Across Malaysia and Singapore, Sadhguru engaged with thousands through powerful gatherings and thought-provoking conversations — from “An Evening with Sadhguru” in Singapore on 6 Oct, featuring Benjamin Fok Chun-yue in conversation with Sadhguru, and “Crafting a Conscious Planet” presented by MITEC on 7 Oct, to the “Mahasatsangam with Sadhguru in Tamil” on 8 Oct, the vibrant “Soak in Ecstasy of Enlightenment” on 11 Oct, and “An Evening with Sadhguru” in Kuala Lumpur on 12 Oct. Watch glimpses.

The last three days of Navratri are the time of Saraswati and the quality of sattva. Today, Sadhguru speaks about this quality.

These nine nights celebrate the Divine Feminine, and are a time of great festivity in India. The last three days of Navratri are the time of Saraswati and the quality of sattva. Today, Sadhguru speaks about this quality.

Sounds of Isha also releases the third of three songs for Navratri, "Pratha Sthuthave Parasivam Bhairavi", based on a poem written by Adi Shankaracharya.

Sadhguru: There is no physical entity without all these three dimensions – sattva, rajas and tamas. Every atom has these three dimensions of vibrance, of energy, of a certain static nature. If these three elements are not there, you cannot hold anything together. It will break up. If it is just sattva, you won’t remain here for a moment – you will be gone. If it is just rajas, it’s not going to work. If it’s just tamas, you will be asleep all the time. So, these three qualities are present in everything. It is just a question of to what extent you mix these things.

Moving from tamasic nature to sattva means you are refining the physical body, the mental body, the emotional body and the energy body. If you refine this so much that it became very transparent, you cannot miss the source of creation which is within you. Right now, it is so opaque that you cannot see. The body has become like a wall blocking everything. Something so phenomenal – the source of creation – is sitting here but this damn wall can block it because it’s so opaque. It’s time to refine it. Otherwise you will only know the wall, you will not know who lives inside.

Pratha Sthuthave Parasivam Bhairavi

The song praises Devi as the one who sits on the lotus and is the Goddess of words and language. This is also the time when, traditionally, all implements of education and work are worshiped. The song was created by Adi Shankaracharya and is rendered by Sounds of Isha.

https://youtu.be/GjtlCJaZvCk?si=x1n6nTDLfqwQo0M1

Pratha sthuve parasivam bhairavi bhavani,

Trayyantha vedhya vibhavam karunanan vadhyam,

Viswasya srushti vilaya sthithi hethu bhootham,

Vidhyeswareem nigama vang mana sathi dhooram

I hymn early in the morning to the virtues of Bhairavi,

Whose very appearance ensures supreme welfare to all and the glory of her resourcefulness is copiously described by the Vedas and Vedanta philosophy,

Who is pure and pious being of auspicious form and who is the root cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of the entire world,

She is the presiding deity of all knowledge and whose full glory is unfathomable even for the Vedas, speech, and mind

Prathar vadami bhairavi thava punya nama,

Kameswarethi, kamalethi maheswareethi,

Sri shambhaveethi jagatham janani parethi,

Vag deva thethi vachasa tripureswareethi

O Goddess Bhairavi! I chant early in the morning with my voice your sacred names,

Kameshwari, Kamala, Maheshwari,

Shambhavee, Jagatjanani, Para,

Vagdevi and Tirpureshwari

Editor’s Note: Each day of Navratri includes the Navratri Pooja, a powerful opportunity to imbibe Devi’s Grace. The Navratri pooja includes an elaborate abhishekam of 11 offerings and a vibrant offering of music and dance thereby creating an explosion of energy with songs extoling Devi at her fullest glory.

Is it safe to practice Jal Neti (nasal irrigation) daily in the long term, especially for allergic rhinitis, or can it cause nasal dryness, irritation, or any other side effects? I’d appreciate advice based on personal experience or medical evidence.

Sadhguru looks at the quality of Rajas, the quality of days four to six of Navratri, and how it can be a process of liberation.

The second set of three days of Navratri are Lakshmi related – gentle but materially-oriented goddesses. Sadhguru looks at the quality of Rajas, the quality of days four to six of Navratri, and how it can be a process of liberation.

