CONTENTS

3
Main Article
Religiously Irreligious
Sadhguru on the Question of Religion and the Spiritual Process 4
Special Feature
Temple Completion Project An Update 6
Musings
Beyond the Five Senses
Excerpt from Of Mystics and Mistakes 8
From Fear to Freedom
How to Rid Yourself of a Debilitating Emotion 10

In Conversation with the Mystic
The Business of Environment - part 2
Sadhguru in Conversation with Seemantinee Khot and Jacques Rocher 11
Leela Series
The path of the playful part XXXI: 13
Krishna and the Women 2
News & Happenings
Sadhguru Named among 100 Most Powerful Indians 15
Enchanting and Exotic
Sadhguru in Mauritius 16
Leadership: From Ambition to Vision
Sadhguru Speaks at Leading Business Schools in Europe 17
Sadhguru Spot
Entrepreneurship, Tech and Talk 18
Upcoming Programs and Events
Isha Yoga Program Highlights 20

Isha Recipes For Healthy Living
This Month: Pineapple Rasam 21
Zen Speaks: Withered Tree Zen 22
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
Excerpted from a talk by Sadhguru during the
Samyama program in February 2012
Questioner: Sadhguru, if our Isha Foundation is
an irreligious foundation, why have there not been
any special programs on other religions till date?
We only had Leela [about Krishna], Vaibhav Shiva
[about Shiva], and Mahabharat [about the epic].
Sadhguru: Because we are an irreligious foundation,
we only pick up irreligious people. Shiva is the most
irreligious being that you can fnd. No religion can
ever contain him. He is all kinds of things. Do you fnd
Krishna religious? Krishna is absolutely irreligious.
These are all peaks of irreligiousness. We have to live
in this world, so we are multi-religious; in our heart,
we are irreligious. [Applause] Mahabharat is the
most irreligious thing treacherous stuff. [Laughs]
The whole Indian culture is irreligious. Only after
competitive religions came from outside, people
have been trying to package it as a religion, but they
have not been able to because what is being labeled
as Hindu today cannot be contained in any package.
It is all kinds of things because this is the residue of
a million spiritual paths, a residual confusion.
First of all, you need to understand what religion is.
Religion means a set of beliefs. When we said dharma,
we never meant religion. Now Buddhas teachings
have become Buddh-ism. Buddha taught dhamma or
the dharma. Dhamma means law. It is about trying
to decipher the universal laws if you do this, this is
what will happen to you. If you do that, that is what
will happen to you. This is not a religion. This is about
exploring the laws of nature in a certain way. When I
say nature, it is not the physical nature but the other
dimension of nature, how life works within you. It is
defnitely working to a certain law, no question about
that. The Sanatana Dharma is about exploring this
universal or eternal law so there is no such thing as
your religion or my religion.
Religion did not exist in this country till about
thirteen, fourteen hundred years ago. Only when
outside competition came, people here also wanted
to organize themselves because they did not want
to be left without a religion. Otherwise this is just
a tapestry of millions of spiritual cultures. Nobody
can make any sense of them, but all of them are in
harmony because as long as you are seeking your
liberation, you are okay. If you are not seeking your
4
ReLiGioUsLy
IrreLiGioUs
Sadhguru on the
Question of Religion and
the Spiritual Process
SADHGURU
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
liberation, we just say, He is lost. But he has a right
to be lost. Nobody will kill him because he is lost.
Anyway he is lost, so what is the point in killing
him? Being lost is bad enough; death will be a relief.
But nobody wants to give him such an opportunity.
He will fnd his way someday, not in this lifetime,
maybe ten lifetimes later. So what is there for me to
do about him?
So this is just an exploration of the law of nature
not of the physical nature, of the inner nature, how it
functions, what will happen if you do certain things,
what will happen if you take certain attitudes. This is
about exploring the intimacy of life within you. It is
something very internal, not something that happens
on the street. In this culture, spiritual process never
happened on the street; only culture happened on
the street. Everybody knew that the spiritual process
is internal. But now, in the last fve hundred, six
hundred years, there is confusion because they
discovered packaged religions seemed to be more
potent when it comes to conquering power because
they believe in something. People who believe
very strongly are naturally fanatic. A fanatic fghts
and wants to die. If you want to fght just for fun,
if you want to fght and go home, that is one thing.
If somebody has come here to die, there is no point
in fghting with him because the consequences are
going to be serious.
About fve hundred years ago, there was a South
Indian king, Krishnadevaraya. In our family, we
have very intimate stories about Krishnadevaraya
because my forefathers came to parts of Karnataka
and southern Andhra Pradesh to conquer those lands
for him. When we were kids, our grandfathers place
was full of armory thousands of swords, spears,
shields, all kinds of things, because they maintained
an army of their own till after the independence. It
was only in 61 or 62 that their army was completely
beaten down by the Indian police. So when the
Muslim rulers came to conquer Vayanagar, which
was the capital city of Krishnadevarayas kingdom,
they came in great force. Vayanagar was heaped
with gold. Gold and diamonds were sold like
vegetables in the market place without any security.
They wanted to get it, so even though they were
beaten back many times, they repeatedly attacked.
When they started becoming overpowering,
Krishnadevaraya sat with his ministers to discuss
how to defeat them, because they seemed to be
fghting with more fury and intensity than their own
soldiers. One of his ministers, Tenali Ramakrishna,
said, Our soldiers are going to the battle to fght
and go back home to their wives and children. Their
soldiers are coming to the battlefeld and they want
to go to heaven thats a big difference. Then what
should we do to see that either our soldiers get the
same intensity or their soldiers lose it? They came
up with a plan. They killed thousands and thousands
of pigs and put the pig blood in big caldrons upon
elephants. They let the elephants loose and threw
the pig blood on the hostile army, announcing, Its
pig blood. If one drop of pig blood falls on them,
they cannot go to heaven. They could not go to
heaven anymore, so they lost the fervor. What are
we fghting for? And the army was slaughtered. So
religion is a set of beliefs.
