January 2011 FOREST FLOWER

CONTENTS
Zen Speaks
23
Zen Speaks: For No Reason
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER 3
Curry Leaf Ragi Aval
21
Isha Recipes - For Healthy Living
Main Article
Absolute and for Good
4
Musings
6
Sadhguru Shares His Take on Friendship
Radiate Like the Sun
Sadhguru on the Power of Surya Namaskar
10
Upcoming Programs and Events
Yaksha A Celestial Feast of Music and Dance
Mahashivarathri 2011
Isha Yoga Program Highlights
18
19
Linga Bhairavi Gudi
16
20
Is There Still An I When I Die?
8
Shekhar Kapur in Conversation with Sadhguru
Krishna Takes Brahmacharya
Leela Series
The path of the playful Part XIX:
12
A Most Glorious Beggar
News & Happenings
An Anniversary for Two
Kayantha Sthanam
13
Celebrating Devis and Vijji Akkas Aradhana
Isha Foundation Starts Operation of Crematorium in Coimbatore City
14
Pongal, Isha-Style
Celebrating the Connection between Human, Animal, Earth and Sun
SADHGURU
adhguru, what is your view on friendship?
Sadhguru: What to say? [Laughs] Maybe I
have a very childlike or childish expectation about
friendships because when I make a friendship, I
always think its for good and its absolute. Generally
I have been wrong [laughs] this has happened to
me at every level, whenever I formed any friendship
or relationship. I made my frst friend at age 3 or
4, after they sent me to school. I built such a bond
with him; hes more than anything. I still remember
his name; I am sure he doesnt. [Laughs] I am sure
the moment he or I moved out of the school, for
him it was over; for me it was never over. Maybe
somewhere its still not over for me. [Laughs]
I had a wide variety of friends; hundreds of friends
all over the place thats different. I am talking about
the bonds that I built with real friends I always
thought its absolute. But over a period of time, with
experience of life, I realized there are very, very few
people who see friendship like that. Most people see
friendship as context-oriented. When you are in
school, you have one kind of friends. When school
is over, you just drop them and pick college friends.
When college is over, professional friends, whatever
else Thats how people look at friendship. But
somewhere, Ive not been able to look at it like that.
I am not disappointed or disgruntled, but its been
a very learning experience about human nature.
[Laughs]
Personally, my need for friendship is not too much,
but the moment I formed a friendship, I always
thought it was for good and in every way absolute,
trustful and all that. Ive found good friends here and
there, but even for them, as life situations change,
their need of and their focus on the friendship
changes. For me it never changes.
4
Sadhguru Shares His Take on Friendship
S
Absolute
and
for Good
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
I wouldnt say its heartbreaking, but defnitely
its disappointing that most people cant form
deep relationships in their lives. They all can
form relationships according to their needs; they
cannot form relationships beyond their needs. A
relationship just for the sake of relationship, that is
not there in most people. They form a relationship
when they need it; when they dont need it, they
break it. So in that way, Ive been a little bit not-
society-savvy. [Laughs] I am a little bit of a fool
in those things. Even now, if I meet an old school
friend, I still approach him the way I knew him at
that time; but they are somewhere else. [Laughs] I
am still the same way I was with that aspect of life;
but they are no more the way they were. Probably
they move on with life; I dont move on with life
I always stayed a little outside of it. Somewhere I
valued life that way, so I always kept it that way. I
think it continues to be so even today.
One moment of trust, sharing, something that
happens with me which is happening with
thousands and thousands of people these days and
I tend to believe this is for good; but people dont
think so. Actually, their need for me is much bigger,
or rather, their need for me is the prime thing that
is moving the relationship. I have no need for them.
In spite of that, the way I hold them, they dont
hold me. I am not complaining; I am just looking at
that lack of bonding in them which denies them so
many things. They are denying themselves the very
beauty of life because they cant absolutely bind
with anything.
I think life has been phenomenally generous to
me about everything. When I say generous, I am
not talking about material things but the way life
treats me wherever I go, the way it opens up for
me without any effort. The life process is willing to
open up all its secrets to me probably because of the
bonding that I form with whatever I sit with. Even
if its a simple inanimate thing I am in touch with,
I form a certain relationship with it. For example if
I look at what Mysore means to me, I have a very
deep bonding with that place simply because I spent
a large part of my growing-up period there. But I
am not looking at it emotionally or sentimentally
as normally people would look at their place of
birth and growth. It is just the level of involvement
I had with the land, the trees, the mountain, with
everything around. Lots of things have changed in
the last 30 years, but still I can see so many places
that I walked upon, how deeply I looked at things,
and the billion questions that I asked at a billion
different places in Mysore. It forms a very different
kind of bond which brought me to a certain level of
quest within myself.
