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Adiyogi – The First Yogi: More

Than a Man

06 Jan 2014 21 Comments

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MASTER'S WORDS

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In yoga, Shiva is not seen as a God, but as

the first yogi, Adiyogi, and the first Guru,
the Adi Guru. Sadhguru looks at Adiyogi’s
contribution to humanity and speaks of
the importance in ensuring that his
impact is recognized around the world.

Questioner: Namaskaram, Sadhguru. I

heard you are planning to create 21-feet
Adiyogi statues across the globe. What is
the significance of this? I saw one coming
up in front of the Adiyogi Alayam at the
Isha Yoga Center.

Sadhguru: About manifesting Adiyogi in

many parts of the world – I have already
spoken to some extent about how the
Saptarishis went around the world. We
have compiled a huge amount of research
information on how 8000 to 12,000 years
ago, there was linga worship in South
America, Turkey, and North Africa, and
snake worship all over the world – there
is archeological proof for that. Only over
the last maybe 20 centuries, this has been
demolished and lost in most parts of the
world, but originally, the Saptarishis’

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influence spread across the planet. There
is no culture that did not benefit from
Adiyogi’s science of yoga. Yoga went
everywhere – not as a religion, belief
system, or philosophy, but as methods.
Over a period of time, there have been
distortions, but still, unknowingly,
millions of people across the planet are
doing some yogic practice. This is the only
thing in the history of humanity that has
lived for so long without ever being forced
upon people.

No one ever put

a sword to
anyone’s throat
and said “Do
There
yoga! Otherwise, is no
we will behead culture
you.” No force that did
has ever been
exerted to
not
impose it, but benefit from
still yoga has Adiyogi’s
lived for over science of
15,000 to
20,000 years,
yoga.
and there has There are
been no single attempts
authority to to deny
propagate it –
simply because
the
the process is so acknowledgement
effective. It has of a
had its highs and certain
lows, but it is
once again
culture
coming back in a and of the
big way. one who
However, there has made
are sources
today that
the most
question the significant
origin of yoga. contribution
Some even claim to human
that the yoga
that is being
consciousness
taught today ever.
was extracted
from a European
exercise system. There are attempts to
deny the acknowledgement of a certain
culture and of the one who has made the
most significant contribution to human
consciousness ever.

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Before I fall dead, I want to see that
Adiyogi is sufficiently acknowledged.
These 21-foot-tall statues of Adiyogi are
part of this effort. After working on it for
over 2-1/2 years, we arrived at an image
that we are generally happy with. Now
we are in the process of manifesting that
image. Each of these Adiyogi statues will
come with a structure of 111 feet by 111
feet and a 2-1/2-feet tall consecrated
linga. These will be powerful energy
spaces for meditation. The first ones are
coming up in North America – one near
the US Tennessee ashram [the Isha
Institute of Inner-sciences in
McMinnville], one near San Jose, one in
Seattle, one in Toronto. Many other cities
are examining this possibility too. Our
idea is to set up 50 in the United States –
one for each state.

Adiyogi Statues in India

In India, such spaces will come up
wherever someone takes the initiative to
make it happen. A few people are also
working towards establishing 112-feet-tall
Adiyogi statues in four corners of India.
The government of Arunachal Pradesh
has invited us to establish one in their
state, which is the first part of the country
to be touched by the rising sun. It is my
desire that the first sunlight in India
should fall on his face. Irrespective of
caste, religion, and gender, people should
celebrate him for the contribution that he
has made to humanity – not as a god but
as a man who rose beyond all limitations
– he was everything that a man can be
and everything that a man cannot be. He
was the one who opened up this
possibility for humanity for the first time.
He not only spoke about it – he gave
specific methods as to how to do it. No
one else before him or after him has made
a greater contribution to human
consciousness.

Out of the other three 112-feet-tall

Adiyogi statues, we want one to come up
in Uttarakhand, on the way to Hardwar;
one near Kanyakumari, and another one
in Rajasthan, near the border. In four
corners of the country, there will be large,
iconic Adiyogi statues that people cannot
ignore. We are also coming up with a

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book on Adiyogi. It is very important to
see him as a man – only then, there will
be a possibility of you striving to be like
him. Whether it is Krishna, Rama, Jesus,
or someone else – the moment you look
at them as gods, you don’t strive to be like
them – that is the problem. I want to
constantly remind everyone that Adiyogi
was more than a man, but still very much
a man. Every human being is capable of
this irrespective of the backgrounds they
come from, what they know, and what
they do not know. If they are willing to do
certain things, transcendence is a
possibility in everyone’s life. To make this
a big statement and acknowledge him as
the one who offered the science of yoga,
we are thinking of setting up four big
statues in the country and in between as
many 21-foot statues as we can.

Yoga is the Only Way

Everything that I am is only because of
this particular science being available to
us freely. If, when I was young, they had
imposed a restriction – let’s say “If you
want to do yoga, you must do Guru
Pooja” – I would have gotten up and left.
If they had told me to bow down or light
a lamp, I would have left. There were no
such restrictions. There were just
instructions on what to do, and it worked.
I would not be who I am without the
science that Adiyogi has offered, which is
100% irreligious. He predates all religion.
Yoga is something so precious for the
modern world, because we are stuck with
the intellect. The problem I had in my
youth – that I couldn’t light a lamp, I
couldn’t bow down, I couldn’t enter a
temple; if someone said one mantra, I
would go away – is a problem of the
intellect.

The more the

intellect is
emphasized, the
I want to more people will
see that have this
Adiyogi’s problem. When
name is this problem
arises, yoga as a
uttered scientific
everywhere. approach is the
Everyone only way.

