BY A STAFF REPORTER

LOS ANGELES, CA - A few hundred people turned up at the Sinai Temple here,  to listen to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and his dialog with Rabbi David Wolpe at the end of his talk on “ Is there a Spirituality We All Can Share.” His discourse was relevant to everyone in the mixed audience comprising people of  different nationalities, faith and descent as his views do not reflect any  religious tradition. His programs are reputed to incorporate what is most valid from the yogic sciences for today’s society and helping individuals realize their peak potential.

The evening began on a serious note with security being extra strict with an inspection of every vehicle entering the temple as the event took place on June 10, the very same day of the shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum  in Washington DC.

After a brief introduction by the Rabbi who described the Sadhguru’s meeting with him which led to the event being held, the yogi  began his talk after reciting a sloka with his eyes closed.Without being verbose or sounding too profound, he always had an interesting example or an amusing anecdote to illustrate a point which kept the audience closely  tuned into whatever he was illuminating.

So listeners would relate to him, Sadhguru Vasudev said what changed his destiny was an afternoon hike up the mountains, between two corporate  meetings , a place where he said humorously,  people went when they had nothing better to do. Sitting on a rock he underwent a period of extreme  ecstasy which he thought lasted just a few minutes but actually over four hours had passed. Over the next 6 weeks more such sessions of  longer duration occurred  and one day when he emerged from this deep experience he was told by others he had been in that state for 13 days which to him had seemed just 20 minutes. He believes  that any human being can  enjoy the same bliss and has spent his subsequent years evolving  methods  for others to experience it , a phenomenon which is neither religious or philosophical.

All human experience he explained is  internal , be it happiness or sadness, pleasurable or painful, as each one is dictated by the outside environment which is transferred to within a being through the five  senses. He pointed out that technology has today made this world the most comfortable and convenient than its ever been in the history of  mankind yet this generation is becoming a generation of whiners , not satisfied even with the abundant  creature comforts available to it. To experience true joy he added one must learn to control one’s own inner self and  look beyond ones own boundaries  and survival instincts and seek new levels of consciousness which transcends the limitations of the physical and those of the senses.

Life, the Sadhguru expounded,  is steered by four yogic principles encompassing the working of the body, emotion, mind and energy. While it is not impossible to live in a state  dictated by any one of these, he said to be accepted and live in harmony with others it is imperative that one leads a life which carries a balance of these principles , in a combination uniquely suited for the individual.Joy would come only when one look beyond prejudices of every kind and gets to accept and understand  that all individuals are part of a single energy or higher source. 

 At the end of  the talk , Rabbi Wolpe expressed his own thoughts on some of the points and even disagreed on a few issues which led to an animated yet very friendly debate between the two as each tried to clarify their opinions and remarks . Many questions were also raised by members of the audience which were answered by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.