Professional Documents
Culture Documents
No Trace
There is no Container Service
for those who depart but still
most have turned their Homes
into warehouses. How fortunate that
nothing can be taken even by the most
ambitious. If they could, by now they
would have weighed the heavens down
well below all that we know. As the years
roll on without leaving a trace of themselves.
Only humans desperately cling to their
memories and count and recount them
as years. Just to remind themselves that
they too lived.
Dear Readers,
Happy New Year! Sadhguru says Isha Yoga Center. From Golf Jaunt
to make 2019 a year of absolute, to Gramotsavam, Sadhguru’s been
indiscriminate involvement. Read sporting for humanitarian causes.
about it in this month’s lead article, He has also been a speaker at the
“How to Always Know What to Do,” Times Network Economic Conclave,
which comes from the Q&A with the Conference on Soft Power, and
Sadhguru at Isha Institute of Inner- the Republic Summit. Sadhguru
sciences’ New Year Darshan. In “The initiated 8,003 people into Shambhavi
Key To Staying Motivated,” Sadhguru Mahamudra in Bangalore and offered
says that if your life is precious to you, the grace of Devi to devotees in a
you must decide where you want to Winter Solstice Yantra Ceremony.
invest it. This is one of the keys to
Six months in, our Sadhanapada
maintaining your spark.
participants have had another
Kangana Ranaut intriguingly asks opportunity to break their limitations
Sadhguru “Is Shiva an Alien?” in this and inner compulsions. For three
month’s excerpt from In Conversation days, they went into silence and
with the Mystic. The famous actress offer insights from their experience
wonders whether Shiva is self-created in “Silence, a True Revelation.” Also,
and asks why there’s no mention of please enjoy “My Beloved,” a poem by
Shiva’s birth or death. Sadhguru’s an Isha meditator.
answer has a lot to do with modern
This month’s recipe for Adhirasam
science catching up with yogic lore.
is a pastry fit for the gods. It’s a
This installment of Mahabharat is a traditional dessert often used in
cliffhanger. The Kurukshetra war is offerings in temples in Tamil Nadu.
over. Only Duryodhana remains alive Made of rice flour and jaggery, this
of all the Kaurava brothers, but the doughnut-like sweet treat is sure to
conflict remains. Duryodhana’s clash be as popular in your home as it is
with Bhima approaches as we witness throughout southern India.
the build-up to the beginning of the
Enjoy!
final fight between these foes.
The Editorial Team
In this edition, we bring you a brief
tour of Sadhguru’s many events
this month and highlights from
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consequences in the event of such claims not being honored by the advertisers.
Actress Kangana Ranaut flaunts bold theories about Shiva’s origins and external control of our every action
during an In Conversation with the Mystic event. Read on to find out Sadhguru’s response.
Kangana Ranaut: Krishna, Muhammad, Ram, your experience. If you could not see or feel anything,
Christ, Buddha – for all the enlightened people you wouldn’t know there is a universe. Only because
who’ve been on this planet, there is some sort of of your experience, there is a universe. And the
mention of their birth or death. But when it comes center where your experience is transmitted is your
to Shiva, I’ve read that he was self-created. There is spine. If we cut off the wires in your spine, you’ll
a theory that Shiva is an alien. have no experience even of the body – forget about
And there is this theory that everything that the universe. Because your ability to experience the
a human encounters – whether it’s an idea, a universe is rooted and centered in your spine, we
thought, anything – has been transmitted into are calling your spine the axis of the universe.
them through an outer space, an outer being. Is it Based on this, we developed a whole possibility for
that we are being operated by an external sort of a human being to not just believe these things but
outside beings? to make them a living experience. This is where
Sadhguru: Well, people who have no faith in the word “yoga” came from. Inclusiveness happens
human intelligence are looking up, expecting that simply because you obliterate the boundaries of
intelligence will come from somewhere else. There your individuality. We are not inclusive because of “I
are very significant things that, unfortunately, love you, you love me. I hug you, you hug me” – all
this present generation has mostly forgotten. For that will only last for some time. Tomorrow, if they
example, in yoga, we call the spine merudanda – that do something that you don’t like, it will be finished.
means the axis of the universe. Today, scientists are Yoga means to obliterate the boundaries of your
admitting it is an endless universe. Forever, we have individual nature, including your body, so that you
been saying it’s an ever-expanding universe. On the know how to sit here without being identified with
surface, to say your spine is the axis of the universe the boundaries of who you are.
sounds ridiculous. Even without putting any load on Shi-va – “That Which Is Not”
it, people’s backs are hurting badly. They can’t even
walk or run or do anything. If this spine becomes Your physical structure, mental structure, and
the axis of the universe, what will happen…? emotional structure have a boundary – it may be
large or small. But there are dimensions that have
The Experience Center no boundary. What doesn’t have a boundary is non-
So, why are we saying the spine is the axis or center physical in nature. Our focus has always been on
of the universe? You think there is a universe only by that dimension which is non-physical. That is why
4 | ISHA FOREST FLOWER February 2019
Shiva became the most important thing, because which point towards it, but there is no specific proof
Shi-va means “that which is not,” that which is that he came from elsewhere.
non-physical.
