Sanskrit for earth,
abundance). After a morning of tree planting, a
scrumptious brunch was laid out by local volunteers.
Later, everyone gathered near the wide canopy of
the buckeye tree, under which Sadhguru conducteda sathsang. He shared how the yoga center in India
took root many years ago, how it has grown since,
and how he wishes to see the same in California. He
announced that by 15 September 2015, there would
be a consecrated space and infrastructure at the
California center. The volunteers and meditators are
all fired up to make it happen!
As I planted and watered my trees, I realized that
they would be standing on the hill long after my
mortal body was gone. It was blissful knowing that
my hands had left something for the future.
Bonnie Hale
I was touched by the inspiring and humble leaders,
the unwavering commitment of the meditators,
and the beautifully orchestrated enthusiasm and
energy brought by our community. We created a
movement, which I am so fortunate and grateful
to be a part of. I look forward to the impact the
birthing of this center will make in years to come.
Linda Yip
On 13 May, the Commonwealth Club of California
auditorium in San Francisco witnessed a lively
discussion between Sadhguru and Paul Hawken,
environmentalist, entrepreneur, and author. Paul
opened the discussion by describing the concept
of socially conscious business, which was also the
title of the talk Modern business is about speed
adjacent neighborhoods, despite being on opposite
sides of the planet. All businesses are about human
wellbeing, which is also my business as a spiritual
leader. People are a lot richer now than a century
ago, but not any happier, perhaps even less happier
than before. If people realize that happiness comes
from within they will stop pursuing happiness in
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In todays world, children rarely have an
opportunity to explore their connection with
nature. Isha Nature Awareness Program is a fun-
filled four-and-a-half day residential summer campthat instills a love for nature in children.
This year, over 180 children were a part of two
programs from 13-17 May and 20-24 May. The
children visited the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
in the Western Ghats. Elephants, gaur, hornbills,
black langurs, malabar giant squirrels, and even aleopard (although for a very brief moment) were
spotted and marveled at. The children observed
how each of these animals were so well adapted
and in tune with their habitat.
Trekking through the ghats, the children passed
through deciduous forest and verdant rainforest
climes. They were quite wonderstruck by the
beauty of nature, especially the abundance of life
in the rainforest. They learnt about the rock-likenests of the hornbills, about frogs that live their
whole lives in trees, and about how important
the rainforest and its water cycle is even to
a city dweller (they play a big role in certain
perennial rivers). Some of the children remarked
how cool the rainforest felt, even though they
were trekking in the afternoon in the middle ofsummer. One of them commented, If we had
forests like this everywhere, we wouldnt need
any air-conditioning at all!
One of the program participants shares her
experience: The program changed me for the
better. I came to respect the life-forms around me
as well as the need to preserve them.
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Namaskaram,
Its been 10 years since the brahmacharis went
on a yatra. Now, finally we had an opportunity
again in May this year. Over 150 of us went tovisit Rameshwaram Temple and other spiritually
significant spots along the journey.
After 11 days of Shakti Sangamam and a Shivaratri,
we were all charged up for the yatra. On Amavasya,
just after the morning Guru Pooja, we loaded
ourselves and our luggage into the bus and off wewent. It was going to be a tightly packed two days!
Our first stop was Nerur, home to Sadashiva
Brahmendras Samadhi. A scene from his life is
d d f h l f h h l
After a refreshing snack, we set off for a grand lunch
in Karur. Being used to the two meals in the ashram,
I wondered how my system would handle so much
food. The Karur volunteers had set up the place in
such a way that it looked like a mini Bhiksha Hall.Their love and care was obvious in their every action,
and I was filled with gratitude as they served me.
Isha volunteers overwhelmed me throughout the
journey. Wherever we went, we were so well taken
care of, all our needs anticipated and addressed even
before we could ask.
Late night, we felt a salty breeze through our
bus windows we had reached the beach,
Rameshwaram! After a sumptuous dinner (I think
this was one of the most pampered days of my life),
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The story is that Rama, to atone for the sin of
killing Ravana, came to Rameshwaram, appealed to
Shiva, and established the temple. The main deity is
Ramanathaswamy (the Lord of Rama, or Shiva). It
is one of the 12jyotirlingas. This one is said to have
been created by Sita out of sand. Another small linga
(made of salt) can be found in the temple. The story
goes that a sage just made a st around some salt
and this formed the linga, which is still intact today.
