Editorial

Printed by: S. PRAKASH; at FINE DOTS, No.15, Boo Begum 3rd Street,
Dear Readers,

Even after months of travelling, there has been no gearing down for Sadhguru. His frantic schedule
of the past few weeks included a number of “In Conversation with the Mystic” sessions with
prominent figures from various walks of life, a series of darshans with thousands of participants at

Anna Salai, Chennai – 600 042. Editor: K. SEKAR.

the Isha Yoga Center, and Guru Pournami with the unveiling of the first Adiyogi sculpture – just to
name the biggest highlights. Check out our News & Events section for more details. We hope you
will like the new, at-a-glance format.

The recent darshans at the Adiyogi Alayam brought us an abundance of interesting talks by
Sadhguru. Spoiled for choice, we have selected some of the most insightful ones for this edition.
Our Lead Article, in which Sadhguru discusses the “Boundless Ways” in which one can approach
the Ultimate is one of them.

Since its shortness belies its substantiality, we would like to particularly recommend the article “The
Life Breath of Existence,” which targets the link between body and being. Whether you are at odds
or enamored with yourself or somewhere in between, the article “How to Love Yourself?” is for you.
Sadhguru not only busts common myths about our relationship with ourselves but also challenges
the concepts of shame and guilt. The relationship between Linga Bhairavi and Dhyanalinga is
subject of the article “Why Devi Touches Base.” Find out the deeper purpose behind the spectacle
of sound, fire, and color that the Linga Bhairavi Procession and Maha Arati present.

When Sadhguru chooses to leave his body, how will his physical absence impact those who
have been initiated by him into a spiritual process? A question many of us may have pondered in
silence. A participant of the Leela program addressed it, and we have Sadhguru’s answer in the

Published from 117/50, Luz Church Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004
Published by: B. RAJESH CHANDER on behalf of ISHA FOUNDATION
article “Going for Good.”

Kiran Bedi, the first and highest-ranking female officer of the Indian Police Service turned social
activist, met with Sadhguru on 6 July 2014 for an “In Conversation with the Mystic” session. The
article “Courage for Social Change” is the first excerpt of their heartfelt and constructive discussion.

Enjoy the read!

The Editorial Team

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2 ISHA FOREST FLOWER August 2014

 CONTENTS
Lead Article
Boundless Ways
Sadhguru on Different Approaches to the Ultimate 4
Musings
The Life Breath of Existence
Sadhguru on the Link between Body and Being 6
How to Love Yourself?
Sadhguru on Shifting from Conscience to Consciousness 7
Why Devi Touches Base
Sadhguru on the Importance of the Linga Bhairavi Procession 9

In Conversation with the Mystic

Courage for Social Change
Kiran Bedi in Conversation with Sadhguru 11
Leela Series
The path of the playful – part LVIII:
Going for Good 13
Isha Hata Yoga
Part 8: Flexibility Factors 15
News & Events
Kiran Bedi in Conversation with Sadhguru 16
Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade in Conversation with Sadhguru 16
Series of Darshans with Sadhguru at the Isha Yoga Center 16
Fifteen Years of Dhyanalinga 17
Dr. Devi Shetty in Conversation with Sadhguru 17
Sharing Experiences
A Fly Stuck in a Spider’s Web
Poem by Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Trainee 18

Sadhguru Spot
Lifetimes have passed by…
Excerpted from Sadhguru Spot of 9 July 2014 19

Upcoming Programs and Events

Isha Yoga – Program Highlights 20
Isha Recipes
This Month: Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad 21
Zen Speaks
A Morning of the Moon and Wind 23
August 2014 ISHA FOREST FLOWER 3
 SADHGURU

Boundless Ways
Sadhguru on Different
Approaches to the Ultimate
The following is an excerpt from a darshan
with Sadhguru at the Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India, on 24 June 2014, in which
he explains the different aspects of the chant
“Bhuta Bhuta Bhuteshwaraya” with which he
had opened the session.

Bhuta Bhuta Bhuteshwaraya

Yoga Yoga Yogishwaraya
Kala Kala Kaleshwararaya
Shiva Shiva Sarveshwaraya
Shambho Shambho Mahadevaya

Bhuteshwara
The physical creation – all that we can see, hear,
smell, taste, and touch – the very body, the
planet, the universe, the cosmos – everything
is just a play of five elements. Only with five
ingredients, what a magnificent mischief
called “creation”! Gaining mastery over
these five elements, which are known as the
pancha bhutas, is everything – your health,
your wellbeing, your power in the world,
and your ability to create what you want.
Knowingly or unknowingly, consciously or
unconsciously, individual people attain to
some level of control or mastery over these
different elements. How much control or
mastery they have determines the nature
of their body, the nature of their mind, the
nature of what they do, how successfully

