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No Pain or Gain
I live a life where there is
No pain or gain
Even the butterfly or the bird
Cannot imagine to soar
As I do upon wind and rain
Or just the emptiness of the sky
As I am what I breathe
touch and cannot touch
I courted the Boundless
Ended up with the blessed Emptiness
I am for all and all is for me
I have no pain or gain
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Editorial
Dear Readers,
In this month’s Lead Article, Sadhguru encourages us to laugh at our own stupidity. But not only
Even for those who do not have the necessary awareness, inclination, or opportunity to actively
work towards their spiritual growth, Sadhguru has created ways for them to passively benefit. In
our article “Tools to Touch Lives,” he speaks on the power and impact of rituals – provided that
certain parameters are maintained by those who perform them.
In “The Greatest Thing in Life,” Sadhguru responds to a meditator’s question on how to make
one’s Guru proud. Be prepared for a surprising Guru Dakshina. His answer is touchingly sweet,
and our short article “Ultimate Sweetness” picks up this theme of turning whatever we touch into
sweetness.
And there we are at this month’s subject of our Isha Hata Yoga series: “Honey.” Learn some little
known facts about how this naturally sweet substance impacts your system. But still – consume in
moderation. This leads us to a new edition and a new dialog partner in our In Conversation with
the Mystic series. Ad Guru Piyush Pandey heretically questions the very basis that his industry
furthers and thrives on. With the article “Spirituality and Consumerism – Irreconcilable Opposites?”
we bring you the first part of a stimulating exchange.
Recapitulating some of the event highlights in the month of January, we have Sadhguru and
a living legend in this field playing golf to make a rural child’s life, the Master conducting the
biggest program so far in South East Asia, and him back at the ashram, taking over 10,000 Tamil
meditators into his lap. Enjoy the read, munching on “Crunchy Ragi Pakodas,” if you please.
Editorial Team:
Isha Forest Flower c/o Isha Yoga Center, Semmedu P.O., Velliangiri Foothills, Coimbatore – 641114
forestflower@ishafoundation.org
Musings
Tools to Touch Lives
Sadhguru on Uncorrupted Rituals 6
This is the power of the ritual – you can conduct The more access you have to another human being,
it for any number of people, even if they are the cleaner you have to be. If “What about me?” is
ignorant of it. In contrast, doing anything spiritual, the biggest question in your mind, you should not
meditative, is in a way safer and cleaner, but you have access to anyone. If this one question does
have to prepare the person. A ritual does not need not arise in your mind, you are free to touch any
preparation – you can do it for the whole town. being, and you should. Millions of people need this,
It may be a million ignorant people – still, if they because nothing has truly touched them. Without
just sit there, we can make them benefit. But unless being touched, the being will not be a being – the
the person who performs the ritual has a certain being will just be a body.
integrity, rituals become a tool for exploitation.
Upcoming Episodes:
1 Mar 2014 Tarun Tahiliani
8 Mar 2014 Siddharth
15 Mar 2014 Shekhar Kapur
22 Mar 2014 Dr. Prathap Reddy
Ultimate Sweetness
Sadhguru on the Compassion of Creation
The chant Jananam Sukhadam, Maranam Karunam share their present experience with everyone
essentially means, the beginning of life is sweetness – around them. If you are miserable, you try to share
death is compassion. Immortality would be a curse your misery. If you are angry, you will share your
that would be most difficult to live with. Imagine anger. If you are hateful, you will share your hate. If
we could not die and had to live here for 10 million you are loving, you will share your love. If you are
years! We want to live a full life, but still, the compassionate, you will share your compassion. One
great compassion of life is that it will end one day. way or the other, we exude whatever is our present
The greatest compassion is if one transcends the state to all life around us. The most important thing
limitations of time and space within oneself. It is the is to bring ourselves to ultimate sweetness within
burden of time what makes life into a grinding mill. us, so that whatever we touch turns into sweetness.
The most compassionate way to exist is to be here And that is the only thing a human being can do.
and be above time.
Program Contents:
Upayoga
A simple yet powerful set of 10 practices that activate the joints,
muscles, and energy system, bringing ease to the whole system.
Angamardhana
A series of 30 processes to invigorate the body, and reach peak
physical fitness and mental health.
Suryakriya
An ancient and potent 21-step yogic practice, designed as a
holistic process for health and inner wellbeing.
Yogasanas
A set of powerful postures through which one can elevate one’s
consciousness and enhance one’s energies.
Bhuta Shuddhi
Literally “purification of the elements” – a process of purifying
the five elements within the human system.
www.ishahatayoga.com
Piyush: Pranam. Lots of you must be wondering else also got a new mobile phone. When it comes
what the hell I am doing here. When I was asked to to children’s products, I think the paranoia is at a
be in this conversation, I said, “I will do it, but what phenomenal level.
are you calling this session? “Sadhu Aur Shaitan”
[The Ascetic and the Devil]?” [Laughter] When I was young, no one stopped me from
climbing trees, no one gave me extra supplements
This is a great opportunity for all of us to learn. I am with my food, and people allowed me to do things
going to try and see if we can get the maximum out that I wanted to do. Today, we are feeding our
of Sadhguru. I don’t know when he is going to be children all kinds of things, which is paranoia to me.