One more powerful place was Patanjalis Samadhi.
As I sat down at this seemingly nondescript space,
meditation became effortless.
The day passed quickly, and we could not leave
Rameshwaram without a visit to the beach! The sea
was like a vast salty swimming pool, with hardly
any currents and a long, shallow shoreline. It was
wonderful to be with all the other brahmacharis.
We had to move on though and were soon shuttlingoff to Uttarakosamangai Temple. Our buses reached
the temple late for the procession of the Utsav Murti
around the town, but the temple authorities had
graciously waited for us!
The swayambhu (self-created) linga at the
Uttarakosamangai Temple is said to be over 13,000
years old. The temple is a treasure house of many
scriptures and a place where great saints lived.
Legend has that Shiva taught the Vedas to Parvati
there upon her request. One thousand sages were
entrusted to guard the Vedas. Meanwhile, at
Mandodari and Ravanas marriage, Mandodariexpressed the desire that Shiva be born as her
baby. Shiva acquiesced, saying she can experience
this only for a few moments. When she delivered
the baby, Ravana was lled with rage at Shiva
in the Uttarakosamangai temple burst into ames!
The sages feared Shivas life was in danger, and
not wanting to live in this world without him, 999
of them immolated themselves in the ames all
except one sage who stayed back with the Vedas.
It turned out, of course, that Shiva was ne, and
he came back to nd the lone sage. Pleased with
the sage, Shiva appeared as Sahasralingam. He
told the sage he would have just one more birth as
Manickavasagar, a well-known Tamil saint.
In the temple, there is a beautiful emerald Natarajastatue, cloaked in sandal paste. The famous
Mangaleshwari Devi Temple is also on the premises.
She is the Devi who received the Vedas and is
unique in that she takes care of both ones physical
wellbeing and ones ultimate liberation. As soon
as I entered, the air felt so tangible, explosive. As I
gazed into the sanctum sanctorum, I was struck byher presence. The goddess was very much alive and
present, dignied and graceful. It is a marvel that
places like this exist in such vibrance that even
after thousands of years, the work of yogis who
consecrated them is still evident.
As our buses set off back to our beloved ashram, I
was tired but fullled. This was a most memorable
and eye-opening yatra. The consecrated spaces,
the profoundness of the South Indian temples, the
devotion of the volunteers I am unable to articulate
my experience fully. I bow down to Sadhguru for
giving me this opportunity. I am thankful to live inthe powerful space of the Isha Yoga Center. I hope
we can maintain and keep this space available for
many generations to come.
Pranam
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Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy recently became the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop and
unassisted world sailing tour. Here is an account of his 151-day journey around the globe,and how Shambhavi Mahamudra helped him accomplish this record-setting feat.
People have often wondered at the level of physical
and mental fitness required to undertake such a
voyage where you are out at sea at the mercy of the
elements and sail around the world alone without
any help from anyone, and I always tell them thatmeditation helped me both physically and mentally.
I would always begin my day with Shambhavi
(except the preparatory part because the boat would
always be tossing about in rough seas). My voyage
was one full of difficulties but I was always in a
blissful state. Even in the worst conditions at sea I
would be very happy and I laughed in the face of alltroubles. I think I should attribute a big part of my
success to Isha because the kriya kept me in the best
possible condition during the voyage.
L Cd Abhil h T
becalmed before crossing the equator. She then
headed in to the trade winds and along an S-ly to
SSW-ly course till almost 30 deg. south before
being hit by the first eastward-moving cold front.
The first leg completed on 12 Dec when she passedCape Leeuwin. The skipper and the boat crossed
the International Date Line on New Years Eve and
sailed further south into the Pacific Ocean all the
way up to 58.5 deg. S, possibly becoming the only
Indian to have gone that far south in a sail boat. The
boat rounded Cape Horn on 26 Jan and unfurled the
national tricolor just one mile south of the Horn.
The first land sighting after leaving Mumbai
happened at Cape Horn, followed by the Isla de los
Estados, Argentina, the next day. That was also the
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attended by the Governor of Maharashtra and the
Chief of Naval Staff.