A spiritual process can be dissected as far as you
want to go because the more the truth is revealed,
the better it is. This is the difference between being
religious and being irreligious. [Applause] If you are
irreligious, you are not afraid of truth. If you are
religious, you dread truth because truth will destroy
what you believe. If what you believe is destroyed,
the glorious package that you were carrying on your
head will fall into the mud; you dont want that
to happen. We will defnitely have some special
programs where we will explore more irreligious
people devotees. It does not matter where they
come from, they might have been born into some
religion, but devotees are irreligious. They break all
the norms of the religion.
If we dissect Shiva or Krishna, there is no problem.
Indian saints, sages, devotees and gods are open for
dissection. But if we dissect other religions, we could
end up being dissected. So we could dissect the rest
when we are already close to the grave, when there
is nothing much to lose. I dont think this is a safe
thing to do now because I cannot sit here and say
something other than what is true. I will not put
myself through such an indignity; I will say what I
see. [Applause]
5
ReLiGioUsLy
IrreLiGioUs
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
6
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
Temple Completion Project
1
Sadhgurus enlightenment anniversary, and the beginning of Isha
An Update
Whether rich or poor, king or pauper, ignorant or enlightened time does not wait for anyone.
It is only a question of how we make use of our time here.
Our effort is to make the Isha Yoga Center a big spiritual possibility for many.
We are striving to complete the Dhyanalinga Temple by September this year
because September 23rd is the 30th anniversary
1
for us.
Sadhguru
THEERTAKUND
The Theertakund for gents will be a 130x50 foot
copper-plated water body, energized by three
rasalingas (lingas made of solidied mercury).
Four immense vaults topped by gold-plated
kalasams (ornamental devices that radiate energy)
will cover the majestic structure.
Cost of completion: Rs. 7 crore
(~ US $ 1.4 million)
TEMPLE ENTRANCE ARCH
Cost of completion: Rs. 30 lakhs (~ US $ 60,000)
How You Can Contribute
7
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
THEERTAKUND MANDAPAM
A granite oor, terracotta-tile roof, and 84
aesthetically carved pillars will adorn the
Theertakund Mandapam (pillared pavilion).
Built in two oors, the mandapam will be a
tting ornament for the Theerthakund.
Cost of completion: Rs. 4.4 crore
(~ US $ 900,000)
THEERTAKUND
PERFORMANCE MANDAPAM
The Theertakund Performance Mandapam
will host classical music and dance
performances. Flanked by four grand 48-foot-
high pillars, the space will also resound to the
chime of 1008 bells hanging from the roof.
Cost of completion: Rs. 2.5 crore
(~ US $ 500,000)
GOSHALA
The Goshala or cowshed will epitomize the ancient tradition of reverence
for the cow an animal that holds a special place in Indias culture.
Cost of completion: Rs. 20 lakhs (~ US $ 40,000)
For More Information:
+ 91 - 94425 04737 donations@ishafoundation.org, giveisha@ishafoundation.org
www. g i v e i s ha . o r g
The average construction cost to complete the Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple
Rs.2100/sq. ft. You can donate towards as many square feet as you like.
Donate online at www.giveisha.com
or send a cheque or DD favoring Isha Foundation to
Isha Yoga Center Temple Completion Project (FRD), Velliangiri Foothills, Semmedu P.O.,Coimbatore 641 114
88
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
Sunlight comes into your house not because
you want it. It happens because you open
the windows.
Sadhguru: Two cows were grazing on an English
meadow. One said, Whats your opinion on the
Mad Cow disease? The other said, I dont care a
hoot about it. Anyway, Im a helicopter.
If a cow realizes that it is a cow, it becomes a
celebrity a holy cow. It is that simple. It is just a
question of realization. In India, we have always
called mystics realized beings. Realization is
not about inventing or discovering something;
it is just about realizing who you are. If there is
something you do not understand, it is mysterious
to you. Someone who seems to know what others
do not is called a mystic. But the mystic is just
someone who has realized what is there. Others
dont because they are too self-engrossed to pay
any attention to life.
Mysticism: what exactly do we understand by the
word? That which cannot be understood through
logic usually gets termed mystical. Or in other
words, that which you are unable to comprehend
through the fve sense organs gets labeled mystical.
Let me give you an example. I am sitting here;
suppose you could not see me, but you heard my
voice that would be very mysterious, wouldnt it?
Now you can see me here, but my voice can be heard
all over. Do you see that my voice is coming
from everywhere? Is this not mysterious? Oh,
this is just a microphone, you say. You have an
explanation for it, so it is not mysterious. But
anything that you cannot explain logically, all
those things are considered mysterious.
Right now the logical dimension of thought is
fltering life through the intellect. The logical
process has become so dominant simply because
right now perception is limited to the fve senses.
The very nature of sense perception is such that
it always perceives everything in bits and pieces.
It always divides everything into at least two; it
never perceives anything as one. If you can see
this part of my hand (turns his hand, revealing his
palm), you cannot see that part of my hand. If you
see this part, you cannot see the other. This is so
even if you take a grain of sand; if you perceive
one part of it, you do not perceive another.
So the moment you perceive everything through
the fve sense organs, the world gets divided. And
only when there is a division, there is logic. If
there is only one, there is no logic; only if there
are two, there is logic. So the foundation of the
logical mind is in dividing the world. And if you
do not divide existence, you cannot employ your
logic. So sense perception and logical thinking,
or logical understanding, are directly connected;
they are complementary to each other.
