‘Politics must embrace spirituality’

Sadhguru, a Indian yogi, mystic, author, and founder of the Isha Foundation, is a prominent global spiritual leader known for “Inner Engineering” yoga programmes. His advocacy for inner transformation and blending ancient yogic practices with modern science has inspired lakhs of people. In an exclusive interview, Anurag Kumar delved into Sadhguru’s concept of “inner engineering,” his views on politics, and how he responds to skepticism, among other topics.

Q: You often say inner engineering is the solution to human problems – how can ordinary people realistically practice this in a fast-paced world?

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A: Most people are not busy; they are just preoccupied. If you are disorganised and unfocused, you think there is no time. If we are organised and focused human beings, we can do plenty in 24 hours’ time. If you invest, let us say, even 30 minutes a day into Yoga or meditation, you will enhance your capabilities, and you will gain immensely, even in terms of time. The first thing that happens for many people is that their sleep quota comes down. Apart from that, with simple practices, your body and mind get more organized. You will see that your level of performance becomes such that whatever you are doing in eight hours, you should very easily be able to do in three to four hours. You feel more energetic and will also have a lot of time. The Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya that is taught in the Inner Engineering programme needs 21 minutes. These 21 minutes are an investment you make in your life. The practice greatly enhances your health and mental focus, and there is enough medical evidence to prove that a host of other chemical changes occur in the body. It also reduces your sleep quota, so you gain those 21 minutes anyway. But there is something else happening within you that you can only know by experience – you are blissful throughout the day.

Q: Young people today face anxiety, burnout, and uncertainty. What is the first step they should take toward mental clarity?

A: Today, as societies evolve into higher levels of economic well-being, comfort, and technology, every kind of convenience is available. But mental health issues are rising across the planet in such a way that it is no longer an individual experience – it has become a societal experience. Scientists and global health organisations are predicting a mental health pandemic. Most people experience the mind as a misery manufacturing machine that is constantly turning against them because they have not been given the tools to take charge of this fantastic mechanism. Meditation is the process through which you learn to operate your mind so that it functions as a miracle. Towards this, in February 2025, we launched the ‘Miracle of Mind’ app, which offers a simple 7-minute meditative process that can be practiced anywhere to bring a sense of peace, joy, and exuberance into one’s life. It is my wish and my blessing that every human being on the planet experiences the Miracle of Mind.

Q: You’ve interacted with many political leaders. How do you maintain neutrality while engaging with power?

A : Someone once asked me, “Sadhguru, are you a BJP supporter?” I said, “I am two-thirds BJP.” They asked, “What is that?” I said, “Bharatiya Janata – I am 100 per cent, Party – no. That is not my business.” It is not for me to decide whether some politician or party is good or bad. Once people have elected someone, I bow down to people’s will and see how to support them for the next five years to do their best, rather than pulling their leg. I have not been a member of any party, institution, or club ever. I do not even have a membership at a single golf club, though I play all over the place. If they allow me, I play. If they do not, I am okay. People have taken identities like this – someone is an environmentalist, someone is a politician, someone is a spiritual person. What we need is inclusive human beings, that means every one of us will do whatever is possible within our capability for the well-being of all life around us. That is what I do, and that is what I have inspired people to do. Only because people recognise that I do not belong to any group or party, everyone responds the way they do.

Q: Do spiritual leaders have a responsibility to speak more directly on political or social injustices?

A: Whatever you are into – politics, spirituality, or commerce – or if you are doing nothing, you are a citizen of this nation. You have rights and responsibilities for being in this country. Each person, according to their understanding of their rights and responsibility and their intelligence and capability, should act to better everything around us because we are all benefiting from the platform of nationhood. That said, I feel it is imperative in today’s world that people in the political sphere be touched by the spiritual process. If you look back at the sages of the past, they were always in touch with the kings and rulers of this land. This is because once you are a leader, every thought you generate and every action you perform will impact millions of people. When your work is so important, the most important thing is that you work on yourself. So, the political leadership definitely needs to have a spiritual process. I am definitely working towards making political people spiritual. There must be a spiritual element in all politicians. Then the country will do well.

Q: What was the turning point that shaped you into who you are today?

A: I started an enterprise early and was very successful by small-town standards of the 1970s. Everything I wanted was happening in my life, so I was not looking for anything. I had been practicing Yoga since I was 12 years of age for physical and mental well-being, but I never thought of anything spiritual. Me being spiritual was impossible because till then, I was a skeptic’s skeptic. One afternoon, on 23 September 1982, I had a little time to spare between two business meetings. So, I rode up Chamundi Hill in Mysuru. There, I sat on a huge rock, which was my usual place, with my eyes open. After a few minutes, I had an experience that left me forever transformed. Suddenly, I did not know which was me and which was not me. I was all over the place. Every cell in my body was bursting with a new, indescribable level of ecstasy. All I knew was that I had hit upon a goldmine within myself that was dripping ecstasy, that I did not want to lose even for a moment. Since then, my life has been an effort to rub this bliss off on people because every human being can know this. My effort has been to create mechanisms so people can experience this.

Q: How do you handle skepticism from those who question your methods or teachings?

A: Today, there are millions of people whose experience of life has become blissful and ecstatic simply by employing the powerful methods of well-being we offer. There are also many scientific studies from reputed universities that clearly show the impact of the practices we teach, such as Inner Engineering and Isha Kriya, on stress levels, immunity, the functioning of the brain, and many more aspects. All the research is available on the internet. Anyone can look it up. There is something called “doubt,” and there is something called “suspicion.” Suspicion is sickness, because you are assuming that something has to be wrong. Doubt is different – it means you do not know. It is not a crime not to know. If someone says something and you trust that person, you can invest some time, energy, and resources to explore and know. Otherwise, you cannot invest that time and energy. Basically, life is a certain amount of time and energy. If it is a bundle of lies and you invest your time and energy, it would be a waste of life. In that context, you need trust, but you should neither try to trust nor distrust. How do you come to trust? One thing is, if it makes sense to you. Another thing is if it has worked. Even if it has not worked for you, but it seems to have worked for everyone around you, you can invest some time to explore, not to believe. If you explore with the necessary keenness, you will see. Do not jump from trust to distrust, belief to disbelief.