Sadhguru

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Sadhguru
Born
Jagadish Vasudev

(1957-09-03)September 3, 1957
Alma materUniversity of Mysore (BA)
EmployerTemplate:Pluralize from textTemplate:Pluralize from text
OrganizationTemplate:Pluralize from textIsha FoundationTemplate:Pluralize from text
AgentTemplate:Pluralize from textTemplate:Pluralize from text
Notable creditTemplate:Pluralize from textTemplate:Pluralize from text
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Notable work
  • Inner Engineering
  • Dhyanalinga
  • Rally for Rivers
  • Linga Bhairavi
  • Adiyogi: The Source of Yoga
  • Mystic's Musings
  • Cauvery Calling
OpponentTemplate:Pluralize from textTemplate:Pluralize from text
Criminal chargeTemplate:Pluralize from textTemplate:Pluralize from text
SpouseTemplate:Pluralize from text
Vijaya Kumari
(m. 1984; died Template:Tooltip)
[1]Template:Pluralize from text
PartnerTemplate:Pluralize from textTemplate:Pluralize from text
Children1
ParentExpression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[".Template:Pluralize from text
HonorsPadma Vibhushan (2017)
Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar
Websiteisha.sadhguru.org

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Jagadish "Jaggi" Vasudev (born 3 September 1957), known by the honorific title Sadhguru, is an Indian yoga guru and proponent of spirituality.

He has been teaching yoga in southern India since 1982. In 1992, he established the Isha Foundation near Coimbatore, which operates an ashram and yoga centre that carry out educational activities.

Vasudev is the author of several books and a frequent speaker at international forums.

In 2017, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, for his contributions to social welfare.

Early life and education[edit]

Jaggi Vasudev in his youthful days

Jagadish Vasudev was born on 3 September 1957 in Mysore, Karnataka, India. He is the youngest of the five children of Susheela Vasudev, a homemaker, and B.V. Vasudev, a physician at the Mysuru Railway Hospital.[2]

Defying his parents' wishes, he refused to pursue a post-graduate course and took to business instead.[3]

Career[edit]

Overview[edit]

Vasudev's first business was a poultry farm in a remote part of Mysore[4] that he set up with borrowed money.[5] During the process of constructing his farm, he also entered into the construction business with a company named Buildaids.[5]

At the age of 25, he rented his businesses to his friend and travelled for about a year.[3]

In 1983, he taught his first yoga class in Mysore. Over time, he began conducting yoga classes across Karnataka and Hyderabad travelling on his motorcycle, subsisting on the produce of his poultry farm rental and donating the collections received from his students.[3]

Spirituality[edit]

At the age of 25, on 23 September 1982, he went up Chamundi Hill and sat on a rock, where he had a "spiritual experience".[3] Six weeks later, he left his business to his friend and travelled extensively in an effort to gain insight into his mystical experience.[3] After about a year of meditation and travel, he decided to teach yoga to share his inner experience.[3]

In 1983, he taught his first yoga class with seven participants in Mysore. Over time, he began conducting yoga classes across Karnataka and Hyderabad, travelling on his motorcycle, subsisting on the produce of his poultry farm rental and donating the collections received from his students to a local charity on the last day of the class.[3]

Business and travels[edit]

Jaggi Vasudev travelling with pilgrims

One of his favourite haunts was the Chamundi Hills.[5] Besides riding his motorcycle in and around Mysore, he also rode across India, before being stopped at the border because he had no passport.[6]

His first business was a poultry farm in a remote part of Mysore.[7] He chose poultry because the sector was on the rise in the region at the time. He set up his farm with borrowed money.[5] Though his family did not approve of his choice of business and thought it was a waste of time,[5] the farm soon turned profitable. Operating his businesses occupied four hours of Vasudev's time each day. The rest of his time was spent writing poetry, reading, swimming, and relaxing. Vasudev says that though he was practicing asanas and pranayama from the age of thirteen, it was during his time at the poultry farm that he began to meditate in an established way.[8]

His third business was a construction company named Buildaids. Vasudev entered the construction industry in response to the constant questions from his relatives about why he was involved in the poultry business. He started the company in partnership with a friend who was a qualified civil engineer. Though Vasudev had no formal engineering training, he used the experience gained from building his poultry farm in his new company.[5]

Isha Foundation[edit]

In 1992, Vasudev established the Isha Foundation, an organisation headquartered near the city of Coimbatore,[9] as a platform for his spiritual, environmental, and educational activities.[10][11][12] He remains its head until now. The organisation offers yoga programmes under the name "Isha Yoga" and is run "almost entirely" by volunteers.[13][14] The foundation aims to improve the quality of education in rural India through an initiative called Isha Vidhya.[15] It has also launched projects and campaigns focused on environmental conservation and protection, including Project GreenHands, Rally for Rivers, Cauvery Calling, and Save Soil.[16][17][18][19] Vasudev recently completed a journey on his motorbike from London to India to raise awareness about the Save Soil campaign.[19]

Speeches and writings[edit]

Vasudev has authored several books, including Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy[8] and Karma: A Yogi's Guide to Crafting Your Destiny; both have made it to The New York Times Best Seller list.[20][21][22][23] Vasudev is also the author of Mystic's Musings[24] and Death: An Inside Story.[25][26]

Vasudev is a frequent public speaker who has been invited to address many prestigious forums and conferences across the globe, such as the United Nation's Millennium World Peace Summit, the British House of Lords, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the International Institute for Management Development.[27] He has also spoken at the annual World Economic Forum in 2007,[28] 2017 and 2020.[29][30]

Family[edit]

Jaggi Vasudev with wife Vijaya Kumari
Jaggi Vasudev at Davos, Switzerland in 2007

Vasudev and Kumari's daughter is a trained bharatanatyam dancer.[31] She married Chennai-based classical vocalist Sandeep Narayan in 2014.[32]

Honours and awards[edit]

Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Vibhushan to Vasudev at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 13 April 2017.

