Dr. Mahesh Sharma: Thank you Sadhguruji.
You gave me opportunity to mark this
celebration of Guru Poornima utsav with this much big presence over here.
But a big question comes to my mind that
we keep, and especially the Indians keep after the God and parents, guru at the highest esteem.
But we have not been able to make Guru Poornima celebration utsav
in the same spirit of high spirit as we respect the gurus.
Sadhguru: The reason why Guru Poornima and so many other things,
which were of great spiritual importance in this country,
have slid back into the background of our lives is
because we have been an occupied nation for a period of time
and whatever the framework that the occupying forces set for us,
when we got our independence,
we should have looked at what kind of framework we want for our nation.
We did not do that.
We just allowed the same framework to continue.
For example,
in this country,
right from ancient times,
even for a farmer who ploughs the land,
even today many farmers don’t set their plough on their land on Monday mornings.
Yes?
In Tamil Nadu, it’s still true.
In the north, it’s been given up
because no… no animals being used,
all tractors.
You have to
You have taken a bank loan, the interest is ticking,
so you want it to run all the seven days (Laughs),
all these things.
When the British came,
they changed these things
because they
they knew the strength of this nation was essentially in the culture.
So they wanted to break the culture.
Very systematically, they engineered how to break the culture.
They made you Sunday holiday.
What are you going to do on Sunday?
Watch television and eat potato chips (Laughter)?
What are you going to do on Sunday?
They had an intention for a Sunday morning.
What is the intention for the majority of the population in this country on Sunday morning?
There is nothing for us to do on Sunday morning.
Monday morning, there’re lots of things happening,
but you have to go to office.
For a long time in this country,
the monthly holidays were like this
pournami means… every pournami means three days holiday
one day before, the day and the next day,
amavasya means two days holiday (Applause).
These
These two days of full moon day and new moon day
have something to do with our system (Referring to oneself),
something to do with the planet,
something to do with the very way we’re born.
We are physically here today
only because our mothers’ bodies were in sync with the cycles of the moon,
otherwise we won’t be here.
So, there are things which are happening in your system.
As you know, the very oceans are rising on these days.
When such a massive body of water is rising up,
this body (Referring to oneself)
which is over seventy percent water,
you think nothing is rising in this (Referring to oneself)?
That… The… Those days were kept as spiritually significant days,
those are not the days to go to work,
those are the days to focus upon yourself.
So, similarly the Guru Poornima used to be a huge festival across the… this whole region,
but it’s gone because people have to go to work.
So, I request you,
being… you being a minister in the Union Cabinet,
this is something that you must do (Applause),
that… I know for you to pitch for every pournima
pournami being a holiday is not going to be practical.
But at least Guru Poornima (Applause),
if you
From the central government, if you declare Guru Poornima as a holiday,
I will make sure
Guru Poornima is celebrated across this country (Applause)
with great fervor (Applause)
because… because the spirit is still alive.
There is no space for expression.
There is no space or time for expression.
Please, if you can do this one thing,
and we can make Guru Poornima a big tourism attraction for this country (Laughter/Applause)
as… as I have already spoken to you about making
India the spiritual gateway,
Guru Poornima can be the day which really draws spiritual tourists from across the world to this country.
So, even as a part of your job (Laughter),
it’s a good thing to do (Laughs) (Applause).