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Spiritually flamboyant

Chiki Sarkar, publisher of Penguin Books India, introduced the visionary, mystic, philosopher, author, poet and the thinker, Sadhguru and Barkha Dutt who was in conversation with him at the Spring Fever. A video by Isha Foundation was played – explaining the various programs undertaken by the organization and its volunteers- from education to forestation.

Sadhguru asked her if she drove. “Unlike you, I have a fear of driving,” Barkha replied. “In an unfamiliar terrain, it is sensible to take instructions – like from a GPS,” Sadhguru went on to say. “Are you saying Gurus are the new GPS?” “Not new, Guru Positioning System has always been around.”

 Barkha and Sadhguru spoke about the book on him by Arundhati Subramaniam who has written that he is not a dictatorial guru like other godmen. “I want everyone to ask questions, it doesn’t matter how ridiculous. There is a vacuum, someone is trying to fill it, but are they qualified?”

Barkha asked him about the challenges he may have faced in running programmes through the Isha Foundation. He also clarified that he is not a capitalist – “I’m not one of those who want poverty or poor people to be hungry. I don’t want people to postpone their dinner – it is not a joke. Humanism should not be enforced. Karl Marx, who I was gung-ho about at 14, knew about economy and not the human aspirations, to build a society that way, then it will be a disaster.” He also explained that in his ashram, there is communism by choice and willingness. “It is fantastic to share, but ugly if I force you to share.”

The session ended with a question and answer with the audience – questions ranged from whether he was dependent on machines, to whether intensity was required to be peaceful.
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