Mysore means for me a billion questions and at
the same time an incredible answer too. For me,
friendships also meant the same thing. Those few
moments that I shared with someone, not just
necessarily in terms of emotion I was really
not emotional about anybody in that sense but
somehow knowingly or unknowingly, moments of
sharing were moments of uniting and becoming one
in some way. I never saw sharing as giving and taking;
I always saw sharing as two lives overlapping each
other. I did not see friendship as an advantageous
or useful thing, something that will help you to live
better, or whatever else.
Even now when I travel around the world and
meet all the top-level people, I dont network with
them, I dont keep their phone numbers, I dont try
to make contact with them, but I share something
very deep with them those few moments of being
together, and many of them do share that with me
too. But my sense of that sharing is a permanent
process while I see that for most people, its a passing
process.
Probably my idea of friendship is too old-fashioned,
or I dont know if it was ever in fashion. [Laughs]
Maybe its a little silly, maybe its not socially savvy,
but in terms of life, I think my ability to bond with
anything or anybody deeply whether its a tree,
a place that I sat on, a piece of land or a rock or
people has in many ways been the key which
has opened up many dimensions of life and nature
to me.
So for me friendship is not an advantageous
transaction or give-and-take; for me friendship is a
certain overlapping of life.
Excerpted from a Talk by Sadhguru
5
Absolute
and
for Good
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
6
Radiate Like the Sun
Sadhguru on the Power of Surya Namaskar
Sadhguru, you said we shouldnt look at Surya
Namaskar as a physical exercise. Whats its purpose
then?
Sadhguru: The purpose is to generate your prana
1

in such a way that it radiates like the sun. The
sun has no intention of either roasting you in the
summer season, or giving you solar energy, or
making your plants grow. The sun just burns; this
burning radiates and we all beneft from that. This
is the nature of the existence. And this is how a
human being should be too but hes unwilling
to be that way. He doesnt radiate anything he
thinks he has to do. Petty human beings are just
living on intentions which they think are lofty,
which make them feel great. This is a poor way to
exist. They fnd a little bit of fulfllment through
their intentions, not by their way of being; they
havent attained to such grandeur.
Surya Namaskar is designed in such a way that it
makes your energies radiate. Then you dont have
to have good intentions; you dont have to have any
intentions. If you simply sit here, your presence is
beautiful and benefcial. Nobody needs to think we
should make use of such a persons presence; anyway
it is benefcial, whether others are aware of it or not.
To what extent you radiate depends on whether you
are willing to face the sun or whether you sit under
a concrete block. So if you are radiating, what will
happen? What does it mean?
Radiation means who you are is spreading in a
subtle way. If I sit here like a cold block of meat,
Im just here. If I am radiating, in a subtle way,
Im all over the place. The more I am able to
experience the existence, the more the existence is
able to beneft from me both ways it works; its
a transaction.
So if I radiate, my being radiates in a big way.
It is like a large umbrella that people can
experience. And above all, I can experience the
existence because who I am is not a piece of meat
anymore, its radiating. If it radiates, prana will
come in touch with akasha
2
. You are doing Surya
Namaskar because you want to become like the
sun. Becoming like the sun does not mean you will
burn up tomorrow morning. It simply means you
will be in akasha. Right now you are just stuck to
1
Life energy
2
Space one of the fve elements or pancha bhuta
Q
:
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
7
the planet, but if you become like the sun, you are
in akasha; you are in the vast expanse of creation;
you are not stuck to a limited space anymore.
So, does the akasha have infuence upon us?
First of all, it is always holding us in place. Your
understanding may be that earths gravity is holding
you in place, but thats not how it is. The idea that
the earth is like a magnet, holding all of us down, is a
simplistic way of looking at things. What is holding
the earth in place? To think that suns gravity is
holding you is a very childish, infantile conclusion.
The sun doesnt even have a solid substance. What
is holding the whole solar system in place? Why
is it not falling off? Thats because of akasha. You
want to be held in the embrace of akasha because
that way, your experience of life becomes purely
existential and universal in possibility; it is no more
limited to the physical.
Maladihalli Swami, who frst taught me yoga, used
to do 4008 Surya Namaskars per day. Just like me he
got into yoga for the wrong reasons. Right from his
infancy, he had been a chronic asthmatic. He was
just wheezing day and night. In those days, there
was no proper medicine or treatment, and even if
there had been, his parents would not have been
able to afford it. They did whatever they could, but
the boy was just wasting away.
When he was about 11 or 12 years of age, a yogi
came by and the parents asked him to heal the boy.
The yogi said, Anyway this boy is not going to be of
any use to you. If you keep him with you, he will die.
