Do What You Care For

Q: Namaskaram, Sadhguru. I have the desire to be part of your goal and vision, and to be a “complete life,” as you put it. And I want that there should be wellbeing for all. But somewhere, I am afraid that I may not be able to walk this path to the end. That has kept me from taking the next step. How do I overcome this fear?

Sadhguru: I can assure you that when we have such a big goal of making the world blissful, we will all fall dead somewhere on the way. So do not worry about walking to the end. Do you think the entire world will become blissful tomorrow? At the age of 25, when I was first sitting dripping with bliss, I really thought I could make the entire world blissful, and that everyone would be willing to do something for their own wellbeing. This was over three decades ago. Now I know there are so many self-saboteurs. We have touched a few million people, but that is not the whole world.

Do What You Care For

In any case, do not do what I care for. Do what you care for. If you do not do what you care for, you do not have to wait until the end of your life to check whether you have lived well or not – it is already a wasted life. If you think this work is important, you should do it.

Actually, the way I am made, if I close my eyes, one day I may not open them anymore at all. For me, activity is only as per the requirements of the world. Otherwise, I am at my best when I am alone. So why would I want to be with people? Why would I want to do anything? But there is so much to be done, so we are on twenty hours a day. When I wake up in the morning, someone is already waiting there with something they need me to look at.

All this activity is not because I need activity. If you leave me alone, without any activity, I am just fine. I do not have to say or write a word. I do not have to do anything. Right now, there is so much to be done, so activity is needed. Activity should never be about yourself. How you are is about you. Activity should be about the situations in which you exist. Unfortunately, for most human beings, their activity is about themselves. They do things in the world because they want to make something of themselves, which is the wrong approach. Most psychological ailments arise from this fundamental flaw, that people are doing something in the world to become something. First, be – then do. If you follow that, whatever happens, happens.

If you see the value of this work, if you think it must be done, you must do it. How and at what level is up to you. If everyone does their own thing to bring about transformation, it will only be for their satisfaction. If you really want to make a difference, we have to join forces as much as possible. But this activity is not about fulfilling yourself. You are fulfilled, so you do activity. Do something because it is needed, not because you want to do it. If it needs to be done, every responsible human being should stand up and do it. It is not some kind of mission that you are taking up. It is an expression of your humanity. And the beauty of this kind of activity is it also enhances you immensely.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from a volunteers’ meet with Sadhguru at the Isha Institute of Inner-sciences in McMinnville, Tennessee, USA, in January 2016. A version of this article was originally published in Isha Forest Flower April 2016. Download as PDF on a “name your price, no minimum” basis or subscribe to the print version.