Sadhguru: What we want to do for any individual does not happen because he wants it.
It happens because he earns the necessary capability.
Without capability, I want this to happen, I want that to happen – only empty dreams will happen.
If life has to happen, we have to earn the necessary capability.
And our capabilities are fundamentally dependent upon
how intelligently we can function in every situation in our life,
and that fundamentally depends on how well connected our brain is.
In ancient times in this country, in this culture,
there were elaborate systems as to how to train the brain,
how to wire the brain as intensely as possible.
There are people... there's a very beautiful instance which happened
in... 1930s.
You have heard people going into long chantings,
maybe in the temple, or somewhere, have you heard people
doing hums and all chanting, and chanting away for hours together?
So, this chanting was used to wire the brain in a very big way,
because the sounds that you employ has a big impact on what happens in the brain.
So, these mantras were structured as certain mathematics is involved in this,
and a certain poetry is also involved in it at the same time.
Because of using a certain level of structured sounds, it wired their brains so much
that they have a phenomenal sense of memory which is almost humanly impossible.
Normally in modern times we consider these things humanly impossible.
They had that kind of memory because of using these sounds in a particular way.
This happened.
Two people went to Banaras – friends.
They were having a bath in the river, and among themselves they were talking,
and they were making a business deal.
So, it was agreed that one friend offered
50,000 rupees to the other friend to do business.
So, right there verbally, orally, they made an agreement, and it was done.
And after a few years, because there was no written paper,
when this man wanted the money back, the other man said, "You never gave it to me, no such thing happened."
So, he went to the court. When he went to the court,
he had no proof; he said, "I have given the money," but he had no proof.
Then the judge said, "You have to get some proof, otherwise we cannot do anything about it."
Then he remembered when they were in the river
they saw a Brahman priest who was having a bath close to them,
so, he just hoped that maybe he would have heard what we spoke, and I can bring him as a witness.
So, he went looking for that man in Banaras, he found the man,
and to his disappointment he realized that the man did not know English – these people were talking in English language,
and this priest did not know English language.
So, he thought this is no good, then the Brahman asked why.
Then he told him, "See, 4 years ago we were having a bath, and you were also there.
I was just hoping that I could use you as a witness."
The Brahman said, "Okay, I can repeat whatever you said, whatever you two had conversation, I can repeat that."
He does not know English language, but he repeated every word of what they said. [Laughs]
He just remembered every sound what they uttered – he did not know the meaning of it,
he did not know the language, but he could repeat every word what they said.
And he was brought to the court, and he won the case.
So, our memory and our ability to do things can be so greatly enhanced
if only we handle this inner situation right,
and one simple thing to do – if all of you are willing, we can bring many more steps into it –
but one simple thing to start with is, learning to be just still.
If you sit somewhere, simply learning to just sit absolutely still,
unmoving, just sitting still, you will see,
your ability to grasp, and your ability to use the brain will be greatly enhanced.
So, I want you to understand this:
everything that you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch is recorded.
Your memory problems are only your ability to bring it back when you need it.
There's no recording problem, it is recording everything,
but you are not able to pick out what you want – if you want to pick this out, something else is coming.
So, that is just a question of clarity, not of memory.
Memory means... suppose if we say this phone has low memory, what does it mean?
It has limited capability to record, isn't it?
If I press 2, if 5 comes, what does it mean?
Bad memory, or bad keyboard? Bad keyboard.
So, this is a question of bad keyboard, this is not a question of bad memory.
It's very important that you call 2 – 2, not 5.
It is a question of bad keyboard – don't try to fix the memory, memory is great.
Everything that you see is recorded; you're not able to type out the right number,
that's all the problem is, isn't it?
So, this is not a question of memory, this is a question of clarity.
So, we have to work on clarity: what is it that gives us clarity of mind?
First thing is, we learn to... if our clarity is not not good by itself,
the simple thing is, to handle things with a certain precision.
This is Hatha Yoga.
Where your feet should be – here, not here – [Gestures] like this.
Where your hands should be? Like this.
This is not proper – just like this [Gestures].
In setting all this, my head is looking down;
oh, not like this – like this [Gestures]. Precision.
Now you come down. When you sit down, you watch this, okay?
How your pants should be – like this.
Whatever you brought with you, your book – where your book should sit?
Where your pen should sit? This should sit. Just practice this.
With every little thing, just bring the precision into your activity – it will happen in your mind.
You will see, then if I say this it goes to number 2, it won't go to 5.
Yes. Now it gets confused, so handle it slowly;
2, 3, 1 – okay, 2 is here, 3 is here, 1 is here.
You just do this with every aspect of your life.
You go to bed, how it should be – everything.
You go in your room, how it should be – just bring this meticulousness
of what you are doing with the Asana into your life.
You will see, slowly, the mind will become very, very clear, it becomes meticulous with everything.
This simple practice that you have to do from this moment,
when you stand up, when you sit down, when you walk, and when you go out here,
you should just look like this, like you're doing. What? [Laughter] Same Asana, like this. [Gestures]
How many columns in this – don't try to count all of them,
the first row, if you simply look like this,
"Oh, it's 5 columns."
Just you must register this: 5 columns, 1 vessel,
1 sitting rock, 1 big rock, 1 pond,
another 3, another 4 columns, 1 door.
How tall? Looks like 12 feet. Just do this with everything.
How many steps from here to there? Don't count like, 1... 2... like this;
oh, after you take 3 steps, okay, that's adding 3, another 3, another 3, another 3.
After a few days, count 11, or 4, or 5.
Just like that, without thinking, you must slowly know
that okay, I think I walked 12 steps.
This is yoga.
This effect will happen over a period of time by itself, but now we are in a hurry,
so, use the mind also to do it,
to bring that precision – what you're trying to bring in your body,
bring that precision in your mind also, let the mind imitate the body.
You will see, clarity will naturally come.
Memory is not the problem, everything is anyway recorded.
I will abuse you right now, I'm going to abuse you, badly.
Try to forget it. Will you?
For all your life you will remember it. Yes, or no?
So, you got great memory – you just remember bad words, that's all.
[Laughter]
If you exercise your mind like this,
it will become in such a way that you can make it do what you want.
You will see, slowly, the mind will become very, very clear.
When your mind is single-pointed, it's a powerful instrument.
This is something that you do within yourself,
so that you are able to slip behind the mind.
If we know who is behind the mirror, then we can change everything.