Now what cannot be contained in logic or what
cannot be perceived by the sense perceptions
is what we are referring to as mystical. That
dimension of truth which cannot be boxed into
your logical mind is being labeled mystical.
When you say, we want to explore mysticism,
you are saying that you are willing to go beyond
your present levels of understanding and
experience, and look for the truth. So our logical
mind will not be of use to us here. Only what has
been fed to you through the flters of your fve
sense organs is the content of your logic. And
these sense organs are not reliable.
Beyond the Five Senses:
From Misunderstanding to Mystery
An Excerpt from the Recently Released Book Of Mystics and Mistakes
99 May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
Today neuroscientists are going to great lengths
to prove that almost everything that you have
known as true until now is false what you
see, hear, smell and taste is not true. It is a big
deception. Nothing is the way it seems. This
research has been going on in a very serious
fashion only for the last few years. In these four-
fve years, everything that we knew as true has
become untrue. Everything that we thought of
as illusory has become true. Now neuroscientists
are telling you that what you see is not reality.
Physicists were telling you this to an extent, but
neuroscientists are now confrming it to you.
They can prove to you with experimentation
that everything that you see around you the
shapes and forms, colors and sizes none of this
is true. I think, way back, Indian mystics told you
everything is maya (illusion), isnt it? (Laughs)
When we say something is an illusion, it does not
necessarily mean that it does not exist. It simply
means you are not seeing it the way it is.
As you know, what is light for you is darkness for
somebody else. What is darkness for you is light
for somebody else. In the next few hours the sun
will set, and you will experience darkness; a whole
range of creatures will come awake, because for
them darkness is an alarm bell. The day has begun
for them. On this planet, there is more life which
is nightlife and I am not talking about Mumbai
people! (Laughs) I am talking about the creatures
that are made that way. In terms of population,
they are more than you. These nocturnal
creatures outnumber the day creatures by far. So
with whom are you going to argue as to which is
light and which is darkness? If you and an owl sit
together and start an argument as to which is light
and which is darkness, where would it take you?
Into an endless argument!
Maya is not just on this level. Even the very
shapes and sizes that you see are not the way they
are. There are many creatures here, right now in
the grass. They actually do not see you, because
they do not see sizes beyond a certain proportion
at all; it is not relevant to their survival. You do
not see all the microbes, do you? In the same
manner, they do not see you. (Laughs) You are
not important for them.
So our perception through the sense organs is very
limited. And so what we refer to as the mystical
is that dimension of life which we are unable to
perceive through our sense organs, or deduce
through our logical process. When our logic
fails, anything that does not look logical becomes
mysterious. So right now because your perception
is limited to the fve senses, the mystical can
only be a fantastic story that you either believe
or disbelieve. I want you to understand the
difference between the mystical and the magical.
Harry Potter is selling in millions today. Thats
not mysticism; thats magic and thats different.
When we seek to experience the mystical, we are
not looking for entertainment; we are looking for
a solution to our lives.
The book by Sadhguru
(published by Jaico) is now available in
bookstores and online at www.ishashoppe.com
Of Mystics and Mistakes
10
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
Questioner: Sadhguru, why do we always have this
fear in us that something unpleasant may happen in
our lives and how to get rid of this fear?
Sadhguru: Fear itself is one of the most unpleasant
experiences. Whatever you fear is actually not as
bad as the fear itself. But before someone comes
and hurts you, you want to hurt yourself frst so
much that he does not get a chance to do that much.
[Laughter] Competition, you know. You are in a
goal-oriented society everything is on competition
basis. [Laughter]
Suppose I take away your mind, would you be
fearful? No. Or let us say I take away your body,
would you be fearful after that? Now, you dont
have to lose your body. What you need to do is, you
just have to create a little distance from your body.
Similarly, you have to create a little distance from
your mind. Once there is a little distance between
you and your body, between you and your mind,
what would you be afraid of? Only because of the
body, there is fear fear of pain, fear of suffering,
fear of death.
Fear is essentially because you are too identifed
with the body; you are too identifed with the mind.
There is nothing wrong with the body and the
mind they are wonderful instruments. But you
picked them up, and now they got stuck to your
hands. They are so stuck that you cannot even
make out which is you and which is the body,
which is you and which is the mind that level of
identifcation has happened to you. Now, let us say
you have an ancient vase that you inherited down
twenty generations and always, you have been told,
This is the most lucky vase. Our families have lived
well only because of this vase and nothing else. So
if I come now and break it, your heart will break
because you are so identifed with this vase. If I have
to cause fear to you, I dont have to set fre to this
hall. If we just gave you a crank call and say, Your
house is burning, so much fear and struggle would
happen; in your mind, you would suffer so much. I
am not saying we want it to happen; but suppose it
happened, shouldnt you be glad that you are not in
the house?
When you are so identifed with something,
you cannot make out which is you and which is
not you. Fear is essentially because you believe
yourself to be things that you are not. Whether it
is your mind, your thought, your body, or whatever
else all this is just acquired. Essentially, there
is only fear of suffering and fear of death. Death
means you lose your body. Fear of pain is about your
body becoming unpleasant for some reason; fear of
suffering is about your mind becoming unpleasant
for some reason. Fear of pain is understandable; you
want to avoid the pain. But when fear grips you, it
can be more painful than chopping off your fnger.
If you have a fracture, it is painful. But you know
I broke my bones about twelve, ffteen times you
get used to it. [Laughter] After two or three times,
you know it breaks and you know it can be fxed.
But the suffering that fear can cause is way bigger
than that which broken bones could cause.
