All that Pythagoras did was destroyed. His whole academy, his whole school, was burnt. Hundreds of his disciples were massacred. We are trying to do it again, we are taking the risk again; the danger is there. The same can be our fate too. But it need not be. We can learn something from Pythagoras’ experiment. He was the first pioneer. He had succeeded in his life; he had succeeded with many of his disciples. But maybe he had come too early; the world was not ready then.

Now the world is scientifically ready. That time the world was not scientifically ready. East was East and West was West, and the bridge was almost impossible. Now science has brought people so close to each other that this is the climate in which spiritually also, a synthesis is possible. At that time people were isolated. Once in a while, a visitor might come from the West to the East… And remember, it was always a visitor from the West to the East; it was never a visitor from the East to the West. Why not?

The West represents the male mind; it takes initiative. The East represents the female mind; it simply waits, it takes no initiative. It is like the man always proposing to the woman and saying, “I love you”; it is never the woman who proposes. And if a woman proposes to you, you would like to escape from her because she is not a woman; she has more of a male mind. You will become afraid. You will be offended. You will not be able to take it easily – the woman has to wait.

That’s why the West has always been sending out feelers to the East. The East has simply waited; it has not gone anywhere. Once in a while a visitor may come. He will take with him to the West, the ancient lore of the East, and he will always be misunderstood. It happened with Pythagoras, and five hundred years later it happened with Jesus.

Jesus had also been a visitor to the East; he learnt all that he knew in the East. And when he went back, he was also not understood; it was too foreign. In the same way it is happening to my sannyasins. When you go to the West you are going to be misunderstood. But you are in a better position; you are so many. Pythagoras came alone, went back alone; Jesus came alone, went back alone. They were great adventurers.

Jesus was killed. Pythagoras’ academy was burnt, his disciples massacred. The world was not so closely knit as it is today. Science and technology have brought people very close. All the barriers, at least the physical barriers, have been removed. Now the second step can be taken; psychological barriers can be removed – that’s what we are doing here.

It is good that the Pythagorean synthesis struck a chord in your heart, because that’s my work too.

And the second thing you say: “Great joy arises in understanding the purposelessness of existence.” Joy arises only when you understand that the whole cannot have any purpose. Parts can have purpose; the whole cannot have any purpose.

Your house has a purpose; it is a shelter for you, a safety for you. Food has a purpose; it nourishes you, it keeps you alive. Your clothes are purposeful, your machines and everything that you create is purposeful, but what purpose do you have?