ISHA FOREST FLOWER August 2014

they do it, how far they can see – everything.
With only five things, which you can count on
one hand, how many things are being created!
Creation could not be more compassionate. If there
were five million ingredients, you would be lost.
With this mind, there would have been no way
we could have mastered five million things. Bhuta
Bhuta Bhuteshwaraya means that one who has
mastery over the pancha bhutas determines the
destiny of his life, at least in the physical realm.
Yogishwara
Being on the path of yoga means you have come
to a phase in your life where you have felt the
limitations of being physical; you have felt the need
to go beyond the physical; you have felt restrained
even by this vast cosmos. You are able to see that
if you can be restrained by a small boundary, you
can also be restrained by a huge boundary at some
point. You do not have to crisscross the cosmos
to experience this. Sitting here, you know if this
boundary restrains you, if you crisscross the cosmos,
that will also restrain you after some time – it is
only a question of your ability to travel distances.
Once your ability to travel distances is enhanced,
any kind of boundary will be a restriction for you.
Once you have understood and known this, once
you have felt this longing that cannot be fulfilled by
mastering physical creation – yoga. Yoga means to
breach the barrier of physical creation. Your effort
is not just to master the physicality of existence but
to breach its boundary and touch a dimension that is
not physical in nature. You want to unite that which
is bound and that which is boundless. You want to
dissolve the boundary into the boundless nature of
existence. So, Yogishwaraya.
Kaleshwara
Kala – time. No matter if you have mastered the five
elements, you have become one with the boundless,
or you know dissolution – as long as you are here,
time is ticking away. Mastering time is a completely
different dimension. Kala not just means time, it
also means darkness. Time is darkness. Time cannot
be light because light travels in time. Light is a slave
of time. Light is a phenomenon that has a beginning
August 2014 ISHA FOREST FLOWER
and an end. Time is not that kind of phenomenon. In
the Hindu way of life, they have a very sophisticated
understanding of time, as six different dimensions.
One thing you have to know – as you sit here, your
time is ticking away. The Tamil expression for death
is very good – Kala maayitanga – “his time is up.”
In English, we also used such an expression in the
past – “he expired.” Like a drug or anything else, a
human being also comes with an expiry date. Time
is a special dimension of life – it does not fit into
the other three dimensions. And of all the things in
the universe, it is the most elusive stuff. You cannot
pin it down, because it is not. It does not exist
in any form of existence that you know. It is the
most powerful dimension of creation, which holds
the whole universe together. It is because of this
that modern physics is clueless about how gravity
functions, because there is no gravity. It is time
which holds everything together.
Gravity as we know it is just a small consequence
of time. You may think you are going to so many
places. No, as far as your body is concerned, it is
going straight to the grave, without deviating for a
moment. You can slow it down a bit, but it will not
change direction, because death is gravity. As you
are getting older, you will see, slowly, the earth is
trying to suck you back. Life completes its turn. By
the time you die, maybe you can have a grave on
the moon, but that is also gravity. There is evidence
that the Moon was once a part of the Earth. But do
not deny the local farmers the manure that you can
provide. Do not take it to the moon – may you be
buried here. I am inviting all the old people to come
to the ashram – nothing should go waste. I am not
asking you to die, but you will any way die.
Shiva – Sarveshwara – Shambho
Shiva means “that which is not; that which
is dissolved.” That which is not is the basis of
everything, and that is the boundless Sarveshwara.
Shambho is just a key, a passage. If you can utter it
in a way that your body will tear up, it will become
a passage. If you want to master all these aspects and
get there, it will take a long time. If you only want
to take the passage, you can transcend these aspects
not by mastery but by sneaking in.
5
I have said this before – when I was a young boy,
I had friends in the Mysore Zoo. Sunday morning
meant I had my two rupees pocket money and would
go to the fish market, deep inside where they had
the half rotten fish. For two rupees, I sometimes got
two, three kilograms of fish. I put them in a plastic
bag and took them to the Mysore Zoo. I did not have
any more money. The ticket at that time was one
rupee; that is if you want to go straight. There was
a barrier of about two feet. If you were willing to
crawl, it was free. What’s my problem – I crawled.
I spent the whole day there feeding all my friends
with my rotten fish.
If you want to walk straight, it is a tough path – a
whole lot of work. If you are willing to crawl, there
The Life Breath of Existence
Sadhguru on the Link between Body and Being
The following is an excerpt from a darshan with
Sadhguru at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore,
India, on 22 June 2014.
Questioner: Namaskaram, Sadhguru. What is the
role of the breath in one’s spiritual growth?
Sadhguru: In yogic terminology, the breath is
referred to as koorma nadi. The koorma nadi is
that which ties you as a being to this physical
manifestation of a body. As you know, the body is
an accumulation of what we have eaten, or in other
words, it is just a piece of the planet, but right now,
you perceive it as “you” because body and being are
so well tied together. And it is the koorma nadi, the
thread of koorma, which does that. If I take away
your breath, you and your body will fall apart.
The significance of the breath in a spiritual practice
is that it gives you access to that point or that
dimension where the physical and the non-physical
are tied together – that is if you know the breath as
koorma. Right now, you only know the sensations
caused by the passage of air – that is not koorma. The
koorma nadi is more than the air that you breathe –
but without the air that you breathe, it will not
6 ISHA FOREST FLOWER
are easier ways. Those who are the crawling kind
do not have to worry about mastering anything.
Live as long as you live; when you die, you go and
reach the ultimate. There is a certain beauty, an
indescribable aesthetic in mastering even something
simple. Kicking a ball for example, even a child can
do. But when someone masters that, suddenly there
is an aesthetic to it that makes half the world sit up
and watch. If you want to know and enjoy mastery,
there is work to do. But if you are willing to crawl,
it is simply Shambho.
happen. The passage of the air is important, but
koorma is not limited to that. It is the life breath of
existence that you are inhaling and exhaling. If it is
taken away, you and your body will not be capable
of staying together. They will fall apart.
Travelling with your koorma nadi is an effort to
know that space where the physical and the non-
physical meet. That is the purpose of the Shambhavi
Mahamudra – to be in the twilight zone where you
are in the physical but touch a dimension beyond
the physical. It would be very simple to leave the
physical and go to the non-physical – a bullet in the
head would do that, but that is not our aspiration.
The aspiration of a human being is to be rooted in
the physical but have a taste of that which is beyond.
The breath is one of the easiest tools to approach the
non-physical dimension. There are other ways too,
but they would need much more care, instruction,
guidance, and assistance. With the process of breath,
it happens much more easily. That is why the breath
is significant in a spiritual context.
August 2014
How to Love Yourself?
Sadhguru on Shifting from Conscience to Consciousness
The following is an excerpt from a darshan with
Sadhguru at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore,
India, on 23 June 2014.
Questioner: Sadhguru, Why is it that so many
people struggle with liking themselves? And could
you say something about shame and guilt?
Sadhguru: “Liking themselves?” Someone else
should like you. “I like myself” – what nonsense is
this? These concepts and philosophies are floating
around all over the world, particularly on the
West Coast of America. When I recently went to
California, I happened to attend a lecture at Stanford
University where the speaker held the view, “You
must be compassionate to yourself.” I said, “To like,
to love, to be compassionate, you need two entities.
If you create two entities within yourself, you are
either schizophrenic or possessed. Either you need
a psychiatrist or an exorcist.” An individual means
“not further divisible.” If you made yourself in
such a way that you have no friends, and you are
not capable of being alone, you create two within
yourself. Don’t play this game. Initially, it may be
fun, but if it establishes itself, you will become sick.
The line between sanity and insanity is very thin. If
you keep pushing it, you will land on the other side,
and you will not know where you are.
It happened once – Shankaran Pillai called the
psychiatric ward at the NIMHANS1 institute in
Bangalore and said, “Is Mr. Pillai there in room
number 21?” The receptionist said, “Wait, sir. I’ll
check and let you know.” She checked and said,
“No, he is not there.” “Oh my God, then it’s true
that I have escaped!” Once you play this game of