Suffering happens to you because you are so
identifed with the mind that you cannot control it;
you cannot make it do what you want. It is doing
something against you. Do not try to conquer
fear that would be a foolish thing to do. Just put
everything in the right perspective. If you put your
body in its place and your mind in its place, you
will see there will be no such thing as fear. You will
handle life in a sensible way. Being fearless does
not mean going and dashing yourself against the
wall. Being fearless means that you are able to see
everything just the way it is and conduct your life
the way it needs to be conducted. If you are fearful,
you cannot conduct your life the way it should be
conducted. If you are very courageous, you cannot
conduct your life the way it needs to be conducted.
Courageous people do idiotic things. Fearful people
dont do anything. [Laughter] If you are fearless,
you are simply looking at life the way it is and do
the best that you can.
So dont try to be courageous; dont try to be fearless.
If you create a little distance between you and your
mind, between you and your body, there is no such
thing as fear in your life. I dont know fear. I only
know it by second hand experience. I have seen
people in extreme states of fear around me, but it
never happened to me. Many times I tried to scare
myself, but it didnt work. [Laughter]
From Fear to Freedom
How to Rid Yourself of a Debilitating Emotion
Excerpted from a talk by Sadhguru
11
15 February Shubha Mudgal
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
Excerpted from a recent edition of the
In Conversation with the Mystic series, the
following is the second part of the episode
The Business of Environment, a conversation
between Sadhguru, Seemantinee Khot of Suzlon, a
global wind power company, and Jacques Rocher
of Yves Rocher Group, a worldwide cosmetics
and beauty brand.
Jacques: I am not an NGO. I have to contribute
to the growth of the company. As a cosmetic
company, we take a lot of natural raw material
and chemical material from the earth. I know that
I have a debt to nature. I do business and also I want
to do something positive for the environment. We
have ffty million customers, thats why I want
to plant ffty million trees, out of which ffteen
[million] with you and your Project GreenHands.
Fifty million trees is huge and it is necessary. But
this just equals three days of deforestation three
days. And it takes fve years for us to plant ffty
million trees. Thats why I think we have to be
humble, very humble.
Sadhguru: Planting ffty million trees takes a lot
of money and effort. He has been travelling all
over the world, and his is only one part of it.
For us to put the tree in the ground, to make it
grow, takes a whole lot too. And for the tree to
grow into something that you can really call a
tree takes another fve to ten years. It is fabulous
that he has taken this up. Fifty million trees, he is
planting irrespective of which country it
is knowing that it is for the planet, not just for
the country. My experience with various other
companies has not been the same. If I tell them,
We want to plant hundred and fourteen million
trees. Please support this, they will say, Will
you plant it in my state, in my village, in my
factory? not understanding that ecological
work is not about my part of the world and
your part of the world. Wherever the tree is
planted, everybody will beneft from it.
We have approached just about everybody who
is running an airline or automobile industry in
this country. We worked out enormous plans for
The Business of Environment Part 2
12
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
them saying, suppose you drive a car, if you are
driving about 10,000 kilometers in a year, this is
how much carbon-monoxide you release. If we
plant this many trees, whatever pollution that car
will create in the next ten years, is taken care of
by what we plant. And that cost can be divided
between the manufacturer, the dealer, and the
customer. And it is not much it is all a question
of hundreds of rupees. And Im sure the customer
will be willing to pay, knowing fully well that he
is compensating for what he is using up. Either
we do that now, consciously, or a time will come
when we will have to put a meter on your nose.
We will have to charge you by how many breaths
per minute you take.
Seemantinee: Ya, but the dilemma is whether to
give it as a choice.
Sadhguru: We have passed the time of choice. It
has to be a law. It is just that till now, it has been
half-hearted. There should be no business in this
country which is not under the law. There is no
citizen in this country who is not under the law,
isnt it? So, why are businesses running without
being under the law?
Semantinee: But then they just migrate to the
USA or somewhere else and come back here only
for Inner Engineering.
Sadhguru: If they migrate, that will be good too.
[Laughter] People who go away to the United
States, to South America or Africa are ecologically
very good for India. [Laughs]
Semantinee: Yes, but India doesnt change, no?
Sadhguru: No, India will change if we export half
the population. [Laughter and applause] India will
change dramatically. See, there are many societies
where the biggest problem is human resource.
For India, the biggest problem is natural resource;
human resource is plenty. Not only plenty, it is
young. We are the only country in the world
which has over six hundred million youth. It is a
tremendous possibility. They should go and work
across the planet. We can build a whole new
world with six hundred million people working
hard to make it happen. In other countries, they
have had generations of affuence and the youth
are not willing to work. They want to holiday.
They want to become something else. But these
people [from India] have not seen affuence, so
wherever it is, whatever it is, they want to work
because they want to make it.
So if you do not discriminate between nation
and nation, if you allow a little more porosity
as to wherever people want to move on this
planet, let them move. If somebody is looking
for employment, they go to the United States;
if somebody is looking for a spiritual process,
they come to India. Is it not a good exchange?
[Applause] But if you want to come to India, they
are stopping you. And if you want to go to the
United States, they are stopping you.
Today, lawmakers are in many ways subservient
to the businesses. So the businesses can play a
key role if there is a change of heart in them. But
many are not thinking beyond this years balance
sheet. A few are thinking beyond that, but still
not enough to fnd a solution. There is enough
ecological awareness for cosmetic appeal. There is
not enough ecological awareness and not enough
movement in the world for a solution.
Semantinee: Ya, so if the mindsets and the world
view of both lawmakers and business leaders have
to change
Sadhguru: Waiting for them to change is not the
way. This is not a spiritual process. [Laughter
and applause] If it is a spiritual process, I create
a situation and wait for them to change. But this
is a disaster looming on us, there is no waiting.
You have to shoot them, not with a gun, but with
an appropriate law that will fx them. When I say
shoot, dont think of killing. You know, even an
injection is a shot.