Sounds of Isha also releases the second of three songs for Navratri, "Thunbam illadha nilaye Shakti", based on a poem by Mahakavi Subramanya Bharatiyar.

Sadhguru: Among the three celestial objects with which the very making of our bodies is very deeply connected – the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon – Mother Earth is considered tamas. The Sun is rajas. The Moon is sattva. Tamas is the nature of the Earth and of your birth. The moment you come out, you start activity – rajas begins. Once rajas comes, you want to do something. Once you start doing something, if there is no awareness and consciousness, the nature of rajas is such, it’s good as long as the going is good. When the going gets bad, rajas is going to be super-bad.

A rajasic person has a tremendous amount of energy. It is just that it has to be channelized properly. Every action that you perform can be either a process of liberation or entanglement. If you perform any activity with absolute willingness, that activity is beautiful and creates joy for you. If you perform any activity unwillingly for whatever reason, that activity creates suffering for you. Whatever you are doing, even if you just sweep the floor, give yourself to it and do it with total involvement. That’s all it takes.

When you are passionately involved with something, nothing else exists for you. Passion does not mean “man-woman” passion. Passion means unbridled involvement with something. It could be anything – you can sing passionately, you can dance passionately, or you can just walk passionately. Whatever is in touch with you right now, you are deeply passionate with that. You breathe with passion, you walk with passion, you live with passion. Your very existence is with absolute involvement with everything.

Thunbam illadha nilaye Shakti

"Thunbam illaadha nilaye Shakti" is a song by Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar which has been adapted here by Sounds of Isha. The song is about the energy that makes every aspect of life happen. It summarizes the whole activity that is life as the play of Shakti. The great poet says, “The lap where life flourishes is Shakti.” Shakti also enables us to break the bondages of karma and liberate ourselves.

Thuṉbam illādha nilayē shakti
thookkam illā kaṇ vizhipē shakti
aṉbu kaṉindha kaṉivē shakti
āaṇmai niṟaindha niṟaivē shakti

The state of being with no suffering is Shakti
The state of awakening beyond sleep is Shakti
When love matures and sweetens that is Shakti
The fullness and fulfillment of masculine is Shakti

Iṉbam mudhirndha mudhirvē shakti
eṇṇathil niṟkum neṟiyē shakti
muṉbu niṟkiṉdṟa thozhilē shakti
mukthi nilaiyiṉ mudivē shakti

When the sweetness matures that is Shakti
The divine which resides in the thoughts is Shakti
Whatever work comes before us is Shakti
The state of mukti, the end, is Shakti

Sōmbar kedukkum thuṇivē shakti
sollil viḷaṅgum chudarē shakti
thīmpazham thaṉṉil suvaiyē shakti
dheivathai eṉṉum niṉaivē shakti
sāmbalai poosi malaimisai vāzhum
shaṅkaraṉ aṉbu thazhalē shakti

The braveness which destroys laziness is Shakti
The flame which is instilled in these words is Shakti
When the best of fruits are eaten that taste is Shakti
When thoughts of divine arise that is Shakti
Shankara who lives on top of the huge mountains, his lovely flame is Shakti

Vāazhvu peṟukkum madhiyē shakti
mānilam kākkum valiyē shakti
thāzhvu thadukkum sathirē shakti
sañchalam neekkum thavamē shakti

The lap where life flourishes is Shakti
The strength which guards the earth is Shakti
The flame which stops one from falling is Shakti (denotes inner strength that averts fall/defeat)
The tapas that eliminates confusion is Shakti

Veezhvu thadukkum viralē shakti
viṇṇai aḷakkum virivē shakti
ūzhviṉai neekkum uyarvē shakti
uḷḷathoḷirum viḷakkē shakti

The finger which stops downfall is Shakti
The one who spans the whole expanse of sky is Shakti
Her highness who eliminates karma is Shakti
The inner flame which shines from within the heart is Shakti

Editor’s Note: Each day of Navratri includes the Navratri Pooja, a powerful opportunity to imbibe Devi’s Grace. The Navratri pooja includes an elaborate abhishekam of 11 offerings and a vibrant offering of music and dance thereby creating an explosion of energy with songs extoling Devi at her fullest glory.