dividing yourself, you will not know where you
are. You are an individual – who you are should
never be divided. You must integrate yourself into
an individual. Right from day one of the Isha Yoga
program, this is what we have been trying to do –
1 National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences
August 2014 ISHA FOREST FLOWER
to set you up as an individual, an undivided entity.
“Whatever happens, whether good or bad – it’s
me.” If you create two or more within you, you
are unfixable. Only one is fixable. Only one can
grow. Only one can transform. Only one can
transcend. If there are two, they will go in two
different directions. If there are four, they will go
in four different directions, and so on.
Do not try to like yourself. What is there to like
about you? “Then should I dislike myself?” Why are
you thinking on those terms? Where is the question
of liking or disliking yourself? When you look at
yourself as just a piece of life, there is neither a need
to like nor dislike this most fundamental life within
you. If you see, “This is only me and me alone,” you
will keep this well. If there are two, doing makeup
for both is difficult.
With these ideas, “Love yourself. Believe in
yourself. Be compassionate to yourself,” you are
asking for sickness. And if you ask very strongly,
you may get it. Do not ask for these things. It is
vital to understand that you are an individual –
you cannot divide yourself, or if you do, you are
playing a psychological game with which you
are asking for insanity to manifest itself. When
you live with those kinds of people, it may seem
normal, but if life situations push you, you will
go crazy. If life situations are conducive, you can
play these games and somehow get by, but nothing
significant will happen in your life because unless
you are an individual, you cannot transform; you
cannot transcend.
Your ideas of shame and guilt are a social
phenomenon. What people feel guilty about in one
society, they do not feel guilty about in another
society. Shame and guilt are not natural. It is just
that certain religions have made you feel guilty
about everything. If you list out all the things they
7
consider as sin that you should feel guilty about,
you must feel guilty about being alive, because
your very birth is supposed to be a sin. All your
life, you feel guilty.
When you feel guilty, you pay your tribute. This
is business, not spiritual process. It is a great
entrepreneurial idea – eternal business – it runs
forever. If you feel guilty of your very birth,
there is no way to fix you. Always, you will
feel guilty; always, you will confess; always, you
will pay your tribute – always, the business is
on. If certain religious teachings were not there,
guilt and shame would not exist. If there was
no room for guilt and shame, you would correct
your actions. Guilt and shame gives you a lot of
shadowy area in your life. You can do the same
stupid things, feel guilty about it, wash your guilt
away, do the same things again, endlessly.
People who have been taught great levels of shame
and guilt are the ones who commit too many things
because there is always a way to fix the guilt, every
week. Consciousness is one thing – conscience is
another thing. Consciousness is the basis of life and
existence. Spiritual process is about consciousness,
not conscience. Conscience is a socially set up
mechanism, usually with a religious basis, which
makes you feel guilty of this or that or everything
in your life. When you feel guilty, you will become
subservient in some way.
You do not need a conscience – you need
consciousness, because consciousness is inclusive.
This inclusion fixes your actions. Not because you
think something is wrong, you do not do it. You
know that you would not like to do it to yourself,
so you would not like to do it to someone else.
You know it would not work for yourself, so
you would not want to do it for someone else.
That is all it is. Consciousness fixes you because
of your inclusiveness. Conscience tries to fix you
with guilt, fear, punishment, and shame. This is
something that makes a human being feel like a
wretch, and you cannot expect a human being to
grow when he or she feels like a wretch. Instilling
shame and guilt means there is no interest in the
growth, transformation, and transcendence of
human beings. There is only interest in keeping
them on a leash. Guilt and shame come from social
conscience, not from universal consciousness.
Why Devi Touches Base
Sadhguru on the Importance of the Linga Bhairavi Procession
The following is an excerpt from a darshan with
Sadhguru at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore,
India, on 23 June 2014.
Questioner: What is the significance of the Linga
Bhairavi procession and Maha Arati that takes
place every Pournami (full moon day) around
Dhyanalinga?
Sadhguru: Oh, she is just taking a walk. [Laughter]
If you want to transmit a genuine, life-transforming
spiritual process – not just talking spirituality, not
scriptural stuff – you need a tower of energy. If
you do not create that or access that which may
be available to you in some other way, no life
transmission will ever happen – only words. If the
person who delivers it has a certain energy, it will
go on for a certain period of time. The moment his
body becomes feeble, the whole process will die. If
you do not create what we traditionally refer to as
moola sthana, a fundamental energy space that lasts
for a long time, you cannot transmit a living spiritual
process. To transmit a spiritual process just based on
a physical body would be foolish because first of all,
you can only do very little – otherwise, it will break.
August 2014 ISHA FOREST FLOWER
And above all, no matter how you do things, the
physical body does not remain stable forever – it has
its ups and downs. It has to eat; it has to sleep; it has
to do so many things.
Here in Isha, Dhyanalinga is that tower of energy.
I do not know how many of you experience it that
way. One lady from the United States said, “All I
see is one big black peanut.” Since this phenomenal
tower of energy has to last very long, it has to be
subtle. Anything that you make outwardly energetic,
like Devi, will not last long, unless you maintain it
every day. You must recharge her on a daily basis –
otherwise, she will not live. That is why those who
are around Devi need a lot more dedication and
devotion to keep her going.
People who take care of the Dhyanalinga temple
only take care of the temple, the premises, and
the people who come. They do not take care of
Dhyanalinga in any sense, because he does not need
any care. If no one takes care of him, he will still be
the same. This is a completely different format. But
with the Devi temple, it is not just the temple and
the people – Devi herself is being taken care of on a
9
daily basis. And if you do not take care of her well,
she will go into a fit. I hope they will have the sense
to see to it that she does not go into a fit.
Devi exists by drawing sustenance from the main
tower of energy – Dhyanalinga. That is why she
is positioned the way she is. Everything else we
create now, wherever we put it in the world, also
draws sustenance from that. Dhyanalinga is a full-
fledged life. Practically, there are difficulties, but in
theory, if we want, we can build a body of flesh and
bone for him, and make him come alive. When we
explored these things in great detail about 20 years
ago, during the Wholeness Program in 1994, people
said, “Sadhguru, you must make him alive.” I said,
“No,” because if you make him alive, then he will
have to go for dinner; he will want to sleep. All the
problems that you and I have, he will also have.
As a life without a body, he has no physical issues,
which is good. He is a full-fledged life – all the seven
chakras, and more. Devi is only three-and-a-half
chakras. She is half a life, but a vibrant half – you
cannot miss it. You may not experience anything in
Kalabhairava Shanti
An annual process conducted on the auspicious night of Mahalaya
Amavasya for the wellbeing of ancestors and departed relatives
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
In the presence of Linga Bhairavi Devi
the Dhyanalinga because he is subtle. Devi is like
a slap in your face – you cannot miss it. However,
that kind of vibrance cannot stay for long unless it is
recharged on a daily basis.
Once a month, she comes out and makes direct
contact with Dhyanalinga because her sustenance
depends on that. Forever, the future generations
who will be here must ensure she always comes
to Dhyanalinga on full moon days and makes that
contact. No matter if rain is pouring, there is a flood,
or whatever else – she must still come. Whoever
will be around must maintain that, because this is
essential for her. Not that there are no other ways
to stay in contact with Dhyanalinga – there are –
but the procession is an important part. She has
to constantly stay in touch with Dhyanalinga –
otherwise, she will deplete. She likes to be strong,
energetic, and beautiful – if you make her deplete,
she will go into a fit. No one should be around when
she goes into a fit.
For details, please contact:
Email: kbprocess@lingabhairavi.org
Mobile: +91 94864 94865, +91 94433 65631
Website: www.lingabhairavi.org
Linga Bhairavi, Semmedu (P.O.),
Coimbatore - 641114, Tamil Nadu
 Courage for Social Change
Kiran Bedi in Conversation with Sadhguru
In a recent edition of the “In Conversation with the Mystic” series, Sadhguru met
with social activist and retired Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi for a session
under the theme “Making of a Nation” on 6 June 2014 in Delhi. Here is the first
excerpt of their conversation.

