During a retreat at the Isha Yoga Center, Sadhguru galvanized a group of social media influencers to leverage their platforms for positive transformation in the world. He explained why this moment in human history presents an exceptional chance to reach out to a global audience and help create a Conscious Planet.
Sadhguru: Namaskaram. It is wonderful to have all of you here. Probably, if it was 25 years ago, you would have been slogging in some office, doing things that you may or may not care for. What does it mean to be a social media influencer? We are the first generation who, if we have something sensible to say, can make the world listen to us. This is not a small thing. Never before in the history of humanity has it been possible for someone to talk to the whole world.
Many great beings have come in the past, but when they spoke, only a few people heard them. Out of those, half the people misinterpreted what they said, some did not understand what they were talking about, and only very few may have gotten it. Now is the first time in the history of humanity that we can sit here and talk to the world. Do not underestimate that. This is not just to spread a fad or a fashion, or do this and that. This is an instrument to transform the world.
Transformation does not mean making everyone the way you want. It is important to know that. Most human beings are not the way they want to be. If they become the way you want, it is not a good thing. That is called fascism. That is not transformation. They must become the way they want to be. To ascertain what this means, suppose you were given the choice to either live in an ecstatic manner every moment of your life, or be down all the time – what would your choice be?
You would choose to be ecstatic. The problem is you have never asked yourself this question. If you had the choice, would you not choose the highest level of pleasantness for yourself? But most people on the planet have simply given up on that. They think it is not possible here. This is why they created the idea of heaven. In my mind, the idea of heaven is the greatest crime against humanity.
If you want to live well, this is the place. Those who have made themselves incapable of living well here and are doing their best to ensure that no one else can live well either, have created another place where everyone is supposed to be living in a fantastic way. If such a fantastic place exists, why have they not gone there? They have not gone there because they want you to go. That being said, this is the first time in the history of humanity that any sensible, caring human being can transform the world.
It does not require power, being elected, or being born to a king – you can be a “nobody,” and still have the ability to transform the world. This should not be underestimated. This is the greatest power that we have ever had in terms of human transformation. Probably all of you have heard of the Save Soil movement, which is just one outcome of what we call Conscious Planet. This year, 2023, we will be focusing our efforts on enhancing the footprint of Conscious Planet. Conscious Planet is not an organization or a group of people – it is all of you.
There is no point in each one of us trying to achieve something on our own. Only if we, as a generation, work together to achieve something, will genuine benefits occur. People think there are many problems in the world, but there is really only one problem: the human being. Why has the human being become a problem? In terms of evolutionary sciences, we are the peak of evolution. We are literally at the top of the world compared to all other creatures – we are the most intelligent, competent, and capable creature on the planet. Some of you may disagree, and that is all right.
The reason why human intelligence and possibility have become a problem is because when they are handled unconsciously, instinctively, and compulsively, it spells disaster. This intelligence and capability will be a solution and a great possibility only if it finds conscious expression. Otherwise, it is a great disaster. As more and more people become empowered, disasters will unfold in a huge way. A major disaster, as you know, is soil, ecology, and climate change.
Another major disaster is that human beings are crumbling within themselves. We could label all these issues as “mental illness.” The amount of mental torture that human beings are going through within themselves on a daily basis is unbelievable, even for those who, on the outside, are doing reasonably well and are successful. This is mainly because they are trying to handle their intelligence without the necessary consciousness. Whatever we may think, essentially, all of us are looking for the same thing: the highest level of pleasantness and ecstasy. Do not ask for this in the marketplace – they will give you something else.
It is essential that we become a more conscious population. Otherwise, there will be no solution for us. We humans are already the biggest problem on the planet. No other species causes such problems. Humans are the most intelligent and competent species on the planet, which is a tremendous possibility. But it has become a problem because we are handling things unconsciously rather than consciously. So, we will bring Conscious Planet in a big way to the world.
The important thing right now is to increase the reach of people who are committed to a more conscious world so that when we speak, the entire world will listen. This is the first time in history that this is possible. In our time, if we do not do what we can do, I consider that a disaster. My intent is that we as a generation should not become a disaster.
