Will the practice of meditation by sannyasins and friends be enough to change the world?

Osho, you know that right now the world is abuzz with talk of war. What can each of us do to avert this danger?

In one sense this is good, because we will have to decide. Only in moments of such danger do people decide; otherwise they don’t. When life itself is at stake, then decisions are made. Now life is at stake. Before this century ends, the world will have to decide: if you want war, let nations continue; if you do not, bid nations farewell. Once nations are gone, India need not keep an army—against whom would it keep one? Pakistan need not keep an army—against whom? And right now armies are devouring everything. Seventy percent of the world’s wealth is eaten up by armies. This world could become a paradise. Just imagine if that seventy percent were invested in productive work, and these idle people who do nothing all day but drill—foolishness! Left turn! Right turn! What is the point of left turn and right turn? Why on earth are you…

Everything is perfect, but also, the third world was is coming. You say: do not try to change the world -- but just outside the ashram gate, a beggar's child looks like he is nearly starving. What to do?

I know there is poverty, there are beggars, but what to do? Whatsoever you do is not going to help. Down through the centuries, people have been serving people, donating, giving money, clothes, food; much philanthropy has been there, but nothing has happened. Then there have been communist countries where they saw that religion had failed. In fact, religion has never been tried, but it looks as if religion had failed because these people are thought to be `religious people': those who donate, give charity, and do things like that. These are not religious people, these are guilty people. They feel guilt. When a person accumulates too much money he starts feeling guilty. Now he has to do something to unburden his guilt, so he gives to charities. This is just to console his own conscience. It happened: Andrew Carnegie had donated to many libraries, to many colleges, to many…

In all these years, many people came to you, many have left again. You once said that if two percent of the world's population start to meditate this world would be saved. Will your sannyasins and friends be enough to turn the wheel around?

Hassids have created a different story which is not included in Jewish scriptures, because Hassids are thought to be rebellious people. They are; they have their own way of explaining things. They also say that these two cities became so perverted that God decided to destroy them. But one Hassid, a great mystic, lived in one of those cities. He went to God and said, "Before you decide you have to answer a few of my questions." The mystic asked, "In Gomorrah there are one hundred thousand people, and the same is the population of Sodom. But I know that each city has one hundred tremendously good people, and you are going to destroy both these cities. What about those one hundred good people in each city? Two hundred good people whom you have nothing against will be destroyed because others have been doing perverted acts. I was thinking that…

My whole effort in introducing a new concept of sannyas, is to bring to the world that which for centuries we have been thinking can only be gained in the monastery, in the cave, away from the world. Because of that idea, humanity became divided into two parts -- the worldly and the other-worldly, the religious and the irreligious. And of course, if silence can only be attained in the loneliness of the himalayas and the alps, then the whole world cannot go there. If the whole world goes there then there will be no silence either. Only a few people can escape. So the whole world will never become religious that way. That s how the world is not religious. I would like to change this whole idea. You can become silent, you can become prayerful, meditative -- in the world. Then the whole world can become religious.

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.