Synopsis: What worries you the most about the youth of tomorrow?  

Synopsis: My question is actually also about identity. You’ve spoken about the need or benefit of detaching from a biological identity. And I’m curious, I think there’s a lot of people in the room and this question came up again and again. If somebody wants to act positively in society, there’s an instinct to start from the biological community, from the people that you...

Synopsis: My question is about this idea of a cosmic or global identity. I think it’s no secret that many of us here, no matter where we came from before this, we now have a certain level of privilege studying in a place like Columbia. And I think, I’m confused as to whether this notion of a global or a cosmic identity almost is predicated on a sense of privilege. And that...

Synopsis: There’s so much suffering in the world. Like when I travel on work, or otherwise, one observes that on one hand there is lack of basic peace, or there is so much violence. And on the other hand, there is even a lack of basic resources and abject poverty. So I would be curious to hear your perspective on, why does every single person have such different starting points...

Synopsis: So, I understand, you know, the pursuit of freedom and justice. But oftentimes what I’ve dealt with in regards to religion, I grew up Catholic, I’m Catholic, is it’s view and limited acceptance of the lgbtq community. And the fact that I am lgbtq, and just trying to understand how I fit in. And oftentimes I was not accepted. It depended on how progressive a church...

Synopsis: What role can we play, when people aren’t as enlightened as the people in this room? We can’t really make the same connections as you because we do agency. Right, we are people that want to make a difference and are willing to kind of have the courage to, I guess, have compassion or pity, depending on the mood we’re in. How do we do this? Because that’s something...

Synopsis: Politics. In America we’re more and more divided than before and quite polarised. For me, this is something that troubles me. As someone who has some less than popular opinion sometimes, I’m conscious of how I’m received. Because of people who are passionate about these identities. How can I and others that share, I guess, my desire to bring people together in...

Synopsis: When it comes to purpose, what has defined what your purpose is in this world? As it has led to you being here at Columbia Business School in the youth and truth program. But, as well as if you have any words for other people in the audience or just me, would be fine as well. Around, how do we find purpose in this world?  

Synopsis: So Sadhguru, you said that we should not be the problem but a part of the solution. And I know that you are so committed and concerned about the rivers of our country. And you also basically try to engage the country, youth, various parts of the society. To really understand what this issue is, how successful have you been up to now in getting people to understand why...

Synopsis: Sadhguru, there is a growing concern that we have become an intolerant society. Have we really become intolerant?  

Synopsis: I feel a compulsion to entertain people. Does that make any sense to you?  

Synopsis: I feel technology is constantly evolving. And I have a feeling that mobile phones have really changed the way we are. You know it’s having a huge bearing on pretty much everything. It’s permeating everything. Social media, mobile phones, this kind of technology. Like sometimes I wonder, were human beings ever meant to communicate like this? Like I could be hanging...

Synopsis: My question is, why do people lie all the time?  

Synopsis: My question is about India. India currently is a shining star on the global map, its economy is thriving, people are flourishing. All things are great, and going good. And in the last four and a half years, we’ve seen a serious government which is taking us into this development path. But my question is about this gruesome, you know, horrible act that happened yesterday...

Synopsis: Since this auditorium is filled with Indian expats. So one of the questions we wanted to ask was how do you recommend that we, the Indian youth here in the US, start thinking about contributing back to India while they are living their American dream. Because these two pursuits are very diverse, they might not coincide.   

Synopsis: So the summary of that will be that, as people, we choose to learn those things that we think have value in it, not things that transform them. Correct? So how do you suggest that one can expand his or her horizon to see beyond what his/her logic tells them to do or not do?  

Synopsis: As we graduate from school and leave university, and go into the corporate world. A lot of people follow their passion and take an unconventional path. My question is, should you do what you love, or should you love what you do?  

Synopsis: My question is regarding, because I’ve been following most of your videos. So, you always mention a need for collaboration of other people to be successful. You always mention that, to be successful, that’s the only time that we need the collaboration of other people. For other things, like our energy and our emotions, everything can come from within. My question...

Synopsis: My question is, what, on an individual level, can we do about water wastage?  

