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Indian Culture: Why We Do

What We Do!

08 Feb 2014 1 Comment

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Often, many practices in

Indian culture that we label
today as blind superstition
have very logical
explanations behind them. This post lists
various articles by yogi and mystic,
Sadhguru, as he explains how Bharat has
always been a magnet for spiritual
seekers, and looks at the basis behind the
various elements of Indian culture and
customs.

Sadhguru: Every culture is valuable to that

particular population largely for emotional
and territorial reasons. But the significance
of Indian culture is that it is a scientific
process towards human liberation and
well-being. No other culture has looked at a
human being with as much depth and
understanding as this culture has. No other
culture has looked at it as a science and
created methods to evolve a person into
his ultimate nature. We know if you do
certain things, this will happen to a human
being. To put it very bluntly, I would say we

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have technologies as to how to
manufacture an enlightened being.

About Indian Culture

In the following articles, Sadhguru mixes wit
and wisdom to present the historical
context and current relevance of various
aspects of Indian culture.

Indian Culture – Harmony in

Disorganization
Indian culture is incredibly complex and
resembles a chaos of mind-boggling
proportions. But beneath this seeming
chaos is a scientific foundation that is
thousands of years old.

The Caste System

The caste system in India, as it appears
today, looks unnecessary, unfair and
uncalled for. Why should we discriminate
between people on the basis of profession
or birth? But this was not always the case.
Sadhguru looks at why the caste system
was setup in the first place and explores
whether abolishing the caste system would
solve any of the problems associated with
it nowadays.

Youth and Indian Culture

It has been a long-standing complaint that
Indian youth are highly influenced by
American and European cultures. With
India fast becoming a truly global
environment in terms of economy, food
and culture, what does it take to make sure
our youth do not forget the richness of
being Indian?

The Science of Everyday

Life
Sleeping Right
Have you ever scoffed at elders who told
you not to sleep with your head placed to
the north and other such things? Well,
turns out they might just have had a point
to make!

What is the Meaning of Namaskar?

The greeting of namaskar or namaste is an
ubiquitous part of Indian culture. Sadhguru

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explains the science and significance
behind the gesture of joining our palms
together.

Does Astrology Work?

Skeptics say no, believers say yes, but
does astrology work? Sadhguru, looks at
Vedic astrology and whether the stars and
planets can influence our lives.

Indian Classical Music – The Science

and Significance
We look at the science and impact of
Indian classical music, as Sadhguru
interacts with Pandit Jasraj, doyen of
Hindustani classical music.

Bha-ra-ta!
Bharat – The Power of a Name
Sadhguru and Kiran Bedi explore the
meaning of the name “Bharat”, and how it
wasn’t just a name inherited from India’s
first emperor, but a scientific device to find
your rhythm with the tune of existence.

Bharat, the Rhythm of a Nation

Sadhguru and Kiran Bedi continue their
discussion of what makes a nation
successful, and what it will take to bring
Bharat back to its past glory.

Hindustan
Sadhguru pens a poem on this ancient
nation, which is a “nation of seekers,
seeking not wealth or wellbeing, but
liberation.”

Binding India
2G, Coalgate, IPL and so on are familiar
acronyms for various scandals of thepast
few years. Sadhguru looks at what is
needed to root out corruption in India.

Mystic India
God is in Your Genes!
Sadhguru speaks about the science behind
the system of gotras and kulas that were
established in Indian culture, which show a
deep understanding of genetics.

Idols in the Hindu Way of Life

Idols are an integral part of worship in the
Hindu way of life. Sadhguru looks at the

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how these are not mere depictions of gods,
but are scientifically created as powerful
energy centers.

Can Women Be Priests?

In India, most temples open to the general
public are managed by priests not
priestesses. Is this prejudice or is this
science? Sadhguru answers.

What is the Significance of

Brahmacharya?
Brahmacharya has always been an integral
part of the spiritual process. Sadhguru
speaks about what brahmacharya is, and
who a brahmachari is.

Kumbha Mela – The Greatest

Gathering
Sadhguru looks at the science and
significance behind the Kumbha Mela, the
greatest gathering of people in the world.

Why Were Temples Built?

India is a land of temples. Sadhguru looks
at how for millennia, temples have been
instruments for raising human
consciousness, and explores the science
behind their creation.

Vibhuti – How and Where Should We

Apply It
Vibhuti, the sacred ash, is a very important
of the spiritual seeker’s life. Sadhguru looks
at the methods of preparing vibhuti, how it
should be used and where it must be
applied on the body.

Festivals in Indian
Culture
The Importance of Festivals
Festivals are a very significant part of
Indian culture. Sadhguru explains how
celebration can be a passageway to the
most profound aspects of life.

Why Mahashivarathri?
Mahashivarathri is the most significant
festival in India. Sadhguru explains why,
and looks at how it can be a stepping stone
in spiritual evolution.

Guru Pournami
The full moon day in the month of Ashadha

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(June-July) is known as Guru Purnima.
This sacred day falls on July 12 in 2014,
and honors the ancient lineage of
enlightened beings.

The Significance of Makar Sankranti

We look at the significance of the Makar
Sankranti festival, a day where there is a
significant movement in the zodiac ​– the
arrangement of the earth’s dial around the
sun.

The Significance of Mahalaya Amavasya

or Pitru Paksha
Sadhguru explains the significance of
Mahalaya Amavasya or Pitru Paksha, and
why the tradition of honoring our ancestors
is significant.

