Aug2019

Heartwarming stories of Sadhguru from Down Under, from the core of Australia. A pilgrim’s journey to Kailash with Sadhguru. The grand and petty indulgence on the spiritual path.

Samskrita Dinam from Samskriti children, and finally...

It’s high time we heard Cauvery Calling.

Tune in to some intimate chitchat from our volunteers in Isha Whispers… August 2019.

What was it like to be around when Sadhguru has hay fever?

For this was the first time many of us saw Sadhguru under a quilt, experiencing high fever, and a bit physically down. Maya akka, who was around Sadhguru at the time, graciously shares her moment with Sadhguru during this time.-----

As Maa hounds me, in her own gentle ways, for a sharing on Sadhguru’s last visit to Australia, I try and figure out what to write as this visit was rather… unusual to say the least.Landing in Sydney three days prior, I could taste the buzz, excitement, and anticipation of the volunteers, eager to welcome Sadhguru after many years. Carpets traveling from one home to another, wooden benches migrating in loaded vans, booklets and brochures flying across city borders - the usual festivities preceded the awaited day.Sadhguru landed, radiant as ever. The subtle smell of jasmine filled the air whilst our inner fireworks went on. Somehow whenever he is around, we are all suddenly endowed with superhuman capabilities ignited by sheer love and gratitude.

The public talk in Sydney was quite a phenomenon with over 5,000 attendees. It is always fascinating to observe people’s faces as they look at Sadhguru, for their expressions are ones I have never seen in any other circumstance. A blend of familiarity, love, joy and that something more which I am unable to name. Perhaps the closest I can compare it to is a baby looking at his mother’s face for the first time.

Earlier that day, Sadhguru had started showing symptoms of a usual cold, sneezes, runny nose, you know the drill. Intercepted by a few tissues, the talk was in no way compromised and only those of us who knew about it could tell he was not at his physical best.

The next day was one I will not forget. After a great game of golf on a stunning course, Sadhguru had to take off to Brisbane for his conversation with Matthew Hayden.

Though he did not speak, I could clearly see the cold aggravating. Still Sadhguru didn’t miss cracking a joke, commenting on the plane’s unusually long drive on the runway before take off: “This plane is driving us to Brisbane!” One hour of flying and half a dozen hot drinks later, Sadhguru was once again on stage, exchanging sharp insights with Matthew, as if nothing had happened. Straight from the talk he jumped into the car and boarded the next flight for Melbourne.

The flight and landing into Melbourne was no jolly situation as the cold had aggravated into some form of flu, fever, rigours. I generally don’t need a reason to be worried, because I worry about everything. And this was one dreadful reason for me to be worried, tenfold.

Thankfully the next day was engagement-free, except for a morning game of golf and

Sadhguru at event when he had hay fever!

an interview later in the day. Sadhguru could rest.

It is only when he cancelled both engagements that it hit me how bad it was. “Those tiny organisms really get to you!” he still managed to joke. I don’t want to describe that day, because it felt like a day where the sun had died down. Sadhguru was bed-ridden.

Next day was the first program day, and I was—as usual—worried, as to how he would be conducting a class for 5,000 people.

But there he was, the next day and the day after, once again radiant on stage, joking, dancing, surrounded by tearful faces, reaching hands and seeking hearts.

No one could tell he had been so unwell, and we knew that his boundless compassion and devotion for every human being would never allow him to compromise a program for the sake of his own health.

Was it an easy journey?

It wasn’t, but it was a memorable one. In the intensity of the situation, there was no time to think about anything but Sadhguru. I had the privilege of witnessing him as a human being, who is allowed—like any one of us—to get a terrible cold, a runny nose, sneeze and cough, sit under a warm blanket, be surrounded by an avalanche of tissue papers and sip hot pepper drinks.

A human being who may need rest, but who would not take it, because the wellbeing of others takes over.

And somewhere around in the background, the clumsy me bouncing around like the late rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, dropping everything I hold, asking funny questions at the wrong time, but here, there was no room to even worry about myself.

