FF September 2011

CONTENTS
Main Article
Keep the Wheels Spinning
4
Musings
6
3
Sadhguru on the Purpose of Sadhana
Speech is of the Society 20
Insights by Sadhguru
The Greatest One of All
The Seat of Perception
Tuned for Success
The Meditative Bull
8
9
10
Sadhgurus Encounter with His Guru
Sadhguru on Spine and Brain
Sadhguru on How to Benefit from the Yantras
Shekhar Kapur in Conversation with Sadhguru
12 Leela and Brahmacharya A Contradiction?
Leela Series
The path of the playful Part XXIV:
Great Masters Fix-Alls? / Going beyond the Senses /
14
16
15
18
17
News & Happenings
Nutritious On-Campus Meals for Rural Students
Spiritual Gurus and Godmen Two Different Species
In Gratitude to the Master
Poolside, with a Mountain View
A New Spacious Theerthakund
Isha Vidhya Schools now with their Own Kitchens and Gardens
Sadhguru on NDTVs We The People
Excerpted from Sadhguru Spot, 3 August 2011
The Foundation Stone Ceremony
Sharing Experiences
Living Spaces Filled with Grace
19
September 2011 FOREST FLOWER
SADHGURU
Q: Ive been doing my practices for three years
and I havent had any great experiences or seen
any changes in me. So, what should motivate me
to continue doing the practices?
Sadhguru: You need to understand what a practice
is. If you want to consciously move your hand, you
can. If you want to move your mind somewhere,
you can do that too, to some extent. Similarly, you
can move your emotions. Now, can you move your
energies? No. So we do the practices so that that
part of your life begins to move too. If everything
moves your body, your mind, your emotions
but your energies dont move, you still dont go
anywhere. The practice is to loosen that dimension
of your life which is normally not in your hands.
Your physical body is largely in your hands, but
still it is not moving the way you want it; it is doing
its own things. Your mind could easily be taken
into your hands, but it may also not be doing what
you want right now; it may be doing a thousand
other things. Your emotions can easily be focused
and taken where you want, but that also may not
be happening. But if you make up your mind, you
can move your body, mind, and emotions. Every
one of you is capable of that if you really make up
your mind. But even if you make up your mind,
you cannot move your energies; this is not in your
grasp at all.
The sadhana is brought into your life so that
that dimension of your life begins to move. If
transformation is not happening, it means that
you are not doing much about the other three
4
Keep the Wheels Spinning
Sadhguru on the Purpose of Sadhana
dimensions. Your body has not been disciplined,
your mind has not been disciplined, your emotions
have not been disciplined, but you are doing
practices because you think it is some kind of a
magic wand that will pay off for you. It will, but
still It is like, right now, in some places in the
ashram, there is a certain level of soggy soil. When
you drive, one mistake and you will be stuck.
Even if just one wheel is stuck and the other three
wheels are spinning, still you cannot go anywhere.
You are stuck badly enough. Sometimes, two are
stuck, the other two are spinning you are not
going anywhere. Sometimes, all three are stuck;
if only one is spinning nothing! If all are stuck,
that is a different matter. When all are stuck, you
cannot call it a car anymore it is part of the
earth; you are not going anywhere.
Life is just like that. If your journey has to be from
one dimension to another, all the four have to
move. On one or two wheels, you can still do your
career, you can still manage your family, you can
still be successful in the world, but if you want to
move from one dimension to another, all the four
have to move there is no other way, otherwise
you wont go anywhere. So you may be doing your
practices but neglecting the other aspects.
We have always told you this, but in a different
way But the younger generation is slowly
reducing their communication to fve-word
sentences. You must make a sentence only with
fve words, otherwise they will lose their focus. As
people are becoming like this, I am also trying to
make the teaching like this, because otherwise, it
goes over peoples heads. [Laughs]
So I am giving you a formula kind of teaching.
This is, every day in the morning, before you do
your sadhana, you give yourself a crash course of
Inner Engineering.
Remind yourself of fve things:
All the rules in the existence are my rules.
My responsibility is limitless.
The way it is right now is the way it is.
Im not the body; Im not the mind.
Im a mother to the world.
If one dose a day is not enough, remind yourself
every hour and do your sadhana. You will see
it will work much better because now, the
other three dimensions body, mind, and
emotions are being taken care of. You have to
remind yourself; otherwise, your thought, your
emotion, your physicality keeps getting entangled
with just about everything around you. If you are
just trying to pump up your energies, it wont go
anywhere because three wheels are stuck, one
wheel is spinning, so it will not go. So every day,
every hour, or why not every minute, remind
yourself. It just takes ten seconds.
Just do this and do your sadhana; you will see,
things will start moving. On the frst day, when
you were initiated, it worked; later on, why is
not working? You are not setting the necessary
conditions, thats all. Otherwise, as you practice, it
should work better. Anything that you do should
work better as you practice. If it does not work
better, it is simply because you are not setting
the needed conditions. So release the other three
wheels; this wheel [the energies] will spin anyway.
Still it may not move ahead because you may be
in a deep ditch. It is okay, keep spinning. As long
as your wheels are spinning, even if you are not
moving, all you need is a nudge. When we feel you
are ready to go, we may give you a nudge, and you
will start moving. But if wheels are stuck, thats
tough. Then you need much more than a nudge.
So you must keep all the four wheels spinning.
