How close are we to finding two hundred enlightened people who can nullify the forces that could start a third world war?

Beloved Osho, once you said that two hundred enlightened people would create an energy that could nullify the forces that can start a third world war. How close are you to finding the two hundred?

I am very close. But many things have changed in the meantime. One thing is certain, that we will be able to produce two hundred enlightened people and prevent the third world war. The question which has arisen in the meantime -- that is where I become unpredictable -- is whether we would like to prevent the third world war. Is it worth preventing these idiots continuing? Will it not be better that the idiots fight and destroy each other and very few people are left in the world to start from scratch? Nobody has thought about it, but my feeling is that it may be an existential necessity: humanity has arrived at such ugly, inhuman, and poisonous ways that it is better then to let it be finished. Why bother to protect Ronald Reagan? I don't see the point. So this is something of great importance -- why not…

Everything is going perfectly right as it should go. Even if governments start torturing sannyasins, it is perfectly right. That's how steel is created out of man, and that's how their potential gets the challenge. So we are in a better condition after this American experience. And we are going to change the world because there is nobody else to do it. Either the world will die or we will change it. These are the only two alternatives the world can choose. And I don't think anybody will choose to die. IN THE SAME CONTEXT, OSHO, WOULD YOU THINK THAT IF TWO HUNDRED ENLIGHTENED PEOPLE ARE PLACED AROUND THE WORLD, THE THIRD WORLD WAR COULD BE AVOIDED? He is right. And I am working on the same number, two hundred is perfect. And we are coming closer.

A sannyasin is surprised every moment because he was not hoping that anything was going to happen. He had not even given a thought to it. He was so involved in his action that there was no space for anything. But when the moment and the action are finished, he is surprised that something great and beautiful has arisen out of it. My sannyasin will never feel miserable, never feel disappointed. The man who works with the idea of purpose in mind is always miserable. The proverb is significant: Man proposes, God disposes. God may not exist, but the proverb has a truth in it. The truth is, the more you propose, the more you will feel disappointment. You can dump that on the head of God -- who does not exist so he cannot deny it: "I have not disposed of anything.

Sannyas was simply to make a point to the world, that I am not alone. You cannot crush me. If you crush me remember, there are one million sannysins around. You crucified Jesus. He had only twelve disciples, and all idiots. I have one million people with me, and all the best, the most intelligent people. Crucify me, and you will see that the whole world turns towards me. But even if they don't crucify me, what I am proposing is so clear, so rational, that they cannot deceive people long enough. They may be able to deceive the old people, but they cannot deceive the intelligent people and the young people.

Beloved Osho, in the last few weeks you have been talking a lot about the world running fast towards a dead end, without showing any more hope that things will ever change. On the other hand, up to one month ago, you talked on the possibility that the presence of two hundred enlightened people, or even one, could save the world. Why this shift of emphasis? Did you give up on the other possibility? Did something happen within the last few weeks that made your vision change?

And even Christians don't know what he has told them. The last night before he was caught they were in the mountains and he told his disciples, "This may be the last night we are together, and I am going to do my prayer. While I am praying behind the bush you should remain awake. It is absolutely essential, to support my prayer, that you are awake. Don't fall asleep." In the middle of his prayer he came back -- and almost all were fast asleep. He woke them up and said, "Have you not heard me? I had told you, you have to remain awake. Can't you remain awake just one night? -- because I will not be here with you again. Even my death tomorrow cannot help you to remain awake?" They were very sorry. They said they would try, and he went again. This went on four,…