Smell of Shiva Makes Me Set Down Me Makes a Night and Day a a Night, for of the Tell Fools to How Now His Ways

October 2013

180 ` Grace & Blessings Smell of Shiva makes me set down me makes a night and day a a night, for of the tell fools to how Now His ways. plumbless The silent Mountains The silent but Stoic full ofeyes river-rapid The roaring itself lose to in a hurry steeped valley nameless A as People ways. in occult earthworms as Earthy bend nature to ways Found the seeking will, their to magic through mundane of The smell Shiva Annual Subscription Annual 13 / Issue-10 15 Volume - `

Food has to be good Not just for the tongue But for body and being. õ£˜ˆ¬îèÀ‚°‹ Üöè£ù õ£˜ˆ¬îèÀ‹ «ïó‹. Editorial âO¬ñ¬ò ÞöŠð«î£´, ÜîŸè£ù ªêò™èÀ‚°‹ Þ¬ìJô£ù åˆF¬ê‰î G¬ô«ò ï‹¬ñ õ÷Šð´ˆ¶‹ Ü®Šð¬ìò£°‹. á‚èñO‚°‹ «ð„²‹, Üî¡ °öŠðˆ¬î M¬÷M‚A¡øù. Þ¡Á Þó«õ ªð‡ñE«ò! Dear Readers, q! q! The questioner in our Lead Article expresses what many of us may have experienced in some way

at some point in our lives: success in professional life, a wealth of money and material goods, but a S. PRAKASH; 1379 LIG-1, 10th Street; sense of emptiness within. Does each one of us have a God-given purpose to fulfill in life? Read the

article “A Grand Life” to get Sadhguru’s view on the search for meaning. Printer: Chennai – 600 042 Velachery; TNHB Colony; ï£¡ c‡ì è£ôƒèœ ¹è¿‹ ÜIî£ð£¾‚«è!

The short article “Number Games” elucidates more than a mere quantitative aspect of human õ£›‰¶M†«ì¡. cƒèœ âù‚è£è õóô£‹. â™ô£Š âŠ«ð£¶ «õ‡´ñ£ù£½‹ è£ôƒèœ ï£¡ c‡ì â™ô£Š ¹è¿‹ existence. If there is such a thing as rebirth, how can the world population multiply as it did in the past ÜIî£ð£¾‚«è! cƒèœ âŠ«ð£¶ õ£›‰¶M†«ì¡. «õ‡´ñ£ù£½‹ âù‚è£è õóô£‹. ÜŒ«ò£ couple of centuries? Sadhguru’s answer is profound, to say the least. Þ™ô...! Íî£†® ªê™õ‹ ªè£Nˆî «õ‡®‚ «è£M½‚° C¬ô º¡ ªè£œõ£˜...

One life form consumes another to exist. If a plant is as much a life form as an animal, why then, á¶ðˆF ãŸP ¬õˆ¶, ÞŠð® å¼õ˜ Ü®‚è® ªê™õ£˜. ¹ˆî˜ on the spiritual path, do we emphasize on a plant-based diet? In the article “Why Eat Vegetarian?”

Sadhguru presents arguments that go beyond the common line of thought about non-violence. Þø‰î£˜. RAJESH CHANDER B.;

Also in an existential vein, the upcoming Navaratri festival is an opportunity to rise beyond the three eÁ‹ Þ¬î‚ «è†´ ðòˆF™ ªêò™è¬÷ õ£˜ˆ¬îèœ fundamental qualities of existence. Find out how in our article of the same name. Ü‰î‚ ªè£…ê‹ AöM‚° à¬ø‰¶«ð£ù Ü‰î Íî£†®, ÜF˜„CJ™ Ü‰î ÞìˆF«ô«ò «õ®‚¬è Publisher: Mylapore; Road; Luz Church 11750, Chennai – 600 004 è£†´«õ£‹! Sadhguru recently had a series of new conversations with prominent personalities such as Supreme Court Justice Jasti Chelameswar and filmmaker, fashion designer, and artist Muzaffar Ali. In this issue, we carry the first part of Sadhguru’s talk with noted fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani: “Culture in Flux.”

In our combined excerpt of two Sadhguru Spot posts, Sadhguru explores a less treaded route through tucked-away valleys in Nepal and the vast Tibetan plains to the South Face of Kailash. Enjoy the unfading fascination of a space that allows a glimpse beyond space and time.

The Editorial Team

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2 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 CONTENTS

Lead Article A Grand Life Sadhguru on the Predicament between Purpose and Process 4 Musings Number Games Sadhguru on Why Life is No One-to-One Application 6

Why Eat Vegetarian? 7 Navaratri 9 Rising beyond the Three Basic Qualities of Existence

In Conversation with the Mystic Culture in Flux Sadhguru in Conversation with Fashion Designer Tarun Tahiliani 11

Leela Series The path of the playful – part XLVIII: 13 Don’t Turn a Blind Eye

News & Happenings The Making of a Hata Yogi: Saluting the Sun 15

Sadhguru Spot Kailash Sacred Walks 2013 Excerpted from Sadhguru Spot of 21 and 28 August 2013 16

