7 / Issue 05 May 2019 Annual Subscription Breaking Bonds...Isha Forest Flower, Isha Yoga Center, Velliangiri Foothills, Ishana Vihar Post, Coimbatore – 641114 [email protected]

ISHa FOREST FLOWER | b May 2019

Annual Subscription ` 180

Even the Umbilical Cordhas to be broken for lifeto thrive. From then on

the nature of Human Lifemakes many a bond and breaks

quite a few. Like the Seedthat sprouts has to break its

bond with the shell thatsheltered it, to make alarger bond with the

Earth and the Sky.bonds of love, companionship,

nourishment and bloodall shall be broken for

one who longs to growand touch the Divine.

Breaking Bonds

Volume 7 / Issue 05 May 2019

Grace & Blessings

EDITORIaL

Contact the Editorial Team:

Isha Forest Flower, Isha Yoga Center, Velliangiri Foothills, Ishana Vihar Post, Coimbatore – 641114

[email protected]

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2 | ISHa FOREST FLOWER May 2019

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Dear Readers,

Beauty, success, fame and fortune – some seem to have it all. Kangana Ranaut is undoubtedly one of them. The consummate artist is at the height of her career as an actress and film director. Still, even the greatest success doesn’t necessarily bring fulfillment – quite the opposite, as Kangana recently revealed to us. In this issue, read her honest personal account about her journey as a seeker, and learn what the key was to “Finding the Missing Piece.” Spoiler alert: It might have something to do with Sadhguru.

In her upcoming movie, Mental Hai Kya, the indomitable actress gives center stage to one of the most burning topics in modern life. Mental health issues, particularly anxiety, have been skyrocketing in the past decade. In the article “alignment against anxiety,” Sadhguru offers a surprisingly simple remedy which, if practiced consistently, can make a veritable difference.

The way human beings live has changed drastically in recent times, which begs the question, “Is the Sanatana Dharma Still Valid Today?” It depends, Sadhguru says, and clears any ambiguity in this month’s Lead Article. Find out how he differentiates

between the eternal and the changeable. In our Mahabharat series, Sadhguru throws light on the central characters of this epic, Krishna and Arjuna, and a possible connection, if not an identity, with the mythical pair Nara–Narayana.

What’s more: With the second sharing in our On the Path of the Divine series, let us introduce Maa Gambhiri to you. Be inspired by her unconventional journey from a young aspiring pilot to an Isha sanyasi. The noteworthy events we recap in this issue span from Samyama, Youth and Truth in UK, to Inner Engineering in L.A., a Lieutenant Governor at a rural Isha Vidhya School, and much more. Last but not least, if you are looking for light, healthy recipe ideas to beat the summer heat, our “Quinoa Crunch Salad” is a must-try. Enjoy!

The Editorial Team


CONTENTS

LEAD ARTICLE MAHABHARAT

06 11

SHaRING EXPERIENCESFinding the Missing PieceKangana Ranaut Shares Her Samyama Experience 4

LEaD aRTICLEIs the Sanatana Dharma Still Valid Today?In Sadhguru’s Words 6

MUSINGSalignment against anxiety 9Why Proper Posture Makes a Difference

MaHabHaRaTPart 54: Who are Krishna and arjuna Really? 11

NEWS & EVENTS

Eight Days of Silence with Sadhguru 13Samyama 2019 at the Isha Yoga Center

Youth and Truth Enters the UK 14Sadhguru at the London School of Economics

bliss in the City of angels 14Inner Engineering with Sadhguru in L.A.

Mechanics of Mysticism 15Influential US Rabbi in Conversation with Sadhguru

Kiran bedi Visits Isha Vidhya School 15Puducherry’s Lt. Governor Meets Rural Students

adiyogi Divya Darshanam 16A Spectacular Sound and Light Show

Part 54: Who Are Krishna andArjuna Really?

ON THE PaTH OF THE DIVINEMaa Gambhiri 17Absolutely Balanced and Dignified

UPCOMING PROGRaMS & EVENTSIsha – Program & Event Highlights 20

ISHa RECIPESQuinoa Crunch Salad 21

ZEN SPEaKSSomething Valuable 23

Is the Sanatana Dharma Still Valid Today?


SHaRING EXPERIENCES

Finding the Missing PieceKangana Ranaut Shares Her Samyama Experience

In this excerpt from an interview, Kangana Ranaut opens up on how, at the peak of her career as an actress, she hit rock bottom as an individual. Find out how she first met Sadhguru, and how she has experienced her journey with Isha so far, up to the recent Samyama program that she participated in.

Kangana Ranaut: My journey with Isha started a year ago, and that was the time where I was at a dead end in my life.

From the Himalayas to bollywoodWhen I look back now, I think I’ve had a very dramatic journey – as a child as well. When I was six, something happened. It was a disturbing incidence, which made me feel like a part of me has been violently pulled out of me. From that day onwards, the world seemed a bit unreal to me. Something in me changed, and I remember doing things which are bizarre for any reasonable person, things which are completely against my survival. You know like at the age of fifteen, I left home. I was homeless. I was sleeping on roads.

People usually think that I wanted to be an actress, but mountain people1 are not very ambitious. When I stumbled upon acting, that’s when I felt that everyone was talking about making a career or wanting validation. Being successful became very important to me. I became hugely successful. The kind of box office success and critical acclaim I’ve seen, no one had seen so far, and that was where things got really bad for me. I was not interested in any relationship. I was not interested in success.

