A meeting with Indian Prime Minister Desai

A meeting with Indian Prime Minister Desai²⁰

Prime Minister Desai: India can't be saved by one man. India can be saved only if people do their thing properly.

Prime Minister Desai:: All of you work at the United Nations? So I hope you will unite the United Nations. The United Nations is called "United Nations," but they are not yet united. So you have to unite them.

Prime Minister Desai: I have written a commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita because I could not find the meaning of some verses satisfactorily in all the commentaries that I read. Therefore, only when I committed the Gita to memory, when I was in jail in 1934, and I began to recite it every day and to apply it to myself, then the meaning became very clear, because I had complete confidence and faith in the Gita, that what it says is right. If I don't understand it, it is my fault. And that is why I wrote the commentary, because when a friend asked me questions about two or three verses, I couldn't give him a satisfactory reply. I thought I would put down on paper what I understand. That is my sole writing. The Gita gives a solution to every problem. At any rate, when there is a conflict of duty, it gives the right answer.

Sri Chinmoy: Right at the very beginning Arjuna had that problem.

Prime Minister Desai: It is a problem everywhere. In everyone there is a problem of good and evil. It goes on all the time. So one must accept the Gita's guidance. The gist of it is that you must be at peace with yourself. There should be no tension, no excitement, no anger.

Sri Chinmoy: And for that you have all along taught us to lead a disciplined life.

Prime Minister Desai: To have discipline is not enough. It must be self-discipline.

Sri Chinmoy: That is what you have been teaching us for so many years. A life of discipline is of paramount importance.

Prime Minister Desai: Without that you can get nothing.