Excerpted from a talk by Sadhguru
5
6
Sadhgurus Encounter
The Greatest
One of All
There have been many absolutely fabulous Gurus.
Each one of them functioned in different ways.
Their ways were so different that every time a
Guru came, people compared him to the one that
had been there before and they said, No, this
is not how a Guru should be. He must be like
that They had said the same thing about the
Guru who had come before, because the previous
one had not been like that one either. So what is
the nature of a Guru? If he has his own nature,
he is not a Guru. He has no nature of his own. He
carefully constructs his personality, attitude and
everything as he feels it will be most effective, and
also depending on how he evolved. It has nothing
to do with him being a person. The other day,
somebody asked me, What kind of a person are
you really? Really, I am not a person, because
in different situations, I am a different kind of
person. So are you acting all the time? No. I really
make myself like that. You too make yourself in
a certain way, but you are doing it compulsively.
I do it consciously, that is all the difference and
that is a world of difference. When two people are
together, what you experience as suppression or
imposition by others is always their compulsion.
What you call as personality is a certain limitation
that you establish. You have to establish some
framework, otherwise you cannot function.
This needs to be understood a Guru is not a
person, it is a certain possibility. Let me talk about
the greatest of all of them that is my Guru.
[Applause] Now, what is this nonsense, you think
your Guru is the greatest? Yes. Only because in
my experience, I saw him as the greatest, I aspired
for him. If I thought there was somebody better
than him, I would have gone to that one.
My physical proximity with my Guru was just
for a few minutes. He is that kind of a ruthless
man that he waited for me to go through a
Brooding, squinting, staring
I could not hit the mark
He walks in like a wanton monarch
With a crooked stick, makes his mark
7
lifetime of heartbreaking sadhana. I explored
various possibilities and dimensions, went to any
number of places, did absolutely intense sadhana,
experienced various states of samadhis, acquired
various capabilities, the kind of capabilities with
which people today would easily set up a shop and
make a big thing out of it. Almost two lifetimes I
had spent in such intense spiritual pursuit and was
almost there, but not quite there. So I explored
various occult sciences, just to track down somebody
who could push me across the fnal step. The
journey took various directions; I sourced all kinds
of people. When a sadhaka becomes so burningly
intense, fnding an appropriate Guru becomes a big
problem. If you are lukewarm, you can fnd many.
When you raise your pitch beyond a certain point,
fnding an appropriate one becomes rare.
So in this state, because of a certain understanding
of and mastery over the system, knowing the
process of creation within me on many levels,
I decided to leave my body and do the search
without the body. There are any number of beings
like that who, because they could not fnd the
necessary push when they were in the body, have
left and searched because being without a body
gives you a little more freedom to look around. So
it was at such a point that my Guru entered my
life and obviously, he came with his own game
plan, and I got all that from him. He did not even
care to touch me with his foot I always thought,
Why didnt he at least use his foot? He used his
stick. [Laughs] And in those few minutes maybe
in my experience it was a few minutes, but maybe
it was a long time everything that can happen to
a human being happened to me.
The culture and the nature of my sadhana had
exposed me to a certain dimension, a certain form
which has been a gateway for millions of spiritual
seekers that which is referred to as Shiva.
Though the Ultimate had happened, there was still
a trace of I dont know what to call it maybe
discontent that this did not come in the form of
Shiva. So on seeing that he [Sadhgurus Guru] took
on this form and stood there in the traditional
form of what we have known as Shiva, everything
settled. And it was in these few moments that this
fabulous, crafty man enslaved me for his project.
[Laughs] And, if not for that project which he
wanted to be fulflled through me, my physical
presence here would be out of question. Especially
in that particular life I wondered, why didnt he
do it himself? His capability, the legend around
him, was so big. He could have manifested it in so
many ways. Why didnt he do it himself? Maybe,
when he could fnd a dumbo like me to do it, why
should he do it himself? [Laughs]
I am sure his ability to do it was absolute. It
took me two more lifetimes. In my enthusiasm
to make it happen, in my longing to fulfll his
vision and dream, I unnecessarily worked too
hard in those two lifetimes. I could have just
relaxed and waited for this moment and made
it happen, but I could not rest for a moment,
because I wanted to make it happen as soon as
possible. When the [Dhyanalinga] consecration
process was coming close, in many ways I clearly
saw that my whole effort of two lifetimes had
been wasteful, simply because he had set the
time as to when the Dhyanalinga should happen.
Now I clearly see that it was just timed right.
on Guru Pournima
What can the poor Guru do?
All I have done is do and do
Afer seeing all that is there to see
He comes to teach me how to Be.
8
Q: Sadhguru, if people had a surgery or other medical
procedures done on their back or brain, does that
affect their kundalini and their spiritual sadhana?
Sadhguru: Fortunately, surgeons are not operating
on the chakras, they are operating on the body.
But spinal surgeries could affect people. We would
always advise to strengthen your spine rather than
going for surgeries and procedures. That region
should not be touched except by those who are really
aware of what is happening. In many cases, I have
even spoken against massage therapy, chiropractic
and all this, not because they are necessarily doing
something wrong, it is just that if you want to
expand your perception, your perception grows
from your spine. Your spinal column is the basis of
everything that you experience right now. If you
want to transcend the limitations of who you are
right now, this is the most important part of your
body. You are not going for brain surgery unless
something is seriously wrong, so there is no need to
comment about that. Maybe you would go for hair
transplantation [laughter], but you could avoid that.