This is the blessing of being around Sadhguru. You cannot hide who you are, for he sees through you, through and through.

So all you can really do is relax into the inevitability of whatever you may be right now, and work, relentlessly, to become who you really long to be. Relentlessly, look at yourself, all that is binding you, and do everything it takes to become a part of Him.

Sadhguru Down Under Wave of Bliss in Southern Hemisphere!

Saurabh and Nidhi, an Ishanga couple, share the journey from dream to reality!

Sadhguru in Australia has been a dream for many Australian volunteers for a long time. He visited Australia in 2012, seven years ago. Ever since, whenever we requested Sadhguru, either he ignored the question, or said once or twice, that people down under are sleeping, so let them sleep for a little while longer!

This year, we somehow had a strong intuition that Sadhguru will agree to come to Australia. So, we planned and travelled to all the centers in Australia in January to meet the volunteers and start the groundwork.

“Coincidentally, just as I was on the flight back to the ashram, we received confirmation from Sadhguru’s Office about his visit to Australia. My joy knew no bounds that day as, finally, the dream for many Australian volunteers was becoming a reality!” shared Nidhi

Who will have the privilege of hosting Sadhguru?Melbourne wins!

There are four Isha centers in Australia - Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. The moment we got the confirmation of Sadhguru’s visit, there started a friendly tussle between volunteers as everyone wanted Sadhguru to visit their city. However, after debating on various factors like weather, capacity, and even which city had the best golf course, Melbourne was chosen to host Sadhguru for a two-day Shambhavi culmination program. To include the volunteers of all other cities, we called this visit as “Sadhguru in Australia” - volunteers of each city were given key roles in making the Melbourne event happen.

When you call, He hears!Sydney gets added!

While volunteers were going all out to enroll people for the IEC in Melborne, just three before weeks this event, we happened to see a beautiful venue in Sydney. A dome with no pillars, made of timber, with a seating capacity of over 5000 people. We really wanted Sadhguru to hold a program there. But how? After checking with Sadhguru’s Office, we announced “An Evening with the Master.” It was heartening to see that within two weeks the program was sold out, with 75% of

people who signed up for this paid event not having done any Isha program. Most of them came a day earlier to exchange their e-ticket for a physical ticket so they could get in the hall as quickly as possible to grab the front seats.

The program was a hit. Though it was scheduled for two hours, Sadhguru allowed it to extend for another 45 minutes.

At the end of the program, he came down from the stage to mingle with the participants, but he was literally mobbed as people tried to grab his feet, hands, shawl, and anything that they could touch.

Looking at the situation, he managed to recede back to the stage and left from the back stage entry.

Looking back, we felt that we should have arranged for a ramp for him to walk on. The fact is most people who come to Sadhguru’s program these days have already been watching his videos and get deeply connected with him. His

physical presence becomes too overwhelming for them to observe any etiquettes or sobriety. While it is inspiring to see people around the world relating to him at such deep levels, physically it gets out of hand.

Finding Matthew HaydenBrisbane is honored, too!

Along with the Sydney event, we wanted to arrange for an “In Conversation” program for Sadhguru. Many celebrities were considered to join the stage with Sadhguru, but honestly, none seemed to be fit enough to engage Sadhguru in a meaningful conversation for 1-2 hours. A volunteer got us connected with Matthew Hayden. We spoke to him over the phone for about 30 minutes, and we just knew he was the right person for this event. With his humble manners, love for India, and Chennai in particular, his multi-faceted personality (he is also a businessman, cook, philanthropist, and nature lover) – we became his fans for more reasons other than his cricket acumen.

Indeed, he was the right choice. Sadhguru really enjoyed the talk. Matthew wanted to spend some time with Sadhguru after the event too. Since Sadhguru had to

leave for Brisbane the same evening, he took the opportunity to drop Sadhguru at the airport. Their interactions were so friendly, and they seemed so connected to each other. Over 2,000 people attended this event, and most left the venue with a smiling face.

Catching the FeverNot Just the Hay Fever!