Give him to me; I will take him with me. He didnt
belong to the kind of people who are recruiting
disciples. He wanted to walk alone; generally, he
didnt take anybody. But he took compassion upon
this boy because he had his mission. This yogi was
Palani Swamy thats my Guru too. So he took this
young boy and trained him in the ways of yoga. The
boy not only grew out of his ailment, he grew into
a physically almost superhuman person and he
came and reminded me of yoga. [Laughs]
So if you radiate substantially, akasha is not only
something that your planet is held in, it is something
that you also swim in on a daily basis. Then your life
is very different.
My sadhana is very, very limited. I neither have the
time nor the inclination to do any physical part of
the sadhana. Now this is going to make your eyes
red. [Laughter] I do only one Surya Namaskar every
day. Wherever I am, I just do one, and I can do even
without that. I can just sit and mentally do it even
then, it still works. This is because even though you
do have a body and you are limited to the physical
laws, if you are in touch with what is known as
akasha, that which is holding the whole system up,
will also hold you up.
Life has left everything open for you; the existence
has not blocked anything for you. If you are willing,
you can access the whole universe. Somebody
said, Knock, and it shall be opened. You dont
even have to knock because there is no door its
open. You just have to walk through it, thats all.
But because your instinct of self-preservation keeps
on telling you, Unless you build a wall, youre not
safe, unconsciously, you go on building walls all
the time.
So what you are battling with is neither creations
nor the Creators unwillingness to open up the
possibility. What you are struggling with is just the
concrete walls that you have built. That is why the
yogic system does not talk about God, the Ultimate
Being, or the Creator it only talks about karma
because we are interested in what blocks you. We
are not interested in talking about the Ultimate. If
we talk about the Ultimate, you will go into fanciful
imagination. We are only talking about what is
blocking you because that is what needs to be
attended to.
God doesnt need your attention. There is nothing to
do about the Ultimate; that which binds you has to
be broken, thats all, and that bondage is 100% your
making. That is why we are only talking karma. You
have no work with the Existence. You have work
only with the existence that you have created.
Excerpted from a Talk by Sadhguru
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
Shekhar Kapur: Im going to ask you a silly
question, please bear with me, but its something
that always comes up
Sadhguru: No, Im used to silly questions.
Shekhar Kapur: Alright. [Sadhguru laughs] What
happens to ones life energy once the body is
gone? Do I still exist as I? Do I have a soul?
Is there reincarnation? Or is it just my ego that
is saying, Even when I let my body go, there
is an I that still exists? Is there individuality
after the end of the body, or does this I lose its
identity and become part of the larger universe?
This is a question I cant answer. Would you
answer it for me so I can tell people that Im
quite wise now?
Sadhguru: [Laughs] I know what youll do with
this. [Both laugh] So, essentially, youre saying,
you want to know what happens after death.
Shekhar Kapur: Yeah. Im just playing a more
intellectual argument about it, thats all; but the
fundamental question is that. [Laughs]
Sadhguru: What I would say is, some things you
know best only by experience. [Both laugh] Are
you ready?
Shekhar Kapur: Yeah.
Sadhguru: Youre not ready for the experience.
You just want to know for entertainment; maybe
to make a movie on it, or just to talk at the next
party that youre in.
Shekhar Kapur: So, humor me, and lets talk
about it a little bit.
Sadhguru: Okay. [Laughs] See, right now youre
looking at me, through the window of your eyes
Shekhar Kapur: Yes.
Sadhguru: If you close the window, do you still
exist?
Shekhar Kapur: I still exist.
Sadhguru: So, you are clearly saying you are
much more than the body, isnt it?
Shekhar Kapur: Yes.
Sadhguru: And you also know, very clearly, that
you slowly accumulated this body.
Shekhar Kapur: Yes.
Sadhguru: Or in other words, what you call as
my body is just a bit of loan that you have
taken from Mother Earth, just a piece of the
planet. Shes pretty generous with the loan; but
when the time comes, she wants to collect it
Is There Still An
I When I Die?
Shekhar Kapur
in Conversation
with Sadhguru
8
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
9
atom by atom. What is being perceived as death
is just this.
But most people who have taken a loan, unless
there was a law to compel them, they wouldnt
want to pay back the loan. Its a general tendency
in the world.
Shekhar Kapur: I like that transactional analysis.
[Both laugh]
Sadhguru: So, you took a loan from the planet.
But when the time comes that this body is going
to be taken from you, you are terrorized because
you think you are being taken away. You are
not being taken away. What Mother Earth is
asking back is only the piece of planet that you
gathered in the form of this body. If only you
were constantly aware not just intellectually
that I am not this body, this is just mine, this
is just a gathering; Ive accumulated this, Ill use
it, and when its necessary, Ill drop it if this
awareness was there all the time in your life,
death would be just like changing clothes.