Synopsis: Tell me, you also mentioned that your first visit here, your trip to Australia. And, my first impression of India was that there are a lot of people. And there’s also, in India because there are so many people, there is so much energy. Human energy. Chances are, that if you’re having a bad day, it’s like the whole India is having a bad day. Because there is so...

Synopsis: Tell me this then, if our strength is only in our intelligence, why are we making such dismal decisions? As a humanity. Why can we honestly say that history does repeat itself? And we’re talking about all sorts of global atrocities. If we’re so intelligent, if that is our strength, which I agree 100% with you on. The fact is we’ve got boundaries in terms of our...

Synopsis: Let’s focus for a second on collaboration, because as an individual, I can take it that the Isha Foundation is something which is now a global movement. So talk to me about the spirit of collaboration. I mean, how you’ve developed, built these organisms like a human body that. You might describe yourself as, maybe a platelet within the human body. You know, there’s...

Synopsis: I would like to know your opinion on present day art. Like, the modern art, the films, the videos. And its influence on the present day generation.   

Synopsis: Speaking about how it is very important to realize about life and death. So, because I did not decide to be born. A lot of us, we did not decide to be born. But certain countries have taken up this issue of euthanasia very seriously. And they have legalized this, pulling off the plug. So do...

Synopsis: I’m sure many of my friends will relate to this question. We find no purpose in what we’re studying. And we feel we’re studying just for the sake of marks. We feel, most of the time, we regret the decisions we have made. We feel trapped sitting inside the classroom. We want to go outside, explore the world, learn, and do a lot of things outside the classroom. But...

Synopsis: I, being a law student, give a lot of importance to the rights that I possess. Which is, basically the fundamental rights, that’s what we’re talking about here. So I think I should probably be allowed to sleep during classes because that comes under Article 21, right to life and liberty. But, I also have a sense of responsibility, that I should stay awake and focus...

Synopsis: I just wanted to ask you about how we can contribute back to society and give back? Because everyone keeps talking about contributing and contributing, but it’s really hard for each person to come up. I just want to hear your thoughts on that. 

Synopsis: I personally feel, Sadhguru, that there’s this phenomenon of castration anxiety in India. Castration anxiety, something related to male ego. We see that this male ego has been somewhere hidden behind rapes that happen, sexual harassment that happens. A lot of gender disparity. I wouldn’t say this is the only reason, but somewhere hidden behind. And we never address...

Synopsis: For a woman who chooses not to be a mother. So she has chosen you as an advocate for her case. And you have to fight the case. What are the arguments that you would give for a woman who doesn’t want to bear a child?

Synopsis: My question today is, in the world that we live in today, there exists a multitude of paths to traverse, both, spiritually and religiously. For instance, in Hinduism, there is both, Veda and Vedanta. I can make a conscious choice as to what I would like to take up. But I’m confused. As a millennial I’m really doubting if a ritualistic approach is relevant today....

Synopsis: I am interested in, or I learn, Carnatic music in my pass time. Around the same time, last year, 2013, there was a controversy that broke out about four Carnatic musicians, famous ones, who sang kritis, which were not related to Hinduism or Jesus Christ. The common folk believe that Carnatic music is sacred of Hindu origin and should remain so. My question is, is Carnatic...

Synopsis: Shouldn’t this be the government’s job? Why should I pay 42 rupees when I already pay taxes? I don’t even live near Chennai. 

Synopsis: So Sadhguru, speaking of Chennai and change. All of us here are undergoing one of the biggest changes in our lives. Because up until now, we haven’t really faced the shortage of a basic necessity, that is like, water, or food, or shelter. But now Chennai is facing one of the biggest water crises, I think in history. Where they predict in 10 years the city’s going...

Synopsis: I consider myself very against littering. So what I do is, I generally take all my trash and I put it in my bag. At the end of the day I go to the trash can and I dump it there. And it hurts me when I see someone else littering. In this case, I’m taking a selfless effort to make the world a better place. And that effort is made worthless because of one selfish person....

Synopsis: It feels like at every point in human history, for society, there’s always been this one challenge or one recurring. For instance, for most of human history, a society’s main issue would have been to protect itself from outsiders. In my opinion, right now, humanity’s or society’s issue is climate change or nuclear war. So, it feels like solving this has been...