Even today, people say, “How come you are so fearless? Why do you always do things which are going against your career?” It’s easy to see I really do

1 Kangana Ranaut was born and grew up in a small town in Himachal Pradesh

ISHa FOREST FLOWER | 5 May 2019

not care, because it means nothing to me; it did not do anything to me. I started to feel lost. It came to a point where my life became very dark, and I could see no hope. I was at the peak of my career, but I had to live with that sort of emptiness I had in me.

a book as if Written by GodFortunately, I stumbled upon Sadhguru’s book – it was Inner Engineering. My sister was expecting; she had loads of time and was going through a lot of good books. She was like, “I found this book and this is what you need.” I said, “I don’t read ‘guru books’ and all that.” She just left it with me. I saw his picture and it was like I was struck by lightning. I had read a lot of Vedanta, books on quantum physics, karma yoga, Gita, Osho, everything possible on spirituality.

When I read his [Sadhguru’s] book, it seems like God has written it. Like a first-hand experience of what it is like to be Shiv, that boundless limitlessness. I said, “This is very different, and I would like to meet this person.”

Shambhavi: becoming LightHe was in the US and that urge was so strong, I took the next flight to meet him. He was initiating people into Shambhavi, and he initiated me into it. In my first personal meeting with him after initiation, he looked at me and he said, “You should do Samyama.” Samyama is actually, literally PhD of Isha; it’s the highest available course. I’m like, “I don’t need to go that fast. I’m very happy with Shambhavi,” and I was. It gave me a lot of things back like my exuberance, and Shambhavi can give you very high energy levels.

Something in you unlocks, and you just become very light as a person. So I said, “Sadhguru, I don’t think I need Samyama right now.” And he kept saying,

“No, you do it.” Then I started to do other levels of meditations like Shoonya and Shakti Chalana, and all of that.

Samyama: Shiva in MeWhen I started Samyama, I was very scared because it’s a very subtle process and Sadhguru says it may happen or it may not happen to you. And then suddenly, I think on the fifth or sixth day, it just opened up, and it happened to me. I’m so grateful that I did this. It’s very difficult to express these experiences in words. Before this, Shiva as a dimension was something that I could mentally understand. But after Samyama, he unleashed Shiva in me; he has become my breath. I could tell that this is what was missing for me.

I have found what I had lost, and now everything makes sense. I feel for the first time in my life that something has happened so profound to me. No amount of success, awards, money, relationships have ever touched me, other than this experience. I’m just so fortunate to be in this world, at this time when Sadhguru is there. He literally held my hand and took me through this. When he met me, he knew what I was lacking. That’s the most important thing, because I don’t think I would have made it without him identifying what is missing in my life. I’m going to be always grateful to him.


LEaD aRTICLE

Is the Sanatana Dharma Still Valid Today?Is the Sanatana Dharma eternal and unchangeable? That depends, according to Sadhguru. Find out which parts are universal and for always and what can and should be subject to revision over time.

Questioner: What does the Hindu Sanatana Dharma actually mean? And is it diluted today?

Sadhguru: There is no such thing as Hindu Sanatana Dharma. It is simply Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana means eternal. Something that is eternal is always true. If you had come here a hundred years ago, you would be dressed differently, and you would be doing something else. If you had come a thousand years ago, again you would be doing something different. Maybe you would be a farmer or a fisherman.

What we are doing, how we are dressed, how we speak, how we act today is a generational thing. It is of the times. It keeps changing. How the next generation will act, how they will dress, what they will do, will be totally different from the way we do it right now. This is one dimension of life – we call it smriti. Smriti literally translates as “from memory.” What you have learnt by memory is smriti. But there is shruti, which can be interpreted in many different ways. One dimension of it is, it is the tune of life. The tune is not set by you – it is creation.

Only if you understand the shruti of life, can you find the rhythm. This is what Bharata means. Bha means bhava or the experience of life. Ra means raga, which is the shruti of life. Ta means tala. Bhava

is what happens to you – it is an experience. But the raga or the shruti is already set. Now it is for you to find the right rhythm for it, so that life happens beautifully, like a wonderful music.

If you do not find the rhythm, the same shruti that facilitates life will crush you. Sanatana Dharma is the dimension of life which does not change, which is the basis of our existence. How you dress, what your profession is, how you deal with your family, your relationships, and society, is different from generation to generation, from person to person. But the laws that govern my life also govern your life and every other life.

Whether it is a worm, an insect, a bird, an animal, or a plant, all of them are ruled by Sanatana Dharma, the fundamental laws that govern existence. This is not a penal code imposed by human beings upon each other, for control and some semblance of sanity in society. Transactional laws have to change from generation to generation. That is a different

These laws are not an imposition but the foundation of existence.


matter. Sanatana Dharma is not a transactional dharma – it is an existential dharma.

First of all, let us understand the word “dharma.” Dharma means “the law.” Dharma does not mean religion. In this culture, we do not know what religion is. We are only looking at what the underlying laws are for your life to happen in the best possible way. Because we understand unless you stick to these laws, your life cannot happen well. These laws are not an imposition but the foundation of existence. If you figure this out well, if you know the laws, and you are in tune with the laws, then your life happens effortlessly. If you do not know, you will simply suffer for no reason.