Its actually simpler than that. [Laughs] The
question is only if you are willing or unwilling
but whichever way, the loan will be collected. If
you are a yogi, you will pay it back gracefully. If
you are an ignorant person, they will confscate
your property [laughs] because you are illegally
holding it beyond a certain time. So, what happens
after? Your physical body has to go to the earth
because it belongs to the earth. But there is a
subtler body which is like a scaffolding. Only
because the subtle body is there as a scaffolding,
you can build this gross body. You eat a banana,
a piece of bread or brinjal, and it becomes body
because there is a subtler scaffolding. The physical
body is gathering around the subtler body. When
the physical body falls, the subtle or etheric body
is still on. It still has some information.
Suppose you became old, the energies became
feeble and you left, this kind of life energies
would rest for some time without too much
activity. But suppose there was still a substantial
amount of information or karma stored, if the
energies were still intense and you broke the
body, either by accident or otherwise, and you
left, then it would take a long time for the
energies to become feeble. If you had a physical
body and a discriminatory mind, let us say, you
would have worked out your karma in the next
10 years and made the energies feeble. But
without a physical body and discriminatory mind,
these 10 years may telescope into 1,000 years.
This is the reason they always told you, You
should never die of suicide, murder or accident.
Then, your limbo situation is very, very long
because you have no discriminatory mind and we
dont know where your tendencies will lead you
to. Plus the chances of fnding another womb
are very little because unless you come to the
right level of intensity, you are not suitable to
take on a new body. So, if you died of old
age, everything was fne with your body but the
energies became feeble, you went to bed and
never woke up again, you may get back into
another womb within 48 hours. But a person
who died by breaking his body may take much
longer, depending upon the level of intensity of
life energies and how much of information or
karma is still there to be worked out.
We are going into areas which need much more
elaboration to be properly understood. Thats
why we usually just joke about it and skip it.
We usually dont talk about it because it might
lead to all kinds of imaginations which is
not needed. And you can make horror movies
because lots of people have a wild imagination
anyway.
Shekhar Kapur: Or a movie on tendencies
Sadhguru: [Laughs] No, theyre anyway all existing
by tendencies. When we talk spirituality, were
essentially talking about moving from functioning
through tendencies to functioning through
discriminatory process, or from compulsiveness
to consciousness. That is the key from bondage
to freedom.
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
10
A
Leela Series
The path of the playful
Part XIX
A Most Glorious Beggar
Krishna Takes Brahmacharya
t age 16, after beheading Kamsa, Krishna came to
be regarded as a leader. Nevertheless, his Guru
Gargacharya said to him, Now, for what you are
destined to be, you need education. You have
everything else but you have to go through a certain
discipline. Become the student of Sandipani
1
.
And so Krishna did. When he was about to get
initiated into brahmacharya, Balarama and a few
other princes who had come with him laughed
and said, You have lived such a playful life, a
very promiscuous life how can you become a
brahmachari? Krishna said, In certain situations I
did what I did; but Ive always been a brahmachari.
Now you will see I will take this vow and fulfll
it absolutely.
For six years, Krishna lived as a brahmachari under
the guidance and grace of Sandipani who trained
him in various arts and other types of education.
He learnt to use every kind of arms and developed
particular expertise in discus throw You know
whats a discus? Just think of something like the
Sudarshana Chakra
2
or the Frisbee [All laugh] A
discus is a metal disc that can be a deadly weapon
if properly used. Krishna took it to a different
dimension altogether.
1
A rishi (seer) from Ujjain
2
Lord Vishnus legendary disk-like super weapon
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
During that time, Krishna went out on the streets
begging for food like any other brahmachari
biksham dehi
3
. When you go out begging,
you dont choose your food. Whether the food
that they put in your bowl is good or rotten or
whichever way, you simply eat it with devotion.
A brahmachari should never look at the nature of
the food that is being served to him. He shouldnt
make choices about what to eat, what not to eat.
When you say you are a brahmachari, you are on
the path of the Divine. Food is needed, but your
nourishment is not in food alone.
So Krishna became a perfect brahmachari. This
dandy who had always been well-dressed with
a diadem, peacock feathers and silk clothes, was
suddenly in just a strip of deerskin, 100% dedicated
to his new sadhana. Never before the world had
witnessed a more glorious beggar. People were
amazed, just looking at his beauty, his way of
being, with how much grace, dedication, and focus
he walked the streets for a little food that he had
to gather for the day. He could have chosen to
become an emperor anytime, but he went on the
streets begging for six years of his life.
There was another equally beautiful brahmachari,
named Krishna Dvaipayana. Krishna Dvaipayana,
who later on came to be known as Vyasa
4
,
became a brahmachari at the age of six. On the
frst day of his brahmacharya, this little boy with
a shaven head and clothes made of wood bark
went out to beg for food, saying biksham dehi
in his childish piping voice. When people saw
this cute little boy, they gave him an enormous
amount of food, the best things that they could
give because they recognized his strength, how he
was walking the streets alone, begging food for
himself and his Guru. He got more than he could
carry. As he walked on, he saw many children
on the street who had not eaten well, as he could
tell by looking at their faces. So he gave away
all the food and came back with an empty bowl.