Synopsis: A significant population in our world identifies as religious. And they do so for a number of reasons. Some of them say it is for peace, or a way of life, or some direction. And they bring up their children with religion. They sort of imbibe values and principles using religion as a channel. But on the other hand, we have some people whose values are so deeply entrenched...

Transcript: The idea that we need to protect this planet itself is a convoluted idea. Because it is not because of us that the planet is there, it is because of the planet we are there. Even to think, me and the planet, is a completely wrong notion because what you call as myself, the physical presence of who you are, is just an outcrop of this planet. Whatever you experience as a part of yourself, with that,...

Transcript: Truth is a natural happening. If you invent it, that's called a lie. Truth is not something that you invent, truth is something that you realize. Lie is something that you invent. So you don't have to say truthfully, naturally, what is natural is truth. So should one follow the precepts of the past or should one come to something new? There should not be a compulsion about breaking the rules of the...

Transcript: This 60s business. The beauty about this is, a whole generation, at least a part of the generation, realized the existing society here, whatever they're talking about, they knew nothing. Stupid people talking all kinds of nonsense with great confidence. Not just about the world, about the other world, and the heaven, and the hierarchy in the heaven, everything they're talking but they don't know a...

Transcript: See, we have a biology, we cannot put it under the carpet. It's there. It's best we address it for what it is. But right now the problem in the world is, because certain religious institutions in the world took this attitude, that the very biology of the human being is wrong. Because of this, culture started hiding it under the carpet. Well in this culture we never had it, but after the British came...

Transcript: I want to know truth about our Indian caste system. How can we ensure more inclusiveness and equality? Namaskaram Viru. This system essentially began as division of labour. For a society to function, a certain number of people in the population must do variety of skills and artisans. Somebody should take care of administration somebody should take care of education and spiritual process for the community....

Transcript: This too much of man-woman thing is being done, unfortunately. It's a small biological difference, to serve a certain purpose. We all are here today because of this difference. Yes? So we don't have to treat women like separate species. There was a time when the world was such that, a woman couldn't really go out and do much because of the nature of the world around. Suppose, right now, you know, I...

Transcript: You said, today young people have relationships. Unfortunately, you have come to a place where you think that a relationship means it must be body-based. There must be something biologically involved. Biology is a part of our life. The significance of becoming human, compared to other creatures is, they're complete biology. We are only part biology. We have other dimensions to us. We have an intelligence,...

Transcript: When we say, sexuality, let's understand this. It is something nature has put in us. Because there is something called as perpetuation of the race, or the species, otherwise it won't happen. Of course, we being human beings, having more brains than body. Supposed to. Because of that, we kind of eliminated the reproductive part and just using the pleasure part of it. Alright? This is sexuality right...

Synopsis: When we’re all in this journey of life, we tend to set a lot of short-term goals. And when we don’t achieve them, we don’t know how to deal with failure. And that is something we deal with a lot at UofT in specific. But, in that moment when we can look back and say, ya this is fine. But in that moment, how do we hold our ground and how do we learn to see the bigger...

Synopsis: So, I’m a diaspora, I’m Canadian born, my family is from Tanzania but originally from Gujarat. So I’ve always struggled to identify who I am in the Canadian context. So when I went to school, I had to eat my lunch. So I would take my butter chicken and go on the side because I didn’t want my white friends to smell my food. But when I was with my family at a mosque,...

Synopsis: My question is why do we do pooja? Or, any kind of ritual in our Hindu religion?

Synopsis: How do we counter-balance the power of social structures put on by popular culture? It feels like it sometimes holds youth in ignorance and has them carry out a sweet perception of self-worth. And can also lead people to destructive behaviours, drugs, and alcohol, because it’s ‘cool’. This is the most common thing amongst us young people. Marijuana, alcohol, bad...

Transcript: So, your mother, your grandmother, how they made good wives. Largely it was believed the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Now today your husband will call Uber Eats and whatever quick picks and this and that and Swiggy and whatever. Alright? So you can't make a good wife based on how your grandmother became a good wife. You can't become a good wife based on how your mother became a good...