Does Sanatana Dharma belong to a Hindu or an Indian person or some other person? –That is not the point. These are the laws that govern existence. No other culture has looked at it with such profoundness. Because of that pride, we may say, “This is Hindu Sanatana Dharma.” But we are limiting the possibility of Sanatana Dharma by adding the word “Hindu” to it. Hindu is a geographical identity. The land that lies between the Himalayas and Indu Sagara is Hindu.

Sanatana Dharma applies to every life, wherever they may be born. It even applies to unborn life and the life that is dead. Sanatana Dharma talks about how to handle the unborn, the born, the grown-up, the dead, different stages of life, and all dimensions of life. But smriti is something that every generation should reinvent or amend. Social transactions have to evolve. Evolution does not necessarily mean to do something better than the previous generation. It is just that because situations are changing, we are evolving to fit into those situations.

Situational transactions always have to change and evolve. We can debate and say that how people ate a hundred years ago is not the way we want to eat today, because our work habits have changed. When you were plowing the land, what you ate and how much was different. How you do things must be constantly amended. Even in the constitution, there are fundamental rights that are absolutely sacrosanct – you cannot touch them. Everything else is available for amendments, improvements, and knockdown.

This is a very profound way of seeing life. Wherever you are, whether you are Indian, Hindu, non-Hindu,

whatever you are, Sanatana Dharma applies to everyone, because these are the laws which guide the fundamental process of life. Smritis are different. Your smriti and my smriti are different. What is true in Andhra Pradesh is not true in Tamil Nadu. What is true in western Tamil Nadu is not true in southern Tamil Nadu.

Either we are doing the same thing that our parents, our culture did, or, in reaction, we are doing the opposite thing. But this is a constantly changing process. Not only from generation to generation, in our own life, every few years, our smritis are changing. From our memory, we are changing many aspects of our life. But shruti does not change, because it is not set by you – it is set by creation. Sanatana Dharma means to understand what governs your life. Once you understand that, you live a profound and beautiful life.

In this culture, no one is talking about morality, commandments, what you should do, what you should not do, “If you do this, you will go to heaven. If you do that, you will go to hell.” All this is not there because we inculcated this dimension: If you are in tune with the laws, you do not need punishment. You do not need reward. If you understand the traffic rules and you are driving accordingly, you do not need a policeman.

Sanatana Dharma is what is governing the laws of nature. When we say laws of nature, right now they say there are over 1 trillion life forms on this planet, but I think there are many more that you have not even seen. From a micro-organism to a human being and everything in between, they all have come from the same soil. From the same soil, a tree or a creeper are growing. From the same soil, you have eaten, and you have this kind of body. From the same soil, I have eaten, and I have that kind of body.

You cannot become a tree, a dog, a cat, a cow, an elephant, or a tiger – do what you want. The source is the same, but look at the manifold expression. So obviously, there is a law governing it, no matter what. It is fixed like a railway track, and you are going on it. The only question is, how fast and how far will you go? How profoundly do we perceive the

Sanatana Dharma applies to every life, wherever they may be born.

Essentially, the entire system of yoga is about being in tune with the rest of

existence, so that your life happens joyfully, exuberantly, to its fullest capacity.


law, and how much are we in tune with it? If you understand the fundamental law that is governing all this and you are in tune with it, you will live effortlessly. If you do not understand it, every step, you will struggle.

Essentially, the entire system of yoga is about being in tune with the rest of existence, so that your life happens joyfully, exuberantly, to its fullest capacity. The only thing that can go wrong with your life is this: do you find full expression to your life or not? What can go wrong with a tree? The only question is, will it grow into its full capacity, or will it die as a half-grown tree?

The same is true with the human being. If you are in tune with the laws, you will grow to your full possibility. If you are not, you will become stunted in some way. Fundamentally, this is our only concern, even if people are not aware of it. All their desires, ambitions, and longings are about becoming a full-fledged life. If you want to become a full-fledged life, understanding the laws on whose basis this life is happening, is very important. The Sanatana Dharma does not belong to you or me – it is laid down by creation. It is for you and me to be in tune with it.

Here, we understood and codified it, and put it together in a certain way. This does not mean that in the rest of the world, no one knows about it. Many individual people know about it. They may not have written it down as shruti and smriti. But a whole lot of human beings around the world have been in tune with it, because everywhere, human beings have blossomed and lived well. But no culture has

put it together in organized way, because this level of understanding has not been there.

This has happened to us because we had about six to eight thousand years of uninterrupted culture. This is why we call ourselves Hindu – this uninterrupted growth and flourishing of this culture happened because of two main geographical features. The Himalayas protected us in the north; people did not cross easily. In the south, the Indian Ocean was the barrier. Once the invaders learnt how to cross the Himalayas and how to navigate the Indian Ocean, we were done. That is what happened to us in the last one thousand years.

So is Sanatana Dharma diluted today? It is not even in our hands to dilute it. Individual understanding may be diluted. From person to person, there may be different dimensions of understanding. But you cannot dilute Sanatana Dharma, because it is the basis of existence. You cannot dilute it, because you did not create it. In every age, people think there is something wrong with the younger generation. There is a quote which says, “The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders….” Who said this? Socrates said it.

Even in those times, he thought the same thing. Now, parents are thinking the same thing, and our parents thought the same thing about us. I do not think like that about the younger generation. I see that there is a possibility. The question is what kind of footprint the previous generation leaves – that decides what kind of footprint the next generation will leave. To leave a responsible footprint means inspiration and cultivation, not imposition.

If you are in tune with the laws, you will grow to your full possibility.