Parashara, his Guru and father, looked at him and
asked, What happened? You did not beg? Or did
nobody give you anything? Why have you come
back with an empty bowl? Krishna Dvaipayana
said, They gave me food. But I saw these little
children who had not eaten; so I gave away all the
food. Parashara looked at him and said, Fine.
That meant no food for them.
This went on day after day; the boy never ate.
When Parashara saw this six-year-old going
for three, four days without food and still
continuing all his duties and study, he realized
the tremendous possibility in this boy and poured
himself out to him. What he would have taught
somebody else in 100 years, he poured out to
him in a very short time.
Many traditions, many systems have devised many
ways to open up a human being for a higher
possibility. Brahmacharya is one way. Leela is a
different way. Leela is about using everything to
be seduced out of your body, out of your mind,
out of everything that you consider as myself.
Whether you chant, dance, eat, sing, or whatever
you do, simply give yourself and surrender to it.
You must be feminine.
The very nature of the feminine is to surrender,
to merge, to receive. The moon has no quality of
its own; it is just refecting the sun and see how
beautiful it has become. If the moon did something
of its own, it wouldnt be like that. The sun is
life-giving and sustaining thats different. But in
terms of opening you up to something ethereal, in
terms of inspiring some poetry or love in you, the
moon is playing a much bigger role than the sun,
isnt it so? Because it has no quality of its own it
is just refecting.
If you want to know the Divine, the only way is
that you have no quality of your own; you just
become a refection. If you become a refection,
what will you refect? Only the Ultimate.
Excerpted from a Talk by Sadhguru
4
Central and revered fgure of many Hindu traditions; believed to have compiled the Vedas (a body of ancient Hindu scriptures) and
split them into four; also considered as author of the Mahabharat and the Puranas
3
Sanskrit for give alms/food, a phrase traditionally used by monks to beg
11 February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
12
n the four consecutive days starting from
14 January, Ishas came together in various places
across Tamil Nadu to revive and revel in the
traditional celebration of Pongal. Pongal not only
marks the auspicious beginning of Uttarayana,
the northward journey of the Sun in relation to
the Earth, but also the end of the harvest season.
This festival is celebrated as an expression of deep
gratitude towards the three mainstays of a farmers
prosperity: the Sun, the Earth and the cattle.
At the Isha Yoga Center, over 2500 people gathered
on 16 January to enjoy the festivities with ever-
popular games, a traditional pooja for the cattle, and
of course the open-fre cooking of the sweet-dish
which gave the festival its name pongal (which
in Tamil means boiling over / spilling over an
image of abundance).

Sadhguru opened the cultural program with a few
words on the signifcance of Pongal: When we eat
food, the sense that there is connectivity between
us, farmers, agriculture and the earth is being lost
today. This kind of harvest festival was created just to
keep that alive. It is only as long as this connectivity
exists, that there is life. The junior Sounds of Isha,
a band of Isha Home School children also known as
Ishana or Urban Folk, gave samples of their
extraordinary talent. Other Isha Home School
and Samskriti children, all dressed up in the most
colorful festive clothes, gracefully twirled across the
stage as they performed traditional dances to the
cheers of the audience. The celebrations concluded
with a Linga Bhairavi procession and Aarti that set
the night alight.
Pongal festivities were no less buoyant outside the
ashram. For many years now, Ishas Action for Rural
Rejuvenation (ARR) has been celebrating Pongal at
hundreds of villages to rekindle a sense of joy and
abundance in rural peoples hearts. This year, Pongal
festivities were conducted at ARRs Rural Health
Clinics, Mobile Health Clinics and the Community
Care Center for people living with HIV/AIDS.
All in all, Pongal at Isha was not just a time to harvest
crops but also a time to harvest inner wellbeing.
Pongal, Isha-Style
Celebrating the Connection between Human, Animal, Earth and Sun
I
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
13
An Anniversary for Two
Celebrating Devis and Vijjis Aradhana
Thaipusam
1
, the Pournami
2
in the Tamil month of
Thai
3
is held highly signifcant for spiritual seekers;
in Isha even more so because we have two women
to celebrate, as Sadhguru put it affectionately:
Viji, Sadhgurus wife, left her body to attain
mahasamadhi
4
on a Thaipusam 14 years ago, while
the Devi Linga Bhairavi got fully consecrated or
birthed by Sadhguru on this very auspicious day
last year.
At the dawn of 20 January 2011, celebrations
began with a beftting musical overture at the Devi
Temple Sounds of Isha offered vibrant songs for
the Goddess.