Upcoming Programs and Events Isha Yoga – Program Highlights 20

Isha Recipes This Month: Ash Gourd Halva 21

Zen Speaks: Words Exceeding Action 23

ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 3 A Grand Life

Sadhguru on the Predicament between Purpose and Process

SADHGURU

The following is an excerpt from a darshan with A grasshopper is a wonderful creature in its Sadhguru at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, India, own right. on 17 July 2013. You too are a wonderful piece of life, but the Questioner: I used to live a very high-profile problem you have is that you cannot simply live professional life and hardcore capitalism, which your life – you are always looking for some grand almost killed me. So I quit my job, sold my house, idea. The grasshopper is enjoying the grandeur of gave everything away, and came to India. Earlier, I the lawn; you are not enjoying the grandeur of the had this intimate conviction that I had a purpose, a lawn on which you are hopping. This essentially contribution to make to humanity. I wonder, was arises from the human inability to handle your this just the mythomaniac desire of my ego, or is it own intelligence. Suppose we scoop out 25% of a true inspiration? your brain, you will have no such problems; you will be just fine. Sadhguru: This idea of having a God-given purpose is a kind of megalomania. Knowing the size of the This is an evolutionary problem. We have been cosmos with billions of galaxies, what makes you smacked with so much intelligence, but we still think God knows you exist? Do you know how want to live like monkeys. Your intelligence has many grasshoppers exist in the ashram? And become the source of all suffering, particularly in what makes you think you are any more than a modern societies, because in the stage of growing grasshopper? As a piece of life, a grasshopper has up, neither the necessary discipline nor balance is its own purpose, and it is fulfilling it very well. being brought into you.

4 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 In terms of intellect, you are definitely on top of But instead of this being a great possibility, this the world, compared to any other creature on the has unfortunately become a great curse for a vast planet. What a phenomenal thing human intellect majority of human beings. Very few people really is! But you did not gain the necessary balance and enjoy the freedom and the intelligence that life has stability to ensure that your intelligence is not an given them. impediment in your life. Without this balance, the more intelligent you are, the more you suffer. If you look at people around you and yourself, how many moments in 24 hours are you walking with a Blessings have turned into curses, simply because spring in your step? If you are dragging yourself like we have not done any grounding work. A six-year- a slug, it is as if you wish that you had not evolved. old child is being taught how to extract juice out of A slug is a happy life; you can carry your own the world. He is not been taught how to sit quietly, mobile home on top of your shoulders, and curl up how to be balanced. Tomorrow, if this intelligence and sit there without any bother. This speed, these becomes a towering possibility, it is going to crash, problems, and this corporate life would not have simply because there is no stable base. cracked you.

This intelligence has come to us in a relatively Our problem is just this – we are not able to handle short span of time. If you look at the evolutionary the gifts that nature has offered us. Suppose you process of all the other creatures, how long a worm were sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, but took to become an insect, how long an insect took suddenly, after 10 years, they decided to release to become a reptile, how long a monkey took you. This should be the best thing that can happen to become a human being is too short. On the to you, but people will suffer this. That is what is evolutionary scale, things happened too rapidly. happening right now: Nature released you quickly, This is the reason why a human child has not come thinking with this intelligence, you will be able readymade like all the others. to deal with it. But without bringing balance and stability, people will come up with all kinds of If an elephant delivers a calf, it is quite readymade. things, and one of the things is, they want to have On the first day, it stands up and knows what to do. a grand purpose to their life. That means you want Within a few months, it figures out everything that to be something other than what life is. it needs to do in its life. It just has to eat well and get strong. Human life is not readymade. You need to Mysticism means, you have no purpose of your stabilize yourself; otherwise, the very evolutionary own. You have no takeaway business. You are not speed is destructive for you. planning to take anything or go anywhere because if you look properly, if you have three eyes to see Human beings are suffering the freedom that instead of just two, you will see the process of life nature has given them. You can be any way you itself is so phenomenally grand, it does not need want – that is a problem. You are on the peak of a purpose. Only someone who does not see the intelligence compared to any other creature on grandeur of the process thinks of a grand purpose. this planet – that is a problem. You can stand on Only because they have missed life, they are two legs – that is a problem. You can eat whenever looking for a purpose. you think you can eat. You can copulate whenever you think you can do it. No season has been set for There is no purpose. Becoming a full-fledged life, you like for other creatures. And look at us, how knowing life in its entirety, living life to its fullest we have multiplied and gone crazy. In every way, is the greatest purpose. Living life to its fullest nature opened up doors. A new freedom was given does not mean partying every evening. It means to us, which is not allowed to any other creature. you do not leave any aspect of life unexplored.

ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 5 This is not about exploring the same eating, It does not need any heavenly intervention to know drinking, copulation business that every other what you should do and what you should not do if creature is doing. These simple compulsions are an you allow the humanity within you to function. evolutionary residue that has stayed in your body. No sensible human being needs a teaching for that. But because people miss the grandeur of the life Somewhere in the future, people may evolve process, they are trying to invent a grand purpose. to a point where eating and sexuality are not a The process is the purpose. compulsion anymore, where it is all by choice. Even now, you can make it by choice. Only if you It is good you have been defeated by your purpose make everything by choice in your life, you become and now you are looking at the process. a conscious life. Only if you become a conscious life, will you know what life is. An unconscious person, someone who does not know what life is, tries to invent a purpose for himself. And that too, the purpose usually comes from elsewhere. People think an instruction should come from heaven.

Number Games Sadhguru on Why Life is No One-to-One Application The following is an excerpt from a sathsang with Sadhguru on 16 August 2013, during the Kailash Sacred Walks.