Kiran Bedi: Sixty percent of India is in its villages –
it’s panchayats, families, mahilamandals, and
district administrations. If we look at Uttar Pradesh
for example, a lot of wrong has happened there,
unfortunately. Every time someone has violated
a woman’s body, we only talk about the law – we
don’t talk about the source; we don’t talk about the
schooling; we don’t talk about the family; we don’t
talk about the community where it’s come from.
How long will we remain only reactionary? Aren’t
prevention and response two sides of the same coin
if we want a better society?
Sadhguru: There is no question about that. At
the same time, punishment can be done easily –
prevention is a long-term project. The social
commitment right now is short-span. When
something horrible happens, people react, and
tomorrow morning, everything goes on as before.
If you want to get into prevention, it is a lifelong
commitment to create a society of a certain kind.
Marching on the streets for one day, lighting candles
or whatever is not enough for prevention. Prevention
is a lifelong commitment. That commitment has to
be made.
In their own way, the media and everyone else are
trying to churn up a certain level of emotion towards
this, which on one level is good, but it also creates
a bad image for the nation outside the country.
Whatever ugly events have happened in UP – you
see the comments of the leaders. That’s the mindset.
Kiran Bedi: They’ve been very awful.
Sadhguru: They don’t think it’s wrong.
Kiran Bedi: They have been saying, “Boys will be
boys.”
Sadhguru: No, they’re saying, “Boys will be beasts.”
Kiran Bedi: And one of them said, “The beasts also
sometimes make mistakes, so try and forgive them.”

