Photo by Esra Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Sadhguru, the yoga teacher turned social media celebrity with more than 8.6 million Instagram followers, says his philosophy is to always feel “happy” — adding that adopting this mindset can change your emotions for the need of a luxurious lifestyle. “If you mistake your lifestyle for your life, you will always suffer because someone else will always have a better lifestyle than you, or a more exuberant or extravagant lifestyle, and you will always think that you are less than them. So life is important , lifestyle is okay,” the mystic told CNBC’s Dan Murphy. He believes that too many people confuse the two — but that it’s important to realize that one’s lifestyle can change at any time, and the lifestyle we lead is often out of our control. “It doesn’t matter what the lifestyle is. Life is the most precious thing you have, it’s the only thing you have,” he said. “Whether you wear nice clothes or rags, it doesn’t matter if you’re happy. The detachment of happiness from luxury and wealth is one of the guru’s main teachings that he often repeats. Last year, he shared his thoughts on this message on social media, tweeting: “People are committed to their lifestyles, not their lives. Once you are committed to your lifestyle, you become a slave to how much you earn.” Sadhguru’s philosophy of bliss and contentment again protects him from failure, he told CNBC. “I don’t have a failure in my life, ever. Because I don’t get anything. Some things we do well, some things we don’t do well, but I’m the same inside,” he said. “I’m kind of happy all the time, so I’m fine.” “How I am, in me, is determined by me, not by what I do, not even the result of what I do,” Sadhguru said.
Millions follow Sadhguru’s teachings
The 64-year-old, who is also known as Jagadish “Jaggi” Vasudev, started teaching yoga in India 40 years ago and has since amassed millions of followers around the world.
They turn to him for guidance on spirituality, meditation, and the so-called “realm of mysticism.” This concept is linked to the ancient yogic idea of the “third eye” which represents enhanced perception and awareness beyond what is physically visible and a state of heightened consciousness.
His fans include celebrities such as actor Will Smith, who revealed he has followed the guru for years as a result of his bestselling self-help book “Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy,” and football star Tom Brady, whose podcast once included Sadhguru. . Both Smith and Brady have also appeared on Sadhguru’s social media and endorsed his work, including his books.
Sadhguru says his teachings and philosophies are based solely on himself and his understanding of his “slice of life,” but his followers often think he’s talking about them. He believes this is because everyone is built the same way.
“Fortunately every bit of life, and the whole universe in a way, is the same replica design. Only the complexity and complexity is multiplied, but it’s essentially the same design.”
In 1992, Sadhguru founded the Isha Foundation which runs and supports spiritual, physical and mental wellness and environmental initiatives and centers around the world. He has no religious affiliation, in part because the guru associates religion with the search for meaning.
“There’s no point in anything”
But according to his philosophy, “there is no meaning to anything in the universe.” Those who seek meaning do not experience life, he believes. “If you experience life as it is, in a moment of joy, in a moment of love, in a moment of ecstatic experiences, you don’t look for meaning. It’s not only when you’re depressed you look for meaning, when you’re unhappy you look for meaning,” Sadhguru told the CNBC. “So I never look for meaning because I’m happy all the time,” he added, linking it to his approach to life.