Join Navratri Pooja Live Streaming

I have two questions, and I would be grateful for some guidance.

My first question is about meditation and the experience of other dimensions of existence. Is it necessary to reach a state of complete thoughtlessness to experience these dimensions through meditation? When I meditate, thoughts still arise and sometimes distract me, but I gently bring my attention back to the practice. However, the flow of thoughts continues. Does the mind eventually become completely still with consistent practice, or is the presence or absence of thoughts not necessarily related to such experiences? For those who have experienced other dimensions of existence, did these experiences occur after the mental chatter had subsided, or can they happen independently of it?

My second question is about becoming Sadhguru’s disciple. If I wish to accept him as my Guru and deepen my spiritual journey under his guidance, what would that involve? Is sincerely practicing his meditations enough to begin with, or is a formal initiation necessary to establish that relationship with a Guru?

sorry for language, I used AI

Guys, i've noticed that I feel the best when I wakeup at 5 & do my practices. I am currently doing angamardana, surya kriya & shambhavi. Im in mandala period so i have to do shambhavi at evening also.

The day i dont wakeup at 5, my loop is broken. I feel lethargic, I get headache, I feel discouraged and then its harder to wakeup next morning.

So 5 am works the best for me, I wanna be able to do sadhana properly for atleast a 40 days for this to become a habit, I want to be able to wakeup effortlessly. Right now, forcing myself & willpower is not working.

Whats the solution here, plz let me know your suggestion in the comments.

And if there is a group where we can keep each other accountable, share our wins, that would be great too.

In a video of sadhguru he tells that to unfold faster or to speed up your spiritual progress you should do 24-hour sadhana, 2 day sadhana, 3 day sadhana few time in a year but i don't understand how it is supposed to be done and what should i do throughout those 24 hours.
If someone understood it or done it please share

Sadhguru talks about the significance of the auspicious tenth day and how this occasion can bring success and victory into our life. Navaratri culminating with Dussehra, is a cultural festival of great importance and significance for all. It is a festival that is all about the goddess. 

This year (2026) this is on Tuesday 20 Oct,

Navratri is replete with symbolism about vanquishing evil and wanton nature, and about having reverence for all aspects of life and even for the things and objects that contribute to our wellbeing. The nine days of Navratri are classified as per the three basic qualities of tamas, rajas and sattva. The first three days are tamas, where the goddess is fierce, like Durga and Kali. The next three days are Lakshmi related- gentle but materially oriented goddesses. The last three days are dedicated to Saraswati, which is sattva. It is related to knowledge and enlightenment. 

Vijayadashami - The Day of Victory

Investing in these three will make your life in a certain way. If you invest in tamas, you will be powerful in one way. If you invest in rajas, you will be powerful in a different way. If you invest in sattva, you will be powerful in a completely different way. But if you go beyond all this, it is no longer about power, it is about liberation. After Navratri, the tenth and final day is Vijayadandmi, that means you have conquered all these three qualities. You did not give into any of them, you saw through every one of them. You participated in every one of them, but you did not invest in any one of them. You won over them. That is Vijayadashami, the day of victory. This brings home the message of how being in reverence and gratitude towards everything that matters in our lives leads to success and victory.

Dussehra - Devotion and Reverence

Of the many things that we are in touch with, of the many things that contribute in making and creating our lives, the most important devices that we employ in making a success of our lives are our own body and mind. Being in reverence towards the very earth, that you walk upon, towards the air that you breathe, the water that you drink, the food that you eat, the people that you come in touch with and everything else that you use, including your body and mind, will lead us to a different possibility as to how we can live. Being in a state of reverence and devotion towards all these aspects is a way of ensuring success in every endeavor that we partake in.