Traditionally in Tamil Nadu, the days before
Thaipusam mark the end of the harvest season, a
time for festivity. In that spirit, Sadhguru introduced
a new offering at the Linga Bhairavi Temple,
Dhanya Arpana, where one can offer farm produce
to the Devi, and receive her abundant blessings an
opportunity that many visitors and devotees gladly
made use of.
Another ritual introduced on the Devis anniversary
was Godaan, the giving of a cow, which is
considered one of the most sacred offerings in the
Indian culture. After honoring the Devi, visitors
and residents gathered at Viji Akkas Samadhi area
to listen to bhajans
5
and to chant Shiva Shambho,
the powerful mantra into which Viji dissolved. For
many, bathing in the warm presence of her Samadhi
on this special day was a magical and heartening
experience in remembrance of a woman who
attained to the Ultimate solely out of love.
Later, lady residents at the ashram offered
1,008 sarees and photos of Linga Bhairavi to
impoverished women from surrounding villages.
Thereafter, brahmacharis and residents served
Annadhanam (offering of food) to 3,000 visitors
and laborers.
A total of over 7,500 visitors came to the Isha Yoga
Center to celebrate the day.
As the sun set and the full moon rose, evening songs
near the Linga Bhairavi Temple complemented this
enchanting scene, as if to accentuate the receptive
and refective nature of the Feminine that had
been the focus throughout that day.
1
A south Indian festival
5
Indian devotional songs
2
Full moon

3
Mid - January to mid-February of the Gregorian Calendar
4
The act of consciously and intentionally leaving ones body to attain ultimate liberation; the end of the cycle of birth and death
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER

14
Kayantha Sthanam
Isha Foundation Starts Operation of Crematorium in Coimbatore City
On 28 January, Isha Foundation inaugurated its
operations at Kayantha Sthanam, a crematorium in
Ramanathapuram, Coimbatore City.
In addition to offering cremation services at a
nominal fee, Isha Foundation will revive certain
ancient traditions and rituals pertaining to the
journey beyond. Now-a-days, such rituals have
become more a means of commerce, which may
be disturbing to the family of the deceased. At
the Kayantha Sthanam, cremation and rituals will
be performed with sensitivity and awareness,
in the spirit of a service rather than as a
commercial venture.
An Isha Resident shares her Experience of the
Inauguration:
I didnt know what to expect on my way to the
crematorium. I was quietly surprised to fnd what
seemed like a miniature park beckoning a stroll on
its neatly bricked pathways. I strode with curious
excitement towards the only building that lay
ahead - deceptive in its simplicity.
Two enormous black furnaces gravely stood within.
I couldnt help but be struck with the austere way
their womblike openings, one with ashes in it,
patiently waiting for what is to come. I remained
with the blackness of the furnaces and the ashes
within rather than joining the hushed chattering
as each nut and bolt was inspected.
The Tamil Nadu Minister for Rural Industries
and Animal Husbandry made a brief appearance
at dusk, offcially opening the crematorium, after
which a quiet stream of guests entered, this time
for an offcial tour. In the background, Nirvana
Shatakam flled the twilight air, courtesy of our
Samskriti children.
Evidently, each furnace had a black stretcher upon
which a corpse will be manually rolled in, to be
set ablaze using bio-gas as fuel. I recall Swami
pointing at a purifer that would purify black
smoke into a non-polluting white smoke. Frankly
speaking, I was too absorbed within myself to learn
much about the cremation process. Soon enough,
Chidanandaroopa, Shivoham, Shivoham drew
close. The children were coming in for a tour;
ours was over. I turned to leave.
Just a small pile of ashes this body would be. I
keep on missing the point as I continue to live.
Nevertheless, if this is how this body will part,
I trust that all my joys and sorrows, my laughter
and tears will dance with the white smoke above,
hopefully on a gloriously sunny day.
On the way out, a smiling brahmacharini handed
out black sesame prasadams to each one of us. I
smiled into her eyes, stood still for a moment, and
walked out into the night .
Ruth, Project Volunteer, Isha Yoga Center
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
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O the games I play!
Or am I being played on?
I seek the highest, yet choose the profane.
What a shame.
Straddling the fence, I have glimpsed the majesty of divine efulgence
Only to turn back down, time and again, the side of mediocrity and
indulgence
What is it in me that has the mendacity to reject the reverential
For the momentary pleasures of the inconsequential?
Caught in this web, I am senseless
Only you can make me sense-less
But you say it is I who is responsible
Help me make sense of this that seems impossible
Parthiv N. Parekh, Isha meditator, Atlanta, USA
Senseless!
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
Linga Bhairavi Gudi
One who earns the Grace of Bhairavi
neither has to live in concern or fear of
life or death, of poverty, or of failure.
All that a human being considers as
wellbeing will be his if only he earns
the Grace of Bhairavi.