Alignment against AnxietyWhy Proper Posture Makes a Difference

In response to a student’s question at Bennett University, Greater Noida, Sadhguru suggests a little known practice to alleviate anxiety. Want to know how it works? Sadhguru explains its mechanics and effectiveness on the level of the human system as well as the cosmos.

MUSINGS

Questioner: Sadhguru, I suffer from anxiety. Why does it happen, and how can I control it?

Sadhguru: Mental health is a sensitive thing… When it comes to physical health, unless you have some kind of infection that comes from outside, the rest of the ailments are all coming from within us. What is coming from within you, is it your responsibility? If your body is creating an ailment from within, is it your responsibility to fix it?

Is it not true that any number of people who lie in bed like a potato till noon time are suffering from many ailments? They thought others are idiots who get up at 05:00 o’ clock in the morning and run, swim, play, or do something else. They thought they were really enjoying life, just eating and sleeping. But after some time, it takes a toll on the system. Then they think it is someone’s fortune to have good health, while they have ill health. No! Health

is created from within. If an invasion happens from outside in the form of an infection, that is a different matter.

When it comes to mental health, it is far more sensitive to say this, but still – if what happens to your body is your responsibility, is what happens to your mind not your responsibility? There may be many contributing factors. Even physical ill health may be caused due to many factors. The same may be true with mental health too. But we need to separate sadness from psychological illnesses. You cannot go to your doctor and fix your sadness; he may also be sad.

Health is created from within.


If you are medically ill, they can fix you to some extent with medication, which is a continuous manipulation of chemistry. But the most sophisticated chemical factory is right here [in the human body]. Suppose your chemistry was in your hands, would you cause anxiety or ecstasy? Definitely, your choice would be ecstasy, the highest level of pleasantness.

The problem is just this – your chemistry is out of control, for whatever reason. There may be genetic patterns, there may be pathological reasons, there may be outside stimuli, many things. But still, is it not your fundamental responsibility to take charge of your physical and mental health? The moment you think it is not yours, stalemate – it is completely out of your hands. If you see that it is your responsibility, everything may not be fixed tomorrow morning, but you can start moving towards well-being.

This is very important – the responsibility of who you are, what you are, what you are not, must move to you. This is my fundamental mission: from religion to responsibility. Religion means responsibility is up there in heaven for everything that goes wrong in your life. The problem is you are on a round planet and the damn thing is spinning. Nowhere in the cosmos is it marked “This side up.” If you don’t even know which way is up, inevitably, you are looking up in the wrong direction.

How come something “up there” is responsible for what you are? It is time we take this responsibility – then we can do the best we can do. Will everyone on the planet be of the same level of physical and mental health? No, that will never happen. But are we doing the best we can about ourselves? That is most important. What we can do, must happen. If we do not do what we cannot do, there is no problem. But if we do not do what we can do, we are a disaster.

There are simple ways to bring balance to the system. There is chemistry; there are various glandular functions happening in the body. The simplest thing is you just learn to sit properly. Sit

in such a way that the body does not need your muscular support, that it is so well balanced that if it sits, it simply sits. Just do this for a few hours a day, and you will see – you will feel much better. There are other more complex processes that you can do to come out of this problem. But at least try this much – geometrically, keep yourself in such a way that there is no stress in the system.

Initially, it looks like there is an effort, but once you sit like this, you see that without effort, without stressing any particular part, the body just stays there. Geometry is most important. This is true of anything physical in the universe – how efficiently something functions depends on how well-structured it is, geometrically. Let’s say an engine, for example. If you call something a really good engine, it means it is geometrically well-aligned; there is no friction. If you call a building well-designed, it means it is well-structured, geometrically.

It is similar with this body and with the entire cosmos. Right now, the planets are going around the Sun. Are they handled with steel cables or something? It is just the geometry. If the solar system goes off its geometric alignment, it is finished. Only because of perfection of geometry, it is working. Similarly with your body: On one level, the whole system of yoga is about getting your physical geometry aligned with the cosmic geometry, so that being here becomes absolutely effortless.

Whether you name it stress, anxiety, or whatever else – essentially, there is friction in the system. So it is important that first, the system is geometrically well-aligned, and next, it must be properly lubricated. There are ways to do this. Where there is geometrical perfection, there is no effort; there is no friction. That is what you have to bring into your system. Do not allow these small things to take over your life. One little anxiety bothering you all the time can limit and destroy the process of your life. This must be fixed as early as possible.

The problem is just this – your chemistry is out of control, for whatever reason.

The simplest thing is you just learn to sit properly.

Where there is geometrical perfection, there is no effort; there is no friction.

…are we doing the best we can about ourselves? That is most important.


MahabharatMahabharat

MaHabHaRaTSERIES

PaRT 54

Who Are Krishna and Arjuna Really?

Questioner: Sadhguru, you have likened Arjuna and Krishna’s relationship to that of Nara/Narayana. Can you tell us more about that?

Sadhguru: This theme of Nara/Narayana manifests in many different ways. The significance of this is, even if God comes down to man’s world, he needs man’s assistance. Even if God lives in your home, he needs your assistance – otherwise it does not work. You may have divine presence with you, but without your assistance, still it will not be fruitful. That is the message.

