Just a Brief Life

Time is slipping away. Sadhguru reminds us that, though we cannot manage time itself, we can manage how we use it by investing our energy in what is most meaningful.

Yogi, mystic and visionary, Sadhguru is a spiritual master with a difference. An arresting blend of profundity and pragmatism, his life and work serves as a reminder that yoga is a contemporary science, vitally relevant to our times.

Transcript

You're just a piece of life,

Aren't you?

Are you?

No,

No,

No,

No,

That's not true.

You are a bundle of thoughts,

Emotions,

Ideas,

Opinions and prejudices right now,

Not a piece of life.

If you sat here just as a piece of life,

Not as a man,

Not as a woman,

Not as this,

Not as that,

Not as a thought,

Not as an emotion,

Just a piece of life,

This would naturally reverberate with the rest of the existence.

Right now you invested too much on little things like earning a living and having this and having that and missing everything.

Oh,

Should I not have this,

Should I not have that?

Having is not the problem,

Clinging is the problem,

Isn't it?

Having is not the problem,

What you have you become that after some time.

See,

Suppose this was your vessel,

It is not.

Suppose if this was your vessel and let us say this you inherited from your great-grandfather and it's made of gold.

None of this is true right now,

But suppose it is so,

If I have to hurt you,

I don't have to come and beat you,

All I have to do is do this.

That will go and it's happening to you.

Maybe you have not inherited a golden vessel from your great-grandfather,

But every little thing that you acquire is taking your life in some way,

Isn't it?

All these things we acquired thinking that these things will make our life,

See.

We got these gadgets because we thought it will make our life,

Right now this gadget has become a nuisance,

We can't keep our hands off it.

We're doing satsang,

Messaging somebody.

Communication,

Of course,

But not a communion.

So once you've come here,

You should not leave this place without knowing the full depth and dimension of what this life is about,

Isn't it?

Nobody should leave without knowing this because other things are subject to various realities.

We do not know whether you will get to run hundred meters in eight seconds,

What do you do?

You can't do that.

We do not know whether you'll climb Mount Everest or not.

We do not know whether you'll earn billion dollars or not,

But this much is possible.

You can explore the full depth and dimension of what this is because you don't need anybody's permission.

You don't need any kind of anything.

If you are willing,

It's there,

Isn't it?

You may be willing to climb Mount Everest,

But your lungs may not be ready,

Your legs may not be ready.

With this it's not like that.

It is not demanding any particular capability.

It is not demanding any particular situation,

Only your willingness.

But you see,

Your willingness comes in installments.

Nothing wrong.

If you had a 10,

000 year lifespan,

Nothing wrong.

Fortunately,

You don't have that because if you hung around for 10,

000 years,

Oh,

What a miserable world this will be,

Isn't it?

You may think whatever you want,

But it's good you have come with an expiry date.

Is it not good?

Have you noticed on a particular lay when you… when you are very joyful,

Twenty-four hours just went off like a moment?

You are miserable and depressed,

One day goes like a eon.

So only miserable people have a long life.

Miserable people,

Even if they live to be hundred,

It's too brief.

Before you know what's happening,

It'll be gone.

Really.

It gets over too fast.

But if you are miserable,

You will live long.

So it's a very brief life and whatever is of paramount importance to this life must happen at the earliest,

Not day after tomorrow,

Isn't it?

It must be today.

So the life process doesn't wait.

You need to understand your life is just a certain combination of time and energy.

Energy we can manage,

Time you cannot manage.

It's going away.

It doesn't matter.

You are awake,

You are asleep,

You are okay,

You are not okay,

You are happy,

You are miserable.

Going,

Going,

Going.

As I am talking,

You are two minutes closer to the grave.

Yes or no?

Time you cannot manage,

It's just going.

You can only manage your energy,

You can manage your activity.

How you make use of the time you can manage,

But you cannot manage time,

It's slipping away,

Isn't it?

So if you recognize that your life is just a certain amount of time and energy,

You would definitely invest your energy in a way it is most meaningful to this life,

Isn't it?

But if you do not understand this,

If you intentionally forgetful about the briefness of life and you go about as if you are eternal,

Yes,

You are eternal,

Aren't you?

On a daily basis you are not aware that life will end for me and it could be today.

Not to be terrified,

Just to be in tune with the fundamental facts of life,

That it is possible that our lives could end today,

Isn't it?

Possible?

We are not intending,

We are not seeking that,

But it's possible,

Isn't it?

If you miss this,

Then you'll miss your whole life.

If you do not understand that you have an expiry date and it is not even fixed like a pharmaceutical product that you have another two years to live,

It could be just about any time.

If you miss this one fundamental fact,

You are sure to miss your whole life because everything that's vital will be tomorrow and tomorrow never happens.

There is a certain superstition in South India,

Maybe it is here also,

Particularly in Karnataka,

Where on all the village homes in red paint it will be written,

Nalai Ba.

Nalai Ba means come tomorrow.

They write it in red paint because devils will come wanting to enter your house and they can see only red.

You didn't know this?

Because they are looking for your blood,

They can see only red color,

So it's painted in red bay… paint,

Nalai Ba.

Devil comes to your house and says,

Okay,

This house is tomorrow and goes away.

But the fact is most human beings have done this not to the devil but to the divine,

Nalai Ba.

If you have done it to the devil,

It's okay,

But you have done it to the divine,

Isn't it?

Tomorrow… We'll meditate tomorrow?

Yeah?

So knowing life is not some superhuman effort.

If you stop being some other rubbish and just become life,

Which is what you are,

Knowing life is not far away,

It's right here.

Reviews

A grounding, compassionate, realistic perspective on the impermanence of life. It is a blessing, not a curse. This was a wonderful talk to listen to as I struggled to find a moment of stillness inside the swirling grief of a dear friend suddenly passing away unexpectedly a few hours ago, leaving behind three young special needs homeschooled children and a husband so in love with her that he is in utter shock and panic. My husband (who was a former co-worker for many years of the husband) was with him at the hospital when she passed. We are both helping him and the family, but my husband was struggling to find words or concepts to share that might help steady him even a little bit. I will be sharing this with my husband. It may be helpful for him as well as my friend's family. Thank you so much for this. I see you and the light within you. Be well. 🤲🏻❤🤲🏻

I just lost a beautiful friend and she would want us all to live this way. Life is now❤️

This man’s insight astounds me. I love listening to what he has to say, I am taking it in and making an effort to apply it

Another beautiful set of thoughts to ponder.

Can listen to his easy communication of deep wisdom forever! Thank you !

Yes, the present moment...to its fullest, always. Namaste

Thank you for this reminder that life is divine.

Direct, no fanciful distractions

As always, wonderful. I could listen to his voice forever. Thank you and I'd love to see more talks from him.

Just wonderful. I worry and need to live without it , today. Great message. I tend to forget and miss today's joy. Thanks.

Another short powerful message

I want to hear that Master guide a meditation

Thank you for your wisdom. Love you

More wonderful wisdom.

So simple, so powerful

I love this so much. I needed to hear this today. THANK you.

Knowing LIFE! YES! 🌀🌀🌀 and a great part of it is humor 😆 ....I so enjoyed his! Thank you!

Not only good just by itself, but I like to listen to it before meditatimg