Sadhguru left Brisbane looking his usual self, but as soon as he arrived in Melbourne, one could see a bit of discomfort in him. His condition became obvious when he canceled his golf game and radio interview. We were very fortunate that the Inner Engineering Completion (IEC) program was beginning only the next day, so Sadhguru could rest a bit – though the calls from various parts of the world were still coming in.

While Sadhguru was running temperature with hay fever, volunteers were burning with another kind of fever – to offer their best to Sadhguru and make these events the most incredible in Australia. A few volunteers shuttled from Melbourne to Sydney, to Brisbane and back to Melbourne.

These cities are around 700-1000 km away from each other. Each event had its unique organizing challenges. While in Sydney it was enrolling over 5,000 people in 2-weeks, in Brisbane we were almost shocked to see an ugly black velvet curtain as the backdrop. The backdrop that was crafted and ordered for this event didn’t get ready on time… now what to do?

“No way, can we settle with this velvet curtain,” was resonating within each volunteer in the dais team. Fortunately, the venue company couldn’t ignore the persistence and passion of our volunteers and arranged for a fantastic light arrangement so that no one could notice the curtain! In fact, this illuminating backdrop turned out to be the best one.

“This was the first time Swami Vidhyavasanta, who takes care of video shooting, looked happy with the lighting,” Saurabh gleefully added. “There is so much to learn from you people,” said Matthew, looking at the arrangements done at such short notice.

So in this feverish tempo, soon after the Brisbane event began, many core volunteers hopped on a flight to Melbourne. None slept that night and poured themselves tirelessly to make the 2 days of the IEC program most memorable for the 5,000 participants who had registered.

The Saga of Melbourne

In Melbourne, the issues were multifold for two reasons: The sheer scale of preparations required 5,000 people to remain focused for 8-9 hours daily for two days, while adhering to strict and demanding IEC day schedules. Shifting the hall setup from floor cushions to chairs and back a few times a day for 5,000 people, in less than three quarters of an hour, can be a challenging feat for even professional event marketing companies. But our volunteers pulled it off – they didn’t manage the event: they created it.

The struggles didn’t stop here. The health and fire safety rules and regulations of the venue were simply mindboggling. To give you a glimpse: we couldn’t create one long ramp. We needed to break the ramp every few meters so people could cross from one side of the ramp to another in case of a fire. Visualize it for a moment and see how it must be for Sadhguru. There were many such bizarre requirements, which meant a lot of inconvenience for Sadhguru and the volunteers.

Where Grace Reigns

But we still went with the venue because we liked it. In fact, after getting our requirements, the venue authorities felt it was impossible for us to pull off the program as per our plan. But, no prizes for guessing, it happened wonderfully. So much so that the venue staff who were helping us were mesmerized by the way our volunteers made everything happen with ease.

They were also so touched by the presence of Sadhguru, that at one time, some of them risked their jobs to make it easier for Sadhguru to mingle with people without being mobbed.

They even rang up the very next day to tell us how they were truly amazed by our volunteers and that they wanted to take back their words about us not being able to shift from chairs to cushions in 30 minutes.

One of the main venue organizers even commented when participants didn’t choose to leave the hall for the optional restroom break, “Yes, who will want to miss such an opportunity!”

It Happened Like Never Before

“We have seen a few mega programs before this, but every time I felt that somewhere our cosmopolitan volunteers hesitate to be seen associated with a guru, or with spirituality as such. I have to say that for the very first time, I felt that none of these volunteers held back - they truly left all their inhibitions, all their hesitations, aside and simply went all out in spreading awareness about this program.”

Sadhguru Fans the Fire

After the program, volunteers were waiting in anticipation if they could catch one more glimpse of Sadhguru. Sadhguru agreed to meet the volunteers before leaving the venue. The excitement, joy, and tears from the volunteers are things that neither a photo, video nor these words will be able to express. Volunteers came together at the meeting point, with their hands held in namaskar not wanting to leave his side.