Dussehra – Why Do We Celebrate It?

Dussehra or Vijayadashami is the tenth
day that follows the nine days of Navaratri.
Sadhguru explains how it can bring
success and victory into our life.

Ayudha Pooja – What Is Its

Significance?
Sadhguru explains how Ayudha Pooja can
be an important tool for growth, and much
more than just a ritual.

Sadhguru’s Diwali Message

Watch Sadhguru’s Diwali message as he
conveys his blessings on the “Festival of
Lights.”

Indian culture: A tool

for wellbeing
Sadhguru: This
spiritual ethos is
not about belief
systems. It is
No other
about systematic culture
practices which has
sharpened the looked at
mind and body in
a certain way.
it as a
Wherever I travel, science
whatever kinds of and
groups of people created
I meet, I have
spoken to top-
methods
level scientists, to evolve
academics and

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students at very
prestigious
a person
universities, and
into his
various other ultimate
kinds of people, nature
but I always find
that the groups I
meet in India are
far sharper and smarter than most people
anywhere in the world. The country is so
effortlessly going ahead in the information
technology age while everyone else is
struggling essentially because the spiritual
ethos in the culture has sharpened the
intellect in a certain way. This ethos was
so magnificently and intelligently presented
in the past, but because of over two
centuries of extreme poverty, it has gotten
twisted out of shape over a period of time.
Every generation has to twist it back into
shape where it can be an effective tool for
one’s liberation and wellbeing.

Western
societies talk
about freedom
Western and liberation in
societies political systems.
talk about But liberation is
freedom the core value of
who we are. The
and significance of
liberation this culture is that
in political in every way, we
systems. created support
for a human
But being to nurture
liberation himself towards
is the his liberation
core value because the only
goal in this
of who we country was
are mukti. In the
West, they may
talk about
freedom in physical and social
atmospheres, but in terms of real life, there
is no freedom because God will decide.
Here, God does not decide anything. Here
we say whatever is happening to you is
your karma. That means it is your making.
You are the maker of your life. This is
constantly present in everything we do.
Somewhere along the way because we
lost battle after battle and were conquered,
the same karma came to be perceived in a

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fatalistic negative way. Otherwise, when
you say, “Your life is your karma,” we are
saying your life is your making. No God is
influencing you. And the ultimate goal, the
core value of your life is freedom – freedom
from prejudice, fear, death – everything.

If you want a family and work towards your

liberation, you work that way. If you don’t
need it, you work directly. But the only
value once you are born in this culture is
your mukti. That is how every aspect of this
culture – even the simplest thing – was
arranged. How should you be if you want to
move towards your ultimate freedom?

Indian culture:
Strategically designed
For example, people who come to our Isha
Vidhya schools for the first time notice the
children sit on the floor. This is not to save
furniture. Sitting cross-legged has
immense benefits for your physiology and
the development of your mind. Like this,
every aspect of life was thought of very
strategically.

This is the reason this culture must be

nurtured – not because we are emotional
about it but because it is a scientific
process. It would take thousands of years
to set up such a complex scientific
mechanism that constantly drives you
towards your liberation. Whether you sit,
stand, or do anything else, it leads to your
wellbeing. Music, dance – everything – is
oriented towards making you free. People
who get deeply involved in classical music
or dance naturally turn spiritual. There is no
other way to be.

If we look at
ourselves as a
nation, the way
people look, their
It is
language, food, extremely
way of dressing, important
music and
dance, everything
that we
is different every
strengthen
50 or 100 this
kilometers in the cultural
country. thread
Everything about
people who live in
because if
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this country is
different, but a
you
cultural thread destroy
has held us this
together. This
culture of what
culture,
India has been,
there will
which cannot be be no
quantified, is spiritual
simply there.
Wherever you go
process
in the world, if
on the
you see an planet
Indian, the very
way he sits and
walks, you know he is an Indian! It is
extremely important that we strengthen this
cultural thread because if you destroy this
culture, there will be no spiritual process on
the planet. There may be individual people
in the rest of the world but culturally, there
will be no spiritual process on the planet
because this is not a culture that
accidentally happened for convenience.
This is a culture that was engineered by
realized beings where every human being
is working towards his ultimate liberation.

Indian culture:
Engineered with
gentleness
A certain gentleness was engineered into
this culture by the enlightened ones of the
past to ensure that its basic skeleton can
never be misused in the name of the
divine. Individual people may misuse so
many things but it will never be empowered
by divine sanction. Because of this, a
certain gentleness flowered, but when this
gentleness was treated as weakness by
outside forces, the culture has paid a price
and they were exploited.

Now that the world has moved on from

military power to economic power, this is
the time for this culture to manifest itself. A
time has come to reinstate these cultural
strengths. If the fundamental focus of this
culture, which is to work towards liberating
yourself from everything, is reinstated, and
everyone strives for that, physically and
intellectually, people can function
effortlessly. Reestablishing that focus is
most important today because every
human being tends to get encumbered
hugely by these things. But once a person

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is seeking his liberation and nothing else is
important for him, he is greatly
empowered.

Editor’s Note: Sadhguru looks at the past,

present and future of this nation, and
explores why this culture matters to every
human being on the planet. With images,
graphics and Sadhguru’s inspiring words,
here’s Bharat as you have never known it!

Bha-ra-ta: The Rhythm of a

Nation

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Why we do
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Jaya • 4 months ago

Namaskaram Sadhguru of all
consecration, tools , making
gods buzz
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