Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev - Enlightenment--An Inside Story

ISBN No: 978-81-87910-14-5

ISBN: 9781483506715

Copyright 2012 Isha Foundation

First Digital Edition: October 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles and reviews.

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Introduction

Enlightenment is not the first step on the spiritual path. Nor is it the last. Yet, the word captures the imagination of people like never before. There was a time, not very long ago, when spiritual seekers began their quest by asking to see God. Not anymore. Questions like, Does God exist?, Have you seen God?, Can you show God to me? dont seem to bother people anymore as much as questions about Enlightenment do. What is Enlightenment?, Are you Enlightened?, Can you give Enlightenment to me?- are the questions that a Guru in todays world is more likely to encounter from the spiritual aspirant.

A casual Google search on the word Enlightenment reflects its popularity: something like 15 million word hits; 5 million images; 23,000 videos; and 30,000 books registered in a matter of seconds. For a moment, you would think it is a pity that Buddha, the one who brought the word into vogue, is not around to see it. But a closer look at the modern usage of the term is not so flattering.

Starting from a purely technical description of the lighting of a light bulb, to some New-Agey people selling soaps, shampoos and incense sticks everybody has staked their claim to the word. It seems as though most people have come to a conclusion that no such thing as Enlightenment exists, and have therefore decided to make the most of it by putting the word to market savvy uses. Surely, this would not impress Gautama the Buddha, for whom the word and the path was his life and breath.

However, undeterred by all this, Enlightenment as Gautama Buddha knew it still continues to inspire many people around the world. What is Enlightenment? How does one become Enlightened? When does one become Enlightened? How does it feel to be Enlightened? Are there levels of Enlightenment? Will I be able to predict somebodys future if I am Enlightened? Can I read other peoples minds? Is there any use to it at all? these and many other questions continue to intrigue people. Thus today, Enlightenment occupies the prized space that once belonged to the pursuit of God.

A flurry of theories and counter-theories, claims and counter claims on the subject leaves one rather confused. It becomes even more confusing because of the growing number of experts, authorities and critics on the subject, usually without an iota of experience to back them. The situation becomes especially murky when there are those who claim they can give it to you, or even that they have already done it. Then there is this product of the twentieth century free enterprise: a contraption modeled on the lines of the Time Machine, that promises to give you instant Enlightenment for a small fee, of course!

So in the midst of it all, it is extremely refreshing to hear from someone who can answer the questions with an authority an authority that comes from an inner experience rather than scholarly knowledge; from a mastery of the subject rather than chance learning; from somebody in flesh and blood rather than somebody buried deep in the sands of time. It is in this context that what Sadhguru has to offer becomes invaluable.

Sadhgurus experience did not make him stop at it. Instead, it brought a new understanding of the phenomenon in him and fired a deep passion to share; it set forth a process that today has become a huge movement involving millions of people. In short, it brought about a revolution a silent revolution of self-realization.

Presented in this book is a compilation of discourses by Sadhguru. While each one exudes the rare fragrance of the Enlightened One, some attempt to define, and others describe the phenomenon. While some tell you what to do and what gets you closer, some others talk about the barriers that there are. And for those driven by an inner thirst, he describes the support-structures that exist in the form of Isha Yoga Center, a sacred space that he has so carefully crafted for the purpose.

If you are still on the verge of giving up or dismissing it all, Sadhguru dedicates a discourse to the importance of having a vision in life and working to materialize it. In the end he talks about a whole new dimension to management an inner management that everybody could use.

We hope reading this leaves you light in heart and mind and perhaps, with a hope that with a bit of a help from a Living Master, it is not all that far, after all.

Swami Nisarga

July 3, 2012

The Experience

In the modern era, the word Enlightenment is perhaps most associated with Gautama Buddha. Gautamas quest that led him to steal away from his sleeping family in the dead of the night, the arduous life that he subsequently led, and the culmination of it all in the now famous Bodhi tree experience, and the establishment of the Buddhist order that let loose the largest spiritual wave that humanity had ever seen, is all imprinted too well in the mind of a present day seeker.

It is interesting to contrast this with Sadhgurus case. As a child, Sadhguru was anything but spiritually inclined. When his family visited temples, he would rather be thrashed for defiance than take off his shirt to enter and pray to God. As a youth, English education brought Western thinking into him. Blue jeans and The Beatles were his constant companions. Piercing reason and hard logic reigned supreme over anything subtle that came from the East.

So it was when he was living a life that was hardly ascetic or sage-like that it happened to him. And it happened to him rather unasked. But, perhaps, Nature did not want to make it too easy for him, for when it happened to him, it was neither under the gentle Bodhi tree nor was it under the cool, caressing moonlight of the full moon. It happened to him on a hard rock, under the hot afternoon sun, on Chamundi Hills in Mysore. On that day, maybe not slowly, but surely, it descended upon him.

In the following pages, Sadhguru describes the experience, its aftermath and finally shares what drives him to this day.

I really enjoyed mountains and I loved the Chamundi Hills in Mysore. Those days, for the youth there in Mysore City, the tradition was: if you want to try your motorcycle, you go to Chamundi Hills; if you want to meditate, you go to Chamundi Hills; if you fall in love, you go to Chamundi Hills; if you fall out of love, you go to Chamundi Hills. On the whole, if something happens, you go to Chamundi Hills; if nothing happens, you go to Chamundi Hills that was the tradition.

This is a place I used to go to very frequently. This is a place where I have trekked extensively, I have camped, I have meditated and done many things. I even set up business meetings on Chamundi Hills. Usually, when I said business meeting on Chamundi Hills, people were thinking it is in the Rajendra Vilas Palace that was on top of the hill, but I would have it all arranged on a rock! So this is a place I spent a lot of time.

At a time in my life when I was fully engrossed in a variety of business activity, something fantastic happened to me. I remember the date exactly: it was the 23rd of September, 1982. From that day, I was never the same person again.