Modern Science Lagging Behind
Now, the yogi that we are talking about – is he
a human being, or did he come from somewhere In the yogic lore, it is estimated Shiva or Adiyogi
else? This is a long story. We have a book on Adiyogi existed as a person and walked this land somewhere
which is going into these aspects, but let me put between 60,000 to 75,000 years ago. When I first
it across. When we talk about Shiva, there is no spoke this, all the more sensible people around me,
parentage. There is no place of birth. There is no one who are not as naïve as me; the wiser, younger
who saw him young, growing up. When people saw people said, “Sadhguru, if you say 75,000, they
him, he was always about the same age. And we will blast you. The only archeological proof that
don’t know where he died. Such a significant human Adiyogi or Shiva existed is about 12,600 years. Say
being, even in those times. If he died somewhere, 12,600, 13,000, or 14,000.” I said, “Okay – 15,000.”
they should have built a temple or some kind of There is archeological proof today that over 30,000
monument for him – nothing like that happened. years ago, a civilized society existed in pockets of
this country.
Yakshaswarupa: A Being from I’m saying over 15,000 years ago, because that
Elsewhere may be accepted in the West. If I say 75,000, they
There is no birth, no death, no parentage, no siblings – would resist because their idea of the world is only
there is nothing to prove that he was here. Does this six thousand years old. They said creation happened
mean we can assume he came from somewhere in six days and it is only six thousand years old. For
else? Not necessarily. But if you look at the lore, Shiva all these centuries, they insisted on that. Now, they
is very commonly referred to as “Yakshaswarupa.” are slowly correcting themselves because science
“Yaksha” always means beings or creatures who proves something else. You will see, in the next fifty
are not human, but who are supposed to have years, modern science will say many things that we
existed in the natural environment of this planet, in have been talking about for thousands of years.
the forest and other areas. There are many things
Advertisement
In this Q & A from the New Year Darshan at the Isha Institute of Inner-sciences, Sadhguru destroys concepts
of right and wrong, big and small, important and not important, to reveal the key to his phenomenal sense of
knowing what works, for him and people around him, in any given situation.
Questioner: Namaskaram, Sadhguru. My question observation and evolution of who you are. See how
is about doing what works, and your other point clumsily you made something work ten years ago –
about doing the right things that give you the right today, you may be doing the same thing with ease.
results. In my life, business negotiations, marriage, What works is not some kind of formula. It is an
raising kids, or career decisions – how do I know evolution of a human being to come to what works
what works in a given situation? on all levels of life. I am not a self-help book: “Do
what works.”
Be Like God
I am not telling you, you should do only what
Sadhguru: You are married, and you want to know works. Do whatever the hell you want. What is my
what works… You must be like God, a silent partner – problem? But for your life, because it is a limited
then it works. Whatever anyone does, never amount of time, what is the point doing something
intervene in anything. Every day in the morning, that does not work? It should work for you or for
every kind of idiot will tell you what you should people around you. If it does not work for you or
do today. Simply listen, just like God. Marriage will anyone around you, what is the point of doing it?
work; it may not work with your profession.
Do not try to make this into some kind of a value
No Philosophy, No Commandments
system, philosophy, or oath: “I will do only what This happened. American soldiers were leaving for
works.” What works will not come with an oath or a duty. One of them told the other, “You know Steve’s
commandment. What works comes with constant wife? She read Three Musketeers, and she delivered
In this Q & A from a Youth & Truth event at Banaras Hindu University, Sadhguru explains what it takes to be
and stay motivated at all times.
Questioner: I have lost my spark. I am not a of cerebral capability. That means you can think,
consistently motivated person. How to regain my you can remember. You have a very vivid sense of
motivation in life? memory and a fantastic sense of imagination.
