Sadhguru: This is the fundamental thing 7that every human being has to do.
Little distance will completely change the way you look at things.
Suddenly the activity of the mind is a great entertainment.
Suddenly you find, you can use your body and use your mind whichever way you want,
it is never going to rule you again.
Questioner: How can I use hardship as a opportunity to choose growth?
Sadhguru: How to use hardship as a opportunity?
When we say hardship, life can be only physically hard.
Mentally hard happens because of you.
But physically hard can happen because of terrain, because of situations, because of variety of things.
So, physical hardship may involve some pain.
So, physical hardship...
People who go through physical hardship always come out stronger. Is that so? Hmm? Always.
Your very training is a fact. (Laughs)
Probably a training to be a soldier is harder than fighting a battle (Laughs), except for the risk involved.
except for the risk involved. In terms of hardship,
training looks like purposeless hardship, always.
This is true for a soldier; this is true for a yogi. Early in the morning, 4 o'clock, get up and do yoga.
Mind will ask, "You idiot, why are you up, everybody is sleeping?" (Laughs) Yes.
0Even for the yogi, this problem is there.
Mind will ask, "You idiot, what are you getting up at 4 o'clock in the morning, and what are you doing?
Everybody is sleeping, they wake up and drink coffee at 7 o'clock. What are you doing?" (Laughs)
But because you put your body voluntarily through that hardship,
it gets you to a place where nobody else can get. Hmm? Isn't it?
So, physical hardship is a tremendous possibility because
the nature of human body is such that only with use, it gets better.
If you do it willingly, hardship will be joyful. If you do it unwillingly, it's the most terrible thing.
So, the question is only of willingness and unwillingness.
As I said, in the very beginning, that was not to make a joke out of your...
terrain realities in which you live.
What do you think is hard duty?
If you want to give a punishment probably in the forces, put him at 20,000 altitude (Laughs)
But people who go mountaineering and other things, climbing to 20,000, they think it's fantastic! Isn't it?
So, what is the difference? The difference is only mindset.
Somebody is doing it willingly. Somebody thinks they're being forced to do it.
That's all the difference is. See, this is all life is
Wherever we are, anything we're doing, any given moment of our life
If we do it willingly, it's like heaven. If we do it unwillingly, it's our hell, isn't it?
Anything, Just anything. Do you like gulab jamun? No, no, I'm asking this officer.
Do you like gulab jamun? So, right now, I'm going to get a lot of gulab jamuns,
and I'm going to put it in your mouth more and more and more gulab jamuns.
That can become the worst experience of your life, isn't it?
When you want to eat gulab jamun, you take it in your hands, willingly and you ate it, it was so nice.
When you don't want it, if somebody forces it down your throat, it's terrible.
So, the difference is only in willingness and unwillingness.
This is the fundamental thing that every human being has to do.
See right now whatever we do, maybe if I had a choice, I would do something else.
But right now, I'm doing this, let's say, whatever I'm doing,
if you do it willingly, even that thing that you don't like becomes a wonderful process.
If you do it unwillingly, then you will see it becomes a terrible process.
"But I don't like this. Why should I do it willingly?"
Okay, if your choice is to suffer, please do it.
If you don't like it, you don't do it tomorrow. But today when you're doing it, you do it willingly.
If you do it willingly, even that thing that you think you do not like,
even that becomes a great pleasure and becomes a process of growth for you.
So, definitely physical hardship can be used in a big way to bring balance and well-being to yourself.
Psychological hardships are entirely your making.
Nobody else is doing that to you. Only you can do that to you, isn't it?
To stop that, you... as I said, this Isha Kriya is something all of you should do.
Because this will give you a distance, little distance.
Little distance will completely change the way you look at things.
It's like this, you see the traffic jam; traffic is jammed, you're stuck in it.
Everybody is cursing each other and getting angry and in Delhi also they kill each other.
Traffic jams, people kill each other, you know?
Suppose, you're flying in a airplane or a helicopter,
and look down, traffic jam looks really nice, you know (Few laugh)?
Have you ever noticed this? (Laughs) It looks quite nice!
Simply because there's a little distance. The same thing with your body and your mind.
If you create a little distance... When I say distance, you must understand this...
Your body you gathered, your mind you gathered, it is possible to create a distance.
If you create a little distance, suddenly the activity of the mind is a great entertainment.
No positive, no negative, nothing, it's a great entertainment!
It's only negative, positive, when you're stuck in it.
Once you're little out of it, suddenly you find,
you can use your body and use your mind whichever way you want.
It is never going to rule you again. So, physical hardship definitely can be harnessed.
It can be a great opportunity for a human being to build themselves
into a deep level of strength and well-being. Mental hardship is your making, you must stop that.