It would save a lot of time and give you extra time
for sadhana if you dont have hair. [Laughs]
So when it comes to spinal procedures, unless
something very serious has happened in an accident
or an injury which cannot be fxed without a
surgery, if there is just a little bit of pain, a little
bit of a problem, these things can be fxed. It takes
work to build it, but you can build it. The spine
regenerates very well compared to any other part of
your body. Thousands of people who had worn out
discs have completely recovered from it by simply
doing certain practices.
In terms of life, the spine is such an active place
that very easily, you can rejuvenate and regenerate
the cells that have been lost there. It is also very
easy to do that in your brain. If people who are
suffering from dementia and the like do the right
kind of things, they could regenerate that. There
is substantial scientifc evidence for this. Even in
your life right now, how many neurons are active or
present varies in a big way, depending on how you
are using your mind. When you are a little down or
intoxicated or depressed or whatever, the number
may be much less. By doing the right kind of things,
you can enhance this. Defnitely, this would be a
boon for every human being, it does not matter who
he or she is. The world could do with a little more
intelligence.
Henry Markram
1
has done a phenomenal amount
of research on the brain in the Blue Brain Project.
This is the frst time that the human brain has been
fully mapped; that is, they are creating a virtual,
electronic brain; they will have a simulated human
brain with a keyboard attached. [Laughs] Right
now your problem is, you got a brain, but you dont
have the keyboard [laughter]; something works,
something doesnt work. If you could have a full-
fedged keyboard to your brain, if you could type out
whatever you want, you would become a thousand
times more capable than what you are because this
brain is capable of such complexity of action. This
brain is such a complex machinery; most people
have never trained as to how to use it. It would take
a certain level of dedication and focus to learn to use
it. I think most people are only using a fraction of
the capabilities of their computer. There are so many
ways to use that machine, but not everybody knows
how. The same thing with the brain everybodys
brain is capable of many things, but this is not at
your fngertips that is the problem.
The Seat of Perception
8

1
Director of the Blue Brain Project at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. The Project is an attempt to create a synthetic brain
by reverse-engineering the mammalian brain down to the molecular level
Sadhguru on Spine and Brain
9
Q: Sadhguru, Ive had fnancial and health problems
for some time. I got an Avighna Yantra, but my
problems are still not solved. Am I doing something
wrong? How do I receive the Grace of Devi?
Sadhguru: See, this must be understood the Devi is
not going to work on your bank balance. [Laughter]
The Devi works upon you, in such a way that you
are in a conducive state, that you will be naturally
successful. Success does not come because you wish
for it. Success comes because you have the right kind
of capability and attitude within yourself your
body, your mind, everything is tuned for success. If
you do not tune yourself for success, success will not
come, even if you work hard 24 hours of the day. So
the Devi is only tuning you for success. The Devi is
not going to fll your coffers.
The following incident happened in Chennai: Every
day, somebody travelled a very long distance to
the Thiruvanmiyur Temple and begged, Shiva, all
kinds of fools, you gave wealth to. [Laughter] Me
nothing. Im so poor, do something. Just make sure
I win one lottery. After that, Ill fx my life. This
happened every day. One day, completely broken,
he said, What is this? Youve been my Kula Deivam
[family god]. Im wasting my life; my kula [larger
family] are wasting our lives with you. You cannot
even make me win one lottery?!! Shiva was in a
patient mood that day, so he said, Please, at least
buy a ticket. [Applause]
So you need to start doing something towards
your wellbeing. You will defnitely see, if you are
connected with that energy, life will function better.
You are tuned for success, but success is not assured.
For nobody it is assured, I want you to know. Success
means if I drive from here and have to successfully
reach my destination, it does not matter how good a
driver I am, I still have to drive with a certain sense
and alertness. If I close my eyes and go, I will be in
the Kala Bhairava pond. It does not matter who you
are. That is the nature of life you better get it. No,
no every day I sit like this. [Sadhguru gestures as
though placing his palms on the yantra] The whole
day, Im sitting like this only. If you sit the whole
day like this, defnitely it will not come. [Laughter]
You sit for some time, imbibing this energy, go out
and do your life the best you can. You will see things
will for sure work better. Success is essentially
cutting through something. If you want to cut
through something, the sharpness of your knife
will determine how quickly and how easily you cut
through it. This is just like that. How sharply your
mind, your body, and your energies are focused
determines how quickly they will cut through.
So the yantra is a place to sharpen your knife. You
are sharpening your knife so that when you go out,
it will easily slice through life. The yantra will not
rain money for you but it will tune you for success.
Success will come more effortlessly. I am sure many
people are experiencing this. How many people
have a yantra and feel it has been good for you?
[Meditators raise their hands] Has it been good for
you?
Participants: Yes.
Sadhguru: Some of them are telling miraculous
stories. It all depends on how much you imbibe
from it. So this does not mean the moment you have
a yantra in your house, somebody will come and
give you the raffe winnings even though you did
not buy a ticket. The Divine will not do such things
to you because that would make you an utter fool,
isnt it so? When you go to the dining hall, please
use your right hand and eat, okay? Devi, if your
Grace is upon me, let the food go into my mouth.
[Laughter] It doesnt work like that.
Dont disable yourself in the name of Divinity.
Divinity is an enablement; Divinity is an
empowerment. It is not a disability. Most people use
the Divine as a way to disable themselves. Please do
not use spirituality and Divinity to disable yourself.