August 2014 ISHA FOREST FLOWER 11

Sadhguru: As a nation, as a people, all of us should
have the courage to address these questions within
our minds and within our society, with our children.
In earlier times, in this country, by the time a girl
was 12, 13, she would be married. A boy would
be married by the time he was 15, 16. But now
the whole dynamics, education and things have
changed. Girls are marrying over 18, 20 years of age;
men are marrying over 25 years of age on an average,
many of them later. We need to understand that
there is a human physiology, there are hormonal
forces working within a young person. The peak
of hormonal activity is somewhere between 14 and
25. This is the time they are supposed to maintain
their discipline and not look at the girls, and the
girls not look at the boys – this is not going to
work. Do we have the courage to go back to the
old system? Not possible. Are we willing for pre-
marital relationships? We have not decided on that.
We have left society in confusion. Aberrations are
happening because we are unwilling to address
fundamental issues.
Kiran Bedi: But it’s linked a lot with caste.
Sadhguru: That is next. But is it not a fact that for
every human being – if he knows something beyond,
he may be beyond that, that’s different – but for a
normal human being, somewhere between 14 and
25 is the peak of his hormonal drive. How do you
expect him to be disciplined? For this generation, it
is not going to work because they are on internet;
they are seeing things, and they are exposed to the
whole world. You have to make a decision now
whether you are going to change the fundamental
texture of your society.
Kiran Bedi: Isn’t upbringing critical in this? Is
giving birth to children your right? Is it not your
responsibility to see that boys and girls are brought
up equally, with a sense of responsibility?
Sadhguru: That is a different aspect. What I am
saying is there is an anomaly in this whole thing.
We are not addressing the fundamental sexual drive
in the society.
Kiran Bedi: But that’s world-over.
Sadhguru: No. In many other countries, they are
free to do what they want when they are 18. Here,
you are not because our mind cannot come to terms
with that, because we believe in a certain way. I
am not saying this is right or wrong. We are at a
crossroads. At a crossroads is where people hit each
other. This needs to be looked at with some courage
to change, whichever way is best.
Kiran Bedi: But in many of these rapes, particularly
in the rural areas, it’s all power play. You never
had a Dalit [Untouchable] attacking a Zamindar
[laird] – it is always a Zamindar attacking a Dalit. So
it’s a caste and power play.
Sadhguru: Definitely, that is there. But that is
because in the minds of the administration and the
leadership in the area – whether it is the panchayat
leadership, the district leadership, or the state
leadership – these things are not fixed.
Kiran Bedi: Yes, apparently.