Different Names, One ConceptNara/Narayana, in this combination, acted many times. Are Arjuna/Krishna the same people? Arjuna, we can say, is the same being. To some extent, the memory carries him and gives him a certain bone density which we call destiny. We will look at Krishna later because there is no such thing as Krishna. Krishna is like a wisp. That which is the basis of everything is manifesting itself in a certain way; it could dismantle itself anytime. In other words, Nara means the same source manifested in a more compulsive manner – Narayana means the same source manifested in a more conscious manner.

Because of the burden of consciousness, [Narayana’s own] action gets limited. He chooses someone [Nara] who is a little more compulsive for action. The same theme reflects in other cultures – God and his Son acting in tandem. Nara/Narayana means just this – the same source manifesting on

In this excerpt from the one-of-a-kind Mahabharat program, Sadhguru answers a question on parallels between Arjuna/Krishna and Nara/Narayana – or are they one and the same? Find out about the dynamics of these duos, and how their different responsibilities complement each other.

one level much more or absolutely consciously, on another level more compulsively. A compulsive life is capable of more action; a conscious life should not be very active. That is the symbolism.

Krishna comes as a charioteer; he does not fight; he is not in the action. When you commit the “crime” of being both conscious and action-bound, in many ways, you cripple yourself and limit the duration and scope of your life. So they acted in tandem. If Krishna himself chose to be action, then the scope and duration of who he is would come down. But in this life, the duration does not matter for him; he is only looking at the scope.

action – Yes, Fruit – NoOnly the human mind and the human body are individual. So here, the “something more” [which is beyond body and mind, is universal and] comes in the form of Krishna/Narayana. That “something more” always travels with Arjuna/Nara. Krishna says, “O Arjuna, I am bound to you. I will be with you every moment of your life, in everything you do. Leave it to me. Don’t hesitate, just act.” You need to understand the intelligence behind such words. The normal understanding would be, “Oh, Krishna said, ‘Leave it to me,’ so I will leave it and sleep.” If I tell someone, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care,” the idiots won’t do anything.

When Krishna says, “Leave it to me and act,” he is only saying, “Leave the results to me. Don’t leave the action to me. The action is still yours. If you


were to leave the action to me, you wouldn’t exist. I would act myself – why would I need you? Leave the fruit of action to me – you keep the action.” It is very important that you understand this and are conscious of it every moment of your life – that the action is yours, but the fruit of action is not yours. There are many forces beyond your understanding, perception, and imagination. In this galaxy, the solar system, and the Earth as a planet are just specks.

Pure action versus ConsciousnessThe forces that are acting upon this planet right now are not in your perception. Some force in this galaxy may do something – you may disappear, the planet may disappear, the solar system may disappear, the very galaxy may disappear. Even the galaxy is a small happening in the cosmos. That is why when the yaksha asked, “What is the most amazing thing?” Yudhishthira said, “The most amazing thing is, though humans are mortal, they think they are forever and they are everything.” Ignorance is the most amazing thing. People manage to remain ignorant, no matter how many times you remind them.

So Arjuna is pure action. Krishna is consciousness. Krishna goes on reminding his “action tool” [Arjuna] that this is the way, but the action tool begins to think it is by itself. You popped out of this planet from nowhere, and you will go back one day, but you think you are a complete world by yourself. In your perception, the cosmos cannot exist without you. When you sleep, hasn’t the cosmos evaporated?

The Only Way OutRight now, you exist, and you are in this chakravyuha, a wheel trap. You don’t know how you got into it; for sure you don’t know how to get out of it. But if you cease to exist, you are out. Suppose you are sitting in a hall; all doors are locked; you do not know how to get out. But if you just evaporated, you are out. You are neither inside nor outside, but you are out. So we divined how to cease to exist. That is why whatever action is fine, but when they want to go beyond that, everyone looks at Shiva.

Krishna did not start a single day of his life without worshiping his personal linga that he carried with him always. No matter what, no matter where he was, even in the eighteen days of the battle, though everyone sees him as God, Krishna always worshipped the linga before he started his day. Because the only way out is to cease to exist. Shiva means that which is not. That which is not is the only thing that can be free from everything. That which is, is bound to be in some kind of a trap.

That which is, is bound to be in some kind of a wheel, some chakkar, some kind of spin is going on all the time. No matter what you do, you spin out of one chakkar and spin into another chakkar, endlessly. Whether you like it or not, you are a part of it. For example, if dirty politics are going on in the country, whether you like it or not, you are a part of it. If it spins out of control, it will suck you in. “We are sitting at the Velliangiri Hills; we are not concerned about all the nonsense that happens outside” – that is not true. If it spins out of control, it will suck you in. Anyway you are part of some chakkar, consciously or unconsciously. Better to be there consciously. The only way to come out of all chakkars is to cease to exist.

a Living FormulaEvery day, even Krishna reminds himself that Shiva is the way. To cease to exist is the way. The kaya (body) will anyway die; it will anyway cease to exist; the earth will absorb it. Whether you are a Yudhishthira, a Duryodhana, or a Krishna – the earth will absorb you. The kaya is not the problem; the other aspect of who you are is the problem. To make that cease to exist is the whole game. That is the fundamental formula that Krishna is trying to give out. It is not like a teaching. He is making his life into a formula, to make that which is beyond the body cease to exist, because that is the only way you can be free.

To be continued.

The Mahabharat series is based on Sadhguru’s talks during the one-time Mahabharat program that took place in February 2012 at the Isha Yoga Center. Through the lives and stories of the varied characters, Sadhguru takes us on a mystical exploration into the wisdom of this immortal saga.

That which is not is the only thing that can be free from everything.