Questioner: The human population has A human being, or any life for that matter, is not dramatically increased in the past few decades. If in numbers. You can take one being and make a there is rebirth, how can the population increase million out of it. It does not take a million beings in numbers? And are human beings reborn only as to make a million. Or you can take a million and human beings or also as other creatures? make one. Life does not work in simple arithmetic. You can take a million buckets of water from Sadhguru: Do you know the insect population Manasarovar; still Manasarovar will be there, on the planet has come down dramatically? and the million buckets of water will exist. If you That means a lot of them got promoted without throw back all the million buckets of water into deserving it. And a lot of people are buzzing Manasarovar, still Manasarovar will be the same; around, biting like mosquitoes whoever they see, the million buckets of water will not exist. The always wanting to suck somebody’s blood. That’s idea that there is an individual being is just an because the insect population went down and they illusion of your mind. You can count bodies, but all became human. [Laughter] don’t count the beings. That’s not how it works.

6 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 Why Eat Vegetarian?

Questioner: Sadhguru, can you tell us what kind In the yogic culture, we call the different life of food we are supposed to eat? Why are meat and forms jeevarasi. One heap of life – different levels meat products not considered the right kind of of evolution. Different levels of sensitivity. What food for people on the spiritual path, and how is we are concerned about is that whatever you eat seafood different? If this is just about killing or should be as far away from you as possible in the violence – isn’t a plant also life? evolutionary scheme of things. Plants are furthest away. If you have to eat an animal, we say it must Sadhguru: This is not just about violence. We know be in the water, because that is the first form of life is violent. The question is just, will you conduct animal life. If you want to look at it in terms of violence only to the extent that is necessary or stationary life and moving life, among the moving will you overdo it? No one can live here without life, fish are the furthest away from us, so we say violence. Every breath is violence. Whether you it is okay. You don’t eat a mammal because it is cut a carrot, an apple, a chicken, or a goat – it is very close to you. violence. Whether it is an ant, a cockroach, or a goat – for every life form, its life is the most precious If you think that if you eat a goat, you will thing on the planet. You may think, “Just a goat’s become healthier, why don’t you eat a human life.” A goat never thinks so. See with how much being? Maybe you will become even healthier. pride it walks. It thinks it is the most important life What is the problem in eating another human on the planet. Just like you. being? It is that they are so much like us. A certain life form is more complex only because of

ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 7 a certain volume of memory. Suppose we bring 25,000 years of culture will go waste on you if you back your ancestors. If we raise the previous eat food that has a complex memory structure. 10 generations, out of these maybe 150 to 500 The idea of creating a culture and a civilization is people, at least 25 people may look startlingly so that it can be transmitted from one generation alike, because the memory continues. to the next. Transmission is not only in the school room. It happens in the genes. There are In the human system, the memory is more intricate substantial studies to prove this today. We than in any other life form. As life evolved, the have always been saying this is your samskara. memory became more complex, and the structure Samskara means a distilled essence of civilization of the system became more sophisticated. If you flowing through you without being taught. You eat an animal or any creature that is closer to you, can see this from one person to another person. which has its own very complex memory, do what Even if you expose two people to the same kind you want – you cannot digest it. If you eat a plant, of external influences, still one person is different you can digest almost 100% of it – you eliminate to the other. This is because of samskara. Your its memory and impose it with your memory. ability to let this inherent quality flow through you will become minimal if you eat food with Your body started with two cells. Two cells of complex memory structure. memory multiplied into all this – still maintaining the same characteristics. But if you go on eating Mahavir said this 2600 years ago – if you eat the food that has more complex memory, your ability flesh of an animal, you will slowly become like to superimpose your memory on it becomes less an animal. This does not mean if you eat goat and less, the closer it is to you. You may think a today, tomorrow you will look like a goat. Over a goat’s life is nothing, but that is not true in terms period of time, the kind of food that you consume of life. It is so much like you. If you cut open a will create a kind of memory distraction in your goat, you will see its digestive system, its liver, system. If you eat food with minimal memory, and its kidneys are very similar to yours. your body, your memory structure, and your genes easily imprint themselves on that and make Your body is just an accumulation of the food it “you.” If you eat complex memory and you that you have eaten. If you want to impress your reproduce, the next generation will be confused, samskara on the food that you have eaten and because the imprint of memory on them will not make it yours, the complexity of the memory in happen as clearly as it would have happened if the food should be minimal. The more complex it you ate food with less complexity of memory. gets, the more you lose your characteristics. The inherent qualities that have flown through you, If you consume animals that have emotions and thoughts like human beings, it is close to cannibalism. This is not a religious or moral issue. It is an existential and scientific issue, a profound understanding of how the system works. If you consume meat or any food with complex memory and strong emotions, you will slowly lose your fundamental characteristics of being human.

8 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 Navaratri Rising beyond the Three Basic Qualities of Existence The following is an excerpt from a residents’ sathsang with Sadhguru at Isha Yoga Center, Velliangiri Foothills, Coimbatore, India, on 23 September 2011.

The festival season in India starts with Navaratri darkness is bad. For people who are ecstatic, people or Dussehra. These nine days are a significant who are loving, people who are joyful, darkness is time at the mid-section towards the southern wonderful. solstice, where the Sun’s attention to the Northern Hemisphere has receded a bit. In this quarter The purpose of your life should be to participate in of the year, the Northern Hemisphere of the existence without distorting the hand of the Creator. planet becomes gentle because it receives the This is what yoga is – learning to participate in a least amount of sunlight. The beginning of this dynamic manner in everything that is happening, feminine quarter is Navaratri or Dussehra, which is but never distorting the hand of the Creator. This essentially about the feminine divinity. These nine means to say, “I want to be in line with the hand days are associated with the three basic qualities of the Divine. I don’t want my hand to stick out of tamas, rajas, and satva. The first three days are anywhere. At the same time, I am not withdrawn. tamas, where the goddess is fierce, like Durga or I am not passive. I am dynamically active, but still Kali. The next three days are dedicated to Lakshmi let my hand never distort the hand of the Creator.” – a gentle, but materially oriented goddess. The Unfortunately, most people at the best understand last three days are dedicated to Saraswati, which not distorting as being ecologically sensitive. is satva; knowledge and enlightenment are her Ecology is only a surface matter. Consciousness is attributes. The final day is Vijayadashami – that the core matter. Only because consciousness has means you conquer all these three basic qualities. not been handled, you have to fix ecology.

