Three Things to Remember -A Life-Changing Exercise (Ishanga, An insight into Ashram)

 The following is an excerpt from a darshan with Sadhguru at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, on 29 January 2014.

Questioner: Namaskaram Sadhguru. I am training to become an Ishanga teacher. What does it mean to be an Ishanga, and what do you expect from us?

Sadhguru: The word Isha means “that which is the basis of everything.” Nothingness is the basis of everything. If you look at the world as various reverberations, then silence is the basis of everything. If you look at the world as various forms, then the formless is the basis. If you look at the world in terms of measurements, then the limitless is the basis. If you look at the world as something or everything, then nothing is the basis. Isha is that formless basis of creation or formless divinity. Anga means to become a limb of that.

Anyway, you are a limb of that which is the basis of existence – you are just not aware of it. Human ignorance is such that each person becomes a world by himself or herself. Every simple transaction becomes complex just because every human being is a creation by himself or herself. And not only that – they consider themselves as bigger than creation. Because they are so big, whichever way they move, they clash with something. Their everyday walking through life becomes a hazard. What we want to do in the form of programs is to ease this hazard – if not to absolutely remove it – so that people can naturally find expression to their ultimate possibility.

Wherever you go in the world, there are politics – even here. I do not believe in putting anything down. If people got a lot of rubbish, why should I remove it? My intention is to make it into good manure so that they can grow. For some time, they will stink – I cannot help it. Where there are people, definitely things occur. If you think they should not happen, you are ignorant of human nature. If you are married, you will know – even if just two people are there, it is best to either live outdoors or at least have two bedrooms, because it needs space. It once happened – a psychiatrist who was doing a survey on happiness in marriage came and visited Shankaran Pillai. He asked, “Are you married?” Shankaran Pillai said, “Yes.” He asked, “Are you happily married?” Shankaran Pillai said, “Yes.” Then the psychiatrist asked, “I mean, both of you are really happy with your marriage?” Shankaran Pillai said, “We are not only happy – after 15 years, we are still romantic. Every week, we have a romantic candlelight dinner in a restaurant. She does it on Fridays – I do it on Tuesdays.”

It does not matter what happens as long as at the end of the day, you can look back on your stupidity and laugh at yourself – not at the other. This is a simple exercise everyone must do. At the end of the day, sit in your bed and look back at the whole day from the moment you got up, how you have been. You will see, at least 90% of the time, you are quite stupid. If you are just given a little responsibility, suddenly, you become so important. Look at how many times you became bigger than the universe. You will see, most of the time, you are bloated. Look at how many times you became immortal, that is, you were not conscious of your mortality. Look at how many times you looked at people and things around you without any sense of involvement. If you just watch these three things, you will see you will have to laugh through the night. Do not start crying. If you learn to laugh at your stupidity, all the rubbish you carry will turn into manure very fast, and manure is very good for growth.

Being an Ishanga means understanding the reality of your existence. You are just a small limb of this large universe. You are just a small limb of this large nothingness. And there is another dimension to it. When we call you “Ishanga,” you are a limb of Isha Foundation, or in other words, an extended arm of me. When you stand there as an Isha teacher, people will not see you as a person – they will see you as a projection of Sadhguru. I do not make a long face. I do not sneer at people. People do all kinds of things to me too, but I am going through life smiling and laughing. Not because everything is fantastic around me. It is just that I am fantastic within me. Since I am fantastic, the world is okay. 

This is a simple exercise everyone must do. At the end of the day, sit in your bed and look back at the whole day.

• Look at how many times you became bigger than the universe.
• Look at how many times you were not conscious of your mortality.
• Look at how many times you looked at people and things around you without any sense of involvement.

People see you as an extended limb of me – you must live up to it. The most important thing is not to look at people with two eyes that support the duality. “She is nice – she is not nice. She is good – she is not good. She is okay – she is not okay. She is rich – she is poor. This is all right – that is not all right.” All this rubbish. You must learn to see only with one eye, that everyone is the same. Once there are people in front of you, your life is no more about you. If you just bring this into you, I will take care of the rest for you. If you learn to keep yourself aside, if you learn to keep your likes and dislikes, your wants and your judgments aside, if you simply stand there as an extended limb of me, I will take care of every aspect of your life.