with us again. The next stage of paranoia could be that mothers
will say to their sons, “Become a batsman; I want
Now, “Spirituality & Consumerism.” Is it versus you to be a Tendulkar, but I don’t want you to be a
or with each other? The first thing that I want bowler.” Why not a bowler? Have you seen Muttiah
to ask you – is consumerism actually driven by Muralitharan? He puts his fingers into his mouth,
paranoia? People buy six saris because they are bowls – the leather ball travels all over the ground
afraid that when they go to a party, someone else before it comes back to him again, and again he
there is wearing the same sari. People buy a new licks it. The little guy says, “But Muralitharan is still
mobile phone every three months because someone living – he has not died of any germs.” She says, “But
Questioner: Krishna always talked about dharma to kill an unarmed person, but Jayadrada thought,
and adharma, but during the Kurukshetra war, he “Even if he is just 17 years of age, he causes too
used deceit to kill most of the great warriors, such much devastation.” He felt he must put an end
as Bhishma and Dronacharya. Did he not practice to Abhimanyu and attacked him. Abhimanyu
what he taught? picked up a chariot wheel and fought with that.
Jayadrada alone could not kill him, so he called
Sadhguru: What Krishna did in the battlefield was for support. Many of the Kaurava heroes gathered
not just deceit – it was absolute treachery. around Abhimanyu, which was totally against the
laws of the battle. They all surrounded the boy
There were intricate strategic formations in which and killed him.
the warriors fought. One such formation, called
chakravyuha, was almost impossible to penetrate, It was a rule of the war that when the sun sets, they
unless you knew its intricacies. Arjuna used to be must stop fighting. In the evening, when Arjuna
the only one who had this knowledge. When his came back to his camp, he saw his people mourning
wife Subhadra was pregnant with Abhimanyu, and realized that Abhimanyu had been killed in such
Arjuna spoke in the presence of his unborn son a way. In straight battle, only very few men could
about how to penetrate a chakravyuha, and even have defeated Abhimanyu. Someone described how
in his mother’s womb, Abhimanyu grasped it. they had surrounded him from all sides and slain
But Arjuna did not talk about how to come out him. Arjuna took a vow: “By tomorrow sundown,
of the chakravyuha. Many years later, when the I will have killed Jayadrada. Otherwise, I will kill
Kaurava army formed itself into a chakravyuha and myself.” Hearing this, Dhuryodhana was overjoyed.
was about to slaughter the whole Pandava army, He thought all they have to do was to completely
Abhimanyu, by then 17 years of age but already a protect Jayadrada, and Arjuna would die that night
great hero, broke like a furious arrow through the by his own hand, because he would stick to his
chakravyuha, because he knew how to penetrate it. word. Jayadrada was terrified. He wanted to quit
Bhima and Yudhisthira tried to follow him to save the battle and go home. Dhuryodhana told him
him, but when Abhimanyu went into the center, that this would not be good for their reputation. He
immediately, the chakravyuha closed again. In said to Jayadrada, “Don’t worry. We will deploy all
the middle of the chakravyuha, with no one else our forces to protect you.” Next day, they formed a
to support him, he killed many key people of the huge protection for Jayadrada so that he would not
Kaurava army. Then his chariot went down. All get killed. But from the first moment of the battle,
his weapons were broken. You are not supposed Arjuna started penetrating through the opposing
Inner Engineering
Isha Yoga Center, 0422-2515421
6–9 Mar 2014 Retreat
Coimbatore – India ieretreat@ishafoundation.org
Residential Program
Inner Engineering
Isha Yoga Center, 0422-2515421
27–30 Mar 2014 Retreat
Coimbatore – India ieretreat@ishafoundation.org
Residential Program
INSIGHT: The DNA of
Isha Yoga Center, 83000 84888
27–30 Nov 2014 Success
Coimbatore – India leadership@ishainsight.org
with Sadhguru
These programs are conducted in English, unless indicated otherwise. Current at the time of print, however subject
to change. For full program schedules and updates, please visit our website: www.ishafoundation.org.
Ingredients
2 cups Ragi (finger millet) flour
1/2 cup Besan (roasted gram/chickpea flour)
2 cups Cabbage (shredded)
1/2 cup Capsicum (chopped small)
1 tablespoon Curry leaves
1/4 cup Coriander leaves
1 inch piece Ginger
1/2 cup Cashew pieces
1 tablespoon White sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper powder (or chili powder)
Salt to taste
Cold-pressed coconut oil for frying
1/2 teaspoon Chaat masala
Preparation Method
1. Peel and mince the ginger. Coarsely chop the coriander and curry leaves. Mix the veggies
and herbs – cabbage, capsicum, ginger, coriander and curry leaves – in a bowl.
2. Mix the dry ingredients – ragi flour, besan, cashew pieces, sesame seeds, salt, and black
pepper powder/chili powder – in a large mixing bowl.
3. Heat the oil for frying. Add 2 tablespoons of this hot oil to the dry mix. Now add the
vegetables to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add just enough water to form a dough.
Fry bite-size portions of this dough in hot oil.
4. Sprinkle with chaat masala before serving.
The health benefits and nutrition offered by ragi are immense. Ragi is a remarkable source of
protein and minerals and contains important amino acids. It has a high amount of calcium and
potassium and is a great source of iron. Ragi contains tryptophan, an amino acid that reduces
appetite. Ragi is known to relax the body naturally, and is thus beneficial in conditions of anxiety,
depression, and insomnia.
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is no small grace
The little one’s welcome
No Pain or Gain
I live a life where there is
As I am what I breathe
touch and cannot touch
I courted the Boundless
Ended up with the blessed Emptiness
I am for all and all is for me
I have no pain or gain
Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No. TNENG/2013/53333