If you invest in these three qualities, your life will The science of yoga is about exploring the mysteries be in a certain way. If you invest in tamas, you will of existence, about bringing it into simple practice. be powerful in one way. If you invest in rajas, you If you pass the 108 beads of a mala through your will be powerful in a different way. If you invest in hands, you are taking the steps that the planet satva, you will be powerful in a completely different Earth is taking. This is a way of simplifying the way. But if you go beyond all this, it is not about mystical and making it available to everyone. You power, it is about liberation. So Vijayadashami is can explore existence, you can know existence, the day of victory, when you have won over all the you can be aligned with existence, you can be one three. You participated in every one of them, but with existence, but you cannot rub knowing into you did not invest in any one of them. people. You have to nurture it.

In the yogic culture, Dakshinayana, the southern Celebrating something just for the fun of it is one run of the Sun, is known as sadhana pada. The thing; using the celebration to be a part of existence northern run is called gnana pada. Within the is a different thing. In this culture, we calibrated sadhana pada, Navaratri is the Devi pada that all the celebrations in such a way that we are part sadhakas can make use of to do a certain type of of existence. We want to wait for that moment, sadhana. During this time until the solstice in when the planet is celebrating, when the cosmos December, the Northern Hemisphere receives the is celebrating, when everything is right. Then, the least amount of light. It is a period of darkness. celebration, the joy, and the exuberance are in line For people whose mindset is full of fear and dread, with the cosmic exuberance.

ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 9 Celebrations at 5 to 13 October - Navaratri 14 October – Vijayadashami The celebrations include special abishekams This day is considered as very auspicious for for Devi every evening, musical and cultural any commencement of education, especially offerings, and a Linga Bhairavi Maha arti. A in art, dance, and music. Linga Bhairavi offers special Navaratri sadhana will be open for an exclusive Vidyarambham ritual on this day, all devotees in the parikrama to connect and which introduces young children into the world receive Devi’s grace. of letters and the process of learning to bring forth the wealth of true knowledge.

For registrations and more details, contact 094438 35000, 094433 65631, or email us at [email protected]

Visit Hands of Grace and experience the unmatched elegance and refinement of India’s cultural traditions. 9-13TH OCT Daily 11AM – 10PM VENUE: Isha Yoga Center, Velliangiri Foothills

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10 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 Culture in Flux Sadhguru in Conversation with Fashion Designer Tarun Tahiliani

In a recent edition of the “In Conversation with the Mystic” series, Sadhguru met with noted fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani on 5 Aug 2013 in Delhi. Here is the first part of their conversation. Tarun Tahiliani: What I would like to start with…. is its family and cultural strength. “If we don’t Though I supposedly went to the best schools, I weaken these three things, we will never truly was brought up disconnected from my roots, from colonize this land.” In many parts of Africa, North my culture, from everything. Why is this great America, wherever they went, they had absolute society or culture so willing to embrace what our success. You go to Australia, it is another England. colonizers left behind, and why do we judge our The native cultures of those lands are only archival. own if they don’t match up to this? Perhaps you The only place where they did not succeed entirely can help me resolve this constant confusion I have, is India. One thing is, the spiritual process was so why we as a culture have done this to ourselves. strong. The ethos of spirituality was not as they knew it. Sadhguru: We need to understand the difference between conquest and colonization. Conquest is to This also happened during the Islamic invasions. beat someone down and sit on top of their heads. They set fire to all the books at the Nalanda Colonization is to convert people into your way, University, where the Buddhist learning was so that they will serve you without thinking they concentrated. They say the books burned over are serving you. Some of the things that were the three months – such a pile of books they had. But strengths of the nation were clearly mocked by then, they found there were over 3000 monks who the British. You must see the letters that Mcauley could recite books by memory, so they burnt the wrote to the parliament. He said that there are three 3000 monks. Once they burnt the books and the things that make India a place which is impossible monks, Buddhism just vanished from India. to be conquered. One thing is its education system; another thing is its spiritual process; another thing The Hindu way of life was not a religion per se, it

ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 11 was a million-doorway-palace of spiritual processes away. Then we will choose something from the – not just one kind of process and one kind of belief. West, something from the East, something from The only way you could have killed this would the South, something from the North – that’s okay. have been to kill every human being that lived in this country, because there was no one papacy, one Tarun Tahiliani: I agree with you. I think we have place where all the knowledge was centered. It is seen that in the last decade or so. I think this was completely decentralized. That’s the only reason worse during socialism because the standards went why you still have some India left. Otherwise, 300 so low that everyone was looking over the wall years are a long enough time to subjugate people and dying to imitate the Westerners. When India and change everything about them. Everything became more prosperous and people had more can be wiped out in ten generations. freedom, they started choosing what suits them from the East or the West. Tarun Tahiliani: But now there is cultural imperialism. If people who are privileged do not Sadhguru: In the past, even within the country, withhold the values, other people also want to the cultures were different from nation to nation, follow. region to region, because the level of contact and communication was minimal. But today, the level Sadhguru: What the sword and the gun could not of communication and contact is high. Many do, MTV is doing now. [Laughter] people travel around the world or at least there is communication across the world. Probably, in This is not a question of Indian culture versus another hundred years, there will be no such thing some other culture. Now we choose to speak as your culture and my culture. There will be just English – that’s perfectly fine. Culture is always one global mess which we have to accept as our an evolving and exchanging process. You cannot culture. isolate a culture, say “this is my culture” and try to preserve it. If a culture needs to be preserved, this Tarun Tahiliani: [Laughs] Well, at least we won’t be means it has already become archival. A culture around to watch it – that’s good. [Sadhguru laughs] is an evolving, pulsing, growing thing. We don’t have to be afraid of other influences if only people Sadhguru: Why are you sending me away so soon? consciously pick up what they want. Right now, Tarun Tahiliani: No, I am sending myself. You could they compulsively pick up whatever is thrown at be around. You are doing better work than I am. them because they think it’s superior. That has to change. I think that will only change when there is large-scale economic wellbeing in this country. Right now, economic wellbeing means people give up all Indian weave and texture and switch to America’s workmen’s clothes – that is the sign of prosperity. If everyone wears worn out clothes in America, everyone wears worn out clothes here. If someone tears their pants there, everyone tears their pants here. If someone drinks carbon dioxide there, everyone drinks carbon dioxide here, which is not good. This is because of the economic superiority. Until we become economically capable and competent, until we feel fine with the way we are, we will tend to imitate someone else. If you want to have Indian culture growing and throbbing, we quickly must achieve economic wellbeing for a maximum number of people in this country. When that happens, you will see the need to imitate will go To be continued.

12 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 Leela Series The path of the playful – Part XLVIII

TheDon’t following Turn is an excerpta Blind from Leela, Eye the path of the playful, a unique exploration with Sadhguru into the mystical realm of Krishna, which took place at the Isha Yoga Center in September 2005.

Questioner: Sadhguru, Dhritarashtra’s wife to him. “If he commits suicide, how can I live?” Gandhari knew right from wrong – why did she Sometimes, Gandhari tried to interfere, but once choose to close the eyes to all the evil deeds that Dhritarashtra made up his mind or had been were happening in Hastinapur? Should she not compelled to do something, he would not step have tried to influence Dhritarashtra to some back. She really didn’t have much say. extent? And even today, women do not have much To the last part of your question, “Should they say in the household, but if they could just make not strive for it, even at the cost of disturbing 5% difference, should they not strive for it, even at the peace within the family?” This is something the cost of disturbing the peace within the family? most people are unwilling to do, even if they Sadhguru: Since Dhritarashtra was blind, know 100% that this would be the right thing. Gandhari did not want to enjoy the vision that If they stand up for a certain cause or truth or he did not have. So when they got married, she whatever, they have to face a certain amount of took a vow to blindfold her eyes for the rest of unpleasantness. A lot of people are not willing her life. Only once, when Krishna showed his to go through that little bit of unpleasantness in Universal Form in the Hastinapur court, she the relationships and families and stand up for broke the vow, took off the blindfold and saw. something, but they are willing to live a lie for Not just visually but even otherwise, both, but the rest of their life. If you believe something especially Dhritarashtra, became blind to many is truly valuable, you must stand for it at the things. And the code in the royal court was such cost of any discomfort. Otherwise, your life will that when the king decided something, even if not be worth anything. If you simply somehow he was walking into a pit, no one had any right try to maintain some pleasantness around you, to say anything. The final word was his. that same pleasantness will drown you one day. To stand up and create what you feel is really Many times, Gandhari showed some sense, worthwhile, it is alright to go through a bit of but only in small measure. When the real unpleasantness in the atmosphere. issues came up, she did not do much. We have to acknowledge that she could not do much, When people have established themselves in because the people who were working on certain limitations, in certain lies, in certain Dhritarashtra were quite efficient. You cannot conveniences, and you do not strive to break their find a better man than Shakuni to create such limitations, even at the cost of being unpopular intrigue, such cunning and deception. And with them, it simply means you don’t care for whenever Gandhari or Dhritarashtra tried to put them; you are only concerned about your comfort. their foot down about something, Dhuryodhana What is too little or too much depends on many threatened to commit suicide. He kept doing factors, like your tact and your ability to handle this throughout his life whenever he didn’t the situation, and on how obstinate the person have his way. Immediately, Dhritarashtra would is. You can’t stand up and fight for every little give in, no matter how stupid or evil the thing thing, and the ability to turn around situations was, because his eldest son meant everything may be different from person to person, but

ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 1313 there is definitely some scope in everyone’s life to and struggled with the world. And you know how create some sense of righteousness and to not let Krishna strived and struggled at every point. situations stagnate or go in evil ways. The evil can When Krishna talks about not being attached to mean a little corruption within the family, within the fruit of action, he is not trying to teach you relationships, within social situations, which can philosophy – he is revealing a reality. If you are snowball into something big one day. attached to the fruit of action, you are bound This is the reason why I am trying to bring to become frustrated. No matter what you do, Mahabharat down to your life. People have always external situations are never 100% in our control. imagined Dhuryodhana as a horrible demon and If anyone thinks so, he is living in a fool’s paradise Krishna as a god from heaven, which is not how – it will crash. In every situation, a million it is. Both are human beings – one uses his sense different forces are functioning. One who sees and humanity, another one does not. This makes that will never ever think that everything is in a world of a difference. This makes one divine and his hands. another one a demon. It is not that one fell from Only a fool who does not realize how many things heaven, another one jumped up from hell. It is make a situation happen thinks everything is in just that every human being, every moment, has his hands. Just because I have a microphone in my the opportunity to either exercise his humanity or hands right now does not mean I have this whole to leave it and fall into the trap of situations that situation in my hands. There are a million other exist around us. forces – all of them are not in our hands. We try This does not mean you have to become an activist to control and direct and make things happen to and fight with everyone around you. It can be the extent that we can, which depends on our done sensibly. One can use one’s intelligence ability and skill. But still, no matter how able and see what can be done to evolve situations for and skilled you are, external situations are never the better. Whether it is going to happen or not 100% in your hands. And that is what is beautiful is not the issue. You are constantly striving for about life. it – that makes your life beautiful. Repeatedly, If you tried something and it didn’t work – so Krishna says, “Do your dharma. The end result is what. Your life is not beautiful because something not your business,” because the end result is never happens or does not happen. Your life is beautiful 100% in your hands, no matter who you are, or because you are striving for what you believe how powerful you are. When it comes to outside is right and just. So definitely, whether you are situations, we can make all kinds of calculations a man or a woman, you must strive for that. to see that the end result happens well – still there Otherwise, what is your life worth? is no guarantee for anyone. Even Shiva strived

