In today’s world, some amount of military remains a necessity. However, in this conversation with Dr. Kiran Bedi, Sadhguru asks whether our investments are made in balance with the reality of the current situation. In the long term, he explains, if we truly want to eliminate our enemy, we must work towards eliminating our enmity.

Full Transcript:

Questioner: Sir, what are your views on having a strong military for making our strong nation Sir?
Sadhguru: See, we have a one million strong military. I want you to understand except maybe one nation nobody ever even thinks it's worth bombing this country (Laughter). Yes, I want you to get this straight (Laughs). So right now our quarrels with what was the part of this nation now a neighborhood, what was one nation, now a part of our neighborhood - all right we can't change that now - for this how much are we investing? For one tiny quarrel what is our investment? It's too much. Right now we’re planning to buy the…the French Dassault Fighters. It's…each one of them costs six hundred crores. Bhoom, one crash, in a second it's gone, okay?

I am saying we must have a military, we are still not in such a level consciousness in the world, people can simply live without protection, we must have a strong military, we have. It needs to be upgraded in many ways; that will be done. I was discussing in one of these conferences and they were talking about this Dassault thing. I said, “Why, why don’t you buy the Chinese airplanes? You can buy ten for one.” They said, “No, no Sadhguru, Chinese airplanes are like this, Dassault is fantastic.” Yes, I also looked at it. I am also an aviator, I am a licensed pilot, I know what's an airplane. I know you can't compare a Dassault to Chinese airplane but the Chinese airplanes fly and they bomb (Laughter) and that's all that matters – at 1/10th of the price. You are not going to pick a fight with United States of America and fight a war with them. If at all if you have a quarrel, is it with your neighbor.

Now this six hundred thousand, I mean six hundred crores I would suggest…I would like to suggest to the new government, instead of buying hundred airplanes, set up one hundred power stations, diesel or coal fired stations in Pakistan. Give them free power or charge them, our companies will do it if you tell them. And let…they they invest here, if they invest their money here, they’re not going to bomb you. If you invest your money there, you are not going to bomb them. Small bickering will happen (Applause), small…we like little bit of a fight at the Wagah border we can, you know (Gestures) (Laughter) do those things to each other. We like to do that, you’ve seen the (Laughs) Wagah thing.
See, look at that what Mahatma Gandhi said of all the people. (Showing a slide) That’s amazing that he said that. That’s the man, that is why you need to respect him, he is not just moral code. That is the mind of the man, okay? So he is talking about a strong military. Strong military definitely needed but the best way, instead of being prepared to fight an enemy to eliminate the enemy. When I say eliminate the enemy – you can eliminate the enemy only when you eliminate your enmity. If you buy the Chinese fighters, you have eliminated one major enemy or your imagined enemy, okay? If China is not there, Pakistan; invest the money in Pakistan, another enemy gone. Who else is wanting to bomb you right now, I am asking. Nobody. So, you can focus on what you want to do. (Applause)

I know I am making it little simplistic but fundamentally that’s all it is see right now what I am saying is little simplistic there are complications to it but those things can be sorted out. It is not like it will happen in one day in next ten fifteen years you can run it down your enemity.