It is an opportunity to enable yourself, to empower
yourself use it accordingly.
Tuned for Success
9
Sadhguru on How to
Benefit from the Yantras
10
Shekhar Kapur: Sadhguru, this is the biggest bull
Ive ever seen. [Sadhguru laughs] Hes magnifcent,
hes aggressive, hes massive, and he looks ready for
action, pointed straight at the Dhyanalinga Temple.
Tell me about him.
Sadhguru: This is Shivas vehicle, his automobile,
parked outside. Do you expect him to ride some
mild scooter? He rides a mean machine. [Sadhguru
laughs]
Shekhar Kapur: Right. [Laughs] And hes big Can
I touch him?
Sadhguru: Yeah.
Shekhar Kapur: What is he made of? I can see this is
metalis it steel?
Sadhguru: Yeah. He probably is the only bull in
a temple that was made in this very unique way.
Small pieces [of metal], each one not more than six
to nine inches in size, were put together [to form
the surface]. Inside, it is flled with sesame seeds,
turmeric, vibhuti the sacred ash, certain types of
oils, some sand, and certain other types of soil. It took
some 20 tons of material to fll it; then it was sealed,
forever. The whole concoction has been prepared in
a certain way. This makes the bull radiate a certain
feld of energy.
Shekhar Kapur: And if I walk around the bull,
should I feel some kind of energy?
Sadhguru: You should.
Shekhar Kapur: And why a bull? I understand it is
Shivas vehicle, and Dhyanalinga is about Shiva
So he is waiting for Shiva to come out and say
what? Tell me more about the Nandi.
The Meditative Bull
Shekhar Kapur in Conversation with Sadhguru
11
Sadhguru: He is not waiting for him to come out
and say something. He is in waiting. The Nandi is
a symbolism of eternal waiting, because waiting is
considered the greatest virtue in this culture. One
who knows how to simply sit and wait is naturally
meditative. He is not expecting Shiva to come out
tomorrow; he will wait forever. That quality is the
essence of receptivity. The Nandi is Shivas closest
accomplice because he is the essence of receptivity.
Before you go into the temple, you must have the
quality of the Nandi, to simply sit. You are not
trying to go to heaven, you are not trying to get this
or that you go inside and simply sit. So, just by
sitting here, he is telling you, When you go into the
temple, dont do your fanciful things. Dont ask for
this or that. Just go and sit like me.
Shekhar Kapur: Oh, okay. And waiting and
anticipation are two different things, I assume,
right?
Sadhguru: He is not anticipating anything; he is
not expecting anything; he is just waiting. Thats
meditationjust sitting. Thats his message for you.
Simply go inside and sit. Alert, not sleepy.
Shekhar Kapur: Thats incredible So, you are
saying, that the bull is sitting in what we would call
meditation?
Sadhguru: See, people have always misunderstood
meditation as some kind of activity. No, its a
quality. Thats a fundamental difference Why?
Because this is a meditative temple; this is not a
temple of prayer. Prayer means you are trying to
talk to God. You are trying to tell him your vows,
your expectations, or whatever else. Meditation
means you are willing to listen to God. You are
willing to just listen to existence, to the Ultimate
Nature of creation. You have nothing to say, you
simply listen. That is the quality of the Nandi he
just sits, alert. This is very important: he is alert. He
is not sleepy, he is not sitting in a passive way; he is
sitting, very active, no expectation, no anticipation,
no looking forward to anything; full of alertness,
full of life, but just sitting that is meditation.
Just waiting. Not for anything in particular. If you
just wait without doing your own thing, then the
existence will do its thing. Meditation essentially
means the individual person is not doing his own
thing; he is just there. So, once you are simply there,
you become aware of the larger dimension of the
existence, which is always in action. You become
aware that you are a part of it. Even now, you are a
part of it. But becoming aware that Im a part of it
is meditativeness. So, the Nandi is the symbolism of
that. He just sits. Sitting here, he reminds everybody,
You must sit like me.
12
Q: Sadhguru, you told us that Krishnas Guru
could not handle the situation when his son got
kidnapped. Can you explain why even a great
Master like him could not handle the situation?
Sadhguru: Those who stood out as truly great were
not people who could handle everything in their
lives. But they were people who, no matter what
happened, maintained a certain balance and fulflled
the purpose of their lives. The circumstances that
they faced were always far more extreme, diffcult,
and challenging compared to what the people that
you call normal go through in their lives. But in
spite of all that, they did not deviate from whatever
they held as right within themselves. So it is that
which makes them great, not that they were fx-alls
and do-alls. There are no fx-alls and do-alls in the
world, no matter who they are. Only an immature
person will believe that he is a fx-all. One who is
seasoned with life knows that many things may not
happen the way you want them. Many things may
turn against you. Things that you have worked for
through your whole life may just collapse for some
stupid reason.
It happened in Krishnas life people who had
proclaimed that they would give their lives for him,
suddenly turned around and spat at him. But this
did not make him deviate from what he saw as the
right thing to do with himself and life around him.
It is this that makes a man great; not that he was a
fx-all. There is no fx-all in the world. You thought
I am a fx-all; is that why you are here? Im not a
fx-all either. [Laughs] I am putting my 10 fngers
in 20 different holes, trying to plug them. All the
time, it is leaking somewhere. It is an eternal circus.
