Creative people are not interested in dominating, they want to create. Whatever is their dimension of creation… it may be science, it may be painting, it may be music, it may be poetry. It may be anything that beautifies and makes the world rich, saner, more intelligent, more comfortable – richer in every possible way.

The days of individuals becoming emperors are over. Only a committee of different creative intelligences can serve the world. Even to use the word rule is not against me…

If the UN – or any other organization – is given all the armies of the world, it will naturally have to dissolve them, because for whom are you going to have such vast armies? Millions of people unnecessarily doing “left, right” – for whom will you go on piling up nuclear weapons?

In my conception of one world, there is not a place for an emperor. I will refuse, absolutely, categorically, the very idea of a person being the ruler of the world – and I am included.

Nobody has the right to rule over anybody else. Yes, you can serve. And I am serving in my own way. And I have got my own empire, my own people, who are trying in every possible way to reach to the Himalayan peaks of consciousness.

Perhaps the poor journalist who wrote this question in Quick will not be able to understand. The days of personal empires, emperors are over. The world needs all kinds of creative people to join together. Forget the very idea of a world emperor. The whole of history has been murderous, full of wars because of this insane desire to dominate.

My whole teaching is just be yourself, never interfere in anybody else’s freedom. Freedom is my ultimate value, my god.

Now about the Zen master Sekito, meaning stonehead:

Niskriya, why have you sat down? Stand up, let everybody see what it means to have a stone head!

[Niskriya stands up, turning around to the assembly, which enthusiastically applauds his head!]

Okay, sit down.