“We have also to ask ourselves the question:
What do we want our (teacher training) students to be equipped to do?
– Personal Practice.
– Training Work.
– Supervision.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“We need to find a balance between the demand and the capacity.
It needs careful reflection if we want this great teaching to continue.
If we don’t want it to become another museum we have to check our work and care for the future.
Many organisations with a vertical structure have collapsed.
Our structure must not be vertical.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“I don’t think any system, even though it has all the possibilities,
has all the answers, for all of the people, for all of the time.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“Saṃkalpa is mainly the intention to do something,
to be serious about my goal; it is something I feel I must do.
Saṃkalpa must be on both parts: student and teacher,
like when we chant ‘saha nāvavatu…’.
Saṃskāra means the purification,
like cleaning a vessel before I use it for another purpose.
It’s a kind of Viyoga or separation.
It concerns how I prepare for the situation.
The Saṃskāra is an effort in both directions: student and teacher.
Saṃyoga means there is a good exchange;
something begins to happen, something is given and something is received.
The best teaching has all three of these.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“We should be careful if we feel very enthusiastic,
because it could distort the spirit of the teaching.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“How do you measure if something is important?”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“If you don’t know your strength,
then you can be easily influenced.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“Saṃkalpa is a serious intention between and both from teacher and student.
The less the depth of Saṃkalpa, the less the depth of what follows.
Once this is there what is required is Saṃskāra.
Saṃskāra is to remove the obstacles.
In a way it is Viyoga, so that certain things that get in the way are put aside.
Saṃskāra is like cleaning a vessel before you cook.
Saṃyoga is where something begins to happen.
The accumulation of what begins to happen between teacher and student is Saṃyoga.
Proportionate to the quality of the three, the output will be different”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“The more they (the student) like you,
the more they become attached.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“If you feel the strength,
you’ll find the way.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“You must have teachers who will have supervision to respond in the following fields:
Health, Psychology and Spirituality.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“If the Saṅga is at the Puruṣa level it will stay;
if it is at the Prakṛti level it will change.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“The Indian culture says:
‘Dharma will protect the one who protects the Dharma‘.
If you serve something it will serve you.
The more I honour the other person
the better will be the response,
of course it may take some time.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998