Sadhguru is a contemporary guru, a mystic, a yoga teacher, and a best-selling author.
“At home in a loincloth as much as he is in blue jeans, barefoot through the mighty Himalayas, or straddling a BMW motorcycle on the expressway, Sadhguru is the most unusual mystic that one can encounter.” – ishafoundation.org
Before we look at some Sadhguru quotes, we’ll explore:
- Who is Sadhguru?
- What does he teach?
Sadghuru’s Life
Sadhguru was born Jagadish “Jaggi” Vasudev in 1957 in Mysore, India. Despite having some spiritual guidance from Malladihalli Raghavendra during his adolescence he did not seek out the path of becoming a yogi and studied English at the University of Mysore before working in farming and construction.
Jagadish Vasudev was named as one of the 100 most powerful Indians by The Indian Express in 2012 and again in 2019 by India Today. In 2017 he received an award for his contribution to social welfare.
He has spoken on a wide range of issues from the environment to education at global conferences such as the United Nations’ Millenium World Peace Summit and the World Economic Forum.
While he continues to be a prominent spiritual figure in India through regular talks and meditations his teachings have found global reach with appearances on platforms such as BBC, CNBC, and Newsweek international.
In early 2022 Sadhguru began a widely followed 30,000-kilometer motorcycle ride in aid of bringing awareness to soil regeneration. Starting in London the 100-day trip and #savesoil campaign was a testament to his commitment to environmentalism.
What is the Isha Foundation?
The Isha Foundation is a non-profit spiritual organization run almost entirely by volunteers who work for board and food. Founded by Sadhguru in 1992 the foundation is home to a yoga center “Isha Yoga” which provides meditation, pranayama, chanting, and asana.
The foundation aims to create a space for personal, cultural, and global transformation with plentiful videos, writings, courses and, trainings on offer.
Sadhguru’s 10 principle Teachings
He began teaching yoga in Mysore in 1982 and has continued to teach spiritual principles and “yogi sciences” free of a specific tradition for contemporary householders.
He is considered a “visionary humanitarian and a prominent spiritual leader. A contemporary Guru, rooted as strongly in mundane and pragmatic matters as he is in inner experience and wisdom, Sadhguru works tirelessly towards the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of all.” ishafoundation.org
Lifelessons.co says that the 10 principle teachings of Sadhguru are:
- Give your conclusions
- Don’t talk about anything that is not in your experience
- Don’t be positive or negative – just see it the way it is
- Look at what binds you
- Change yourself – don’t try to change anyone else
- Get rid of your ‘but’
- You have to do it the way it works
- Act consciously, not compulsively
- Don’t take your mind too seriously
- Find out for yourself
While there have been claims that Sadhguru was involved in the death of his wife, heads a cult (the Isha Foundation), and is promoting pseudoscience, his popularity is unquestionable.
With over 8 million Instagram followers at the time of writing this and an estimated net worth of around $25 million USD it is undoubtedly worth finding out more about him.