The wave of fire burning within the volunteers is still very much alive, post Sadhguru in Australia. During a short satsang, Sadhguru said,

“In this effort, a lot is happening but not enough. Will you make this happen for me posthumously or will you make it happen for me while I am alive? At least will you dedicate 2-3 hours a week - not a day, 2-3 hours a week - to see that in some way it reaches somebody? This is not about spreading a philosophy or an ideology or a belief system. This is about making human wellbeing at its best internally not externally. Spend 2 hours a week to spread this possibility to more people.”

Since he spoke these words, volunteers are eagerly asking how they can get involved to offer this time.

“When I silently get to reflect and harvest the full impact of whatever has started to break within me, I only wish and hope that I am able to make full use of this opportunity with Sadhguru’s grace and blessings!” said Nidhi while expressing her gratitude to all volunteers, venue security team and the participants.

5 Days of Sadhguru in Australia 2019

Almost 15k people attended various programs (including free programs) and events leading up to Inner Engineering with Sadhguru, making it the largest program outside India.

15k Participants 4k increase on Social MediaFacebook followers increased from 18k to 21k and organic reach tripled in this time period.

250 Yoga Veeras

More than 200 digital volunteers participated in the two-hour Twitter trending campaign.

50 Volunteers Ran Flashmob for One MonthDaily!

20K Brochures More than 20,000 brochures and 7,500 posters were distributed across Australia. Many libraries got stocked up with a collection of Sadhguru’s books.

30K ContactedOur super-efficient calling team reached out to 30,000 people in the database.

Samvaad with Sadhguru!

Sadhguru was back in the Ashram on July 30th. After a couple of marathon Cauvery Calling meetings among many other engagements, he left the ashram to lead a group of people to the adobe of mighty Kailash.

Before launching on his journey to Kailash, Sadhguru spent a day in Delhi to hold a special event at the residence of our beloved Vice President

honorable Venkaiah Naidu. The event was called “Samvaad with Sadhguru”.

“Instead of talks and debates, encourage Samvaad with beings like Sadhguru,” said the Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri Venkaiah Naidu, while opening a

special session at his house. The invitees included a few ministers and judges of the Supreme Court, among others. The Vice President invited Sadhguru to speak on how to be peaceful in times of conflict and violence.

With Sadhguru in the Primal Abode of Shiva!

Since 2006, when the first group of 200 people went to Kailash with Sadhguru, Isha’s Kailash Sacred Walks has come a long way. This year 25 groups comprising nearly 1,500 people ventured up the Tibetan mountains for a glimpse of the highest of the highest – Mt. Kailash. Charting out different routes for different groups of diverse demographic mixes, ages and sensitivities; arranging smooth passages despite the Chinese wall; ensuring food, water and medical

help at barren and harsh places - it has not been easy for the volunteers, but the intensity and exuberance of making it happen for people dwarfs every hardship one may face on the way. Sadhguru led a group of 30 people through the stunning terrains of Nepal and Tibet up to Kailash and back, making it a profoundly exotic, intense and unforgettable journey for them. Here we have Kay of Switzerland extending her good fortune to all of us, by graciously sharing some special moments from this yatra with Sadhguru.

“In 2016, I coincidentally bumped into Sadhguru during a cultural tour across Tibet. I had the honor of speaking with him directly and hearing at length his experiences in Tibet. Although I’d done my Inner Engineering class in 2014 and finished most of the Isha programs by 2016, I wasn’t aware that Sadhguru had been making annual pilgrimages to Kailash since 2006. This miraculous encounter inspired me to join his pilgrimage group in the

subsequent year of 2017. Little did I know that the yatra would transform my life in such fundamental ways.

When I came back from my first Kailash yatra with Sadhguru in 2017, without any warning, I went through a complete “overhaul” of my perspectives on life. At the time it was a painful experience, but now I realize that this was an important opening that allowed me to break free from many past bondages. After this experience, I started to restructure my life, and with his grace, many miracles happened to align myself with my life’s callings. Partly thanks to these transformations, I was able to participate in the Kailash yatra in 2018 and 2019.

