Elephant and Donkey Tribes of Politics
India Currents|November 2016

The Motorcycle Guru Speaks.

Supriya Venkatesan
Elephant and Donkey Tribes of Politics

Recently, I interviewed the New York Times bestselling writer and mystic, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would being in the presence of a realized soul awaken my own intelligence, and would I be able to impart that experience to my readers?

I waited in a hotel that bordered Central Park in New York. He walked in wearing a kurta, a draped shawl with a massive turban looking just like his pictures on the Internet, many of which depict him flying on a motorcycle giving him the name “motorcycle guru.” Aside from the attire, he seemed like other mortals: I sensed no halo or special vibes. He touched my arm and asked me to move closer, an invitation to intimacy that I was unprepared for. Mildly taken aback, I suddenly remembered the fresh flowers and the woolen shawl that I had brought as gifts. My cousin-in-law who is a devotee had advised that I take these to show my respect.

This story is from the November 2016 edition of India Currents.

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This story is from the November 2016 edition of India Currents.

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