If you change the landscape of business, some will
suffer, some will drown, but immediately, they
will adapt and learn to do business in the new
atmosphere that we create. Somebody should
have the courage to create the new atmosphere.
To be continued
13 May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
Another woman who played a very important
role in Krishnas life was Rukmini, his frst wife.
Rukmini was a princess and daughter of King
Bhishmaka, the king of Vidarbha. She happened
to be in Mathura when Krishna entered the
wrestling ring with Chanura, a master of
bahuyuddha
1
. She also witnessed how in that
same situation, Krishna slew Kamsa, the king
of Mathura, which was his frst step towards
destroying the tyrannical rule and establishing
some semblance of balance in that kingdom. Even
before Krishna left Vrindavan at the age of 16, the
folklore had carried many tales of his Ras Leelas
all over the country. People sang ballads and
spread the message of the beauty of his dance and
the beauty of what was happening in Vrindavan,
how the simple village folk used to come together
in Krishnas presence, and the joy and love they
shared. Even as a child, Rukmini had heard about
these things. She was just about 12 years of age
when she witnessed Krishna slaying Kamsa.
From that moment, she made up her mind that
she was going to marry only Krishna and nobody
else but Krishna. At that time, Krishna was not
yet anything other than a cowherd boy who
performed one heroic act. But she, a princess of
a very large kingdom, wanted to marry him. She
started plotting many different ways of how to
woo him. It came to his notice. He had an eye for
anybodys emotion and intention.
In the next few years, Krishna was travelling as
a brahmachari. When he came to Vidarbha and
said, Bikshaandehi
2
, Rukmini made sure she
was one of the frst ones to be there and give
him alms. She traveled along though not in the
same group and gave alms to him wherever he
went. She was not the only woman there, but she
is prominent because she got to marry him later.
There were many others who tried to follow him
and somehow catch his eye. The blue magic was
just driving people mad.
He enjoyed it, but he never misused his magic. He
just saw how to raise those people. Whether you
fell in love with a man or a woman or a donkey
or whatever, if love arises in a human being, any
sensible person would only want to nurture it, not
kill it. He may want to redirect it because certain
types of emotions are not workable, but he will
never want to kill it. So Krishna allowed his blue
magic to play. He encouraged them to love but
he constantly tried to re-channel their love into
a more productive affair for themselves rather
than them getting frustrated and jealous that they
cannot get him. There were a million situations in
his life where he tried to redirect a womans love
in a more positive and productive way so that she
would make herself into a higher possibility rather
than just making it into a biological longing.
Whenever Rukmini found the opportunity, for
every festival and every other occasion, she always
came to Mathura, just hoping to get a glimpse of
him and to have a word with him. Krishna saw
Rukminis determined approach towards him but
he did not want to encourage that kind of love
affair with her because she was a princess and
he was not a king. Since marrying her was out of
question, he did not want to infame those kinds
of emotions. He always tried to play it down but
at the same time, he was not the kind to kill the
love in her. So he did pay just enough attention
while trying to redirect it. But Rukmini was a
very determined woman.
When his friend Udhava visited Vidarbha,
Rukmini expressed her determination by saying,
No matter what, I am going to marry Krishna
and nobody else but Krishna. If he refuses to
marry me, I will enter the fre and end my life.
Her brother Rukmi planned to get her married to
Shishupala, the king of Chedi, because that would
be a good alliance. Rukminis brother had great
imperial ambitions. He wanted to form a grand
alliance by marrying Rukmini to Shishupala
and he himself planned to marry the Emperor
Jarasandhas granddaughter. Emperor Jarasandha
LeeLa Series
The path of the playful Part XXXI
1
Ancient form of martial arts/wrestling
2
Traditional phrase used by sadhus begging alms

Krishna and the Women 2
14
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
was growing old, so Rukmi calculated that once
Jarasandha moves to the land of his ancestors,
he, Rukmi, would be the only powerful man
around and he could become the emperor. For
him, Rukmini was an important cog in the whole
machine to get him there.
Rukmini saw through this. She was a very
vociferous girl who was not contained by being a
woman in any way. She spoke her mind out with
such vehemence that they did not know what to
do with her. Many times, her brother felt like
striking her down but he would not dare to do
so because she was such a fery woman. When
Udhava came back from Vidharbha and told
Krishna, Rukmini is bent on marrying only you
and you alone. Otherwise, she will kill herself.
Krishna laughingly said, I have heard many
other princesses saying the same thing, but now
they are married to somebody else and they are
living happily ever after. Its alright for the girls
to say that but anyway they will marry somebody
who is convenient tomorrow and live with him.
Udhava said, No, you are mistaken. This is a very
determined woman. She has a mind of her own.
Krishna said, Why should such a very determined
princess marry a worthless cowherd like me? Let
her fnd some nice prince for herself. But she
would not leave it; it went on.
When Krishna and Balarama had to leave Mathura
to avoid Jarasandha coming and burning down
the town, Rukminis grandfather, Kaishika, gave
refuge to them because Rukmini threatened her
grandfather, If you dont provide refuge to these
two boys who need this help right now, I am
going to kill myself right here in front of you. So
he had no choice but to house these two boys for
some time. Later, it was decided that there would
be a Swayamvara for Rukmini. A Swayamvara is
a festival of choice where the princess can choose
her man. But this was a fake Swayamvara there
was really no choice. They invited only those kings
that they knew would not claim the girl. It was
all fxed up so that anyway, she could marry only
Shishupala, and the Emperor Jarasandha himself
was there to ensure that this would happen.
