Talks and workshops
Neti Neti workshops
with Manu Vishranti · नेति नेति कार्यशालाएँ
Not this, not this. A meditation workshop for companies, colleges and communities: write a line you hold true, set a verse beside it, and see what remains. In person across India, in Hindi or English.
How a workshop runs
The method is the one his meditation diary was written in: every day, one line of his own, one verse beside it, and what remained.
- Your line
Each person writes one sentence they hold true: about work, fear, time, or themselves. Nobody has to read it out.
- A verse that answers
The line meets a verse from the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras or another old text, with its number and a plain meaning. The verse may agree, disagree or turn the line around. It is opened to test the thought, not to worship.
- Not this, not this
A guided practice sets aside, one by one, what you are not: the role, the worry, the passing thought.
- What remains
Each person writes what is left of their line, and takes the page home.
Neti neti, not this, not this, is the teaching of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.3.6). Where the phrase comes from.
Four formats
Every format is in person, and every one ends with something written in your own hand.
- The talk75 to 90 minutes · Best for up to 500 people
A talk on neti neti with one short guided practice. For an auditorium, an induction, an annual day or a festival.
₹25,000 for colleges and communities, ₹50,000 for companies - The workshopA half day, about 3 hours · Best for up to 40 people
The whole method, with writing. Everyone writes a line, meets a verse, practises, and leaves with a page of their own.
₹75,000; ₹56,250 for education and non-profits - The dayAbout 6 hours, with breaks · Best for up to 30 people
Two themes in one day, a longer practice, and time to talk through what came up.
₹1,25,000; ₹93,750 for education and non-profits - The seriesFive sessions, weekly or monthly · Best for up to 40 people
One session for each of the five themes, across a college term or three months at work.
₹2,50,000; ₹1,87,500 for education and non-profits
Two more, the leadership circle and the year with Neti Neti, and everything each package includes: the packages.
Five themes, from the five volumes
Each theme is one volume of the Neti Neti study edition. A workshop takes one; the day takes two; the series takes all five.
- Volume 1Death and timeDeadlines, ageing, loss, and the feeling that there is never enough time.Any group. The series opens here.
- Volume 2Shadow, breath and fearThe fears nobody says out loud: of exams, of failing, of being seen.Students, and anyone facing a big test.
- Volume 3Light, self and soundWhere attention goes, and who it is that notices.Teams that need focus, and teachers.
- Volume 4Dimensions and wordsHow the words we use decide what we are able to see and say.People who speak, teach or write for a living.
- Volume 5Work, home and hurtAmbition, pressure, family, and the hurt we carry from one to the other.Companies and working people.
Who it is for
Teams, leaders and HR groups.
Suggested: The workshop or the series, on Work, home and hurt, or Light, self and sound.
Students, departments, NSS and NCC units, and teachers.
Suggested: The talk for an auditorium, or the series across a term, starting with Shadow, breath and fear.
Clubs, NGOs, reading groups, residential societies and festivals.
Suggested: The talk or the day, on Death and time.
About the speaker
Manu Vishranti is the pen name of Manav Sharma. He took a master's degree in computer applications at Panjab University, built two technology companies, and then closed his company to spend years with the Vedas, the Puranas, Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita. Neti Neti is his own meditation diary: a line from his notebook each day, a verse beside it, and what remained. Its study edition runs to five volumes, 40 chapters and 119 questions. He is also the author of The Five Wounds, five novels in English.
- NCC Senior Under Officer; one of twenty cadets in India chosen for the NCC expedition to Bhagirathi II, 2008
- National Youth Award 2009, Swami Vivekananda Study Circle
- Panjab University Campus Colour in Chess, 2011-12
- Has taught mathematics, science and computers, and spoken to students at RIMT University, Punjab, on technology and careers
- Since 2018 with a company in Mohali, first as a business consultant, so the pressures of work are known to him from the inside
His life, in full: the life of Manu Vishranti.
A short bio for your poster or invitation
Manu Vishranti (Manav Sharma) is a meditator, writer and researcher. He is the author of Neti Neti, a Hindi meditation diary in four parts with a five volume study edition, and of The Five Wounds, five novels in English. A computer applications postgraduate from Panjab University who built two technology companies, he turned to India's old texts and has studied them since. His Neti Neti workshops set a line of one's own beside a verse, and ask what remains.
Before you invite him
- Where
- In person, anywhere in India. Outside North India, the host arranges travel and stay.
- Language
- Hindi or English, or both, as the group prefers.
- Fees
- From ₹25,000 for a talk to ₹5,00,000 for a year, each with books for the group: see the packages.
- The room
- A quiet room, chairs or floor mats, a microphone for groups over 40, and paper and pens for everyone. No screen is needed.
- Notice
- The earlier the better; four to six weeks helps.
- Not therapy
- These are sessions of reflection and meditation. They do not replace medical or mental health care.
Invite Manu Vishranti
Tell him about your group and your dates. He replies by email with dates and a quote.
Booking
Questions organisers ask
What is a Neti Neti workshop?
A session in which each person writes a line they hold true, meets a verse from an old Indian text that answers it, practises setting aside what they are not, and writes what remains. It follows Manu Vishranti's meditation diary, Neti Neti.
What does neti neti mean?
Not this, not this. The phrase comes from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.3.6), where it points to what cannot be held in any name or form.
Is it religious?
No ritual, chanting or belief is asked of anyone. Verses are opened to test a thought, not to worship, and people of any faith or none take part.
Do people need meditation experience?
No. The practice is guided from the first step.
Is it in Hindi or English?
Either, or both, as the group prefers.
Are the workshops held online?
No. They are held in person, anywhere in India.
How many people can take part?
The talk works for up to 500 people. The workshop and the series are best with up to 40, and the day with up to 30, because everyone writes.
How much does a workshop cost?
There are six packages, from ₹25,000 for a talk at a college or community to ₹5,00,000 for a year at an institution. Every package includes the Neti Neti study volumes for the group. Colleges and non-profits pay 25% less for the workshop, the day and the series.
How do we book Manu Vishranti?
Fill in the request form on this page. He replies by email to settle the date and the details.
Who is Manu Vishranti?
The pen name of Manav Sharma, a meditator, writer and researcher, and the author of Neti Neti and The Five Wounds.