Samyama 2019 at the Isha Yoga Center NEWS aND EVENTS

Isha Yoga Center, 8–15 Mar 2019:

What is Samyama? “Samyama is a state where you become fully aware that you are not the body, you are not the mind, you are not the world around,” is how Sadhguru defines the experience.

Samyama, that is also an advanced program: eight days of intense meditation under Sadhguru’s

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guidance. Sadhguru himself summed up the program in this tweet: “Over 3500 intense seekers plunge into high voltage spiritual sadhana of total silence and the grace of #Samyama. Rare are such beings in today’s world.”

Participant Dr. Urvi Chauhan shared, “I have been one of the privileged 3500 odd participants who were initiated into Samyama. There are no words to express the profoundness of this offering and gift of a lifetime…a virulent seed was sowed; left on us to nurture and fathom.”

Giving a glimpse of what it takes to facilitate such a program, Ishanga (teacher) Manjari said, “We were just 300 volunteers catering to 3,500 participants spread across two halls. None of us had even a moment of rest. I could clearly feel Sadhguru’s presence and grace lifted all of us up, and made it possible.”

Another participant, actress Kangana Ranaut, describes her Samyama experience on p. 4–5.


Youth and Truth Enters the UK Sadhguru at the London School of Economics

Bliss in the City of AngelsInner Engineering with Sadhguru in L.a.

London, 27 Mar 2019: With the launch event of Youth and Truth in the UK, Sadhguru created a stir among the students of the prestigious London School of Economics and beyond. From existential questions about life and death to current political affairs, to social issues of abuse and gender discrimination, no question was off-limits in this sparkling conversation. When the discussion came to the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and India, which has been unresolved since the partition in 1947, Sadhguru offered a practical solution: an economic union in South Asia, bringing together the nations by creating economic ties and growth. The simple rationale being that if you want to be well, everyone around you has to be well too.

Los angeles, 30–31 Mar 2019: The sprawling city of L.A., famed for its film industry and hedonism, may not be the most obvious destination to explore deeper dimensions of life. But perhaps exactly the realization that fulfillment cannot be found on the outside, motivated many of the over 3000 participants to attend the Inner Engineering Program with Sadhguru and engineer their own life from inside. It was springtime in the city, as a blossoming of a different kind unfolded at the Convention Center in the heart of vibrant Downtown L.A. A participant shared, “There are no words to express how deeply this has moved me. It has been a journey for me of joy, tears, pain, bliss all encompassed into one and has left me so incredibly fulfilled. Life finally makes sense and nothing can replace this completeness that I feel within myself. I will be forever grateful to all the volunteers for their loving dedication and to Sadhguru for being a beacon of light in my life.”


beverley Hills, 3 apr 2019: On a warm California evening, Rabbi David Wolpe, named the most influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine, spoke with Sadhguru on the “Mechanics of Mysticism.” Crossing religious, ethnic, and cultural borders, the event featuring a Rabbi in conversation with a Mystic from India was hosted by the Persian American Women’s Conference. In their lively exchange, they touched upon subjects spanning from the cyclical nature of existence, to raising children, human empowerment, and looking at life just the way it is. Sadhguru’s zinger that if you look at life without any prejudice, you can’t help laughing at it, sent a ripple of laughter through the Writers Guild Theater and had the audience in splits.

Sandegoundenpalayam (Coimbatore), 3 apr 2019: It was a proud moment for the students and staff of the Isha Vidhya School in Sandegoundenpalayam, a few kilometers away from the Isha Yoga Center, when Puducherry’s Lieutenant Governor Dr. Kiran Bedi visited their school. Dr. Kiran Bedi not only showed great interest in the Isha Vidhya methodology, but seemed to be visibly touched by the interactions with students, teachers, administrators, and the central academic team of Isha Vidhya. She even sat down on the floor for lunch with the students.

Mechanics of MysticismInfluential US Rabbi in Conversation with Sadhguru

Kiran Bedi Visits Isha Vidhya SchoolPuducherry’s Lt. Governor Meets Rural Students

Adiyogi Divya Darshanama Spectacular Sound and Light Show

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Maa Gambhiriabsolutely balanced and Dignified

ON THE PaTHOF THE DIVINE

“Sorry, this parking space is reserved for Jaggi,” the volunteer told me politely. “How unfair,” I grumbled as I drove from one lane to the next, trying to find another parking spot. I had come essentially for my sister who wanted to attend this yoga class, hoping it would help her asthma condition. I somehow landed up with the responsibility of dropping and picking her up, hence I also landed up in the class. As an active girl just out of my teens training to be a pilot, the yoga class was certainly not something I fancied.

So here I was, sitting grumpily in the class, expecting someone like a gym trainer to walk in and show us some yoga poses. To my utter disappointment, a few minutes later, a bearded man entered the class in his white kurta and dhoti, walking very gently. Though I found Sadhguru’s voice very arresting, I didn’t pay much attention. In fact, the next day,

In this series, each month, one of our Isha Brahmacharis or Sanyasis shares their individual background, observations, and experiences of what it means for them to walk this sacred “Path of the Divine.”

Here, Maa Gambhiri candidly recounts her transformation from a young aspiring pilot to a devoted sanyasi, Sadhguru’s metamorphosis from a yoga teacher to a Guru, how the Dhyanalinga consecration impacted Sadhguru’s body in front of their eyes, and other landmark experiences from the early days until now.