When this was building up, Rukmini fought with
her father and brother in every possible way but
they would not give in. They prepared the whole
town for festivities. Leaving her royal protocol,
she went into the streets, pulling down the
decorations. This was something unthinkable in
those days a princess on the street pulling down
the decorations that were made for the festival
of choice. But still, this fake Swayamvara or fake
festival of choice was bound to happen and trap
Rukmini in the process. So she made up her mind,
If I cannot avoid it, I will end my life.
Krishna acted as if he was totally unconcerned
about these events. For a totally different reason,
he organized a chariot race in Mathura which had
not happened for a very, very long time. Many
Yadava leaders and chiefs protested against this
chariot race, saying, What is the point? When
there are so many things to do, why conduct a
fanciful sport like this? Krishna said, If we pull
off such a big event and have a thousand chariots
with skillful men handling it, the Yadava prestige
will go up in the eyes of other kings. Thats a power
by itself, so lets do the festival. So people started
training under the guidance of guru Sandipani
and Svetaketu. For a few months, many people
underwent vigorous training and learnt how to
handle the chariots and horses very skillfully.
This chariot race in Mathura was fxed for the
same day as the festival of choice in Vidharbha for
Rukmini. So Rukmini felt desperate, How can he
do this? I have expressed my love a million times
and he has not responded. Today my life is going
to be fxed and he is having a chariot race.
In the meantime, Krishna encouraged Ugrasena,
the Yadava king, to appoint his son as the regent
and go to the festival of choice uninvited, but
that plan did not come through. Everything built
up for the race, but three days ahead of the race,
suddenly half the men who were supposed to
participate just disappeared in the middle of the
night. Krishna spread stories that Satyaki, his
close friend and lieutenant, had turned against
him and left with half the army. People started
gossiping about it, that Krishnas closest aide had
left him, that he is fnished. Then they found that
the night before the festival of choice and the race
(that were both on the same day), the remaining
half of the army left Mathura along with Krishna.
On the morning of the day of the festival of choice,
this whole Yadava army gathered in Vidharbha
15 May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
around the palace of Bhishmaka, Rukminis
father. Unnoticed, they had split themselves
into many groups and came and converged
from every direction. This created fear because
suddenly, such a big army was right there with
Krishna leading the army. They thought Krishna
had come to abduct Rukmini and take her as his
wife. But when he came, he left his army outside.
Totally unarmed, he walked into the city. They
were surprised, Why is this fool coming without
even a sword to protect himself? He just came
with wonderful gifts for the king and Rukminis
grandfather who had given him refuge a few
years ago.
He had no sword but he was armed with the
blue which others could not see. They were
disarmed by his demeanor and his blue. He said,
I have not come to claim the bride; that is not
the reason why I have come. What is happening
here is injustice. The girl is being given away
against her will to somebody that she does not
want to marry. A Swayamvara or festival of
choice is a sacred ritual that we have carried on
for thousands of years. Now you are making it a
sacrilege by fxing it up in such a way that the girl
really has no choice. So I have come to stop the
Swayamvara, not to take the bride. You cannot
conduct this Swayamvara. And his army stood in
a threatening manner around them. Nobody else
was ready for a battle at that moment. So they all
backed down and cancelled the Swayamvara. The
Emperor Jarasandha was boiling within himself.
He already had many scores to settle with Krishna
and now this shame of having to back out and go
back to his kingdom, he could not bear. He swore,
I will drink the blood of this boy for putting me
to such shame.
To be continued
Excerpted from a talk by Sadhguru during Leela,
the path of the playful, a unique exploration with
Sadhguru into the mystical realm of Krishna that
took place at Isha Yoga Center in September 2005
Indian Express releases a new list of
the 100 most powerful Indians each
year, refecting the social, economic
and political change in India. Power
is defned as the ability to infuence
people and events. Included in the list
for the third straight year, Sadhguru
was named last week to the Indian
Express Most Powerful Indians List
for 2012 in a country of 1.2 billion
people a remarkable achievement.
Sadhguru
Named among 100 Most Powerful Indians
From the British Island to the Swiss Plateau to
a tropical island off the African coast, Sadhguru
crossed a variety of climatic zones in just a few
days. The last destination on this route from
North to South was Mauritius, where Sadhguru
not only gave an Inner Engineering talk on
14 March 2012 in Phoenix, Mauritius, but also
had a number of meetings among others with
the Prime Minister and the President of the
island nation and even got to enjoy the beauty
of the island. In the following, Sadhguru shares
his impressions (excerpted from Sadhguru Spot
of 21 March 2012):
Just back from the enchanting island of Mauritius.
A place of many favors and people Arab sailors
discovered it, the Portuguese visited, the Dutch,
French and British settled, and the population
a mix of Indians, Africans, French, English,
Chinese The food hard-core exotic, a hybrid of
three continents.
Four days of work and play. The introductory
talk was well-attended, and facilitated by the
High Commissioner of India, the former Minister
of Education, and a few people from Mauritius
who worked hard to make the event happen. The
people of Mauritius are keen to build a center, and
with the right support, this could happen. The
frst step that we are now taking in new regions is
to start with Isha Kriya One Drop Spirituality
to build a solid foundation. When this picks up, it
would give me good reason to get back.
Had wonderful meetings with the Prime Minister
and the President, and a very interesting trip
to the Grand Bassin, or the Ganga Talao as
known by Indo-Mauritians. A lake situated
atop a volcanic crater, the view stunning. It is
said that the water from the lake communicates
with the Ganga, and there are plans by the local
community to consecrate a linga. Was invited for
a visit it was touching to see the gentleness and
devotion with which this place is being cared for,
and the warmth with which we were welcomed.
Three days of golf was just incredible, incredible.
Breathtaking scenery, lagoons, wonderful
weather They say the volcanoes of Mauritius
are not dead but dormant and could awaken in
a few thousand years. Still enough time for a few
more rounds of golf
Love and Grace,
EnChantinG and EXotiC
Sadhguru in Mauritius
17 May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
What is your personal defnition of true success?