14 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 The Making of a Hata Yogi: Saluting the Sun The second 21-week Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Training Program began on the auspicious Guru Pournami (22 July) in the presence of Sadhguru. Eighty-four aspiring Hata Yoga teachers from 18 countries embarked upon a unique and privileged journey – to acquire a profound understanding of the yogic system and the proficiency to teach Hata Yoga, and to carry the true essence of Hata Yoga to the world. Here is a behind-the-scenes peek into the making of an Isha Hata Yoga teacher.

should not be eager to teach. You must be eager to imbibe. If you imbibe something, if something truly worthwhile is with you, teaching will come naturally. ‘If I know it’s valuable, I will teach. If no one values it, I’ll close my eyes and sit.’ This is the way to approach it. It’s not about doing something. It’s about becoming a certain way.” Sadhguru elaborates on the process of imbibing: “To imbibe this is not to take it as a mental memory but as a physical memory. In terms of memory, your body is much more reliable than your mind. If I ask you to meticulously remember every Sadhguru has often talked about the immense moment of what happened in the last 24 hours, you significance of the sun: “When we say ‘Surya,’ we will see your mind will not even remember one are talking about the sun, the basic powerhouse for percent. But in a very unconscious way, your body this planet. All life on this planet is solar-powered, remembers everything – every smell, every taste, including yourself.” every sight, every touch, every sound. It is just that Surya Namaskar is a familiar process to many yoga you do not know how to consciously make that practitioners, but about two years ago, Sadhguru memory yield into wisdom or knowledge. Hata introduced Surya Kriya. He says, “Surya Kriya is Yoga is working your system in such a way that different from Surya Namaskar in that the original everything that your body remembers works to practice is Surya Kriya. It is a way of aligning yourself your advantage, not against you, so that it becomes with the sun and it is a much more refined process, a powerful instrument of perception. If you walk which needs enormous attention in terms of the into a place, you should know what’s happening, geometry of the body. It involves a certain level with your hand, not with your eyes. This body can of breath and powerful activation of energy. It is a become that sensitive.” tremendous possibility if you know how to use it.” Imbibing is a process that the group is becoming And indeed, our participants have been increasingly open to. Marina Kurtzberg from experiencing this. Vijay Gedia of Mumbai says, the USA speaks for many when she says, “Going “While learning Surya Kriya, I felt I was the most through the program this week brought down this fortunate one on the planet. Such a profound and mental picture I had of training to teach others. I subtle kriya! I could sense a surge of energy in my realized the first pupil I have is myself – I need to body.” Francesco Marelli from the Netherlands learn before even dreaming about teaching others. tells us, “The kriya takes a phenomenal amount of It took me so long to realize: I am my first pupil.” concentration. When you nail the breath cycles, it Next Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Training flows and flows and flows.” Program: 12 July to 6 December 2014 The group has been learning so much on various For more information: www.ishahatayoga.com, levels, but when do they learn how to teach? The [email protected]. message from Sadhguru was unequivocal: “You

ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 15 Sadhguru Spot Musings from the Master Kailash Sacred Walks 2013 Excerpted from Sadhguru Spot of 21 and 28 August 2013 LUMBINI – KATHMANDU – NEPALGUNJ – SIMIKOT – DHARAPANI – KERMI It is almost a norm that I jump into various types of activities completely unprepared. A long and hard trek definitely needs a certain level of preparation in terms of toning up the limbs and getting the harmonica of the lungs tuned for hard, forced marches and high altitudes. But the last two months have been a relentless and cruel schedule and I land up here without any preparation in terms of walking or diet. A couple of days of golf in a mountainous terrain were all that I got. Thanks to golf here and there, I am using my lower limbs; otherwise a busy day means 12 to 14 hours of sitting in one place.

Kathmandu was good for all the participants to get together and know each other after a long ride from Lumbini through the spectacular mountains and challenging traffic situations. Lumbini was a pending place to visit for over 35 years. In the year 1979, I reached the Nepal border alone upon my motorcycle – they didn’t let me pass as I did not possess a passport. I knew that just across the border was the place where Gautama (the Buddha) was born. It took so long to get to Lumbini.

The flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj was uneventful, except that the pilot, for some strange reason, chose to land on a short strip downwind and had to do some panic braking and stuff. Nepalgunj has a meteorological reputation of holding up groups of people for days and sometimes weeks. We took off from Nepalgunj in less than an hour in an 18-feet Dornier – these work horses have served in most difficult terrains; quite ancient in design and fitting, but reliable as a dog.