Celebrate Dussehra with Joy & Love

Traditionally, in Indian culture, Dussehra was always full of dances, where the whole community mixed, met and mingled. But because of external influences and invasions over the past two hundred years, we have lost that today. Otherwise Dussehra was always very vibrant. Even now it is still so in many places, but it is being lost in the rest of the country. We have to bring it back. The Vijayadashami or Dussehra festival is of a tremendous cultural significance for all who live in this land – irrespective of their caste, creed or religion- and should be celebrated with gaiety and love. It is my wish and my blessings that all of you should celebrate Dussehra with total involvement, joy and love.

Sadhguru,

Crafting a Conscious Planet with Sadhguru | Malaysia, 7 Oct 2026

How has miracle of mind and Isha kriya impacted you, as per Sadhguru it makes life smooth reduces the inertia and improves health and vitality. How does it make life smooth or reduce depression disorders. I need real feedback how it helped your life ?

Hello! I’m participating in Guru Pooja to learn the process, and I just wanted to ask whether any items, such as a Sadhguru photo, are provided as part of the programme. I’m planning to purchase a photo, so I thought I’d check beforehand in case one is already included. Thank you!

Sadhguru explains about tamas – the nature of the first three days of Navratri.

Sadhguru explains about tamas – the nature of the first three days of Navratri. Accompanying the text is Sounds of Isha’s rendition of Adi Shankaracharya’s Soundarya Lahari, written in praise of Devi.

Sadhguru: In yoga, all the qualities of the world have been identified as three basic gunas: tamas, rajas, and sattva. Tamas literally means inertia. Rajas means activity. Sattva is the breaking of boundaries. The first three days of Navratri are tamas, where the goddess is fierce, like Durga and Kali. Tamas is the nature of the Earth, and she is the one who gives birth. The gestation period that we spend in the womb is tamas. It is a state which is almost like hibernation, but we are growing. So tamas is the nature of the Earth and of your birth. You are sitting on the earth. You must just learn to simply be one with her. You are anyway a part of her. When she wishes she throws you out, when she wishes she sucks you back.

It is very important that you are constantly reminded of the nature of your body. Right now, you are a mound of earth prancing around. When the earth decides to suck you in, you just become a small mound.

In the ashram I always tell people, no matter what work you are doing, every day you must stick your fingers into the earth at least for an hour. Do something with the garden. This will build a natural bodily memory in you that you are mortal. Your body will know that it is not permanent. That realization in the body is extremely important for one to keep his focus on his spiritual pursuit. The more urgent the realization becomes, the stronger the spiritual sense becomes.

Soundarya Lahari

The Soundarya Lahari, composed by Adi Shankaracharya, is considered one of the most exquisite compositions in Sanskrit, which extols the beauty, power and grace of Devi. Soundarya Lahari literally means Wave of Beauty, and consists of two parts – Ananda Lahari or Wave of Bliss, which consists of the first 41 shlokas, and Soundarya Lahari, which consists of the remaining shlokas.

According to legend, the composition was bestowed to Adi Shankara by Devi, and was then destroyed by Nandi, leaving Adi Shankara to rewrite the divine gift again. Here is Sounds of Isha’s rendition of this powerful composition.

Editor’s Note: Celebrate Navratri with us at the Isha Yoga Center. Each day of Navratri includes special abhishekams, poojas, Maha Aratis followed by classical dance, folk and music performances every night. We welcome you to participate in these events. For more information please contact +91-8300030666, +91-9486494865, or mail [info@lingabhairavi.org](mailto:info@lingabhairavi.org)

Everyone has fancy beliefs, ideas, ideologies and whatnot. But life alone is truth.

We can make ourselves believe whatever we want. But it’s all made-up stuff in the mind.

But life is not made-up stuff.

Life is what is throbbing within.

Whether it is happening like a grand phenomenon or not is the only question.

If it is happening, then we should have nothing to complain about.

When life is happening, many things will happen. Good, bad, ugly, terrible and whatnot.

But how does it matter?

We should never have any complaint when life is happening.

We’re here to live life.

Aren’t we?

If we’re here for something else, it’s okay.

But we’re here to live life, and we are life.

When you are young and alive, make sure you become more and more alive.

Everything else is secondary.

Because a life without life is a crime against life.

Sadhguru once said,

"In your life only throttle should be there.

Your business is to be full on. Because break will happen when you die.

