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My humble praṇām at the lotus feet of Swāmījī, honorable members of the World Peace Council, thinkers and scholars from around the world, my elder brother Mr. Ojas, and my dear brothers and sisters. I am Swapnil Kothari from India. By qualification, I am a chartered accountant; by heart, an educationist; and by profession, a teacher. About two months ago, I received an invitation from the World Peace Council, which made me very happy. The person who called me is a friend. I asked him, since I participated in last year’s conference in Vienna and spoke on spiritualism and inner peace, what would be my topic this time? He replied that there was a slight change in the structure this time. I asked why. He repeated that there was a slight change, and that my topic would depend on whether I am married or unmarried. I was surprised and said I did not understand. He explained: "Your conference topic depends on whether you are married or unmarried. If you are unmarried, you can speak on happiness. If you are unmarried, you can speak on joy. If you are unmarried, you can speak on liberty. If you are unmarried, you can speak on freedom. If you are unmarried, you can speak on the colors of life." I said, "Excuse me, I am married, and my wife is accompanying me." He replied, "Oh, you are married. So you have fewer choices." I asked what topics were available for me, being married. He said: "If you are married, you can speak on patience. If you are married, you can speak on tolerance. If you are married, you can speak on endurance. If you are married, you can speak on perseverance. If you are married, you can speak on non-violence and non-violent protests. And if you are married, you can speak on the eternal search for peace." Ladies and gentlemen, I merely wanted to begin in a lighter vein. Then, in mid-November, I shared this good news with a friend—that I would be addressing the World Peace Council Conference on Non-Violence. He is a childhood friend who knows me inside out. He looked at me and said, "Are you sure you are doing this?" I said yes. He asked, "Are you serious? You want to speak on non-violence?" I said yes. He exclaimed, "How can you do this? Have you forgotten our old school days? Have you forgotten our gang of spoiled brats? Have you forgotten our school elections? Our gang had such a firm belief in violence. How can you speak on non-violence?" I told him that in the last few years I have learned, taught, read many books, grown, and evolved. I have changed and now wish to enter politics with the mantra of non-violence. He was not listening. He said that if I enter politics with this mantra of non-violence, I will fail miserably because the world needs aggressive leaders, burning orators who can emit fire, and mass mobilizers who can destabilize governments. Nobody needs ambassadors of non-violence. If I enter politics with this philosophy, I will become a political joke. I replied that I am okay with becoming a political joke. There is an advantage: these days, political jokes get elected. Who knows? If I become a political joke, one day I might become one of the most powerful persons in the universe. This is how I convinced my friend that I would speak on non-violence. Now, coming back to our topic of non-violence and peace. To be very honest, in the initial stage of life, we understand the importance of non-violence only when life puts us in situations where we cannot respond violently. Let us consider a few examples. If a mosquito sits on someone else’s cheek, you have a choice. But if it sits on your own cheek, you have no choice—you behave in a non-violent manner. If your car meets with an accident and the other driver is physically stronger with two or three friends who step out, you have no choice. You suddenly become an ambassador of non-violence. So initially, we understand non-violence only when we cannot respond violently. But as life passes and we gain experience, we begin to understand the true importance of non-violence. Now I must speak seriously, lest I not be invited again. To begin my speech, I wish to share three points. First, throughout our lives, we strive to achieve many objectives. To achieve them, we use means—instruments that help us reach our goals. Our entire life swings between means and ends. We are all very clear about our objectives, about what we want. But the means keep changing; we do a lot of trial and error with them. The application of wisdom and the selection of means receive little emphasis. Our focus on means is minimal. Ends are very important, but the importance we give to means is little. This is the fundamental reason many questions continue to haunt society. We give more importance to ends and little to means. Fundamental questions plague our society: Can wrong means lead to right ends? Can war lead to peace? Can I resort to violence to get justice? Can I use wrong means for a greater cause? Can I resort to violence? Can I massacre an entire community to establish harmony in the rest of the world? The answer to all these questions is a resounding no. Every second person who resorts to violence justifies it by claiming a greater cause. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "There are countless reasons for which I can give my life, but for no reason can I kill a person." We must understand one thing: the purity of means is absolutely important. We must give importance to means. Wrong means will always fetch wrong ends. We must understand the basic fundamental: it is the means which become the ends. The means gradually develop into the ends. The seed becomes the plant or tree. Our education, character, and upbringing fundamentally shape our character. Our knowledge and skills fundamentally become our profession. What we choose today will manifest itself in some form tomorrow. Therefore, right means finally become the right end, and wrong means will always fetch wrong ends. Hence, hatred will always breed hatred. Violence will always breed violence. Vindictiveness will always breed vindictiveness. Any negativity will always breed negativity. And it is only non-violence that will breed compassion, because non-violence originates from compassion, and compassion breeds compassion. Now, there will always be a section of people who argue: we have seen people who use violence and wrong means; they make a lot of money, acquire power, gain name and fame, rule for decades, and seem happy. On the other hand, people who use right means, who practice non-violence, who are truthful and do not manipulate, struggle throughout life. They do not make money, earn name or fame, and seem unhappy. So, what is the point in using right means? What is the point in non-violence? What is the point in not manipulating? Everyone who manipulates seems happy, rich, and powerful, while everyone using right means seems to struggle. We need to understand one basic thing: what is happiness? Observe everyone around you. Those who use right means, practice non-violence, and are truthful have a peaceful state of mind. Those who use violence, wrong means, and manipulation have a disturbed state of mind. What is happiness? Happiness is a peaceful state of mind. If you have a peaceful mind, you live in the present, and when you live in the present, you are happy. What is sadness or unhappiness? When you have a disturbed mind, you cannot live in the present; you either live in the past or the future. So, everyone who resorts to right means—non-violence, truthfulness—has a peaceful state of mind and is the happiest person on earth. Now, the last part of my discussion, as we are short of time. If you wish to follow the path of non-violence, you need stamina. You need stamina and patience. This reminds me of a very interesting story about stamina and patience. Around 1800 BC, a village organized a competition to test stamina and patience: a brisk walk race. Many participated. One man walked about 30 miles, another 25 miles, another 23 miles, another 22 miles. One short-hearted fellow like me walked only about three miles. And he was declared the winner. He walked only three miles and was declared the winner of the stamina and patience competition. People asked, "He walked only three miles, while others walked 30, 28, 27 miles. What is so special about him?" The judges said, "This man walked three miles alongside his wife, and earphones did not exist." That is the symbol of stamina and patience. I wish to conclude by saying that to follow the path of non-violence, you need tremendous patience and unprecedented faith in this ideology. Non-violence is like Āyurveda: it takes time, but it cures the patient completely by eliminating the problem from the root. Non-violence is like yoga: it heals your body from within. Non-violence is like meditation: it nurtures your brain. Non-violence is like naturopathy: it detoxifies your thinking process. Non-violence is like alum: as alum purifies water, non-violence purifies your soul. And non-violence is perennial, as souls are perennial. It was relevant, it is relevant, and it will always remain relevant. Thank you so much. Jai Hind, Jai Bhārat.