I drove in early and stole his parking spot! Feeling very satisfied, I sat in the class. Third day, his parking spot was available, but I chose not to take it. That day, I sat in attention, listening to every word with absolute focus. To my surprise, he came up to me after the class and casually talked to me about my flying experience. That night I did not sleep.

I had no clue about what a spiritual path is, what enlightenment is, or what a Guru is. And I didn’t know who Sadhguru is, but I felt I had known him forever. There was an utter clarity within me that day that this path, whatever it was, would be my life, but I had no idea how. From then on, I started to actively volunteer. Since I was so young, my parents were worried whether I really understood what it meant to walk this path. So they met Sadhguru to understand what was happening.

After the meeting, Sadhguru advised me to take a


three-month break and see if this was what I really wanted. My parents packed me off to UK, but of course, my clarity was for real and I came back just in time for the 90-day Wholeness program. I am grateful to my parents who respected my decision and blessed my journey ahead.

From Yoga Teacher to GuruWhat I saw of Sadhguru during the 90-day Wholeness program matured my relationship with him in so many ways. Every day, he would come looking very different, and exuding totally different energy. For the first 30 days, each day he would conduct a new yet explosive meditation. Many of us had visions of life beyond our normal sense perception. At the end of the 90 days, I felt as we moved from being friends to disciples to devotees, so too, Sadhguru’s persona morphed from being a yoga teacher, to a mystic, to a Guru. I simply stayed on as a fulltime resident after the Wholeness – it was not a matter of choice anymore.

Finding My balanceAfter the Wholeness, my energies opened up in such a way that I was facing peaks of joy and peaks of hell within me on a daily basis. For a 20-year-old girl, it was too much to bear sometimes. A day came when I felt I had hit the pit within, and I called up Sadhguru for help. “I have given you all the tools that can bring you out of this,” was all he said and put the phone down. I thought about it and made my own sadhana schedule. For the next 48 days, from morning 10:30 to evening 5:30, I sat on a stone under a neem tree, and did three hours of AUM chanting and three hours of Sukha Kriya followed by Samyama meditation. This brought me an inner balance that till today carries me through situations in so many ways. This was a turning point in life that grounded me to the path. I was initiated into brahmacharya in 1996.

Vijji akkaWe were just five people at the ashram in the beginning. Our beloved Patti would cook for us over the fire wood stove. A small security shed doubled up as kitchen cum dining. I used to assist Patti in her work. Sadhguru would join us in cutting vegetables whenever he was in the ashram. Vijji and I connected very well with each other from the very beginning. Whenever she was in the ashram, we used to do our practices together. On the day she left her body, actually I was with her through the day.

On 23 January 1997, a full moon day, Sadhguru called and asked me to be with Vijji. She was on a

certain sadhana, so I sat with her either meditating or assisting her in cooking for the brahmacharis. She used to serve us a meal on full moon days. However, after our first meditation session, she walked straight to Sadhguru’s desk, picked up a diary, and handed it to me saying, “Henceforth, you write all Jaggi’s appointments in this and send it to him” – I protested mildly. But she insisted. I took it thinking that I was not going to do it anyways. Never knew her grand plans of leaving her body the very same evening.

I have the diary with me till date. Not just as a souvenir from her but a huge reminder of the possibility that exists here. In my moments of despair and frustration, it has kept me going.

The Cost of ConsecrationMeanwhile, Sadhguru had started working on the energy processes related to Dhyanalinga consecration and we had no idea what it meant. Sadhguru had been preparing us for the event that he might leave his body after the consecration – he had, in fact, already built his samadhi beforehand. We were in turmoil within ourselves; while we wanted Dhyanalinga to be consecrated, Sadhguru’s life was too precious for us. Not knowing how to help the situation, we brahmacharis decided to do whatever we could to ease his life.

We were all very young, so first we decided that we would not fight amongst ourselves and that we would sort our differences among ourselves instead of bothering him. Second, we started doing the Chit Shakti meditation to wish a long life for him.

Sadhguru wouldn’t give us a date for the final consecration as he wanted his system to be fully ready. We were living at the edge of our lives waiting for that day. On 23 June 1999, Sadhguru said that the consecration would happen the next day. He told me to invite only a few very disciplined volunteers who would not disturb him in the final


phase of this process. So we had about 150 –200 people sitting in the dome.

During this process, the invited meditators sat with their backs to the Linga and brahmacharis sat facing the Linga. Sadhguru was on the avudaiyar. Towards the end of a certain process, he said “Agna.” We followed the instructions he had given us earlier and went along with the process. Then he said “Vishuddhi,” then “Anahata.” When he said “Manipuraka,” he bent forward as if in pain. Then he said, “Swadhishthana,” and he looked unstable on his feet. Finally, we heard him say, “Muladhara,” and next we saw him fall down. I instinctively ran and put my hand under his head before it would hit the avudaiyar stone. By then the other brahmacharis also came and gathered around.

We carried him out to a vehicle and to his house and did not see him for three days after that, except for a brief appearance for the gathering of volunteers. Even then he had to be supported by the brahmacharis. I was restless, hoping for a reassuring word about his health. Three days later, I got the message to come and meet Sadhguru, and there he was sitting on his easy chair, smiling and looking glorious. I held on to him and wept. He was in tears too. Everything felt perfect in that moment. He was there, alive... with us.

