25th February 2012 - QA 3

When will the world be free from nuclear weapons?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When people become spiritual! When we spiritualize politics, socialize business and secularize religion, then the world will be free from weapons.

Religions should be secular. Religious leaders should be secular in their outlook. They should not say, ‘I pray only for the people of my religion, my community’, or ‘My religion is higher, everybody else should convert to my religion’. This is a wrong mindset.
All religious leaders should say, ‘Pray for everybody, for people of the entire planet. Let people all over the planet be blessed. Let them all be happy’.
This is secularizing religion.

Spiritualizing politics; this is what Mahatma Gandhi stood for. Politicians should have that spiritual bent of mind. It should not be ‘All about me, me, and me!'
Instead they should think, 'Let me do everything for everyone’. This should be the attitude. Don’t you think our politicians should be spiritual? How many of you think that instead of being selfish, promoting their own children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, politicians should see who are the capable people and help them to come up in life? Support them. Encourage them. And treat everyone the same. Don’t you think they should do that? How many of you agree on that? (Everyone raises their hands)
Yes! We need to spiritualize politics.

Socialize business. If every business keeps 10 per cent of their profit for social development, for helping those who are in need, this country would shine. Businesses today barely spend 1 per cent or 2 per cent of their profit, not even their income, on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). They should spend 10 per cent on CSR. Don’t you think so?
Do you know we can clear the slums in Delhi? If industrialists in Delhi give 5 per cent of their earnings for a year, not to the government, but to any NGO working in these areas (or do it themselves), then they can turn around the situation. They can free Delhi from all sorts of pollution. This is what I feel.