Sadhguru is a modern-day spiritual master and leader who focuses on practical spirituality, yoga philosophy, meditation, wellness, and human-centric education. His teachings are based on his direct experience of God, wisdom, and bliss and he uses these lessons to guide others through transformation and enlightenment.
He has been teaching since 1979 and was awarded the title ‘Baba’ by his students in 2010 – a title given to those who master their minds to such a point where they can no longer be seen by ego.
He believes there is no one true way to enlightenment and that every person should learn from their own individual experiences.
Known for his teachings in the science of yoga and meditation practices but also for his unconventional perspective on life, aspects of life energies, and spirituality. His teachings are not always easy to understand, but he does have a wonderful ability to use analogies to convey his message. He has been called ‘the world’s first spiritual entrepreneur’ and is often quoted. See a list of Sadhguru quotes below.
Personal Life: Sadhguru age, upbring and Background:
Born on 3 September 1957 in Mysore Karnataka, India under the birthname Jagadish “Jaggi” Vasudev. From a young age, he showed a keen interest in nature and the connection between the working of nature and humans. He completed a bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Mysore and went on to start his career in being an entrepreneur.
His spiritual journey started at the young age of 13 as he attended yoga classes that involved practices of asanas and pranayamas within a spiritual context.
In 1982, aged 25, he experienced a deep life-changing spiritual experience whilst sitting on a rock and contemplating life and this is where his mystical spiritual journey truly started. He left his business and went on to travel across Mysore and later the rest of India, where he taught meditation and yoga to share his inner experiences with others.
As a businessman, he started a few different business ventures within different sectors but his urge to do business was deeply rooted to fund his travels and explorations.
Today he is the author of many books where he shares more of his teachings in-depth this includes. “Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy, “Karma: A Yogi’s Guide to Crafting Your Destiny” (which made The New York Times Best Seller list), and “Mystic’s Musings and Death: An Inside Story”. He also shares his prestigious insights through public speaking and has gone on to speak as part of many conferences worldwide including the United Nation’s Millenium World Peace Summit.
The Isha Foundation
In 1992 he established the Isha Foundation which is a non-profit, spiritual organization in India. It provides yoga programs at its center called Isha Yoga. Almost everything at the Foundation is done by volunteer staff members who give their time freely for no pay. Isha means “formless divine” and in Hinduism as well as Sanskrit refers to “God”. The foundation focuses on wellbeing across physical and mental spheres, through the spiritual process, which relates both to the experience of life and the expression to life.
Sadhguru on Meditation and his teachings:
Sadhguru says, “The reason why most people who have tried meditation have concluded that it’s very difficult is because they are trying to do it. You cannot do…
Sadhguru’s method for meditation has been called “Sadhguru Raga Yoga” which means “the art of transcending desire.” This technique is based on the yoga philosophy where one starts out with self-denial and then gradually moves towards self-acceptance. He says that when we start thinking about ourselves positively first, we end up loving others more, which leads us to serve others instead of serving ourselves.
The idea behind meditation is to focus all of your attention on one thing for at least 20 minutes. It’s like doing nothing else except focusing on one thought. This makes you feel calmer and less anxious, which helps you deal better with life’s challenges. When you practice meditating, try to stay calm and relaxed, and don’t worry too much about how long you’ve been sitting down. Just keep doing what you’re doing.
Sadhguru how to meditate:
Sadhguru: The moment we utter the word “meditation,” there are all kinds of misconceptions about it. First of all the English word “meditation” doesn’t mean anything in the sense, if you close your eyes and sit, in English we call it “meditation.” You can sit with your eyes closed and do many things. There are many dimensions. You can do japa, tapa, dharana, dhyana, samadhi, shoonya. Or you might have just mastered the art of sleeping in vertical postures!
So what is this thing that we call as meditation?
Generally we assume that people are referring to what is known as dhyan or dhyana. In that context of referring to dhyan as meditation, it is not something that you can do. Nobody can do meditation. The reason why most people who have tried meditation have come to the conclusion that it’s very difficult or impossible is because they are trying to do it.You cannot do meditation but you can become meditative.
Meditation is a certain quality. It is not a certain act. If you cultivate your body, your mind, your energies and your emotions to a certain level of maturity, meditation will naturally happen. It is just like if you keep the soil fertile, if you give it the necessary manure and water and if the right kind of seed is there, it will grow and bloom into flowers and fruits.
Flowers and fruits will come out of a plant not because you want it, but simply because you created the necessary, conducive atmosphere. Similarly, if you create the necessary atmosphere within yourself, on all the four dimensions of who you are, then meditation will naturally flower within you. It is a certain fragrance that one can enjoy within himself.
Meditation and the Mind
The mind does not like meditation because if you keep the body still, the mind will also naturally become still. This is why so much stress has been laid in yoga on hatha yoga and asanas.
If you just learn how to keep your body absolutely still, then your mind will also become still. I want you to just observe yourself and see how many unnecessary movements your body makes when you stand, sit or speak. If you look at your life, you will see that more than half the time is taken up in these things that you yourself don’t care for.If you keep the body still, the mind will slowly start collapsing and the mind knows that it will become enslaved if it allows this. The main aspect of meditation is, right now your mind is the boss and you are the slave.
As you meditate and become more meditative, you will become the boss and your mind will become the slave and that is how it should always be.
If you don’t know how to keep the mind as a slave, it will put you through all kinds of endless suffering. If you allow the mind to rule, it is a terrible master. But as a slave, the mind is wonderful – it is a miraculous slave.
Sadhguru quotes on life:
1. “When you do not know what to choose, show total involvement in everything.” -Sadhguru.
2. “The fear is simply because you are not living with life, you are living in your mind.” -Sadhguru.
3. “If you choose, you can be joyful every moment of your life. It’s time you made your choice.” -Sadhguru.
4. “Once your life is your expression of blissfulness, you will not be in conflict with anyone.” -Sadhguru.
5. “If you want to have deep insights into life, other people’s opinion of you should not mean anything to you.” -Sadhguru.
6. “Learning to listen is the essence of intelligent living.” -Sadhguru.
7. “Don’t be dead serious about life. It is just a play.” -Sadhguru.
8. “Life is at ease. Only the mind can be at tension.” -Sadhguru.
9. “People try to create an outwardly perfect life, but the quality of life is based on the inward.” -Sadhguru.
10. “If you live joyfully until the last moment, you do not have to worry about death – that will also be a joyful process.” -Sadhguru.
11. “I am not talking about you being a spectator… I am talking about involving yourself into life in such a way that you dissolve into it.” -Sadhguru.
12. “A human being is like a seed. Either you can keep it as it is, or you can make it grow into a wonderful tree with flowers and fruits.” -Sadhguru.
13. “When you are able to create yourself the way you want, you can craft your Destiny the way you want as well.” -Sadhguru.
14. “Nothing in life is a problem – everything is a possibility.” -Sadhguru.
15. “You have too much social influence upon you. You are not going by your own nature.” -Sadhguru.
16. “You cannot play a game half-heartedly. A game is a life at full throttle. Are you game?” -Sadhguru.
17.” If every day you break one limitation, depending upon how many limitations you have, one day you will be liberated.” -Sadhguru.
18. “The most beautiful moments in life are moments when you are expressing your joy, not when you are seeking it.” -Sadhguru.
19. “Your thoughts and emotions may keep you fully engaged right now, but they are just small offshoots of life – they are not life itself.” -Sadhguru.
20. “Are you here to experience life or to think about it?” -Sadhguru.