Sadhguru: When success or failure makes no
difference for you, you are a true success. When
the fruit of the action does not determine how
you are, then you are a success. The result may
depend on a variety of things. Results are not
always yours. For any result to happen, whether
its in a game or life situations, there are various
factors involved, not all of it is in our control. But,
what is in our control is if we do our best or we
do not do our best. [Excerpted from Sadhgurus
talk at LBS]
What is your outlook and vision for the worlds
leadership?
Sadhguru: In the next ten, ffteen years time, the
economic leadership will be the most important
leadership in the world. The good thing about
the economic leadership is, in the very nature of
things, it is a very fexible leadership. If we bring
about the necessary shift from economic leaders
operating out of narrow personal ambitions to
them operating out of a larger vision, that will be
the greatest thing for the future generations of the
world. [Excerpted from Sadhgurus talk at IMD]
A volunteer shares about Sadhgurus visit to IMD:
IMD is among the top three business schools in
the world and is set in a beautiful location facing
the lake in Lausanne with the mountains in the
distance. It was a frst for this school to welcome a
yogi on their campus, and how many people would
attend was a big question. The answer was simply
overwhelming as soon as the doors opened,
people flled the theater, seat by seat, until there
were no more available. The expectation and
curiosity was palpable. It took Sadhguru no time
to captivate the attention of all that were present.
People listened intently, laughed, and pondered
at the new perspectives that were offered. Time
seemed to fy and after a question and answer
session, the event was over too fast, as a member
of the audience remarked after the session: I
could have listened to him the whole afternoon!
A couple of other comments by IMD alumni and
guests: Wow, I never thought of management
like this! I really didnt know what to expect,
but this was
really interesting
and I really
want to know
more. Sadhguru
clearly left a big
impression.
Sadhguru sums up the events: Business schools are
opening up to the spiritual possibility, so it could
be instead of Business as Usual, Business Sublime.
Excellent response from both institutions and we
are working towards more enduring relationships
and partnerships.
LeadershiP: From AmBition to Vision
Sadhguru recently spoke at two of the
most prestigious business schools in
the world. On 8 March 2012, he gave
a talk at the London Business School
(LBS), and a few days later, on 12 March
2012, at IMD International Institute
for Management Development in
Lausanne, Switzerland. The following
are a few highlights.
Sadhguru Speaks
at Leading Business
Schools in Europe
18
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
EntrePreneUrshiP, TeCh and TaLK
Excerted fom Sadhguru Spot of 28 March 2012
Went to Mumbai to be a part of the CNBC Awards
for small and medium sector entrepreneurs. Over
125,000 applied, and they arrived at 18 awardees.
In many ways, it is these small and medium sector
entrepreneurs who are the legs of the Indian
economy. The Indian economy is essentially
moving ahead on the efforts of these people who
have small and medium enterprises across the
country, whose efforts and success do not depend
on what happens in the international market. The
variety of technologies that are being innovated
from this sector is quite incredible. These are real
entrepreneurs with fre in their belly to succeed,
and they have really done a great job.
I happened to be there to give the award to the
entrepreneur of the year. When I saw these
people many from small towns across the
country who built these enterprises, and their
hopes, aspirations, efforts and skills, I could not help
from speaking out and saying how, unfortunately,
a booming economy is being dismantled almost
systematically by political forces; and I said as much
in the presence of a few prominent political leaders.
I also made a ffteen minute presentation on ethical
governance on the corporate and business world
A very well attended program.
Then took a late night fight to Bengaluru for a
three-day Inner Engineering program packed with
corporate honchos, business leaders and socialites
which was tucked away in the basement conference
hall of a leading hotel in the city. In Bengaluru with
the Bengaloorinavaru
1
It has been a long time,
almost twenty-fve years, since I closely interacted
with Kannada people. It is funny how people are so
different. The Tamil people are intense and always
a surge, but just across the border, the people of
Kannada stock are even physically not so robust
their emotions and energy so much gentler than the
rollick of Tamil people.
I had to participate in the
opening of a mall there and
the people shed their usually
hesitant and timid behavior and
went for me in full force. The
organizers had a tough time
controlling the crowds that
they had not expected. Even
our volunteers were not ready
for the crowd and its response
to my presence. One more city
where I have lost the pleasure
of anonymity.
1
People of Bengaluru
Sadhguru Spot
Musings from the Master
19 May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
Visit: Sadhguru.org/spot
As I see numberless tall buildings coming up and
ever-clogged traffc, a wave of nostalgia hits me about
a gentle, pretty city full of gardens, early morning
mist carrying right up to noon, colonial-time coffee
shops, quaint proprietor-owned bookshopsa gentle
big brother to Mysore City where I grew up. But
today, Bengaluru, its original name being
Bendakaluru a town where the beans
are well-cooked. From Kempe Gowda
2

to Sadananda Gowda.
3
From the sylvan
palaces of the Maharajas to the Silicon
Valley of India. The transformation of
this city makes you both proud and sad of
the things that are lost and can never be
regained, and things that have been gained
and cannot be discounted. Bengaluru has
become a name that nobody in the tech
world can ignore. It has become the hub
of software technology.
We fnished the Inner Engineering
program at 7:00 in the evening, had a dinner meeting
till 9:30, and then took an 11:00 fight back to Mumbai.
So early morning 2:00, I got to Mumbai, and next
day was packed with meetings. That evening, we
had an In Conversation with the Mystic event, and
this time around it was with K.V. Kamath, the man
who built ICICI Bank to its current prominence and
who is hugely respected and valued. He continues
to be the Non-Executive Chairman of ICICI Bank
and is now Executive Chairman of Infosys. He had
come very well-prepared. It was nice to see that he
took the trouble to read Mystics Musings, watch a
few videos, and prepare questions that would be
relevant for the evening.