[Laughs] But that doesnt break you; that doesnt
subjugate you. It may kill you, but still it doesnt get
you away from who you are. It may bring death to
you, but it will not destroy you. Thats what makes
a person great.
Going beyond the Senses
Q: In the Bhagavat Gita, it says, Some make offerings
to the gods, while still others offer themselves into
the fre of the Brahman. Some offer their sense of
hearing into the fre of the controlled mind, while
others offer the other sense objects themselves into
the fre of the senses.
Sadhguru: This is to bring about a distinction
between performing rituals and a spiritual process.
The Aryan tradition is ritualistic and the main
ritual is always a homa, a fre into which various
types of offerings are made in order to receive
different types of benefts. Every kind of offering
was done, from milk and ghee to gold and precious
stones to animal sacrifce to human sacrifce. These
rituals create a certain kind of beneft, but he [the
author] is trying to emphasize the limitation of
that. Whatever offerings you make, there are small
benefts. But the real thing is that you do not offer
mere things, you offer yourself to the Brahman.
Brahman means that which is the basis of creation,
the all-pervading, the non-existent. So if instead of
offering things into the fre, you offer yourself to
the boundless that is a higher way.
About offering objects to the senses... Now your
eyes want to see something pleasant. This is
offering things to the senses. Your ears want to
hear something pleasant. This is offering something
pleasant to the senses. Your tongue wants to taste
something pleasant. This is offering things to the
senses. You want what feels good on your body.
These are the different ways in which a human
being is trying to make his life pleasant. It does
work to some extent. But after some time, it will
frustrate you because slowly, you will realize it
does not get you anywhere at all. People who
depend upon offering things to their senses will
never know pleasantness as a way of life. Only
here and there, pleasantness will happen. Let me
tell you a story When I was a child, we were
living in Mysore. My father was an offcer in the
Railways, so we traveled all over the country.
Every year, we had at least a month of travel with
the family, but we always went only where the
railway tracks go. India has extensive railways, so
we traveled almost everywhere. But we had never
Leela Series
The path of the playful
Part XXIV
Great Masters Fix-Alls?
13
gone to Ooty, which is just 85 kilometers from
Mysore, because the train stops at Chamrajnagar;
there is no track beyond that.
So when I was 11 years of age, I actually told my
father, You think only those places wherever your
Railways go, are worth going to. He got mad at
me. [Laughs] So they were planning to go to Ooty
because it is supposed to be a wonderful hill station
and a most beautiful place. From Coimbatore, there
is a beautiful narrow gauge train going up to Ooty;
but there is no train from Mysore, so we drove up
to Ooty. The guest house that we were to stay at
was across the railway station. Maybe it is too much
railway karma for my father. [Laughter] We were
supposed to cross the railway station to reach the
guest house.
When we came, there was a huge crowd on the
railway tracks. I was not one of those children
who would hold their daddys hand and walk. I
was gone before they got off the car. I just went
where the crowd was. Somebody had been run over
by the train. People were saying, He committed
suicide. When the train came, he just jumped and
killed himself. So I thought, Oh, we came to
Ooty because people had told us so much about
how beautiful this place is. I was only 11, so I had
really imagined some kind of paradise that I had not
seen before. And the frst moment I landed there,
somebody committed suicide in paradise! Ooty is
very pleasant on the senses, but even there, people
commit suicide.
So how much ever you feed your senses, life
remains very limited and incomplete. It does
not matter how you try to please your senses,
you will remain dissatisfed and unfulflled. But
if you burn the senses themselves through the
fre of your mindthe mind can be interpreted
here as awareness. If you burn the senses with
your awareness, you go beyond the senses. We
have always been talking about going beyond
the senses, right from the introductory day. Only
when your experiences rises beyond the sense
perception, you are settled for good.
Leela and Brahmacharya
A Contradiction?
Q: Sadhguru, you mentioned that people questioned
how Krishna could take brahmacharya when he
had been so promiscuous with all these Gopis.
Could you just explain?
Sadhguru: He was always a brahmachari.
Brahmacharya means to be on the path of the
Divine. No matter which culture or religion you
come from, always they have told you, and your
own intelligence tells you, if there is something
called as divine, either it has to be everywhere or it
is that which is not. Brahmacharya means you are
on the path of inclusion. You are not yet there; you
want to get there; you are practicing Brahmacharya.
It is me and me, not you and me. You dont
want to create the divide. If you approach the other
as other, the divide gets manifested. In physical
relationships, me and you get deeply manifested.
It is because of that, that a brahmachari keeps
away from that; because he wants to establish all-
inclusiveness within himself.
Krishna was all-inclusiveness right from the
beginning. When he opened his mouth as a child
to show his mother that he was not eating mud
[and she saw the whole universe in his mouth],
already then, he was all-inclusive. When he danced
with the Gopis, he was also all-inclusive. Because
of his youthfulness and their youthfulness, certain
things happened. But he never thought in terms
of using them for his pleasure. Such things never
occurred to him. So he said, I have always been a
brahmachari. I have always been on the path. I just
took a formal step now. Nothing is different with
me now; only the situation has changed. So much
legend has grown around Krishna as a ladies man.
But all this happened before he was 16. After 16, he
lived with absolute discipline. Wherever he went,
women went mad about him, but he never made
use of any woman for his pleasure. Not once. That
is a brahmachari.
