If you notice then you will see that the volunteers are a little different in Isha from other places. Indeed volunteering is all about willingness but because of the process that has been set by Isha makes its volunteer more willing, joyful, a sense of responsibility, a sense of acceptance.
There was a time when Sadhguru wanted no rules in the Ashram, during dhyanalinga building days people used to come in weekends and go by Monday morning.
Many people were contributing in many different ways but as the Ashram grew, it was difficult for people to grasp what is going around here.
Then it became important to spell out the foundational rules of how to be. The rules of the Ashram are not about what you need to do or not to do. Of course there is one aspect but the core of this logic is if you know how to be then you will obviously know what to do.
Many times it has happened to me that when I bump into someone near Biksha hall, the other person end up saying sorry. I feel why would he or she say sorry when I bumped into him or her. It happened many times. That is because of Inner Engineering.
The way of the ashram is the extension of the rules of Inner engineering. This is the best place to use the tools of Inner engineering and that is what people come here to do.
That is when the question comes into pictures if you have not learn the fundamental rules what would you do here? You don’t have the tools what would you practice here. Unless you have something, you can’t work upon yourself, you will be lost.
There is a systematic schedule for all in the Ashram which includes a sadhana part as well if you have not completed Sambhavi then you have nothing to do. You need atleast one Sadhana to practice every day.
You may think, if I have learnt some sadhana from other guru I can do that. But still you don’t have the tools of Inner Engineering. That is why there is this program which becomes prerequisite for volunteering in Isha yoga center.
I thought it is about the commitment of the volunteers but they can be committed also but still they need to learn the fundamental of inner Engineering which we use as ground rule for living in the Ashram.
Does that means if someone has not done Sambhavi won’t be able to do the Volunteering in the Ashram.
There are no such thing, Isha understand that volunteering is about willingness. So, if someone is in the ashram and wants to volunteer then they ask people to serve in the Biksha hall, which is one of the most fulfilling experience. People do pranadanam a process to become a part of it but one can directly go to Biksha hall and start serving.
Technically, one can volunteer without Inner Engineering but unofficially and temporary, to be a official volunteer and live in the space, offer yourself fully into the process of service then Inner Engineering is must.
I hope now you know why they ask you to do it.
(* Information received from the trusted source but wrote in my words, this should not be considered as official statement)