Questioner: In Native American cultures they believe animal spirits play a role in human life. What is your understanding of the nature of the relationship between human energy and animal energy?
Sadhguru: See, in certain occult sciences, there are certain things that one can do. But, those things are seen as totally unnecessary in the spiritual realm. In the yogic realm, these are seen as totally unnecessary and a backward step.
In terms of occult, these things are done. Recently when we were trekking in Nepal, we came across a valley like this. Where some Neapli tribes are doing occult like this with animals. And, these are very powerful processes. But, these things were meaningful, or useful, before modern technology came, because you could do certain things.
There is a whole tradition of Shamanism, where it is – even today there is any amount of talk about how a Native American Shaman becomes an Eagle, becomes a Fly, becomes a Wolf. Transforms himself into some other form, and gets there, and all this. So, these are not just stories. It is very much a possibility that one can transform his form, if he wishes to.
People taking on the form that they wish according to their convenience is not a new thing
So, about people taking on the form that they wish according to their convenience is not a new thing, or it’s not an unheard of thing. Almost in every part of the world, it is there. Particularly it is being publicised in a big way about the North American, and South Americans Shamans, these days. About Shamans becoming Eagle and becoming Wolf – these two forms are very common for them. That was not unheard of here. But, it was looked down upon, in this culture. There it is being looked upto. Because this is not spirituality. This is occult.
Here, our occult scientists – I call them scientists, because they are that kind. They don’t bother to convert themselves into a bird or an animal. Because risk – because when you take on the form of something else, this body has to be preserved. And, it can always be misused. So, there have been incidents where somebody left his body here in some safety, and let’s say became an Eagle and flew for some time. But when the Eagle came back, the body is gone. Now, what does the Eagle do? A Eagle comes here and says – I’m a Yogi! Pathetic state, isn’t it?
Because you can not fly, you think being an Eagle is a big thing. Being a Eagle is not a big thing. Though he flies high, he is only looking down, all the time. It is better to sit here and look up, rather than go up and look down. Really.
So, here, the occult scientists evolved other kinds of methods. That is, they themselves do not take on other forms. They pick other forms and make the forms work in a certain way. They will take a certain animal – usually, one thing that is heavily used is a chicken. Oh, you think that’s a waste!
A remote controlled chicken is better than you becoming a chicken
You know, the chicken has to be young and vibrant. Uncooked! So, release the chickens life, and use their life form to do certain things for you. Rather than you taking on the chicken’s body, you make the chicken do things, controlled by… Remote controlled chicken, alright! A remote controlled chicken is better than you becoming a chicken, isn’t it? Because, you becoming a chicken, there is a risk. You left your body and went – you went out as a chicken and tried to do something and you’ve become somebody’s tandoori!
So, they evolved better, more sophisticated methods to deal with the same things. So, yes – the occult sciences have many aspects to it. One veda is dedicated towards this. Atharvana Veda is all about this. If you want to practice certain things, we could – but we don’t allow such things here. Because what’s the point! All that will happen is that you will get into more serious levels of ignorance. If you could change 2 bodies – this and that – you will get more entangled in the process of life than you are right now. It’s the sheer power of it – destroys you in so many ways.
Occult was a very useful process when there was no modern technology
Occult was a very useful process when there was no modern technology. They used it as an access to the physical world in certain ways. But it involves so much of struggle to get there. But today occult is not so meaningful anymore because almost everything that occult could do, and more, modern technology is doing. You just have to send out a drone, or turn on your television, or just your phone screen will tell you everything that you want to know.
So, you want to know where the rain clouds are – so you had to do something. Now it’s not necessary, just the weather channel. I’m saying, it’s unnecessary effort. So, it’s better to focus on you evolving beyond your animal nature, rather than developing a relationship with animal nature. How to get rid of the animal within you – that’s my work! Not how to connect you with animals.