Going for Good
The following is an excerpt from “Leela, 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, you said enlightened
beings prefer to be elsewhere. We are all on this
bus journey with you as the driver. At some point,
you may decide to hop off the bus. You have two
types of passengers. Those who are focused on the
destination – even if you put the bus on auto pilot,
they should be okay. But you also have passengers
who are focused on the driver – the destination
doesn’t matter to them. What happens to them if
you put it on auto pilot? In that context, there are
the texts 23 to 27 in chapter 8 in the Bhagavad
Gita, where Krishna talks about yogis who leave
in darkness and yogis who leave in light, and some
who come back and others who don’t. I just want to
understand this.
Sadhguru: People have gotten interested in the
driver only because of the destination that he
represents. If you have a dream about going to a
certain destination, the man who drives the bus
becomes a part of your dream. You may be thinking
“Sadhguru” with tears in your eyes, but if I go to
the next village, they are not even bothered who
I am, because they are not interested in going
anywhere. They have not even thought about it, so
what I represent does not mean anything to them.
Your interest is the destination, but the destination
is abstract, while the driver is something that you
can relate to. Therefore, in your understanding,
the driver has become important. But actually, the
important thing for you is the destination. The way
the mind understands, knows, and perceives things
August 2014 ISHA FOREST FLOWER
Leela Series
The path of the playful –
Part LVIII
is like this: “If the driver is not there, will we really
get to the destination?” You have no trust in the
technology of auto-piloting. You think if it is put
on auto pilot, it will not happen, which is not true.
The question is, “When are you going to go – before
me or after me?” Maybe I will outlive you – I have
not made up my mind when to go. Does this mean I
have an unbounded amount of time? Right now, no.
If one wishes, one can earn that. But it needs a lot
of hard work, just to drag on for a few more years,
and I am not the kind to do that. Suppose I leave
tomorrow, is your spiritual journey going to end?
Definitely not. Instead of piloting it from outside,
it could be piloted from inside. The initiations that
you have gone through, whether it is shoonya or
anything else, are not empty procedures or a bundle
of instructions – they are a huge investment of life
energy. If you keep it as a seed in your belly, you
do not feel its presence. You have to create the
necessary atmosphere for it to become a big tree,
then there is no way you cannot feel its presence.
The unfortunate reality for most masters in the
past has been that the spiritual processes that they
started gathered much more momentum after they
left. The physical absence makes the other presence
very powerful – it always greatly enhances the
other dimension. If I went tomorrow, it would
also be to your benefit, so there is no need to
be concerned. But it will not happen tomorrow –
sorry to disappoint you.
13
Let’s look at texts 23 to 27: “O best of the Bharata
dynasty, I shall now explain to you the different
times when yogis departing at death either return
or not return. Those who know Brahman and pass
away during fire, light, an auspicious time of day,
the bright lunar fortnight, and the six months of
sun’s northern solstice go to Brahman. The mystic
who passes away during smoke or smoky night,
the lunar dark fortnight and the sun’s six months
southern solstice attains the lunar light and returns.
According to the Vedas, there are two ways of
leaving the world – one in light and one in darkness.
When one passes away during light, one does not
return; during darkness, one returns. Aware of these
two parts, the devotee is never confused. Therefore,
O Arjuna, at all times be steadfast in yoga.”
Krishna tells Arjuna to be ready all the time. You
may leave in daylight; you may leave in darkness;
whichever way it happens – be ready. The
northern and the southern movement of the sun
in the Northern Hemisphere have some influence
on a person’s life. You know, Bhishma waited for
Uttarayana, the northward movement of the sun, to
die. Generally, if we look at the history of people
leaving consciously, a lot of them have left on the
first full moon night after the southern solstice,
which is called Thaipoosam in Tamil Nadu. That
is also the day Vijji [Sadhguru’s wife] left, because
nature’s forces provided an ideal situation. But not
only she – many sages and siddhas, especially in
Southern India, have left on that day, because it is
most conducive.
If you want to leave consciously, it is necessary to
keep the stomach empty for at least 24 hours. With
food in the stomach, your ability to control your life
energies is not the same. That is why we told you,
you must do your sadhana on an empty stomach.
Not only can it cause harm when done on a full
stomach, but your ability to move your energy is
best when the stomach is empty. Leaving a four-
hour gap after a meal is the minimum, but a 12-hour
gap between your last meal and your sadhana would
be best. The effectiveness of the kriya would be
greatly enhanced.
When the planet shifts its position in relationship to
the sun, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, the
situation is more conducive for a person to leave the
body. Bhishma waited for 58 days. Others did not
consciously wait, but they waited for a conducive
situation within themselves, and it often occurred
on the first full moon after the southern solstice.
“According to the Vedas, there are two ways of
leaving the world – one in light and one in darkness.
When one passes away during light, one does not
return; during darkness, one returns.” Light and
darkness need not necessarily be in terms of day
and night. Even if one is well-versed in yoga, if one
leaves in a moment of unawareness, one returns;
if one leaves in awareness, one does not return.
Light and darkness may be a simplistic translation.
It cannot refer to day and night because a lot of
yogis choose morning 3:40 to 3:50, which is known
as Brahma Muhurtam – it is dark at that time. He
is talking about light and darkness in the sense of
awareness and unawareness.
 HATA YOGA
Part 8:
Flexibility
Factors
In this series, Sadhguru
discusses various aspects
that can significantly
impact the quality of
your yogic practice.
Questioner: Namaskaram, Sadhguru. Does the in a good shape when you go, but you are not in a
amount of flexibility and the parts of the body good shape when you are here.
that are flexible indicate something about the
person’s mental state, their personality, or even If there is no injury, no damage of any kind to the
their karmic structure? muscles, and still they are tense and rigid, you are
probably generating acids in your body. You can
Sadhguru: That would be a very prejudiced way notice this – if on a particular day, you are in a
of looking at life. Let’s not get into judgments mentally tense state, the next day, you will find it
about people around you. That somebody is not much harder to bend. If the acid level increases, the
able to bend or sit on the floor could have many muscular structure tends to become rigid.
reasons. It would be obnoxious and unnecessary to
Rigid muscles and rigid brains are no good. Only
judge people like that. But to look at the question
when your brain and your muscles are flexible,
of flexibility in general – a muscle is useful only
they are useful. Therefore, you should not generate
if it is flexible. Wherever the body wants 100%
acids. If you sit here joyfully, the body will not
rigidity, it produced bones. Wherever it wants 75%
generate acids. However, if you are angry even
rigidity, it produced tendons. Wherever it wants
for five minutes, the acid level in your blood will
50% rigidity, it produced cartilages. Wherever it
increase dramatically, to the extent that it is actually
wants total flexibility, it produced muscles. The
poisoning you, and it is this poison that makes the
body structure is made up of different levels of
muscular structure rigid. Other than that, lack of
flexibility. If every part of the body was flexible,
flexibility may be cultural, because you are simply
you would sit like a bean bag.
not used to sitting on the floor or using your body
much. In any case, we cannot judge human beings
Some parts of the body are rigid, some are semi-
by their flexibility in the sense, “Tell me which
rigid, some are flexible – it is done in an intelligent
asana you cannot do and I tell you who you are.”
manner. It should be kept the way the Creator
intended it to be. A three-year-old child will be Excerpted from a talk by Sadhguru at the
flexible enough to do any asana. You lost this Isha Hata School of Yoga. For information
flexibility because of disuse, because you are trying about hata yoga programs, please
to save your body for the grave. You want to be visit www.ishahatayoga.com.

August 2014 ISHA FOREST FLOWER 15

News & Events
Kiran Bedi in Conversation with
Sadhguru
On 6 June 2014, Sadhguru and Kiran Bedi met in
Delhi for an “In Conversation with the Mystic”
event under the theme “Making of a Nation.” Right
after the change of government in India, when the
expectations for change in the country are high, the
meeting between the mystic and the social activist
could not have been timed better. Both being known
for their clarity, outspokenness, and thinking out of
the box, a pragmatic and insightful discussion was
guaranteed. We bring you a first excerpt of their
stimulating conversation in this issue.

Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade in

Conversation with Sadhguru
Padma Bhushan Pattadhikari of Sri Kshetra
Dharmasthala, Pujya Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade,
joined Sadhguru for an “In Conversation With The
Mystic” event on 14 June at the Isha Yoga Center.
Their conversation centered on the spiritual,
religious, and cultural ethos in a society. Explaining
his duties as Pattadhikari, Dr. Heggade said, “I am
supposed to mainly attend to Lord Manjunatha, but
my duties are also to attend to humanity. We have
education, medical, and many other initiatives.”

