New Delhi: Spiritual Guru Sadhguru said on Wednesday that India witnesses a suicide case every three minutes, with student communities among the most affected, and asserted that an individual’s mental health must be strengthened to overcome this problem faced by societies worldwide.
“Mental health concerns are rising sharply across the globe, and India is witnessing a suicide every three minutes, with student communities among the most affected. We must take a hard look at our social fabric, our education systems, our economic conditions, and the structural pressures that drive vulnerable populations, including farmers and youth, toward despair,” he said.
The spiritual guru said that these systemic issues won’t be solved overnight. But what we can do, immediately and meaningfully, is support individual mental well-being.
“Societies may always grapple with some form of strain, but equipping people with tools to navigate their inner landscape is both practical and profound,” he said.
Saying that India is a civilisation rooted in the science of inner well-being, he pointed out, just as there are technologies for external progress, India possesses timeless methods for cultivating internal balance – be it called yoga, dhyana, or any other name.
“This knowledge is not new; it’s our civilisational strength. Yet, over the last two generations, it has been tragically sidelined. Thankfully, we’ve seen a resurgence,” he said.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the spiritual guru said that the International Day of Yoga, championed by PM Modi, marked a historic moment: a world leader practising yoga alongside ordinary citizens in the open street, is a gesture that resonated worldwide.
“Yoga finds more enthusiastic acceptance abroad than at home,” he said.
He pointed out that Yoga’s spirit must be revived beyond rigid traditions. “Part of the challenge lies in how yoga is presented: often too rigid, overly traditional, and disconnected from personal experience. What’s needed is an evolution in its delivery – making it relatable, accessible, and rooted in lived reality rather than just bookish doctrine,” he said.
The spiritual guru emphasised that despite these hurdles, millions have engaged with the outreach. “In a single year, we’ve amassed over 5.4 billion video views – reaching an estimated 1.6 billion unique individuals. This isn’t just digital momentum; it’s evidence of global hunger for deeper well-being,” he said.
He added that with technology, Yoga stands at an unprecedented threshold. “Never before has it been possible to speak to, touch, and inspire billions. Our goal: in the next 24 months, reach 3 billion people with simple practices that nourish the mind – accessible without institutions or gurus. Just as parents teach their children how to brush their teeth, they can also pass on foundational practices for mental clarity and resilience,” he said.
“Many enlightened voices have come and gone, heard by only a handful in their time. Today, we have the power to speak to all of humanity. To transform our societies is no longer a lofty dream; it’s a moral imperative. If we don’t act now, it means we haven’t truly loved,” said the spiritual guru.
–IANS
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