Sadhguru: The nature of life is such… If you go What Distinguishes a Human Being
outside in the garden and try to catch an ant, will
he say, “Okay, to hell with my life! Crush me if you An ant does not have such a vivid sense of memory,
want.” He will do everything to protect himself. He nor does he have any great imagination. But he has
values his life. A tiny little creature that we may a presence of mind about the life that he is living.
not even notice; we may step on him without The education system that you are going through
even seeing him, unfortunately, but he values his right from kindergarten level is about everything
life immensely. else except you. Someone has a PhD in tourism, in
biotechnology, or something else – nothing about
He has got spark. But you, as a human being, are the the life that you are. There is no attention at all on
peak of evolution on this planet – physiologically at how you, as a life, function. A human being exists
least. Behavioral aspects may be questionable. But in three times. He lives because of the richness of
physiologically, a human being is the most evolved his memory – how rich your memory is determines
creature on the planet. A human being has the most what you will do and what you will not do right now.
complex neurological system and the highest level So memory is important. The present experience
After the War, Still Hostility doing there underwater? Come.” Duryodhana hears
it, but he restrains himself; he knows this is not the
The war has ended. The Pandavas have won; time to burst out. Then they are all looking at what
Duryodhana leaves the camp. He is burning with to do, because they cannot go underwater like
the shame of being defeated. Vyasa described it him and do what he is doing. Krishna indicates to
as being like hot oil poured over Duryodhana’s Bhima, “Just taunt him. You are the best person. Use
skin. Duryodhana goes to a place where there is a whatever vulgarities you have in your vocabulary.”
small pond, and he uses a certain capability he has So Bhima lets loose all the vulgar vocabulary that he
to sit inside the cool water. He wants to quell the has, insulting Duryodhana in many ways.
suffering he is going through; his body is burning
like he is in hot oil, so he goes and sits underwater. Duryodhana Burns Underwater
Krishna says, “Duryodhana is still not dead, so the
There is a beautiful piece of literature in Kannada, a
war is not over. Look for him.” They go looking here,
poem that somehow stuck in my head. The poet is
there – he is nowhere to be found. They sent spies
saying Bhima’s insults were such that Duryodhana
all over the place, to nearby forests, caves, searching
started sweating inside the cold water. Unable to
everywhere.
bear it, he comes out. Yudhishthira, being the king
Then they find footsteps going into this pond and not who won the war, steps up and says, “Duryodhana,
coming out. The Pandavas arrive, and Bhima loudly you brought this war upon us. We did not want to
shouts at Duryodhana, “Hey coward, what are you fight, but unfortunately, you did not want to give
10 | ISHA FOREST FLOWER February 2019
what belongs to us. I even told you I just want five looks like you are going towards your mother’s tent.
villages, but you said you will not even give me a Have you fallen this far that you’re going to your
needlepoint of land. We had to kill your brothers. mother’s tent naked like this, a grown man,” he said
We had to lose many people who are dear to us. mockingly. “No, my mother asked me to come like
Some of our children died; so many dear friends this; that’s why I am going.” “It doesn’t matter what
died. Now if I let you off, it will be a disgrace for you; she asked. She had her eyes covered all the time.
you cannot bear it. So, you can duel any one of us She has not seen you. She thinks you are a baby. But
with any weapon you choose. If you win, you can you are a grown man, a king, a warrior. Don’t you
take back your kingdom.” have this much sense that in Arya dharma, we don’t
stand naked in front of our mothers? At least cover
Krishna looks heavenward. What to do with this
yourself to the necessary extent.”
man! Yudhishthira is such a good man. After having
hundreds and thousands of people dead, he wants So Duryodhana cut a banana leaf, covered himself
to hand over the fruit of the war. When Yudhishthira with it, and went to his mother. “Mother, I have
gave him the choice of weapon, Duryodhana come.” Gandhari untied her blindfold, opened her
immediately saw his chance. If he picks the mace, eyes and looked at him, and her heart sank. She let
there is nobody who can fight him. Bhima believes her power out, and then she asked, “Why did you
he can beat him, but the truth is he cannot. Bhima cover yourself?” He said, “Mother, I thought it would
is stronger than Duryodhana, but he is a little bit be inappropriate to stand in front of you naked, so
of a lump. Duryodhana has been training in mace I covered myself with a leaf.” She shook her head,
fighting every day, for years; when the Pandavas closed her eyes, tied the blindfold once again, and
were walking the jungles, he was training. He is a asked, “Who told you to cover yourself?” “Krishna.”
very skillful mace fighter. Gandhari’s heart turned cold for Krishna. She waited
for her opportunity to come.
The Last Duel
Yudhishthira says, “The choice of weapon is yours.”