To be continued
14
Nutritious On-Campus
Meals for Rural Students
Isha Vidhya Schools now with their
Own Kitchens and Gardens
Isha Vidhya turned the page to a new chapter in
its existence, with the inauguration of a kitchen
and kitchen garden on 1st July 2011 in each of
the seven Isha Vidhya schools. The facilities were
made possible thanks to the generous contribution
of a donor from Dubai, and each school can now
prepare the childrens noon meal within the school
premises. This will make a world of difference for
Isha Vidhya students, many of whom come from
families that are fnancially challenged and where
even the bare necessities of life are scarce.
Each kitchen is right now equipped for 800 students,
and will be expanded in future to provide for up to
1500 students. The meals will be fortifed with eight
essential micronutrients to address the problem of
malnutrition that is still so rampant in rural India.
Whats more, once the kitchen garden matures, the
children will be eating food grown right in their
schools own backyard!
One of the residents of the Isha Yoga Center
who visited the Isha Vidhya School in
Santhegoundanpalayam, a small village some 12 km
from the ashram, said,
For the past 6 years, wherever I had the chance,
I have been talking about these schools, starting
fundraising projects, events, encouraging people to
donate and raise funds. Yet I had never been to any
of those schools. Only recently, I got the chance to
go to this Isha Vidhya School.
The site that welcomed us was so beautiful; I
was thoroughly absorbed in the wonderful school
campus until we approached a line of little ones
walking our way. The Namastes they gave us were
so bright-eyed and lively simple yet flled with so
much grace. And that did it. My eyes blurred with
tears brimming over and then wherever I turned
it only got blurrier. I was so overwhelmed. Seeing
a teacher explaining patiently, seeing the bright
playground, listening to the children repeating a
sentence Everything I perceived in this place
made me ache with a longing to do more, to reach
out more, to get more people to SEE and feel what
the few rupees or dollars they give have done for
these children. The bright little eyes that Sadhguru
spoke of in the Isha Vidhya video are here540 of
them.
I met with the principal who is doing such a great
job, thanked and congratulated him on his patience
and all his efforts. His humble response was heart-
warming: I was in Dubai for 25 years and when I
came back, I decided to help. These children are now
being given a chance that we never had. Another
arrow through the heart.
The Namastes, the clean, light-flled classrooms,
the teachers dedication, the principals words, the
garden, the fowers, the neatly placed shoesthe
library, and the bright, bright faces left me a bit
shaken, melted and even more determined to reach
out to them.
On 14
th
July 2011, the Guru Pournima day, people
from far and wide came to honor Sadhguru and
receive his Grace at Isha Yoga Center. The day began
with the Devis Grace as more than 150 devotees from
both within India and from overseas received their
Linga Bhairavi and Linga Bhairavi Avighna Yantras
in a special ceremony with Sadhguru. Bhairagini
Maa Mariam shares: The ceremony began at 5:30
am with Guru Pooja in Sadhgurus Presence. The
Ladies Sadhana Hall, where the ceremony took
place, was magical with the yantras laid out and
the participants seated in front of them. Sadhguru
conducted the process to initiate them into the
necessary practice and allowed them to come one by
one and receive his Grace and blessings. He was in
a state that is indescribable; completely unguarded,
tender and gentle. One could feel the hall overfow
with his energy. For the frst time I saw, through
him, a glimpse of the oneness of each being. It was a
memorable day that I will always cherish.
The evening was enlivened with the Pournami
Abhishekam at the Linga Bhairavi Temple and
Maha Aarti in front of the Dhyanalinga Temple.
People all over the world sat in silence from 6:20 pm
to 6:40 pm, IST, to receive the Gurus Presence and
Grace. At the Yoga Center, the charged silence was
followed by beautiful chants dedicated to the Guru.
At 9 pm, brahmacharis and Samskriti children
welcomed Sadhguru into the Spanda Hall with
chants and the beat of drums, and performed the
traditional Pada Pooja, a ritual washing of the
Gurus feet. Samskriti Children enchanted those
present with an exquisite dance performance to
Kana Vendamo, a Tamil song, written for the
Nataraja
1
deity in Chidambaram, where a devotee
asks, Dont you want to have His darshan [refers
to beholding the deity] while you are still alive? A
group of ashram residents celebrated the occasion
with a traditional diya dance, painting the darkness
with rays of light from the lamps in their hands.
A resident shares: When we were called out to
perform, I held my Guru in my heart, I lost myself
in the dance and it happened beautifully in my
experience. A very rare opportunity to be with my
Master and offer a dance on Guru Pournima.
Brahmacharis then offered sacred chants for their
Guru. The day culminated in a celebratory dance, in
true village-style, as a group of musicians from the
Nilgiri Hills sang devotional bhajans dedicated to
Sadhguru, the Dhyanalinga and Linga Bhairavi. As
the vibrant tunes trailed off, silent joy and gratitude
remained towards the one who brings us back in
touch with our original nature.
In Gratitude to the Master
Guru Pournima at Isha Yoga Center

1
Shiva as the Cosmic Dancer
September 2011 FOREST FLOWER 15
On 24
th
July 2011, Sadhguru was part of a popular
TV show on NDTV, called We The People,
where the topic of discussion was: Has spirituality
turned into a proft industry? A question you
may or may not have asked yourself, but a valid
one nonetheless. The discussion was coordinated
extremely well by host Barkha Dutt, who brought
the audience and the panel together in a lively
debate. It was all on an even keel with a mixture of
opinions and observations that although devoid of
euphemism were not dogmatic.