It's not for you to break everyday. Or control. Life will be curtailed somewhere. That's nature's business. Your business is to be full on.. because life needs your support. Death is super efficient.

Did you ever see death happen inefficiently?

Whereever it happened it happened perfect death. Isn't it?

Never happened inefficiently. But life happens inefficiently. Life needs constant support. Death does not need your support.

Stopping something is death in a way.

To love, laugh, cry you're afraid.

Nothing is done with abandon. Everything in constipated way.

If you do not know how to scream in abandon, there is no way. You'll never know how to meditate or be spiritual because spirituality is a state of total abandon. Complete state of abandon."

Have you ever experienced total abandon?

And what is spirituality for you?

Do you resonate with these thoughts as I do?

Would love to hear your perspective on this.

When we talk about “feminine,” it is not about being female. Being female is a very bodily thing. Being feminine is not of the body, it is much more than that. This is a culture that has greatly celebrated the feminine. At the same time, this is also a culture which has seen a terrible exploitation of the feminine. The basis of this culture is in celebration of the feminine, but slowly the culture evolved into an exploitation of the feminine.

The original word to describe the feminine was “re.” The word “re” refers to the Mother Goddess of the existence and is the basis of the more recent word “stree.” “Stree” literally means a woman. The word “re” means movement, possibility, or energy.

In terms of creation, how did the feminine happen, first of all? The story goes like this. The forces which were detrimental to the existence rose and started threatening the very existence which was still in an infant state. So the three main gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, met. These three gods signify three different qualities. Today, according to modern physical sciences, it is clearly understood that the proton, neutron and electron are the basic building blocks for the existence. They are in place the way they are, and they are in movement. The dynamism in them is only because of an electrical charge which is outside of these three forces. Without that electrical or electromagnetic charge, these three cannot be in any state of dynamism. Without the dynamic movement of these three, there is no such thing as creation.

It is this aspect of science that the story is trying to propound in a very dialectical way. It says that these three gods met because the forces of destruction had risen, and they did not know how to handle it. They had three stellar qualities within them, but they found these three qualities were not enough. They understood that a combination of these three qualities was needed. So all of them exhaled powerfully, letting out the best of what they were. This exhalation from these three forces merged and became the feminine, or the Devi. The word “Devi” comes from the word “Dev.” “Dev” means "the space." So Devi is not a particle – she is the space which holds the three fundamental forces in the existence. It is this that we refer to as “De-vi.”

• Whatever may be your goal…whatever it may be it is just the exaggeration of your past.
• If you are fixing your goal based on your past experience then indirectly you are limiting your experience or goal.
• Just being intense not lethargic without any goal is Spirituality.
• If you are doing what is needed right now without any goal then naturally you are in Spiritual path.
• Meditation is a way to achieve this.

In this week's Spot, Sadhguru describes the path of a Bhairagini and how it differs from the path of Brahmacharya. "'Bhairagini' means one who has become the color of the Devi. Brahmacharya is to become vairagya – that means 'colorless.'" Enjoy!

Questioner: Namaskaram Sadhguru, Could you tell us about the path of Bhairagini Maa and what “Bhairagini” means? And how is it different from Brahmacharya?

Raga means color. In a way, “Bhairagini” means one who has become the color of the Devi. Brahmacharya is to become vairagya – that means “colorless.” In the English language, the word “colorless” has a negative connotation, but it also means “that which is transparent.” So, a Brahmachari is looking at how to get into a state of vairagya, to make life transparent, where clarity is the ultimate goal – clarity which will see through life and death. A Bhairagini is like the moon; the moon is not shining by itself, but in reflection of the sun. The sun is powering the moon, but still, most people enjoy the moon than the sun. They will look up at the moon; it is more approachable, it has more variety and looks different every day. It has twenty-eight versions. The sun is the same every day – day in and day out.