Simikot has a wonderfully located 100 to 280 degrees landing strip. It is considered a miracle in the region that you take off from Kathmandu and reach Simikot in less than three hours – the weather usually never allows that. Well, the weather gods are well-disposed towards us! After a quick grub, we set off trekking towards Dharapani; only nine kilometers but a steep and rocky descent – a true knee breaker. Took the last of the group over nine hours to get to the campsite. As usual, pain and panic takes its toll and a few wanted to turn back, and of course, I won’t let them. They have done fine on day two from Dharapani to Kermi, 10 km with some killer steeps to climb but not much of downhill and not much of rock.

16 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 Here we are at Kermi, the camp overlooking a valley which befits the attention of more than two eyes. Not much spiritual activity as yet; just conditioning legs and lungs. From tomorrow, we will set the pitch for making the group more receptive to what the region is in general, and to what Manasarovar and Kailash in particular have to offer. This hard trek is a good tool to make one more perceptive, unless one is too stuck in macho stuff and a sense of achievement that people are generally messed up about. Hope these mountains and I together will break open their doors for Mahadeva.

The sun has just gone hiding behind the mountain peaks. Oh, of course he has other appointments, to light and heat other parts of the earth, where multifarious forms of life are awaiting his warm charm. This twilight is magical at the least. The greens turning into darker green; the rocky sheer beginning to brood about an ancient something, smells, sounds of animals returning home, and cooking fires from a tiny village close by. And above all, a steady roar of the river down below. All will change by the moment except the roar of this precious element hurtling down to the plains to nourish millions of people of various kinds. But the aching muscles are awaiting nightfall and will take one into slumber world, turning the roar into a lullaby. A NAMELESS VALLEY – TUMKOT – MANASAROVAR – KAILASH – XIGAZÊ – LHASA After a nearly 10 km trek, we decided to settle down in a nameless valley steeped in occult ways. These people are as earthy as earthworms and found ways to bend nature to their will, seeking the mundane through magic. For me it is like the smell of Shiva, and no wonder the valley is a forest of Marijuana. If I was not already so stoned with Shiva, this would be the place for one who is seeking intoxication.

Tented at the very edge of a roaring river-rapid, overlooked by a brooding mountain full of eyes. A pack of bats take off for their nightly sojourn – no vampires these. But their silent flight and sightless eyes make them seem like creatures from another realm. How strange the ways of ignorance are – these creatures are mammals, our very close relatives. Blind as a Bat, aren’t we.

The Trek to Tumkot was 14.5 km through some wonderful terrain, pristine and beautiful. There was an hour and a half of knee-breaking and lung-busting stretches. In spite of painful stretches, we did this grueling stretch in record time. Everyone was in a buoyant and charged state after the day-long Sathsang and Bhuta Shuddhi process

ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 17 initiation. Walking through these deep valleys and crossing over some hills is dreamlike. It has been over 15 years since I’ve been outdoors for more than three nights – incredible and invigorating.

The rocky steeps truly tested not only our lungs and legs but our mental resolve. After a hard trek, camping for a day by the gushing brook at Tumkot was a much needed break for the aching limbs, and the enthusiasm of the participants led to an almost full-day Sathsang. Except that one of us had to be airlifted due to health issues from the valley of Tumkot to be hospitalized at Kathmandu. In a day, she recovered and is doing fine now.

The last stretch from Tumkot was the hardest climb we had encountered. The rocky steeps truly tested not only our lungs and legs but our mental resolve. When we finally reached and saw the automobiles after six days of roughing it in the mountain, there was celebration in every cell of the body. The drive through the Narola pass was precarious and breathtaking. The terrain rapidly transformed utterly from green valleys with copious water bodies to a bone dry, dusty, and stark looking mountain reaching out to the sky. That is “Welcome to Tibetan plateau,” a truly unique landscape.

The magic of Manasarovar is refusing to fade. It doesn’t matter how many times one has come – it still enthralls. Two nights at the banks of this Mystical lake and a series of Sathsangs with the other groups arriving by the regular route. The fervor and devotion of the pilgrims is overwhelming to say the least.

This time around, we decided to camp at the base of the South Face of Kailash, known as Ashtapadi. This is the very home of Mysticism. I have been here a few times but never stayed there for the night. The track being considered too dangerous, vehicles were not permitted. Our trek to Ashtapadi was phenomenal in experience, and the weather was testing our resolve to make it to 5200 m flat for camping. Only 12 of us could manage to stay there as it started snowing heavily by 6.30 p.m. In weather like that, with very heavy clouds and mist screening Kailash, in a sweeping wave of compassion, the heavy veil lifted to reveal his magnificent form and grace. All pain and difficulty of the trek and the vagaries of the weather and temperature just vanished in our experience. Only Kailash. That is all. The magical power of this tremendous space is indescribable.

The night was unique and eventful. I’ve spent many a night on mountain sides and jungles. Being hungry, cold and alone is not new; it has had its presence from my childhood. Those days and nights have always been very powerful times, but never of suffering or fear or loneliness. Those blessed days and nights were the times Shiva invaded me without invite or permission. But this night at Ashtapadi was unique. One – being so close to Kailash. Two – good to be protected by an all-weather tent. And three – eight inches of snow turned the tent into an igloo. Never been outdoors for a whole night full of snow. It was snowing till 7 a.m., gave an hour’s break for us to pack up our tents and descend to the Serlung Monastery where the rest of the team were, and started off in right earnest. Giving him a fabulous white veil as if the eyes of the unclean should

18 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 not find him. O’ Mother Nature, He needs no protection. There is no clean or unclean for Him; there is no sinner or virtuous one for Him. He views a sage and a sorcerer with the same eye; Devil and Divine with the same eye. The taintless, thoughtless, Third Eye.