Generally during the first week of the yatra, we usually trek in the mountains of Nepal to acclimatize to higher altitude and prepare ourselves for Kailash. This year, we trekked along Kali Gandaki river, famed for its saligrams, and up the mountain to the west of Naurikot where we visited Padmasambhava’s meditation cave. The trek was a little easier than previous years, but this didn’t make it any less special or powerful. Our trek was filled with special moments with Sadhguru. For example, on our way to the second camp

site, Sadhguru borrowed a motorcycle from a local, and rode it across a suspension bridge, which was extremely thrilling for us to watch!

One of the highlights of this year’s trek was Padmasambhava’s meditation cave. The cave was located atop a steep mountain, surrounded by wild forest, pristine streams and waterfalls. The cave was large enough to fit 50+ people, but spring water gushed from every nook and cranny, making it difficult to find any dry spot to meditate. The interior of the cave slanted upward towards a stalagmite, robed in colorful prayer flags and khatas (Tibetan scarfs), and resembled a meditating monk.

Unable to find any ideal spot to meditate, I ended up sitting in a puddle, but surprisingly I didn’t feel the cold at all. As the “Shiva Shambho” chant echoed in the cave, we were all transported to a completely different state of consciousness. I didn’t know how long I was in that state, but I felt a strong surge of energy rise within me when I realized only a few moments later that Sadhguru had entered the cave. The time we spent with him in the cave was one of the most powerful experiences that I’ve ever felt in my life.

We later found out from the locals that coincidentally the day we were in the cave (10 August) was an annual local celebration day of Padmasambhava. Many local ladies were visiting the cave with some offerings.

Another special moment that touched me deeply was when we all went out for a brief walk with Sadhguru along the shore of Manasarovar. The weather this year was unusually good... the best we’ve seen in many years. After a brief meditation along the shore, we started to quietly stroll back to our camp when we realized that the south face of Kailash was clearly visible from where we were. When I informed Sadhguru, his gaze fixed on Kailash and, after some silence, a beautiful chant escaped his lips. The moment was very special and intense for all of us. When he turned around to face us, tears were streaming down his beautiful face. We all couldn’t hold back our tears by this point.

This year, I felt there were more people who recognized and bowed

down to Sadhguru on the route to Kailash than any other year that I’ve traveled with him. Many were overjoyed to see him. Some just fell to the ground and wept. It was so touching to see such deep devotion on their bright faces, and the way Sadhguru greeted each one of them.

On our way, the truck with our luggage was stuck at the base of a slope. The truck tried a few times to go up the slope but it wasn’t able to. Seeing this, Sadhguru gave the driver and porters detailed instructions for the maneuvers of the truck. Then, the truck went up the slope with very little difficulty. The driver and porters were experienced as they had been making this trip many times every year, but they were aided by Sadhguru’s practical wisdom. This is a very minor example, but I’m always

amazed to see his mastery over the practical and worldly matters as well as the spiritual.

I have experienced Kailash with and without Sadhguru, and there’s a world of difference between these experiences. The first time I visited Kailash in 2016 on a private tour, Kailash was like any other pretty mountain. The spiritual dimension was too subtle for me to perceive. However when I went to Kailash with Sadhguru, he really made these subtle dimensions available to me. Sometimes it’s shocking to see what opens up during the initiation at Kailash. These experiences cannot be described in words. The only way to understand it is to experience it yourself.

Another unusual highlight of this trip was going to a vegan hotpot restaurant in Lhasa with Sadhguru. Radhe has

been to this restaurant many times and had been recommending it to Sadhguru over the last two years. They finally found the time to arrange a visit. At the restaurant, we were each given a pot of special herbal brew in which we cook the vegetables and other vegan delicacies like dumplings. It was a new experience for most participants including Sadhguru. At the restaurant, Sadhguru reminisced about his experiences in the forest of the Western Ghats and how he survived on various plants, mushrooms and insects as food sources. He said he survived mostly on honey, but he occasionally feasted on termites!”