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 Everything else
who will only divide
comes to people. And that
an Adiyogi time is not far
space can away for
humanity.
pick from Before that time
112 comes, I want to
options see that Adiyogi’s
the one name is uttered
everywhere and
thing they everyone knows
want to that this science
do and of yoga is
start with available. These
statues will be
a three- 112 feet tall
minute because Adiyogi
sadhana. gave 112 ways a
human being
can attain to the
Ultimate. We
want to simplify this and offer you 112
things that you can do. Out of this, you
just have to do one thing. This will
transform your life in the simplest
possible way.

Everyone who comes to an Adiyogi space

can pick from these 112 options the one
thing they want to do and start with a
three-minute sadhana. Everyone can
invest three minutes. If it works for them,
they can gradually increase the duration
to 6, 12, or 24 minutes. We want to
establish this within the next decade that
irrespective of caste, religion, gender, or
physical condition – everyone will have a
simple spiritual process in their lives.

Whoever wants to stand up and make this

happen, please stand with us, because
bringing a spiritual process into people’s
lives is one of the most important
contributions that we can make to
humanity.

Editor’s Note: Download Sadhguru’s

ebook, Shiva – Ultimate Outlaw, along
with Vairagya, an album of sacred chants
(also available as an Android App).
They’re free!

Download Now

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This article is based on an excerpt from
the January 2014 issue of Forest Flower.
Pay what you want and download. (set
‘0’ for free). Print subscriptions are also
available.

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POSTED SADHGURU,
IN: MASTER'S
WORDS
TAGS: Adiyogi,
Shiva

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Join the discussion…

Paul • a year ago

Mankind is lucky to have u
around Guruji...:)
6 • Reply • Share ›

Cibi Singaravel S
• a year ago

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• a year ago
This is awesome sadhguru,
definitely we will stand by you,
in whatever ways possible :)
By the way, share the
graphical image of the bronze
statue soon !!
3 • Reply • Share ›

Philip • a year ago

Excuse me, I am little bit
confused by seeing that size
of the statue is 111 feet by 111
feet which disagrees with the
height of the staute i.e.
112feet. Sadhguru ,with all due
respects, can you throw light
upon this?
1 • Reply • Share ›

Senthil Kumar S
• a year ago
If we don't make this
opportunity given by Sadhguru
happening, we will be failing in
our primary duties. We all
stand with you Sadhguru.
1 • Reply • Share ›

Rajkumar • a year ago

can anybody share the
research of linga worship in
South America, Turkey, and
North Africa, and snake
worship all over the world
1 • Reply • Share ›

sanjeev >
Rajkumar
• a year ago
Do not worry,
Sadhguru is writing a
book in Adi-Yogi, I am
sure all this will be
covered in much more
authentic and true way
we can not even
imagine.
1 • Reply •
Share ›

Tarun B Agrawal
• a year ago
Namaskaram
Sadhguru..Thanks for sharing
insight into Adiyogi.. Your
vision is guiding light for us
Pranam
1 • Reply • Share ›

Ranjani • a year ago

Namaskaram....guide me and
bless me with the courage for
what I am destined to do
Sadhguru..who else knows it
better than you...This turmoil of
acting and vanity is hurting me
beyond words....!!!
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beyond words....!!!
1 • Reply • Share ›

KannanR • a year ago

What happened to the Linga
Bhairavi temple in Salem and
other places? Best of luck for
the projects.
1 • Reply • Share ›

Cibi Singaravel
S > KannanR
• 10 months ago
going in slow motion
with lack of fund :(
• Reply •
Share ›

Jaya • a year ago

Jai Ho!!! Sadhguru
1 • Reply • Share ›

nick • a month ago

certain sources in the "west"
are claiming that asanas are
only recent inventions, e.g 100
years or so, and borrow from
European gymnastic or
military exercises but this is
pure nonsense and it is done
in order to justify what the west
has done to the name yoga in
the last 20 years, basically
taken yoga and turned it into
what is called "McYoga" which
is turning yoga asana practice
into a real mess that we see in
the west today, which only
uses the name "yoga" and is
nothing but a purely "Ego"
driven physical practice, e.g.
just a physical activity and
Nothing spiritual about it. That
being said, Sadhguru keep up
the great work! peace...112ft
Adiyogi statues in every corner
of the world and every country!
:)
• Reply • Share ›

Karthikeyan
• 5 months ago
Very impressive article
sadhguru
• Reply • Share ›

nandha • 9 months ago

yes i do know why in
uttarkhand because J&K is too
much politics & conflict and
hence uttarkhand and not the
northernmost tip of our
country.
• Reply • Share ›

Ankit • a year ago

Can't wait for the book
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 Can't wait for the book
Sadguru!
• Reply • Share ›

USHA • a year ago

Thank you
Sadhguru.command us.and
we shall do what ever you say.
• Reply • Share ›

Shaalu • a year ago

I would like to stand for this ;-
• Reply • Share ›

prashant • a year ago

who is aadi yogi ?
• Reply • Share ›

Cibi Singaravel
S > prashant
• 10 months ago
The first yogi and the
first teacher of yoga ! (
aadhi - first ) : It is none
other than lord shiva!
• Reply •
Share ›

ghajabiram • a year ago

Let's behold the beholder!!
• Reply • Share ›

Prem • a year ago

i will put my 100% effort. we
will make it happen. i am very
lucky to say that i am also born
on 03 December as sadhguru
born on the same day.
• Reply • Share ›

Cibi Singaravel
S > Prem
• a year ago
no sadhguru's birthday
is on sept 3 !
• Reply •
Share ›

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