The event was attended by the Whos Who
of the fnancial world in Mumbai. For the 2
hours of this event, people sat there absolutely
engaged, and it was nice for me to be exploring
something other than the usual questions of
spiritual signifcance, but of the business world
and economic problems, and solutions for the
country and the world. This is, in a way, a kind of
steppingstone for the educational initiatives that
Isha is taking on about ten technical and business
felds and also a very spectacular conference that
we are planning in November/December which is
titled Bioscope of Entrepreneurial Leadership. The
super top talent in the world will be participating in
making this happen. We have already roped in some
of the biggest names in the feld. If any of you want
to be there, before we even start the registration,
you must register because it is going to be just 120
people. Very prominent names will be participating
and conducting this event for us in the ashram from
the 29
th
of November till 2
nd
of December. So, if you
dont want to receive a well-worded regret letter,
you have to really start now.
Ciao,
2
Founder of Bengaluru
3
Current Chief Minister of Karnataka
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
20
Program Highlights
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.
Date Program Place Contact
3 - 6 May 2012
Inner Engineering Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.org
3 - 7 May 2012
Nature Awareness
Program
For Children
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
09894418089
raghsri@gmail.com
4 - 6 May 2012
Inner Engineering
Conducted by Sadhguru
Houston, TX, USA
+1-832-408-0663
houston@ishafoundation.org
8 - 10 May 2012
Hata Yoga
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515300
programinfo@ishafoundation.org
9 - 15 May 2012 Inner Engineering
Shubhamkaroti
Mandal, Thane(W),
Mumbai, India
9967651283, 9819812688
mumbai@ishafoundation.org
16 - 19 May 2012
Bhava Spandana
Program (Ladies)
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515300
programinfo@ishafoundation.org
17 - 20 May 2012
Inner Engineering Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.org
18 - 21 May 2012 Guru Pooja Training
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515300
programinfo@ishafoundation.org
19 May 2012
Pancha Bhuta Aradhana
Dhyanalinga Temple
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515426
pba@ishafoundation.org
25 - 28 May 2012
Bhava Spandana
Program
Residential Program
Conducted by Sadhguru
Isha Institute of
Inner Sciences,
USA
+1-931-668-1900
registration.iii@ishafoundation.org
31 May - 3 June
Inner Engineering Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.org
9 - 10 Jun 2012
Shambhavi Mahamudra
Program
Conducted by Sadhguru
ExCel London,
UK
+44-7765567347
info@sadhguruinlondon.com
15 - 17 Jun 2012
Inner Engineering with
Sadhguru
HITEC City,
Hyderabad, India
9866661196
hyderabad@ishafoundation.org
21 May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
Isha Recipes For Healthy Living
In South Indian cuisine, rasam is traditionally served towards the end of a menu as it has
excellent digestive properties. The tamarind in the rasam lowers cholesterol levels, is a good
source of antioxidants, supports digestion and is used to treat biliary disorders. Black pepper
helps prevent fatulence, promotes urination, and promotes sweating. Rasam also contains a
fair amount of essential nutrients such as manganese and iron, as well as dietary fber.
QUANTITY INGREDIENTS
2 fstful Split Toor dal (pigeon peas)
medium-sized Fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons Sesame (Gingelly) oil
teaspoon Mustard seeds
teaspoon Skinless split black gram (dhuli urad dal)
2 Red chilies
1012 Curry leaves
1 teaspoons Cumin seeds
To taste Salt
2 medium Tomatoes
inch piece Ginger
1 lemon-sized ball Tamarind
1012 Black peppercorns
1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
68 sprigs Fresh coriander leaves
METHOD OF PREPARATION
1. Pressure-cook the toor dal with 500 ml of water for 1 whistle. Strain and keep the dal water aside.
2. Cut the pineapple in half, remove core and chop fnely. Place half the quantity of the chopped
pineapple pieces in a blender. Add cup of dal water. Grind to a paste.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. As they begin to change color, add the dal,
red chilies, curry leaves, and 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds.
4. Chop the tomatoes and add.
5. Peel and chop the ginger and add. Saut for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Meanwhile soak tamarind in a little water, squeeze the soaked tamarind with your hands and
extract the juice. Add to pan.
7. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Cook on low heat till the raw smell disappears.
8. Add the pineapple paste and cook for a few minutes.
9. Meanwhile, roast peppercorns, remaining half teaspoon of cumin seeds and coriander seeds
till fragrant. Let cool and grind to a powder.
10. Add this powder to the pan with the remaining chopped pineapple. Cook for a few seconds.
11. Chop fresh coriander and add.
12. Mix and serve.
Pineapple Rasam
May 2012 FOREST FLOWER
22
Kailash Manasarovar
July 24, 26, 28 & 30

Mount Kailash - Walk the Mystical land

Meditate and immerse in the healing waters of Lake Manasarovar
Experience the power of Mount Kailash with the grace of
Sadhguru
Enjoy Ishas hospitality and be cared for by highly experienced
team of volunteers and doctors especially trained for high
altitude care
Explore Nepal and Tibet through its temples, stupas, colourful
markets, local cuisine and culture
Join this once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the Abode of Shiva
Himalayan Sacred Walks
May 23 - June 3 & Sep 30 - Oct 11
(Hardwar, Rishikesh, Guptkashi, Kedarnath, Badrinath,Gangotri & Panch Prayag)
www.sacredwalks.org
tn@sacredwalks.org
+91 9488 111 333 Tamil Nadu:
+91 9488 111 555 Rest of India: india@sacredwalks.org
Meditate in the
presence of
Sadhguru...