Sadhguru
or those who desire to have the Devis Presence
and Grace in their own private living and offce
spaces, there are now Linga Bhairavi yantras
and miniature temples available. The powerfully
consecrated yantras and the miniature Devi
temples are living representations of Linga Bhairavi
through which you can constantly connect to and
beneft from her Grace.
Traditionally, yantras are certain forms designed
and created to reap particular benefts. However,
the Linga Bhairavi yantras and miniature Devi
temples are very unique and the scope of their
benefts manifold.
The Linga Bhairavi Gudi, a miniature Devi temple
designed by Sadhguru, allows devotees to behold
and connect with the Devi, wherever they may
be. It serves as a foundation for enhancing ones
devotion to the Devi.
She may be small, but nevertheless mighty.
For the Linga Bhairavi Gudi, the Devi has
taken on the form of a solidifed mercury linga
that displays the same characteristics associated
with her larger form: the penetrating eyes, the
whimsical and compassionate expression, and an
enormous Presence.

The Devi has taken residence in an artistically
crafted copper shrine, with her trishul (trident)
by the entrance. Spiral ornaments on the sides of
her abode symbolize the Devis creative energy
and power. The top of her miniature shrine
carries the Devi Yantra. The light of a small oil/
ghee lamp mounted in front of the Gudi entrance
suffuses the inside of the shrine, bathing the Devi
in a mystical glow.
Measuring 8 cm x 8 cm x 8 cm, the Linga Bhairavi
Gudi fts into the smallest spaces in your home or
workplace, and even your vehicle.
The Linga Bhairavi Gudi can be seen as a deity
to worship, an energy form through which you
can cultivate devotion. The Linga Bhairavi Gudi
does not require any particular offerings or rituals;
you are free to express your bhakti or devotion
to the Devi in whichever way you wish. Bhakti
sadhana is more than just an act; it is a way to
make devotion your very quality.
F
16
FOREST FLOWER February 2011
Sharings
Devotion is a diferent level of intelligence.
The world may not understand, but a devotee
has the sweetest experience of life, compared to
anybody else on this planet.
Sadhguru
The Linga Bhairavi Gudi is creating a feeling of
sacredness in our home, an atmosphere that protects
and nurtures.
Anjani, Homemaker, Chennai, India
My connection to Linga Bhairavi is something that
I cannot express in words. Any time I need support,
I just have to close my eyes and utter her name, and
she is right there with me; she knows what I need.
When the Linga Bhairavi Gudi was made available, I
knew I had to have her at home. With her presence,
I feel like my home turned into a temple.
Rama Devi, HR Consultant, Atlanta, USA
With the Linga Bhairavi Gudi, the Devi has brought
such a wonderful loving energy to our home and
especially the yoga space. We have defnitely been
experiencing our practices in a more powerful way.
Neelu, Photographer, Augusta, USA
I have a Linga Bhairavi Gudi on my work table.
The simple act of lighting the lamp (diya) in front
of it brings a lot of beauty, serenity, and peace to
my mornings. Through the presence of the Devi, I
am able to get in touch with my feminine side (the
gentle, emotional, sharing, and giving side).
Sandeep, Project Volunteer,
Isha Yoga Center, India
For more information on the Linga Bhairavi Gudi
and on how to receive one, please contact us:
Tel.: +91-98840 70361 (English & Tamil),
+91-94425 04672 (English & Hindi)
Email: yantra@lingabhairavi.org
17 February 2011 FOREST FLOWER

18
Presents:
A 7-day festival at the pristine foothills
of Velliangiri, featuring some of the most
exuberant and renowned talent of music and
dance.
Artistic presentations that, in their subtlety
and vibrancy, evoke a realm of transcendental
beauty.
An endeavor to preserve and promote
the uniqueness, purity and diversity of the
countrys performing arts.
Experience the finest expressions of Indias
unequaled cultural identity.
Entry free. Passes available
in major Isha Centers in India
24 February 2 March 2011
6:50 pm 8:30 pm
(Please be seated by 6:40 pm.)
Isha Yoga Center, Velliangiri
Foothills, Coimbatore
A Celestial Feast of Music and Dance
The Program:
YAKSHA


Pandit Jasraj
(Hindustani Vocal) Thursday, 2 March
Parveen Sultana
(Hindustani Vocal) Sunday, 27 February
T. V. Sankarnarayanan
(Carnatic Vocal) Saturday, 26 February
Dr. Sonal Mansingh
(Odissi Dance) Friday, 25 February
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan
(Sitar) Thursday, 24 February
Anil Srinivasan / Sikkil Gurucharan
(Piano / Carnatic Vocal) Monday, 28 February
Ronu Majumdar
(Hindustani Flute) Tuesday, 1 March
Contact Us
Delhi ................. 098106 55004
Chennai ............ 094425 15557
Mumbai ............ 099871 42142
Coimbatore ....... 094434 94434
Bangalore ........ 098451 45515
Madurai ............ 0452-2342916
Hyderabad ....... 099491 19606
Trichy ............... 094435 69529
Kolkata ............. 093310 17011
For More Information:
&
097890 97995
+
info@yaksha.info

www.yaksha.info
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER


19
A rapturous night with the Divine Mahashivarathri
Thursday, 3 March 2011
From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. on the following day
Isha Yoga Center, Velliangiri Foothills, Coimbatore
Guru Pooja Powerful Meditations Annadanam
Nightlong Sathsang
2:15 a.m.