With the consecration finished, the activities multiplied and we were all multitasking. From housekeeping to kitchen to ashram administration, my own activities kept growing.

an Unexpected RevelationLater in the years when lsha Yatra became my primary responsibility, Sadhguru asked me to explore if we could take meditators to Kailash Manasarovar in Tibet. So in 2006, we took the first 160 meditators on this sacred yatra. I was busy with organizing work and never once thought of Kailash and Manasarovar in a spiritual context. It was an activity which had to be done well.

When Sadhguru’s jeep stopped at one point and I saw him getting out, I too got out of my vehicle. There was a large lake in the distance straight ahead. Something shifted within me as I looked at it. My eyes welled up. I turned towards Sadhguru, and he was in tears too. Since then, organizing Kailash Manasarovar yatra each year has become an integral part of my life. Though it means insurmountable jugglery to safely send hundreds of meditators from different countries to a barren high-altitude region in China, I unreservedly feel fortunate and blessed to be given this responsibility.

The bliss of the PainSomething very different happened to me during the yatra in 2009. While going up to Kailash, I had an accident where I suffered multiple fractures in my wrist. The pain was unbearable. They gave me several injections and painkillers, but nothing worked. At some point, I found myself chanting “Shambho” within myself, and soon enough, I was chanting “Sadhguru” in the same way. Slowly, I realized there was a distance between the pain and me. The excruciating pain was still very much there, and yet, I was not in pain.

When I returned from Kailash that year, I knew something fundamental had changed within me. I realized that for as long as I have known, since childhood, no matter how joyful I was, I always had an inexplicable pain within me – that pain was gone!

Another time, when I was feeling low, I went on my usual evening walk towards Shivapadam. As I walked, feeling the gentle breeze on me, I felt a calmness overtaking me. I slowed, and looked at the mountain. I felt a feeling of allinclusiveness creeping up on me. The sky, the mountains, the breeze, the trees, and all the life around felt as one within me. The feeling lasted for a while. For many days after that, I walked barefoot as I felt very connected to the touch of the earth, and I felt a sense of deep silence within. My most wonderful and transformative moments happened when I least expected them.

Envy of the GodsIn the initial years, from the humble beginning on a small piece of land, we would dream of a time when the world would recognize Sadhguru for who he is. It is extremely heartwarming to finally see that happening. From accompanying Sadhguru in his search for this ashram land till today, it is my privilege to be on this journey end to end. Sadhguru had once said that we must create a space that even the Gods would envy. Well, I live with the One who makes them.

This is an excerpt of Maa’s sharing. Read the full article on the Isha Blog.


UPCOMING PROGRaMS aND EVENTS

Date Program Place Contact

3–6 May 2019 Guru Pooja TrainingIsha Yoga Center,

Velliangiri Foothills, Coimbatore – India

83000 [email protected]

14–17 May 2019 Shoonya Intensive

Isha Yoga Center,Velliangiri Foothills, Coimbatore – India


18 May 2019(culmination:

1 Jul 2019)

Shivanga Sadhana Initiation (Gents)

Isha Yoga Center, Velliangiri Foothills,

Coimbatore & local centers – India


20–24May 2019

21–25May 2019

Isha Yoga Summer Program for Children


[email protected]

29 May –5 Jun 2019

8-Day Hatha Yoga Program



29 May – 18 Jun 2019

21-Day Hatha Yoga Program



14–15 Jul 2019 In the Lap of the Master



16 Jul 2019 Guru PurnimaIsha Yoga Center,

Velliangiri Foothills, Coimbatore – India

83000 83111

16 Jul 2019Nanmai Uruvam Ceremony with

Sadhguru (Ishanga 7%)



16 Jul 2019 Sannidhi Yantra Ceremony with

Sadhguru



31 Jul 2019 Yantra Ceremony with Sadhguru



4–20 Aug 2019 Kailash-Manasarovar Sacred Walks Nepal/China 8144 123 123

[email protected]

Current at the time of print, however subject to change. For full program schedules and updates, please visit www.ishayoga.org/Schedule/Yoga-Programs


ISHa RECIPE

Quinoa Crunch Salad

How to cook the quinoa:

1. Pour the quinoa into a mesh colander and rinse under running water. Drain well.

2. Combine the rinsed 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water in a saucepan.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water (in about 10 to 20 minutes).

4. Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. In this step, the quinoa will pop open and become nice and fluffy. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add salt to taste. (Optionally, stir a drizzle of olive oil into warm quinoa for extra flavor.)

METHOD

1 cup uncooked Quinoa (or Samo/Mordhan/Saamai rice)

1 Pomegranate

1 cup chopped Italian (flat-leaf) Parsley or freshly chopped Coriander

½ cup Almonds

½ Lime

2 small Oranges (sweet)

3 tsps. Olive oil

½ tsp. Salt; more to taste

¼ tsp. black cracked Pepper

½ tsp. Cumin powder

1–2 chopped Avocados (or Guava)

How to prepare the salad:

1. Slice and gently toast the almonds; set aside.

2. Deseed the pomegranate and place the seeds in a bowl. Add to it a cup of chopped coriander.

3. For the dressing, in a separate bowl, add the juice of two small oranges, half a squeezed lemon, three teaspoons of olive oil, salt and pepper as per taste, and half a teaspoon of cumin powder. Beat the ingredients together with a spoon to blend it.

4. Mix the quinoa with the pomegranate seeds and coriander and add the dressing.

5. Cut the avocado or guava into thin strips.

6. Adjust the salt to taste. Gently fold in the avocado or guava right before serving.

INGREDIENTS


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