Vasudev received the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award from the Government of India, in 2017 in recognition of his contribution to the field of spirituality.[33][34] He stood 92nd in The Indian Express' list of 100 most powerful Indians in 2012 and 40th in India Today's list of 50 most powerful Indians in 2019.[35][36]

Reception[edit]

Vasudev has received attention from celebrities, political leaders, intergovernmental organizations, and members of the public interested in his social and environmental campaigns and spiritual teachings.[37] He has engaged with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to advocate for the Save Soil campaign.[38][39] Trevor Noah hosted Vasudev on The Daily Show to discuss Save Soil, and similarly, Joe Rogan has spoken with Vasudev on his podcast.[19][37] On World Environment Day, Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, attended an event with Vasudev to discuss efforts to improve soil health.[40]

Notes[edit]

Sadhguru, alternatively spelled sadguru,[41] means "real or true guru".[42]

References[edit]

  1. "Family Matters - Sadhguru Speaks About His Family". Isha Foundation. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. "Jaggi Vasudev's father passes away". Star of Mysore. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Simone, Cheryl (2008). Midnights with the Mystic. Hampton Roads Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-57174-561-3.
  4. An, Shelly; December 27, New Delhi; January 4, 2020 ISSUE DATE; December 28, 2021UPDATED; Ist, 2020 16:14. "Suddenly, I did not know what was me and what was not me: Sadhguru". India Today. Retrieved 28 May 2021.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Chopra, Shaili (2014). When I Was 25: The Leaders Look Back. Random House Publishers India Pvt. Limited. ISBN 9788184006773.
  6. Dobhal, Shailesh (18 March 2015). "Lunch with BS: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev". Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  7. An, Shelly; December 27, New Delhi; January 4, 2020 ISSUE DATE; December 28, 2021UPDATED; Ist, 2020 16:14. "Suddenly, I did not know what was me and what was not me: Sadhguru". India Today. Retrieved 28 May 2021.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Don't vote as part of a tribe, Jaggi Vasudev tells Americans". Business Standard. IANS. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  9. Berghella 2018, p. 69
  10. "The most powerful Indians in 2009: 80–84". The Indian Express. 9 March 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  11. "After Gujarat, Rajasthan govt inks MoU with Sadhguru's Isha Outreach to 'save soil'". The Indian Express. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  12. "Isha hails government's announcement on rejuvenation of 13 rivers". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 16 March 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 July 2022.CS1 maint: others (link)
  13. Award for Project Green Hands Archived 2011-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, The Hindu, 8 June 2010, retrieved on 8 June 2010
  14. "'Special Consultative Status' for Isha Foundation". The Hindu. 12 September 2007. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  15. "Edtech firm BYJU's partners with NGO Isha Vidhya to educate children in rural areas". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  16. "Award for Project Green Hands". The Hindu. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  17. "Isha Yoga launches 'Rally for Rivers' campaign in city". The Times of India. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  18. "Cauvery Calling Movement plants 2.1 crore trees". The Hindu. 29 January 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 "Indian mystic Sadhguru on 100-day motorbike mission to save soil". the Guardian. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  20. "Health". The New York Times.
  21. "Religion, Spirituality and Faith". The New York Times.
  22. "New York Times Bestsellers - Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous: New this week INNER ENGINEERING". The New York Times. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  23. "Books - Best Sellers: Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous". The New York Times. New York. 16 May 2021. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  24. "Tantra between the covers". The Hindu. 15 July 2005. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  25. "Spiritual leader Sadhguru's new book to demystify death". Outlook (India). Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  26. "Maha Shivratri 2020: VP Venkaiah Naidu joins Sadhguru in celebrations at Isha Foundation". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  27. Hudson & Hudson 2017, p. 2
  28. Chandrasekhar, Anand. "Indian gurus and their Swiss watches: a history". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  29. "Sadhguru to Deliver Keynote, Conduct Meditation Session at Davos Summit". News18. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  30. "Golf with the Guru". The Hindu. 15 March 2009. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  31. Naidu, Jaywant (26 November 2017). "When beauty comes to life". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  32. Sangeetha, P (24 October 2014). "Sadhguru's daughter gets married in Kovai". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  33. "Jaggi Vasudev, Mariyappan among Padma award winners". The Hindu. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  34. "Padma Vibhushan award for Sharad Pawar and Jaggi Vasudev". Deccan Chronicle. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  35. "The most powerful Indians in 2012: No. 91-100 - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  36. MG Arun; Shwweta Punj; Suhani Singh; Kaushik Deka; Prachi Bhuchar; Chinki Sinha; Anshuman Tiwari; Sandeep Unnithan; Amarnath K. Menon; Anilesh S. Mahajan; Uday Mahurkar (26 July 2019). "Top 50 power people | The High & Mighty Part-4". India Today. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  37. 37.0 37.1 Paul, Sonia (18 July 2022). "Sadhguru, the spiritual leader with ties to Will Smith and Modi, explained". Vox. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  38. "'Save Soil' campaign: Sadhguru to address leaders from 195 nations at UNCCD". The Indian Express. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  39. "Save Soil campaign comes to Bonn". UNCCD. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  40. Bureau, The Hindu (5 June 2022). "PM Modi calls for protection of soil health". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  41. Sanghvi, Rajesh D. (2018), Going Beyond My Guru's for Human Welfare, Notion Press, p. 30, ISBN 978-1-64429-901-2
  42. Cornille, Catherine (1992), The Guru in Indian Catholicism: Ambiguity of Opportunity of Inculturation?, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, p. 103, ISBN 978-0-8028-0566-9

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

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