Whilst many in the forum agreed that religion
and commerce have an age-old relationship, the
discussion centered around vast sums of money
that are given to some spiritual organizations
by devotees, and how they should be accounted
for. Some of the devotees on the panel openly
claimed that their offerings to their gurus were
done with a deep sense of belief and trust, and in
the utmost faith that it would always be used for
the right reasons. Some rationalists on the panel
however suggested that a moral spiritual audit was
required and that one should always question how
the funds were being utilized, and ensure that all
funds were properly accounted for. At this stage,
Sadhguru was asked to comment on this issue, and
he said: A devotee works with a different kind
of logic which may not make sense to somebody
who claims he is a rationalist. Your rationality can
function on many different levels. A devotee has a
very refned rationale.
As the show unfolded, the compere alluded to the
fact that in recent times in India, there was an
increasing debate whether these gurus are godmen
or businessmen? Again Sadhguru, in his calm and
eloquent manner, explained that it was important
to frstly make a distinction between the two terms.
He said, A spiritual Guru never claims to be a
godman. The only reason why there is so much talk
about God is just because most human beings have
not realized the immensity of being human. And
this is one of the fundamental purposes of a spiritual
Guru to make people realize the immensity and
profoundness of what it means to be human.
Most present gave due credit to the many respectable
spiritual organizations, acknowledging them as the
forerunners of disaster management in the country,
and the best organizational theorists, who have an
immense sense of science and skill.
Many admitted to having an imagined notion of
how the Guru ought to be. Sadhguru responded
with an answer infused with a mixture of humor
and utmost clarity, saying, If you want to
understand spirituality as a certain disability, it is
up to you. For me, spirituality is a tremendous
empowerment, which every human being needs
to have. People say, Oh he drives his own car,
what kind of a Guru is he? Now Im asking, if I
dont know how to drive, will I become a better
Guru? Some believed that the more Spartan, the
more godly the fgure. To a remark by the shows
host that there seem to be two sides, the Spartans
and the ones who embrace life, one of the guest
speakers responded, What matters is not what
side you are on. What matters is your integrity.
Sadhguru then explicitly mentioned that in this
day and age when spiritual organizations are under
scrutiny, at times even unfairly so, it is of paramount
importance to be accountable.
He also pointed out that not all spiritual organizations
were involved in huge social projects and some were
content catering to just the spiritual dimension.
He reminded the forum that whilst most people
gauge various spiritual organizations by the scale
of their social projects like building of hospitals,
schools and provision of food for the poor, the most
fundamental factor is that spirituality is a tool for
the empowerment of human beings, and that that
should be at the core of any spiritual organization.
16
Spiritual Gurus and Godmen
Two Different Species
17
25
th
July 2011 marked yet another milestone for
the Isha Construction team. Following the morning
brunch, residents and volunteers of Isha Yoga
Center made their way barefoot, through muddy
paths etched with caterpillar tracks. They arrived
at the construction area that now resembles an
archaeological excavation site, but will soon host a
massive Theerthakund.
The Theerthakund will stand adjacent to the Aadhi
Yogi Alayam, a large meditation hall that is in the
midst of construction opposite the Dhyanalinga
Temple. Energized by three rasalingas, this spacious
subterranean body of water will enhance ones
receptivity to the energies of the Dhyanalinga.
Taking a dip in this vibrant water can correct
pranic imbalances and bring forth a tremendous
sense of rejuvenation in both body and mind. The
new Theerthakund will be solely for men, while
the existing Theerthakund will be exclusively for
women.
To honor the onset of this construction, Guru Pooja
was performed. The cool winds danced as the song
of chants flled the air. After invoking the Grace of
the Guru, and distribution of vibhuti and prasadam,
everyone stood on the edge of the huge pit as a crane
gently lowered the garland-adorned foundation
stone. The applause that echoed was a preamble to
the completion of this historic project.
A New Spacious Theerthakund for Temple Visitors
The Foundation Stone Ceremony
18
Excerpted from Sadhguru Spot, 3 August 2011
Poolside, with a Mountain View
The week has gone by in such a buzz that I hardly
realized it was passing. Sathsangs, department
meetings, and many interesting guests. In all that
screamed by me, one little event stays with me for
its cuteness.
We opened the swimming pool at the Isha Yoga
Center to be used by the Isha Home School children
and all the residents of the ashram. We structured
the pool upon the third foor overlooking the
mountains. A fabulous view. IHS children had a
rap number for the occasion and the breathtaking
mountain view could not be missed, unless.
It once happened that Shankaran Pillai checked
into the Chitra Block the frst foor, as he insisted
that he needed a room with a view. The next day
he complained bitterly about the room and when
asked why, he complained that the mountains
were blocking the view from his room.
These mountain peaks haunted me from my infancy;
the cascade of Grace and knowing that they bear
has so invigorated and intoxicated me and many.
Cannot think of a better place to dwell. One must
spend time with these mountains, know its many
moods and meditations to appreciate what I am
trying to articulate. Not just a mound of earth, but a
mount of Grace. You should experience this.
Our little enterprise in Chennai called Isha Life
1

has started attracting awards been judged the best
wellness center. The coming week we are on the way
to Kailash and Manasarovar, another mountain.
Love and Grace,
Visit http://blog.ishafoundation.org/sadhguru-spot/ to get weekly updates by the Master himself!