The Skill to Kill
In this kind of extreme situation, he employs On the day of the duel, no matter what kind of
standard language, and he knows. He even says, blows Bhima strikes, Duryodhana again comes
“You can pick any one of us.” If Duryodhana picks back. Duryodhana is not only protected, he is also
Nakula or Sahadeva, he will swat them like flies. more skillful than Bhima. Bhima is more powerful
But his pride will not allow him to pick Nakula or but Duryodhana is more skillful. Then, when it looks
Sahadeva. He says, “The choice of weapon is mace, like for sure Bhima is going to die today, Duryodhana
and of course I will choose Bhima, because it has is laughing. He is not only going to have the joy of
always been my wish to kill this lump of a man that killing Bhima, he is going to get back his kingdom.
you call a brother.” He is laughing, taunting Bhima. Duryodhana knows
he can kill Bhima any moment. It is no more a fight –
Krishna rolls his eyeballs. The duel starts. Right
he is playing with Bhima.
from the first moment, Duryodhana has the upper
hand, because during the war, a certain incident To be continued.
happened. Since Gandhari kept her eyes consciously
closed for so long, she had acquired a certain
The Mahabharat series is based on Sadhguru’s talks
amount of power within herself. When Gandhari
during the one-time Mahabharat program that took
saw, through Sanjaya’s eyes, that this war could go place in February 2012 at the Isha Yoga Center. Through
any which way, she decided to use her power. She the lives and stories of the varied characters, Sadhguru
told Duryodhana, “Tonight you come into my tent takes us on a mystical exploration into the wisdom of this
completely naked. I will look at you just once, and immortal saga.
you will become indomitable; no one will be able to
kill you. But you must come totally naked.”
Delhi, 19 Dec 2018: The eminent Rally for Rivers Some of the milestones planned in RfR this year:
(RfR) board came together for their fourth national • Pilot projects to support the Government of
meeting. The RfR board is endowed with an
Karnataka in planting 250 million trees in the
illustrious group of top experts in various fields,
Kaveri river basin.
including the CEO of the World Wildlife Fund,
leaders of Farmers Producer Organization, leading • Expanding the pilot project in Maharashtra, which
scientists, top industrialists, and many others, who aims to raise farmers’ income 3–7 times through
all came together to contribute their expertise interventions like agro-horti-forestry, soil and
for the cause of rivers, water, soil, human beings, water conservation, and community micro-
and all life. irrigation.
Senior officials of the Confederation of Indian • Establishing a model village and furthering a
Industry (CII) joined the meeting to discuss how
mega-FPO, aggregating 25,000+ farmers in
to involve the industry and make saving rivers
Tamil Nadu.
lucrative for all the stakeholders, especially the
farmers, for India to become a sustainable and
progressive nation.
14 | ISHA FOREST FLOWER February 2019
Recognition for Rally for Rivers
Sadhguru Receives Award by the Maharashtra Marathi Journalist Association
Pune, 23 Dec 2018: The Maharashtra State responsible action towards the Ganga, basically
Marathi Journalists Association honored Sadhguru saying that Ganga is not dirty, we human beings
with the Lifetime Achievement Award for the are, and that if we stop polluting her, in one flood
nationwide Rally for Rivers. The Jeevan Gaurav season, she will clean herself. He drew attention
Puraskar was presented by Union Minister Nitin to the Rally for Rivers pilot project in Yavatmal, a
Gadkari. Shri Gadkari expressed his concern about region prone to farmer suicides, and felt hopeful
the indiscriminate pollution of river waters and the that with the government’s support, the situation
challenges of cleaning the Ganga. He conceded for the farmers will turn around in a not too
with the recommendations of the Rally for Rivers distant future.
Draft Policy Recommendation. Sadhguru called for
It has been six months now since the first batch of Sadhanapada participants embarked on their exploration
of intense sadhana and volunteering at the Isha Yoga Center. The program, which spans from Guru Purnima
until Mahashivaratri, offers many opportunities and processes to break limitations and inner compulsions, and
to look at life from a new perspective. One such opportunity is a three-day silence program, which is especially
structured and conducted for the Sadhanapada participants. They not only got to turn inward and become more
conscious, but also to experience deeper devotion and have a taste of the upcoming Samyama program. Here we
share with you some of their experiences.