Series of Darshans with Sadhguru at the Isha Yoga Center

Darshan means to behold an embodiment of limitlessness, Sadhguru says. Upon his eagerly awaited
return from abroad, meditators from all over India gathered at the Isha Yoga Center to do just that.
The series of evening darshans with Sadhguru, which was offered in Tamil from 18 to 20 June and
in English from 21 to 24 June 2014, included meditations, discourses by Sadhguru, Q&A’s, and music
by Sounds of Isha. On all evenings, the Adiyogi Alayam was packed with participants soaking in
the Master’s Presence. With our articles “Boundless Ways,” “The Life Breath of Existence,” “Why
Devi Touches Base,” and “How to Love Yourself,” we bring you highlights of Sadhguru’s darshan
discourses and answers to meditators’ questions.
 Fifteen Years of Dhyanalinga
During the second last darshan of this series, Sadhguru remarked, “Tomorrow is fifteen years of
Dhyanalinga! I never thought I would live to see it,” leaving those present a bit shocked by the idea
of not having him around and relieved that he did not realize his original plan of leaving his body
once his life’s mission, the Dhyanalinga consecration, was completed. The same was celebrated on
24 June 2014 with daylong, multi-religious chanting at Dhyanalinga by brahmacharis, ashram residents,
Samskriti children, and guests. Throughout the day, the Dhyanalinga dome resounded with AUM
Namah Shivaya, Muslim and Sufi songs, Christian hymns, Gurbani kirtans, and Buddhist chants.

Dr. Devi Shetty in Conversation with Sadhguru

On 28 June 2014, Sadhguru met with pioneering cardiac surgeon and philanthropist Dr. Devi Shetty in
Bangalore to discuss the “Mechanics of Health.” Dr. Devi Shetty, Founder and Chairman of the Narayana
Hrudayalaya, a chain of 23 multi-specialty hospitals with 6200 beds in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. He has
been an advisor to the Karnataka government in their effort to launch the largest micro-health insurance
program in the world. For his contributions towards providing affordable, high-quality healthcare, he
has been awarded a Padma Bhushan by the President of India. Be sure not to miss the excerpts of their
conversation in future editions of Isha Forest Flower.
August 2014 ISHA FOREST FLOWER 17
A fly stuck in a spider’s web,
A web spun so intricately.
The seductive pitch of the creator in his song,
Orchestrated so cleverly,
And played so intensely.
I had no chance of escaping.
The harder I struggle,
The tighter he holds on.
Not a moment of respite,
In this humbling ride he has me on.
And it seems so tedious, so long.
So far away is the land he promised me,
But oh, so near, so very near.
So pathetically insufficient I am,
My pride, an ant overwhelmed by a bursting dam,
Knocking me down in the dust of the hard earth,
To realize my humanity.
Lifting me up with his grace,
To fulfill my divinity.
Guided by his wisdom into my senses,
And to seek beyond them.
O my Guru! What have you done?
This pain and ecstasy is too much for a weak heart to bear.
O my precious Guru!
Tonight, I shall dance with you.
But when the night is over,
When we have sailed across,
When it is all over.
I will take my rightful place,
In your lap,
And sleep the eternal rest,
In your ultimate darkness.

– Swapnil Bhattacharya, Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Trainee, Delhi

Sadhguru Spot
Musings from the Master

Lifetimes have passed by…

7 July 2014
Thai Airways

His wish and my will

Hardened into steely relentlessness
A resolve that broke through
the world’s obstacles and traps
that were set and sustained by those
of ignorance and those in the know.
Knowing the fullness of fulfillment of purpose
Feels like a full Moon is stuck in my Heart
Oozing a cool glory of sheer existence.
Tenderness of too much life leaves me trembling
Thoughts and memories leave me in tears
So many of You, Your struggles, Your joy, Your love,
Your commitment and dedication. Above all Your
longing to know. Could die of this too much tenderness
But shall live for it.
Lifetimes have passed by…

Love & Grace

 Program Highlights

Date Program Place Contact

Nanmai Uruvam 94425 04655

Isha Yoga Center,
2 Aug 2014 Ceremony 0422 - 2515378
Coimbatore – India
with Sadhguru 7percent@ishafoundation.org
In Conversation with the
Sion East, 98197 46362
2 Aug 2014 Mystic
Mumbai – India mumbai@ishayoga.org
Juhi Chawla with Sadhguru

Shoonya Intensive Isha Yoga Center, 0422 - 2515300

7–10 Aug 2014
Residential Program Coimbatore – India iycprograms@ishayoga.org

Inner Engineering Retreat Isha Yoga Center, 0422-2515421

7–10 Aug 2014
Residential Program Coimbatore – India ieretreat@ishafoundation.org

Bhava Spandana
Isha Yoga Center, 98840 04475
12–15 Aug 2014 Ladies
Coimbatore – India iycprograms@ishayoga.org
Residential Program
Bhava Spandana
Isha Yoga Center, 98840 04475
16–19 Aug 2014 Gents
Coimbatore – India iycprograms@ishayoga.org
Residential Program

Inner Engineering Retreat Isha Yoga Center, 0422 - 2515421

28–31 Aug 2014
Residential Program Coimbatore – India ieretreat@ishafoundation.org

Bhava Spandana
Isha Yoga Center, 98840 04475
6–9 Sep 2014 Ladies
Coimbatore – India iycprograms@ishayoga.org
Residential Program

Inner Engineering Retreat Isha Yoga Center, 0422 - 2515421

11–14 Sep 2014
Residential Program Coimbatore – India ieretreat@ishafoundation.org

Hata Yoga Isha Yoga Center, 98840 04475

19–22 Sep 2014
Residential Program Coimbatore – India iycprograms@ishayoga.org

Inner Engineering Retreat Isha Yoga Center, 0422 - 2515421

25–28 Sep 2014
Residential Program Coimbatore – India ieretreat@ishafoundation.org

Inner Engineering Worli,

7–9 Nov 2014 876755 2553, 87675 52554
with Sadhguru Mumbai – India
mumbai@ishayoga.org
INSIGHT: The DNA of
Isha Yoga Center, 83000 84888
27–30 Nov 2014 Success
Coimbatore – India leadership@ishainsight.org
with Sadhguru

These programs are conducted in English, unless indicated otherwise. Current at the time of print, however subject
to change. For full program schedules and updates, please visit our website: www.ishafoundation.org.