1
Isha Life, Ishas premium ftness & spa center in Chennai, was recently awarded as Best Wellness Center by NDTV-Hindu. For
more information on Isha Life, visit www.ishalife.com.
19
I was invited to flm the Linga Bhairavi Yantra home
consecrations that Sadhguru is now offering. I was
thrilled to be a part of the process, even though I
would beviewing everything through the lens of a
camera. I had a job to do, so I approached the day
like any other production the aim was to cover
as many aspects of the process as possible, while
adhering to a tight schedule as there were so many
homes to visit in one day, and remaining behind the
scenes. What I did not expect was being swept off
my feet into the Devis mothering arms and to be
coddled in her lap like a child.
Each home afforded an opportunity to be with
her in her Grace, love, and tenderness. While I was
completely flled with her love, I was amazed to see
how subtly different she appeared at each location.
Elaborate preparations were made in each home
for the consecrations. Each host took great care in
decorating for this unparalleled occasion with a
myriad of garlands, rangolis, fragrant fowers, oil
lamps, and incense. And, everywhere was a splash
of red the Devis expressive color. Music and
song vibrated through the rooms as meditators
chanted and Sounds of Isha played. Bhairagini Maa
performed an Abhishekam an offering of 11 items
to the Devi and graced each room of the house
with an Aarti a purifying blessing.
Sadhgurus arrival at each home was beautiful
and touching. Upon entering, fower petals where
showered at his feet. He shared private time with
each homeowner, making a formal introduction with
Bhairavi. Sadhguru then blessed each guest with an
offering and spent time in intimate conversation.
Some homeowners welcomed his Presence with a
Pada Pooja the traditional washing of our Masters
feet.
As I videotaped these events, I was overwhelmed
with a sense of devotion. At one point, the image
in the camera lens blurred as my eyes flled with
tears and I dropped to my knees. Sadhguru, this
magnifcent being, is offering us an opportunity to
live in consecrated spaces.
Im hoping Devi will choose to Grace my space and
yours.
Jennifer Wauson, Isha Volunteer, USA
Sadhguru and the Devi Grace
Peoples Homes A Sharing
Living Spaces
Filled with Grace
20
Speech is of the society.
Words are of the mind.
Sounds are of nature.
The soundless is of the beyond.
Thus if one gets identied with ones own speech, that one will belong to the society.
If one gets identied with ones words, that one will belong to the mind.
If one gets identied with ones sounds, that one will belong to nature.
If one dissolves in the soundless silence,
then to that one alone the realms of the beyond will yield
to that one alone.
Speech is of the society...
Insights
by Sadhguru
SADHGURU
Program Highlights
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.
Date Program Place Contact
1 - 4 Sep 2011
Inner Engineering
Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.orgg
8 - 11 Sep 2011
Bhava Spandana (Gents,
English / Hindi)
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515300
programinfo@ishafoundation.org
8 - 11 Sep 2011
Inner Engineering
Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.orgg
10 Sep 11
Sathsang
with Sadhguru
Singapore
+65-96660197
SadhguruInSingapore@ishayoga.org
11 Sep 11
Public Talk
with Sadhguruu
Singapore
+65-96660197
SadhguruInSingapore@ishayoga.org
14 - 18 July 2011
Bhava Spandana
(Ladies, English)
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
+44-7720318350
programmes.uk@ishafoundation.org
21 - 27 Sep 2011
Inner Engineering
the peak of wellbeing
London, UK
9650092102, 9650092103
delhi@ishafoundation.org
22 - 25 Sep 2011
Inner Engineering
Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.org
25 Sep 11
Pancha Bhuta
Aradhana
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515426, 94878 95878
pba@ishafoundation.org
15 Sep - 3 Oct 2011
(Two travel plans)
Himalayan Dhyan Yatra Indian Himalayas
9488 111 777
info@ishakailash.com
Rescheduled:
11 - 18 Feb 2012
Mahabharat
Residential Program
conducted by Sadhguru
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
94449 02058
mahabharat@ishafoundation.org
21 September 2011 FOREST FLOWER
22
Isha Recipes
For Healthy Living
Quantity Ingredients
6 inch slice Ash gourd / winter melon
100 g Yam
1 Drumstick
1012 Green beans
2 medium Carrots
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Red chili powder
2 teaspoons Tamarind water
Fresh coconut
1 inch piece Ginger
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
2 Red chilies
2 tablespoons Coconut oil
1 cup Yoghurt / curd
teaspoon Mustard seeds
810 Curry leaves
AVIAL MIXED VEGETABLE
Method of preparation:
Peel ash gourd and yam and chop into 2 inch long pieces.
Trim the drumstick and green beans and chop both into 2 inch long pieces.
Scrape the carrots and cut them into 2 inch long pieces.
Place all the vegetables (except the yam) in a plate and sprinkle with salt and teaspoon red
chili powder. Steam in the idli maker for 10 minutes.
Put the yam in a pan and pour just enough water so as to cover it. Add the tamarind water,
little salt and remaining red chili powder. Cook on low heat till soft.
Grate the coconut and place in the jar of a mixer. Peel and chop the ginger and add. Also add
the cumin seeds and red chilies and grind to a coarse mixture without using any water.
Place the yam and steamed vegetables in a deep serving bowl and add the ground paste, 1
tablespoons coconut oil and curd. Mix lightly.
Heat the remaining coconut oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. As they begin to splutter
add the curry leaves.
Pour this tempering on the vegetables and mix.
Serve.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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