After the descent from Ashtapadi, an overnight stay at Manasarovar and a brief Sathsang with the last group to arrive. Off we are early for a 1000 km drive to Xigazê to avoid an overnight at the shanty town of Saga. At the junction of 3 main arterial roads of Tibet and with a military station, it is gaining in importance and clamor. The great Saga Hotel is still continuing to celebrate my birthday with a very colorful birthday sign that was put up 5 years ago. With a brief stopover at Saga, we drove on to Xigazê. After doing 700 km, my Land Cruiser started making not so pleasant noises that suggested some serious friction. After a few stops and checks, I kind of diagnosed a steering bearing breakdown. With a stiff steering, we reached Xigazê after 10 p.m., with a little over 14 hours of driving. The terrain through which we drove the whole day would leave anyone wordless and dazed.

Xigazê has one of the largest monasteries in Tibet, controlled by Panchen Lama XI who now lives in Beijing. This 650 year-old monastery is quite a fascinating place to spend a day at. Its architecture and art are rustic and the homogeneity of its making has an appeal beyond laws of aesthetics.

Ah, Lhasa is a transformed place. The Chinese architects and administration have done a remarkable job of making a tinny little town a few years aged into a bustling, beautiful city. A fabulous job of merging the traditional Tibetan architecture with modern glass and steel contraptions. The infrastructure in and around Lhasa rivals any European or North American city of its size. My full marks for Chinese planners and engineers.

The group, though from various backgrounds, has melted into one and the closing dinner at Hotel Brahmaputra was a joyful conclusion to this three-week – what shall I call it? An adventure? A jaunt? Trek? Pilgrimage? Yes to all of them and more, which is beyond articulation. The mountain, the Mysticism and the sheer magic of all that has become a rare bond among all who have been through this sacred walk.

Love and Grace,

Visit: Sadhguru.org/spot for weekly updated “Musings from the Master”

ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 19 Program Highlights

Date Program Place Contact Inner Engineering Isha Yoga Center, 0422-2515421 3–6 Oct 2013 Retreat Velliangiri Foothills, [email protected] Residential Program Coimbatore, India

Inner Engineering Isha Institute of +1-931-622-9437 3–6 Oct 2013 with Sadhguru Inner-sciences [email protected] Residential Retreat McMinnville, TN – USA

Inner Engineering +1-408-409-6436 11–13 Oct 2013 San Mateo, CA – USA with Sadhguru [email protected]

Shoonya Intensive Isha Yoga Center, 17–20 Oct 2013 Bilingual Residential Velliangiri Foothills, 0422-2515300 Program Coimbatore, India

Inner Engineering Isha Yoga Center, 0422-2515421 17–20 Oct 2013 Retreat Velliangiri Foothills, [email protected] Residential Program Coimbatore, India 9846017776 23–29 Oct 2013 Inner Engineering Trivandrum, India [email protected] Guru Pooja Training Isha Yoga Center, 9–12 Nov 2013 Bilingual Residential Velliangiri Foothills, 0422-2515300 Program Coimbatore, India Isha Yoga Center, Samyama Sadhana 9–13 Nov 2013 Velliangiri Foothills, 0422-2515300 Residential Program Coimbatore – India

Inner Engineering Isha Yoga Center, 0422-2515421 14–17 Nov 2013 Retreat Velliangiri Foothills, [email protected] Residential Program Coimbatore – India INSIGHT – The DNA of Success Isha Yoga Center, 83000 84888 23–26 Nov 2013 Residential Program Velliangiri Foothills, [email protected] with Sadhguru and Coimbatore, India Dr. Ram Charan

Samyama Isha Yoga Center, Residential Program 12–19 Feb 2014 Velliangiri Foothills, 0422-2515300 conducted by Coimbatore – India 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.

20 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013 Isha Recipes For Healthy Living

Ash Gourd Halva

INGREDIENTS 300–400 g Ash gourd (white pumpkin/winter melon) 1 cup Ghee 10 Cashew nuts 1 cup Sugar 1 teaspoon Green cardamom powder

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Peel and deseed the ash gourd and grate it. Squeeze the grated pulp by hand to remove excess liquid or alternatively allow the pulp to sit in a sieve/colander for some time until juice runs out. 2. Heat the ghee in a frying pan and sauté the cashew nuts in it until golden brown. Then remove the cashew nuts with a slotted spoon and keep aside until needed. 3. To the same ghee, add the grated ash gourd and sauté for 3–4 minutes. Add the sugar and cardamom powder. 4. Cook, stirring continuously, until the halva begins to leave the sides of the pan and becomes a homogenous mass. Add the fried cashew nuts and mix well. TIP: Tastes best warm!

Did you know? The term halva in English language use originates from the Arabic helweh, which simply means “sweet.” Halva in its many forms is served in many parts of the world, from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe and Asia. These confections may be flour-based or nut- butter-based, and there is a wide range of other ingredients from seeds and nuts to fruits and vegetables, depending on region and recipe, but the many varieties have one thing in common: a dense texture and intense sweetness.

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2 ISHA FOREST FLOWER October 2013

`180 October 2013 Grace & Blessings Smell of Shiva makes me set down me makes and a night a night, a day for of the tell to fools how Now His ways. plumbless The silent Mountains silent The but Stoic full of eyes river-rapid roaring The itself lose to in a hurry steeped valley A nameless as People ways. in occult as earthworms Earthy bend nature to ways Found the seeking will, their to magic mundane through The ofsmell Shiva Annual Subscription Annual 13 / Issue-10 `15 Volume -

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