20 ISHA FOREST FLOWER August 2014

 Isha Recipes For Healthy Living
Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad
(Serves 5)
Ingredients
2 cups ripe papaya, peeled and cubed (Avoid overripe
papaya as it will make the salad mushy; choose a
ripe yet firm papaya.)
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup sliced banana (Slices should be approx. 1/2 inch
thick, not too thin; do not use overripe bananas.)
2 cups ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1 cup strawberries, sliced or cut into quarters (optional)
1 cup lychees or seedless grapes (cut in half)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
20 mint leaves cut into thin ribbons

For the dressing:

1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 cup cashew powder
1/2 tsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar OR palm sugar powder

Preparation Method
1. Sprinkle the nutmeg powder over the banana slices.

2. Sprinkle the mint ribbons over the papaya, mango, strawberry, lychees and pineapple chunks
and toss gently. Add banana slices to this mix.

3. Blend the dressing ingredients in a mixer, making sure there are no lumps of cashew powder. Set
this aside and chill (do not freeze).

4. Drizzle the dressing over the fruit (Do not toss or mix the salad at this stage.).

5. Scoop the fruit salad into individual serving bowls, and garnish with a mint leaf or two before
serving (optional).

Note:
Increasing the percentage of fresh, raw, “live” food in your diet – such as fruits, vegetables, nuts,
and sprouts – will raise your energy levels and reduce your need for sleep.
Fruits are best eaten by themselves (not with or after a meal), or at least one hour before your meal.
Fruits generally digest quickly, and their goodness is absorbed most efficiently when eaten on an
empty stomach.

August 2014 ISHA FOREST FLOWER 21

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 Editorial

Printed by: S. PRAKASH; at FINE DOTS, No.15, Boo Begum 3rd Street,
Dear Readers,
Even after months of travelling, there has been no gearing down for Sadhguru. His frantic schedule
of the past few weeks included a number of “In Conversation with the Mystic” sessions with
prominent figures from various walks of life, a series of darshans with thousands of participants at

Anna Salai, Chennai – 600 042. Editor: K. SEKAR.

the Isha Yoga Center, and Guru Pournami with the unveiling of the first Adiyogi sculpture – just to
name the biggest highlights. Check out our News & Events section for more details. We hope you
will like the new, at-a-glance format.
The recent darshans at the Adiyogi Alayam brought us an abundance of interesting talks by
Sadhguru. Spoiled for choice, we have selected some of the most insightful ones for this edition.
Our Lead Article, in which Sadhguru discusses the “Boundless Ways” in which one can approach
the Ultimate is one of them.
Since its shortness belies its substantiality, we would like to particularly recommend the article “The
Life Breath of Existence,” which targets the link between body and being. Whether you are at odds
or enamored with yourself or somewhere in between, the article “How to Love Yourself?” is for you.
Sadhguru not only busts common myths about our relationship with ourselves but also challenges
the concepts of shame and guilt. The relationship between Linga Bhairavi and Dhyanalinga is
subject of the article “Why Devi Touches Base.” Find out the deeper purpose behind the spectacle
of sound, fire, and color that the Linga Bhairavi Procession and Maha Arati present.
When Sadhguru chooses to leave his body, how will his physical absence impact those who
have been initiated by him into a spiritual process? A question many of us may have pondered in
silence. A participant of the Leela program addressed it, and we have Sadhguru’s answer in the

Published from 117/50, Luz Church Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004
Published by: B. RAJESH CHANDER on behalf of ISHA FOUNDATION
article “Going for Good.”
Kiran Bedi, the first and highest-ranking female officer of the Indian Police Service turned social
activist, met with Sadhguru on 6 July 2014 for an “In Conversation with the Mystic” session. The
article “Courage for Social Change” is the first excerpt of their heartfelt and constructive discussion.
Enjoy the read!
The Editorial Team
Isha Forest Flower – ONLINE!
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2 ISHA FOREST FLOWER August 2014
 Volume - 2 / Issue - 8 `15 Annual Subscription `180 August 2014

The Himalayan chill

To Kailash
Like the snows, I come and go
Like the snows, I melt at your feet
Like the snows, I adorn you

When the chill touches your bones

I am your footwear and your crown

Does remind you that you are mortal

Just trying to be as much to you

Burn we must either wood or the Bone.

As you are to me

Will not only keep coming to you

As long as my lungs can hold
this life breath and my legs can hold
up to the pressures exerted by
the embrace of my Mother – Earth

Don’t you mistake my southern

origins for the arrogance of
the ten-headed Lankan king

With my sheer absence

I will hold and transport you
South of Vindhyas. As the
ancient people of these gentle
lands have longed for You
for too long. Steadfast in devotion
Their hearts throb with
One single emotion
for You, You and You

Grace & Blessings

Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No. TNENG/2013/53333
Registered with Patrika Channel Egmore RMS under Registration No. TN/CH(C)/492/14 –16. 2nd of every month – August 2014