Sadhguru: The popular teachings in the world today...
I don't know how popular these are in Mumbai,
but in the West these things have become very popular.
Somebody's telling you, "be in the moment."
Somebody's telling you, "just let go, everything will be okay."
That means, there must be somebody taking care of your life from behind, then you can let go. [Laughs]
Someone telling you, "just do one thing at a time, don't..."
See, these are all regressive teachings, in the sense,
just to explore one or two, what can you let go, tell me?
They're saying, "just let go, God will do it."
Well, life has not really gotten you yet, that's why you're talking this language.
You're living in a fanciful world.
When life really gets you, then you will know you can't let go anything, you have to manage.
You let go your business today, and see what will happen.
Or, try something more dramatic: you're driving today – just let go. [Laughter]
A lot of people seem to have... [Laughs]
just let go and see, either you're dead, or somebody else is dead. [Laughs]
Now, these popular teachings which have unfortunately become popular,
has messed up humanity in a big way.
I faced a group of people recently in America,
where they're staunch "be in the moment" people.
I'm asking you, can you be somewhere else?
Be somewhere else, and show me, please.
Can any of you be anywhere else other than this moment, I'm asking? Can you be?
Can you be somewhere else than here, right now? No. Then why do you need such a teaching?
What they're trying to tell you is, don't think about tomorrow, don't think about yesterday.
That will happen if we take away half your brain.
If I pull out half your brain, you cannot think about tomorrow, you cannot think about yesterday,
just be in the moment. [Gestures]
This is all coming because people do not even know how to sit in one place peacefully, okay?
So, people are coming up with solutions like this.
Shankaran Pillai opened a pharmacy
in United States.
And... one day he had something to attend to,
some little chore that he has to attend to,
so, he asked his teenage son, "Please take care of the shop just for an hour. I'll be back."
So, boy said, "No problem, dad." So, he went out.
In an hour's time, he came back.
When he came back, in front of the shop there was a man hugging the lamppost,
and his eyeballs were rolling wildly, and he was looking totally crazy.
He looked at the man, whether the man is wanting to go into the shop, or is he going out of the shop, you don't know.
So, he looked at him, and then he went inside and he asked his son,
"Who is that guy, hugging the lamppost like that? Is he our customer?"
The boy said, "Yes dad, he's our customer."
"What did you give him?"
"Oh, he had whooping cough, so I gave him a box of laxatives,
and made him take it right here, all of them."
He said, "What? For whooping cough you gave him laxatives? Why?"
"Come on dad, look at him, does he dare to cough now?"
[Laughter]
There are solutions and solutions. [Laughs] But is it really a solution? That's the question.
So, now because you can't sit in one place peacefully,
somebody says, "Be in the moment, don't think about the past, don't think about the future."
Tell me, can you call yourself a human being if you cannot remember the past,
and project into the future – will you be a full-fledged human being, I'm asking?
You wanting to go back in the evolutionary scale, because you don't know how to handle your own intelligence.
This is the biggest problem with the human being.
Their only problem is this: you may call it by a thousand different names,
but the only problem is, you do not know how to handle your own intelligence, isn't it?
You will see, if we take away half your brain, you will be peaceful. Yes, or no?
But I'm asking, is that a solution? Participants: No.
Sadhguru: Is that a solution, taking away half your brain?
So, taking away your ability to look back into the past, and look out into the future,
if you take away this ability maybe you will be peaceful – but towards what purpose?
I know so many people today are going about talking,
being peaceful, our peace of mind is the ultimate goal of your life.
Even the so-called spiritual teachers and leaders are going about saying,
"Peace of mind is the ultimate goal."
You tell me, from your intelligence,
can you enjoy your dinner tonight if you're not peaceful?
If not joyful, at least peaceful you must be to enjoy the dinner, isn't it?
Can you enjoy driving back home if you're not peaceful?
Can you enjoy the people around you if you're not peaceful?
Can you enjoy the work that you do if you are not peaceful, I'm asking?
If you are not able to be joyful, or ecstatic, at least you must be peaceful, isn't it?
So, I'm asking you, is it a fundamental requirement of life, or is it the ultimate goal of life?
Hmm? It's the most fundamental requirement, but now people are pushing it to heaven.
They're saying peace is the ultimate goal of life.
Such people will only rest in peace...
Anything that you are deprived of, tends to become heavenly product.
Today, if you say peace, people say "divine peace;"
if you say love, people say "divine love;" if you say bliss, people say "divine bliss."
These are all things human beings are capable of, isn't it?
To be peaceful, to be joyful, to be loving, to be blissful – these are all human qualities. Yes, or no?
If you're willing, you can be peaceful, you can be loving, you can be blissful,
but all these things have been exported to heaven.
So, these simple aspects have become complicated, because of all these teachings.
I'm saying, it doesn't matter where the teaching comes from,
whether it comes from me or somebody else,
just keep it aside.
Just apply your intelligence.
You cannot use my intelligence, okay?
You can use my wisdom maybe, but you cannot use my intelligence – you can only use your intelligence.
So, with your intelligence, experiment.
If it works, let's keep it. If it doesn't work, discard it tomorrow morning.
No need to continue it for one more day.
But, first you must decide, are you looking for solace, or are you looking for solutions?
If you’re looking for solace, just believe something – it’ll work, you understand?
You believe that the source of life is in this light bulb, and every day do this [Gestures] – it’ll work!
What you’re doing is just inexpensive psychiatry.
Yes, you’re trying to manage your psychological space with something, using an anchor outside.
It’s all right, I’m not saying it’s wrong; if you need that, you can do it.
But if that’s not your requirement, what you want is an ultimate solution for life,
then you need something else, which will not come with these kind of popular teachings.
You need a powerful force to move you from one dimension of life to another.
So, when such a need comes, if such a longing comes,
then you must look for spirituality; otherwise, just…
just do something, go climb a mountain – it’ll work, I’m telling you.
You’ll build your confidence. [Laughs] Yes.
Climb a mountain, swim in the ocean – all these things will build your confidence. Or believe something.
But towards what end, what is your requirement, is something you have to see.
Do you have a longing for the ultimate, or are you just trying to manage your psychological drama?
That’s a first distinction you have to make.
But... your psychological drama can be managed only from within.
You can believe that you're using outside help, but actually, you can only manage from within,
because this is a ghost that you create, you can’t kill it from outside. [Laughs]
So, let go of all the teachings, you’ll be fine.