What a Guru Really Is
Sadhguru: A Guru is not about a teaching, philosophy, or ideology – it simply means grace. Whatever else you may have in your life – intelligence, competence, capability, wealth or relationships – without the lubricant of grace in your life, everything you possess will work against you in some way.
Most human beings are generally suffering what they got to possess after much effort, such as their businesses, careers, wealth, and families. This is simply because though you put all the parts of life together, there is no lubricant for all these parts to work smoothly for your benefit. If there is no grace, the very things that you strive for turn against you.
The Significance of Guru Purnima
Guru Purnima is not just symbolic – it has a significance in terms of what happens upon this planet on this day. The first Purnima or full moon after the summer solstice is Guru Purnima. On this day, Adiyogi metamorphosed himself into the Adiguru – the first Yogi transformed himself into the first Guru. You may know the story:
How Adiyogi Became the First Guru
Over 15,000 years ago, a being appeared in the upper regions of the Himalayas. No one knew who he was or where he came from. The origins of this spectacular being were unknown. When his ecstasy allowed him some movement, he danced wildly. When intensity peaked, he became utterly still. People saw that he was experiencing dimensions that no one had ever known or was able to fathom. His ecstasy and intensity allowed him to transcend his physical form.
Witnessing an individual human in union with the cosmos, they called him a Yogi – as he was the first one, the Adiyogi. When his stillness lasted for years on end, curious onlookers melted away. Only seven seekers remained as they could not tear themselves away from him.
Adiyogi transmitted the profound science of Yoga in its full depth and dimension. He expounded 112 methods of attainment, offering his disciples access to the deepest innards of creation. In this magnificent state of Yoga, many mysteries of the created and the uncreated cascaded upon his unbridled wild hair.
It was a vision of the very core of the cosmos in all its profundity and magnificence, a vision of the unfathomable mysteries of the universe. The most overwhelming vision the sages and Devi Parvati had ever witnessed. Devi Parvati, seeing Adiyogi reveling in ecstatic states, said, “I want to have what you have. Show me the way.”
Adiyogi absorbed her and made her a part of himself, and hence he is the Ardhanari – the ideal man where one half of him is woman. Seeing the splendor of this magnificent union, the ganas, his constant companions, asked, “What about us?” Adiyogi said, “Just drink of me,” which drove them into intoxicated raptures.
The seven sages or Sapta Rishis took the sacred science of Yoga in all its forms to human habitations across the planet, which turned into crucibles of civilization.
This spectacular being is not of the past but the future of humanity. To move humanity from hallucinations of ups and downs to nameless ecstasies of one’s interiority.
That was well over 15,000 years ago. We do not know the exact date because we are not archaeologists.
This happened: Shankaran Pillai found employment in the British Natural History Museum as a tour guide. One day, he was walking a group of tourists through the museum, and when he came to the dinosaur skeleton, he said, “This skeleton that you see here is two million and four years, three months, and twenty-one days old.” They said, “What? You can be that precise?” He said, “Yes, because on my first day here, they told me it was two million years old, and it has been four years, three months, and twenty-one days since I got employed here.”
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
It has been over twenty-five years now that we are here at the Isha Yoga Center. The magnificent mountains were here before us. And of course, Adiyogi was here before we came. We just gave him a form[1] for you to see. I came here because I could see. I thought you should also see – so here he is.
In the last more than twenty-five years, many great beings have been with us. “Great beings” does not mean they came with a halo behind their head. They are very ordinary looking people, but every one of them is an extraordinary human being. Some are here with us, some are no more in the world, some are elsewhere. Wherever they are or wherever they are not, I bow down to every one of them today.
Drop the ‘What About Me?’
Over the years, I have made people do three lifetimes of work. As they worked more and more, they became more capable and wonderful. Much has been done here and around the world. I bow down to every one of these volunteers who made this happen as I would bow down to the Gurus of the past. This is what makes a wonderful world, when human beings stand up without this one cancerous thought in their mind, “What about me?” This has been the most fantastic thing about Isha – to constantly be among people who do not have this one thought in their head, “What about me?” They are just going about things as if today is their last day.
A Temple of a Mountain
And these magnificent mountains here are not just magnificent in terms of nature. My Guru chose to use this mountain as his last abode. So, for me, this is not a mound of rock and earth – I have always seen these mountains as my temple. I have travelled everywhere, but in my heart, I have not found a more beautiful place than this.
Experience Sadhguru’s Presence
We have invested a phenomenal amount of energy here. If you come with a little willingness, we can have you reverberating no matter who you are. If you come with unwillingness, we are willing to work with you. Even if you are like a rock, we have set up certain times of the day where there is a certain concentration of energy. It will be very strong, especially if you have been initiated.
Wherever you are, if you use some kind of thought, emotion, or image to connect to this space, that particular time works for you as a strong presence. We have invested a certain dimension of energy so that whatever time zone you are in, you could become available to this energy presence between 6:20 and 6:40 in your local time, both morning and evening. I want every human being on this planet to possess tools for self-transformation and make use of them. Those technologies which transform human life must be available to everyone.
See Everyone as Sadhguru
Those of you who claim you love Sadhguru, from this Guru Purnima onward, I want you to see and treat everything you set your eyes upon as Sadhguru – man, woman, child, animal, plant, and even inanimate things. You do just this one thing – I will take care of the rest of your life, destiny, and liberation for you.