Isha Samskriti Students Bring Chanakya Back to Life On Samskrita Dinam

Samskrita Dinam (Sanskrit Day) is a cultural celebration that takes place in many parts of India and other countries, which seeks to spread awareness of the Sanskrit language.

On the 13th of August, the Isha Samskriti students celebrated Samskrita Dinam at the Isha Yoga Center with a cultural performance. Titled ‘Chanakya – a king maker’, the performance was a passionate depiction of the life and times of the legendary teacher, written and directed by the students themselves and delivered entirely in the Sanskrit language.

As Sadhguru has said, “Sanskrit is one language where form and sound are connected. When you realize what sound is attached to a particular form, you give this sound as the name for that form – now the sound and the form are connected. If you utter the sound, you are relating to

the form – not just psychologically, but existentially, you are connecting with the form. If you have mastery over the sound, you also have mastery over the form. Sanskrit is like a blueprint of the existence. What is in form, we converted into sound.” The students demonstrated that the Sanskrit language is not just consigned to ancient scholarly texts, but can be used to articulate just about any experience in one’s life.

Chanakya was a renowned teacher and an astute royal advisor who fortified India during the Greek invasions in 330 BCE. A statesman non pareil, he played a pivotal role in establishing the powerful Mauryan Empire, which comprised almost the whole of the Indian subcontinent, extending up to modern-day Afghanistan. The children portrayed the saga of Chanakya’s undaunted pursuit to establish a glorious empire through powerful theatrics

supported by phenomenal stagecraft bringing to life electrifying battle scenes, ruthless strategizing, the pain of disastrous failures and the sweetness of triumph.

As one member of the audience shared, “For that one hour, we were pulled into a time in which Chanakya managed to unite a largely divided nation. The radiant display of colors and dance through the story was a treat to watch… the depiction, of rare authenticity, left many of us with a deep satisfaction of being a part of a land so culturally rich. I am grateful to Isha Samskriti for cultivating such depth in themselves and also in us through such events.”A Samskriti student shared, “We started preparing for this drama almost 3 months ago. Every detail of it from the dialogue to the props, audio, lighting was a process of learning. The entire team at Samskriti came together to make this happen and watching it unfold yesterday was an exhilarating experience for me. Above all, I want to share that I’m grateful for this opportunity to learn this ancient language which has opened doors for me to know more about our ancient culture.”

The Grand and the PettyOn this Guru Purnima, over 800 participants joined Sadhanapada with an aspiration to transform themselves. Here is Rakeshvara from Palo Alto, California, one of the participants doing his Seva in the English Publications department. He shares, after nearly a month’s stay, an experience which redefined his relationship with the Ashram.

I was just settling into Sadhanapada, getting used to the rigour of nearly seven hours of daily sadhana and seva each. By the third week, I stopped missing anything in the outside world. There just was no time to reminiscence. Then the other day, after completing my Adiyogi Pradakshina and before going for brunch I came to the office to work. I was transcribing an interview of Tamilmaran

anna, the supervisor of the Agroforestry department of Project GreenHands. He was talking about Mr. ‘Maram’ Tangaswamy. Maram means tree. People called him that because of his single minded passion for spreading awareness about trees and giving away free saplings. He would invite a newly married couple to plant a tree at their wedding. As I listened, I began imagining a tree planting at a wedding, and suddenly a craving came over me to enjoy a wedding feast.

This situation reminded me of an experience I read of a devotee at another ashram in India. He was a Westerner who was resenting his ashram stay as it had much more Seva than he liked. One day he had a strong desire for a wedding meal, which he left to Grace to fulfill. On one of the following days, he was in town running an errand, got lost, and stopped for directions. A man came earnestly to him and extended him an invitation to join in a wedding feast happening in the function hall right there. Although it was a Muslim wedding they had a vegetarian section, where our friend dined in grand style.

Reminiscing about this incident, the skeptic and scientist in me disregarded it as chance. I was thinking, “There is a clear confirmation bias and a reporting bias here. Only such coincidences get reported. Anyway I am stuck here for seven months, there is no wedding feast for me, I should have gone to one before I came for Sadhanapada.”