*
Question & Answers with the Master
9 p.m.
*
Discourse by Sadhguru
Musical Performances
Pioneer Extraordinaire in World Fusion Music
z Prem Joshua & Band
Sufi/Qawwali Vocalists
z Wadali Brothers
Tabla/Fusion Virtuoso
z Bickram Ghosh
Experience the Grace and
grandeur of Mahashivarathri
with Sadhguru at
Isha Yoga Center.
For seating and parking facilities,
please call +91 97890 97995 or
email: mahashivarathri@ishafoundation.org
At Isha Yoga Center, each year, Mahashivarathri is
celebrated as a nightlong Sathsang with Sadhguru.
Sadhgurus discourses and powerful meditations,
interspersed with music performances by top
artists, open up the possibility of a deep spiritual
experience.
Simultaneously, Mahashivarathri celebrations will
happen in 48 Isha centers across Tamil Nadu as well
as other major centers around the world. For more
information, please contact your local coordinator.
We invite you along with your family and friends
to join us in celebration of this rapturous night
with the Divine.
Nightlong telecast on
Aastha TV and live webcast on our
website www.ishafoundation.org
*Timings subject to change
February 2011 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
24 Feb - 2 Mar 2011
Yaksha 2011
A Celestial Feast of
Music and Dance
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515470
info@yaksha.info
3 Mar 2011 Mahashivarathri
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515345
mahashivarathri@ishafoundation.org
10 - 13 Mar 2011
Inner Engineering
Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.org
20 - 22 Mar 2011
Hata Yoga
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515300
programinfo@ishafoundation.org
24 - 27 Mar 2011
Inner Engineering
Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.org
24 - 27 Mar 2011
Bhava Spandana
(Ladies)
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515300
programinfo@ishafoundation.org
7 - 10 Apr 2011
Inner Engineering
Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.org
15- 17 Apr 2011
Inner Engineering
Retreat
Conducted by Sadhguru
Mysore, India
98804 83842
mysore@ishafoundation.org
21 - 24 Apr 2011
Guru Pooja Training
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
0422-2515300
programinfo@ishafoundation.org
17 Jun - 1 Jul 2011 Himalayan Dhyan Yatra Indian Himalayas +91 9488 111 777
17 Sep - 1 Oct 2011 Himalayan Dhyan Yatra Indian Himalayas +91 9488 111 777
8 Jul - 26 Aug 2011
(In eleven 15-day
batches)
Kailash Manasarovar
Sojourn
Nepal, Tibet
+91 9488 111 777
info@ishakailash.com
5 - 12 Dec 2011
Mahabharat
Residential Program
conducted by Sadhguru
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore, India
9444902058
mahabharat@ishafoundation.org
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
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Isha Recipes
For Healthy Living
Ingredients:
2 cups Ragi aval/poha (fattened fnger millet)
1 cup Grated coconut
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Salt
For the Powder:
teaspoon Oil
1 cup Curry leaves
3 Red chilies
Additional Seasoning:
1 teaspoon Oil
1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 teaspoons Split, husked black gram (urad dal)
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (jeera)
CURRY LEAF RAGI AVAL
Method:
Sprinkle a little water over the ragi aval and set aside till soft but not mushy.
Pour teaspoon of oil in a saucepan or wok, roast the red chilies brown and saut the curry
leaves. Set aside, allow to cool and blend the roasted curry leaves and chilies into a powder.
In the same saucepan or wok, pour 1 teaspoon of oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Add cumin
seeds and black gram and roast until brown.
Add the slightly moist ragi aval and saut. Add salt.
Finally add the grated coconut and the curry leaves / chili powder.
Switch off the fame and add the lemon juice.
Mix thoroughly and serve.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Curry Leaves
The aromatic and slightly bitter curry leaves are an indispensible ingredient in many
south Indian dishes. The leaves also have various medicinal properties they are said to
aid digestion, help avert diabetes, soothe burns, bruises and skin eruptions, ward off eye
trouble, promote hair growth, and prevent premature graying.
Tasty Tip: Garnish with grated coconut
February 2011 FOREST FLOWER
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