“Traversing seamlessly from the ancient to the ultramodern, Sadhguru bridges the gap between the known and the unknown, enabling all those who encounter him to explore and experience the deepest dimensions of life.” ishafoundation.org
Sadhguru quotes for everyday living
“Are you here to experience life or to think about it?” – Sadhguru
“Confidence without clarity is always a disaster.” – Sadhguru
“Nothing in life is a problem – everything is a possibility.” – Sadhguru
“The mind remembers only certain things. The body remembers everything. The information it carries goes back to the beginning of existence.” – Sadhguru
“The most beautiful moments in life are moments when you are expressing your joy, not when you are seeking it.” – Sadhguru
“What the body really needs is restfulness not sleep.” – Sadhguru
“No work is stressful. It is your inability to manage your body, mind, and emotions that makes it stressful.” – Sadhguru
“Opinions are like cataracts. They will not allow you to see clearly.” – Sadhguru
“Your thoughts and emotions are the drama that you create in your mind.” – Sadhguru
“Money is definitely needed, but how much money do we really need?” – Sadhguru
“Destiny is not a fixed destination – it is what you create.” – Sadhguru
“Don’t be dead serious about life. It is just a play.” – Sadhguru
“If you choose, you can be joyful every moment of your life. It’s time you made your choice.” – Sadhguru
“If the opportunity presents itself, are you ready for it? That is the difference between success and failure.” – Sadhguru
“Most people in the world are not busy – they are just preoccupied.” – Sadhguru
Sadhguru quotes for spiritual development
“By going to the temple, mosque, or church, you do not become spiritual. You become spiritual only by turning inward.” – Sadhguru
“Every thought, every emotion that you create changes the very chemistry of your body.” – Sadhguru
“Fear is simply because you are not living life – you are living in your mind.” – Sadhguru
“The whole effort of the spiritual process is to break the boundaries you have drawn for yourself and experience the immensity that you are.” -Sadhguru,
“Frustration, discouragement, and depression mean that you are working against yourself.” – Sadhguru
“Negative energies can’t touch you if you are in a state of meditation.” – Sadhguru
“Human beings suffer their own memory and imagination; that is they suffer that which does not exist.” – Sadhguru
“I am not talking about you being a spectator… I am talking about involving yourself into life in such a way that you dissolve into it.” – Sadhguru
“Being a seeker means no matter what the Vedas said, what Krishna or Shiva said, you have to know the truth in your own experience.” – Sadhguru
“If every day you break one limitation, depending upon how many limitations you have, one day you will be liberated.” – Sadhguru
“If you break the shell of your personality, you will simply be a Presence – as life is, as God is, just a Presence.” – Sadhguru
“If you resist change, you resist life.” – Sadhguru
“Once you create a distance between you and your body, between you and your mind, that is the end of suffering.” – Sadhguru
“Your mind need not be controlled; your mind needs to be liberated.” -Sadhguru
“When pain, misery, or anger happen, it is time to look within you, not around you.” – Sadhguru
“To rise above the modifications of your mind, when you cease your mind, when you cease to be a part of your mind, that is yoga.”-Sadhguru
Sadhguru quotes about community and relationships
“By trying to punish someone, you only end up punishing yourself.” – Sadhguru
“Compassion is definitely a more liberating emotion than love.” -Sadhguru
“There is no insurance for love.” – Sadhguru
“When you live for everyone, everyone takes care of you.” – Sadhguru
“Do not do what you like – do what the world needs.” – Sadhguru
“How deeply you touch another life is how rich your life is.” – Sadhguru
“If it is conditional, it is not love.” – Sadhguru
“If you want everyone to fall in love with you, the first thing is, you must fall in love with all of them.” – Sadhguru
“Once your life is your expression of blissfulness, you will not be in conflict with anyone.” – Sadhguru
“The important thing is not that people love you but that you are loving.” – Sadhguru
Sadhguru quotes for personal growth
“Learning to listen is the essence of intelligent living.” – Sadhguru
“Learning is not about earning, but a way of flowering.” – Sadhguru
“Love is your quality. Love is not what you do. Love is what you are.” – Sadhguru
“Responsibility simply means your ability to respond.” – Sadhguru
“People try to create an outwardly perfect life, but the quality of life is based on the inward.” – Sadhguru
“People who have failed in their lives, they are suffering their failure. People who have succeeded in their life, they are suffering their success.” – Sadhguru
“The fear is simply because you are not living with life, you are living in your mind.” – Sadhguru
“The sign of intelligence is that you are constantly wondering.” – Sadhguru
“There is security in repetitive life patterns, but there are no possibilities, no growth.” – Sadhguru
“To live and operate in the world, you may have to identify with something. Play with your identifications, don’t let them rule you.” – Sadhguru
“Whatever your capabilities, you must stretch them to the limit and a little beyond.” – Sadhguru
“When you do things habitually, it seems easier, but without conscious action, there shall be no growth.” – Sadhguru
“If you think you are big, you become small. If you know you are nothing, you become unlimited.” -Sadhguru
“The aim is to unshackle yourself from the limited identity you have forged, as a result of your own ignorance, and live the way the Creator made you—utterly blissful and infinitely responsible.” -Sadhguru
Interested to know more about Sadhguru’s writing?
Sadhguru is the author of Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy and Karma: A Yogi’s Guide to Crafting Your Destiny both of which have been on The New York Times Best Seller list.