Having let that thought be I, within the hour, went to Biksha hall for brunch. To my surprise, there was a plantain leaf for plate, and pala-payasam (the king of cuisine) in the glass by the side. The rest of the feast followed! Just like traditional

weddings from my childhood, It had all my favourite foods there, complete with sambar rice and pappadam. My personal favourite was the ashgourd turmeric curry, which you get only at Isha. It made it singularly the best wedding meal ever.

The irony is that I eat so healthy that I do not even like wedding feasts. They are overly spicy, oily, garlicky, etc. In contrast, this feast was non-spicy, non-oily and completely positive pranic. This is the only wedding feast I could actually enjoy, and I did very much. It was like the old days, when we cousins used to serve at the village functions. The cousins here being fellow Sadhanapadas. In the village, we always let the workers pick the plantain leaves up after we were done. This time I decided to volunteer for this task, completing the circle.

The statistician in me was silent, once the p-value of such a coincidence dipped below 1e-6. A coincidence is a coincidence but a series of them is Providence. But there was still some discontentment even after the magical appearance of the meal. It dawned on me, something I had just experienced an hour ago in

the Adiyogi Pradakshina, felt way better. At the end of my pradakshina (in the wind and the drizzle, without a shirt or shoes, not looking up, chanting), sitting in the Dhyanalinga felt much more complete. A much grander experience (than getting one’s food cravings satisfied), a fulfilling one leaving nothing to be desired. I had an initial resistance to the Pradakshina as I thought it was an inefficient way to spend valuable time at the ashram.

These contrasting experiences reminded me of a verse from one of Annamacharya’s songs. “O, Lord, for those that seek petty, You offer petty. For those that seek the Grand, You offer the Grand.” In the span of an hour both the petty (desires of the mind based on past experiences) and the Grand (desire for the beyond that the mind does not know enough about to even ask) were mine to experience.

Oh, I still do not know what the occasion for that feast was, but I do know that I am not going to feel like I’m missing any from the outside world.

May This Never Happen to Any Farmer!

“I pray that it does not happen to any farmer in the world, not just in India,” said Anup, unable to bear the pain of the farmers he met during the Farmers’ Outreach Campaign.

“When I reached this particular village, I saw many farmers who looked drunk - their eyes were red. They looked sad and hopeless. ‘Why are they drunk in the middle of the day?’ I wondered.

“Despite all this, our Tamil speaking volunteers began to explain the benefits of agroforestry - how it will increase their income and ease their life struggles. I was simply standing and watching all this. I noticed that many of these farmers became anguished and even sadder after listening to us. I took the help of a Tamil volunteer and asked them, ‘You don't seem to like what we are saying, why is this so?’ I didn’t expect this answer from them.“They said, ‘It’s just a little late for us to hear all this. About 4-5 years ago we sold our lands to pay off our debts. Now, we are just laborers and don’t know when our next meal will be. Our children are also working as laborers.’

“I stood still, trying to hold myself from crying. This is happening to our farmers who grow food for us. I can’t believe it. I hope what Sadhguru has initiated as Cauvery Calling comes to fruition soon – before it is too late!” Anup was beside himself with grief as he narrated this shocking truth.“Finding myself among so many farmers, and seeing their plight first-hand, reminded me of what Sadhguru said during Rally for Rivers: “Farming - the very foundation of our civilization - has become a heartbreaking activity. Time to Rally for Rivers.”

On July 31, 2019, the Farmers’ Outreach wing of Cauvery Calling got a grand opening with a flag off ceremony led by Sadhguru in the presence of Adiyogi. The ceremony paved the way for 28 trucks, which are now driving towards various districts in the two states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu... Along with these trucks, hundreds of our volunteers are visiting village after village, going door-to-door to meet thousands of farmers to educate them about the benefits of adopting agroforestry, which can help multiply their income 3-8 times in 5-7 years.