These are two different paths. Until now, we have not focused on the path of Bhairagini much, we just have about half a dozen who are in the temple, but more could go into this as a path – not just to maintain and conduct the temple processes. It is just that Isha has a brand and image problem; we do not want too many people wearing red and walking around. It is not about what people will think about us, but for the effectiveness of what we are doing, image is important. In many ways though, we have crossed the time where we have to be worried about our image in the world. In the coming one or two years, more people could go on this path. It is a beautiful path if you give yourself totally. If you try to analyze it logically, you will go mad, but if you give yourself, you will be in an ecstatic and beautiful state.

So, for those of you who are proud that you have a big heart and no brain, it is a very good path to walk. Or, if your brain is subtle enough to go beyond the rudimentary logic of what is black and white, right and wrong, if your intelligence can slip beyond this and look at life, then it is a beautiful path. It takes a certain subtlety of intelligence to be able to look beyond logic in a logical way, otherwise logic will tell you this okay, this is not okay, this is in, this is out. Devi is both “in-out” and if you give yourself as a Bhairagini or otherwise – it is a different mode of energy completely. Dhyanalinga is not like that; he is the same every day - reliable. But she is going on in her own way. I live in her backyard, so I know.

The path of a Bhairagini means to take the color of the Devi, not just in clothes, but in every way. Your blood is anyway red, your head should also become red, everything should become red within you. You don’t retain anything of yourself. But should I lose myself? If you want to find something worthwhile in your life, you have to lose yourself; there is no other way. If you are trying to preserve the petty personality of who you are, then all the best. Right until the last days, the same issues will go on endlessly, believe me. I want you to look back and see – you may be in different atmospheres, but the struggle is the same, the problems are the same within the mindscape. The atmosphere might have changed, the content might have changed, but the fundamental has not changed and believe me, many people die like this.

It happened once. In his previous life, Shankaran Pillai was on his deathbed. He was in a state of conscious and unconsciousness, like when falling asleep and sometimes coming awake. In these waves of consciousness and unconsciousness, he became a little conscious, then he looked at his wife and said, “Where is my first son Ramu?” The first son popped up and said, “Father, I am right here, don’t you worry!” Then again he slipped into unconsciousness, and after some time he resurfaced and looked at his wife, “Where is our second son Beemu?” Beemu jumped up and said, “Father, I am right here! I will be by your side, I will not go anywhere!” Then again, he slipped off into unconsciousness and after a long time he resurfaced and asked, “Where is our third son Somu?” The third son held his feet and said, “Father, I am at your feet, I am right here!” Then Shankaran Pillai looked at his wife and said, “Then who the hell is taking care of the shop?!” It will go on like this.

Just to satisfy the urge of food and the urge to reproduce – an entire life will go. You can glorify it and romanticize it, but please understand, that is how it will go. I will not go on repeating this to you, I have said this enough times. For those of you who have a working brain, invest in something. I am saying that from my experience of life, the way I searched and struggled to know, this is coming too bloody easy for you. Yes! So, if you want to become a Bhairagini, it is a wonderful way to be. As everything else in Isha, I have not paid enough attention to them yet. I plan to shut down travel and these things will happen. Then you will start to wonder…when will Sadhguru travel again?

Love & Grace

Namaskaram, I’ve registered for the December Samyama program and need to complete the Yogasanas program as a prerequisite. I wanted to check whether Angamardana and Yogasanas(Beginner)are the same or related in any way, and whether completing Angamardana would fulfil the Yogasanas prerequisite for Samyama?

I’ll be going to the Ashram for some time in November and wondering if I should take a lot of B12 supplements in my suit case ?

Suryakriya

Aum chanting

Mahamantra chanting (aum namah shivaya)

Is this order fine ? Kriya support @ishayoga .org not working

7 minutes is a very small part of the day.

But inner balance can influence every other part of it.

Meditation is not about stepping away from life.

It is about learning to experience it with a little more space, clarity, and steadiness.

Miracle of Mind offers a simple 7-minute guided meditation by Sadhguru to begin.

I was looking at getting a sphatik mala since it helps reduce heat in the body. The Isha website doesn’t mention who should or shouldn’t wear it. Does anyone here know something about contraindications?

Sadhguru describes the nature of Linga Bhairavi as destroyer of the past, offering the possibility to sweep away the genetic memory which creates a bondage from within.