During her voyage, the boat went through almost
all the weather zones possible, from the doldrums
at the equator, to cold fronts, the threat of icebergs,
violent storms, and 10 meter waves. Despite the
difcult weather systems, the boat and the skipper
fared well, and sustained only minor issues along
the route. Problems with generator, engine etc.
were attended to by the skipper; ropes were
constantly repaired and torn sails either stitchedor replaced; minor berglass and carpentry work
attended to; electrical issues sorted out as the boat
sailed along. The only reverse osmosis plant in the
boat became defective almost one-third of the way
out of Mumbai, and towards the end of the voyage,
the stored water in the tanks and part of the bottled
mineral water were contaminated as a result of adiesel leak onboard, leaving the skipper with about
10 liters of fresh water for as many days of sailing left
to complete the voyage. The skipper then resorted
to rain water harvesting and conservation of water
to complete the voyage.
When Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy arrived at Mumbai
on 31 Mar 2013, he had become the 1st
Indian, 2nd
Asian and the 79th
person in the world to have sailed
around the world, solo, unassisted and nonstop.
For more info on Project Sagar Parikrama 2, visit
www.sagarparikrama2.blogspot.in and check outtheir YouTube channel
www.youtube.com/user/sagarparikrama2
Here is what Abhilash shared with us about how
Shambhavi Mahamudra helped in his voyage:
This moment is inevitable. I understood the
true meaning of this only when I was at sea
because there is never an absolutely good day
when you are in the ocean. Either it is too hot
or too cold or too windy or no winds at all or
too dry or too wet or winds are from the wrong
direction or something has already broken
in the boat or is about to break. After I put
the idea of This moment is inevitable intopractice, things became much easier because I
stop wishing that things were otherwise.
Perhaps it was due to the practice of
Shambhavi that I was able to disconnect
what was happening outside of me from
what was happening within me. I had nocontrol over what was happening outside
but how to react to it was a choice that
I had. It was possibly because of this that
nothing affected me and there was no fear,
even in the most trying times.
It is not easy for any human being to remaincompletely alone for a prolonged duration.
There have been cases of severe hallucinations
reported by sailors who attempted to sail alone.
Many have even committed suicide. However,
I found the experience of solitude even in the
roughest seas blissful.
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Program Highlights
Date Program Place Contact
25 Jul 2013Bhava Spandana
Residential Program
For Ladies
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore India0422-2515300
39 Jul 2013 Inner Engineering Navi Mumbai India 99874 00339, 81089 [email protected]
39 Jul 2013 Inner EngineeringMadhapur,
Hyderabad India
85000 64000
47 Jul 2013 Inner Engineering
Isha Life,
Mylapore,Chennai India
94449 02058
47 Jul 2013
Inner Engineering
RetreatResidential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore India
0422-2515421
57 Jul 2013Inner Engineering
Conducted by Sadhguru
Bangalore India92434 10136, 90360 67181
1214 Jul 2013
Sadhguruvudan
Isha Yoga (Tamil)Residential Program
Conducted by Sadhguru
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore India
Chennai, Vellore: 83000 11000 /
Coimbatore: 94434 94434
For other centers, please check our
website.
1720 Jul 2013
Inner Engineering
RetreatResidential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore India
0422-2515421
22 Jul16 Dec 2013
Isha Hata Yoga Teacher
TrainingResidential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore India
9849011600
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Isha Recipes For Healthy Living
PREPARATION METHOD
Blend the yogurt until smooth.
Peel ginger and cucumber and chop into small pieces. Put them in the blender, along with the
yogurt. Blend and add water until the desired consistency is achieved. Add salt to taste, onceagain blend thoroughly, and filter.
Heat a little oil in a pan; add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Roast on medium heat until theysplutter. Add the curry leafs and gently roast them too. Add the condiments to the filteredbuttermilk.
2 cups Plain yogurt (curd) inch Fresh ginger
1 Medium-sized cucumberSalt to tasteSesame oil
teaspoon Mustard seeds teaspoon Cumin (jeera) seeds35 Curry leafs
Fresh coriander leafs
Raw mango (optional)
1.
2.
3.
INGREDIENTS
MASALA BUTTERMILK
F t FlNow!
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