“These three days, for the first time in my life, I was “Sadhguru spoke about thoughts being just an
happily silent. I had been on silence before, but not accumulated garbage that keeps recycling. When I
out of the need to grow but because I was angry at saw the cyclical nature of thoughts and the nature
someone or sad about something. But this time it of the mind, a distance came between me and the
is totally willingly. I realized that when we truly see thoughts almost effortlessly. When this distance
what matters in life, we will naturally be devotees. happened, my focus on my sadhana increased, and
Not of any god but of life. The sadhana Sadhguru my practices improved. I am glad to have learnt to
gave to focus on every little part of the creation shut up.” —Karan Sain
made me very humble. I am just a devotee of life
“I have been in silence before, but not in a space like
and work towards the betterment of my life and
this, not in a program like this. Many things came
every life around me. I now feel there is no limit to
to the surface, and it was good to be able to face
what we can be. I will surely strive to be alive 100%.”
them. I had not experienced deep stillness in silence
—Madhura K.
like this, and then a total explosion. I was crying,
Explore Sadhanapada in 2019 spend more time at the Isha Yoga Center during
Sadhanapada offers the possibility to come to a this period.
new level of balance, clarity, and stability within Dates: Guru Purnima, 16 July 2019 to
yourself – a steady foundation to go through Mahashivaratri, 21 February 2020
any life situation with a sense of ease. Sadhguru
will open up the opportunity to participate in For more information:
Sadhanapada on a larger scale and is planning to isha.sadhguru.org/sadhanapada
In the Presence of
March 4
6 PM - 6 AM, Isha Yoga Center
“Mahashivaratri is an opportunity to allow the natural forces to prompt you towards your Ultimate Nature.
May this night become an exuberant awakening for you.” – Sadhguru
Yaksha 2019
1–3 March 2019, Isha Yoga Center Come experience the finest expressions of
India’s unparalleled cultural heritage.
Yaksha is a three-day festival preceding
Mahashivaratri, featuring some of the most Isha Yoga Center, Velliangiri Foothills,
exuberant and renowned talent of music and dance. Ishana Vihar Post, Coimbatore
83000 83111 | isha.sadhguru.org
This year’s concerts:
Isha Rejuvenation,
Isha Yoga Center, 0422-2515464
9–13 Feb 2019 Sunetra
Velliangiri Foothills, isharejuvenation@ishafoundation.org
Coimbatore – India
Isha Rejuvenation,
14–18 Feb Ayur Rasayana Isha Yoga Center, 0422-2515464
2019 Intensive Velliangiri Foothills, isharejuvenation@ishafoundation.org
Coimbatore – India
Isha Rejuvenation,
19 Feb 2019
Shivanga Sadhana Isha Yoga Center, 0422-2515464
(culmination
Initiation (Gents) Velliangiri Foothills, isharejuvenation@ishafoundation.org
3 Apr 2019)
Coimbatore – India
Inner Engineering
Los Angeles – United +1 931 488 8448
30 Mar 2019 Completion with
States iecsupport@innerengineering.com
Sadhguru
Inner Engineering
Philadelphia – United +1 931 488 8448
27 Apr 2019 Completion with
States iecsupport@innerengineering.com
Sadhguru
84484 47707
Nanmai Uruvam Isha Yoga Center,
7percent@ishafoundation.org
16 Jul 2019 Ceremony with Velliangiri Foothills,
94425 04655
Sadhguru (Ishanga 7%) Coimbatore – India
donations@ishafoundation.org
Current at the time of print, however subject to change. For full program schedules and updates, please visit
www.ishayoga.org/Schedule/Yoga-Programs
INGREDIENTS
1 kg Jaggery
2 kg Rice
200 ml Water
150 g Ghee
100 g Sesame seeds (+150 g if also
applying outside)
15 Cardamom seeds
500 g Oil + 500 g Ghee – for deep frying
METHODS
Preparing the Rice Flour 2. Keep stirring and keep adding the rice flour until
1. Soak the rice overnight. the dough has a consistency almost like chapati
dough (not too thick, not too thin).
2. Rinse for 2 to 3 times and strain out the water.
Forming and Deep-Frying the Adhirasam
3. Leave the rice on the strainer for around 10 to
1. Heat oil for deep-frying on medium flame.
15 minutes.
2. Take an Adhirasam-sized lid with a plastic sheet
4. Grind the rice in batches into a very fine flour and
placed on it.
keep aside.
3.
Grease your fingers and the plastic sheet
Preparing the Jaggery Syrup
with ghee.
1. Put jaggery in a deep pan and add 40 to 50 ml
water so the jaggery melts very fast. 4.
Take a fistful of dough and make it into a
round ball.
2. Boil until the syrup starts bubbling.
5. Dip the dough ball in sesame seeds if desired.
3. When the syrup starts to bubble, take a small
spoonful of syrup and put it in a small cup of 6. Pat the dough ball into a round, flat shape until
water. it covers the lid (to get the right size).
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