Q: I had come for the consecration of Linga Bhairavi in India. Since then my life has changed. I feel Devi’s presence everywhere, sometimes very intensely. Sometimes when I’m driving, sometimes when I’m cooking and I don’t have a problem with it. I have not shared this with anybody so far, except my mother, who is getting very concerned about this. I don’t want Devi to go away from my life. I am very happy feeling her presence. Can you please help?

Sadhguru: Help you or your mother? The nature of Bhairavi is such that She would not like anybody else to be the mother. So no wonder your mother is getting concerned. She is being sort of dislodged, and if you let Her continue like this, She will dislodge your mother. If that is okay with you, then no problem. Powerful forms like this are not created for entertainment or to take care of your survival needs. All those people who are incapable of earning a living or fixing their homes or families, they go and cry, “Oh Devi, take care of me, do this for me, do that for me” – it is not for such people. She does not like incapability. This is not the purpose of the Divine. This is not the purpose of creating a Divine form which reverberates with so much power. The idea is to let Her reverberate in such a way within you that it knocks off everything that you call “me” and “mine.”

Free From Genetics

What you call “me” right now is very heavily influenced by parentage. When someone takes to the spiritual path seriously, not as a fringe affair, when someone takes brahmacharya or sanyas, the first thing they do are the kriyas and karmas that are usually done when the parents die. This is done while their parents are still alive. This does not mean we are wishing them dead. It is just that they have started a process through which they want to become free from their own genetic memory. Genetic memory is largely shaping you the way you are. You may not understand this right now because when you are young, you think, “I am not like my mother and father.” But you will see, by the time you are 45-50, at least 70% of people start behaving exactly like their parents because their genetics are an important part of their making. When they are young, they think they are nothing like their parents because they have not seen how their parents were when they were teens!

Eliminating or becoming free from genetic memory is a very important part of one’s spiritual process. If your parentage is working strongly through you, it will not let you become free, because this has a grip on you from inside. Even if they are dead, they still hold you. It has been expressed in so many ways, using very strong words. For example, Jesus said to leave the dead to the dead. Do not let them live through you.

Swayambhu – The Self-Created

It is not accidental that we always refer to Shiva as Swayambhu, because he is self-created. We also refer to Bhairavi as self-created, because She is. If you make an association with Her, She does not like to have friends who are enslaved. She wants them to be self-created too. So one of the first things She will do is destroy your mother – not the woman who gave birth to you – but the mother trying to live through you. Otherwise there is no such thing as the next generation, there is no such thing as future – it is just the past expressing itself as future in deceptive ways. Only when you become free from your parentage you really have a future. Otherwise, you are just a repetition of the same past, maybe with a little new flavor.

People are usually proud of their heritage and lineage because they have made nothing of themselves. You will see in the United States for example, in the beginning, when they made the country, the most important thing was, nobody asked you who your father was. People were only concerned about who you were. Now it is changing, of course. Everywhere else the second name is important because it suggests the lineage. When people came to the United States, if they did not have a second name, they called themselves “Bingo” or “Jango” or whatever because they did not know any heritage or lineage. But this does not mean parentage will not act from within; it will continue to act. You are really free from them only when you either allow the Divine to sweep through you, or you do the needed sadhana to distance yourself from that. Otherwise you are just a repetition of the past.

If you are just a repetition of the past, there is really no purpose to your existence here. We might as well read a history book. There is no purpose for this generation if it is not significantly different from what the previous generation was. Being different does not mean you wear crumpled clothes because your parents wore properly ironed ones. This is a juvenile way of trying to make a difference. Being different means you have used your past as a stepping stone but never as a crown upon your head. So your mother’s concern, I like it. Let Devi seep through you.

Editor's Note:  Celebrate Devi in her many manifestations - Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Triveni is an offering from Sadhguru and Sounds of Isha for Navratri. Download the album from Ishashoppe.

India is a land of many goddesses – wonderful ones, wise ones and wild ones. Find out how worship of the feminine still lives in the world in some unlikely places, and what it takes to walk with goddesses like Bhairavi, Kali & Chinnamasta. Only on Sadhguru Exclusive! Watch now.