"- My strength lies not in my name, but in the backing of 1.4 billion Indians, and thousands of years of timeless culture and heritage. So, wherever I go, I carry with me the essence of thousands of ye..."

"Whenever we speak of peace, the world listens to us. Because India is the land of Gautama Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi. And Indians aren't hardwired to espouse strife and conflict. We espouse harmony ins..."

"And wherever we can act as peacemakers, we have gladly embraced that responsibility. My early life was spent in extreme poverty. But we never really felt the burden of poverty. You see, someone who is..."

"I believe even the people of Pakistan long for peace. Look, regarding what you said about criticism and how I deal with it, if I had to summarize in one sentence, I welcome it. I have a strong belief ..."

"- The following is a conversation with Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. It was one of the most moving conversations and experiences of my life. Allow me here to say a few words about it. Pl..."

"Now, at this moment in history, it's clear, at least to me, that the flourishing of human civilization hangs in the balance, with several wars on the brink of escalation to regional and even global co..."

"For this and many other reasons, this conversation with Prime Minister Modi was one of the most remarkable I've ever had. You may hear such words and think that I'm just enamored by power or access. N..."

"characterized by warmth, kindness, humor, inner and outer peace, and absolute focus on the conversation between us in the present moment as if nothing else existed. I have heard from many people that ..."

"Anyway, let me pause one more time to say a big thank you. What a wild ride this life has been. It's an honor for me to be on it with all of you. I love you all. This is the "Lex Fridman Podcast." And..."

"They have stated that Hinduism is not about rituals or methods of worship. But rather it is a way of living, a philosophy that guides life itself. And in our scriptures, there is deep discussion on el..."

"the inner and outer self into balance. It shapes life in profound ways. When you fast, You may have noticed, as you said, you've been fasting on water for two days. Every single one of your senses, es..."

"I have personally often experienced this. Another thing I’ve experienced is that fasting can greatly accelerate the thinking process and can, uh, give a fresh perspective. You start thinking outside t..."

"even while I go about doing my daily activities during a fast, my mind remains deeply introspective and focused inward. And that experience is profoundly transformative for me. My practice of fasting ..."

"Then gradually I refined my body and mind through various experiments. Over time, it became a long and disciplined journey for me. And one thing is certain, fasting never slows me down. I work just as..."

"we uncovered findings that hold immense historical significance. So far, they have discovered evidence dating back 2,800 years, proving that this city has remained unbroken and eternal for all those 2..."

"my siblings, my uncles, aunts, grandparents, we all grew up together in a small house. The place we lived was likely even smaller than where we are sitting now. There was no window, just a small door...."

"making a distinct ‘tok tok tok’ sound when he walked. People in the village used to say that they could tell the time just by hearing his footsteps, "Oh yes," they would say: "Mr. Damodar is on his wa..."

"but from childhood, our mother was extremely particular about cleanliness. Perhaps that’s where we inherited that habit too. Not sure how I picked up the habit of dressing neatly, but it’s been there ..."

"it was woven into the very fabric of her being. She possessed knowledge of traditional remedies and healing practices and would treat children with these remedies. Every morning, before sunrise, aroun..."

"helping me grow and improve, not to leave me hopeless or discouraged. Personally, I see every crisis, every challenge, as an opportunity. So, to all young people, I say, "Have patience. There are no s..."

"Now, my mother tongue is Gujarati, and We were not very familiar with the Hindi language, nor did we know how to speak it eloquently or communicate effectively. But as a child, I used to sit at my fat..."

"is to do this very thing to talk to you today. So this is a very surreal. At 17, another fascinating part of your life, you left home and spent two years roaming in the Himalayas, searching for purpos..."

"or read about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I would often wonder: how did they live? How did they build such remarkable lives? And for that, I constantly experimented on myself. Most of my experiments ..."

"and he immersed himself into deep meditation. After a few hours, when he returned, Ramakrishna asked him, "So, did you request the goddess?" Swami Vivekananda replied, "No, I didn’t." Ramakrishna said..."

"my mind naturally drifting in that direction. I remember an incident, in the neighborhood where we lived, just outside, there was a Lord Shiva temple. One day, a saint came to stay there. So that sain..."

"During my time in the mission, I came across remarkable saints. They showered me with love and blessings. Among them, I formed a special bond with Swami Atmasthananda Ji. He lived for nearly a hundred..."

"others call me the Chief Minister, and that's how they see me from their perspective. But deep within, there is only an unwavering spiritual commitment. The Modi who lovingly helped his mother care fo..."

"- Another part of your life of who you are is you've spoken your whole life about putting your nation of India above all else. When you were eight, you joined the RSS, which espouses the idea of Hindu..."

"It is now nearing its 100th anniversary. Such a massive volunteer organization likely doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world Millions of people are connected to it. But understanding RSS is not that..."

"Similarly, some volunteers, nurtured by RSS, are dedicated to serving tribal communities through Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. They live among the tribal people, working for their welfare. They have establis..."

"But what’s interesting is the approach they take. Historically, leftist ideologies have fueled labor movements worldwide. And what has been their slogan? "Workers of the world, unite!" The message was..."

"constantly guiding me at every step. The teachings of Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Vivekananda, and the service-driven philosophy of the RSS have played a crucial role in shaping me. - But they've also ..."

"In Gujarat, he might be called ‘Ram Bhai,’ in Tamil Nadu, ‘Ramachandran,’ in Maharashtra, ‘Ram Bhau.’ This unique cultural bond is what unites India as one civilization, Take something as simple as ba..."

"Pilgrimage traditions played a key role in preserving this unity. Shankaracharya established the four pilgrimage sites. Even today, millions of people travel from one place to another for pilgrimage. ..."

"Mahatma Gandhi tried to live by his principles, and practiced what he preached. For example, he strongly advocated for cleanliness and practiced it himself. And he made it a point to discuss cleanline..."

"And his life, presence, style, mannerisms, all left a profound impact. And I have seen many of his stories evolve into timeless legends. I recall an incident from a Round Table Conference. Yeah, I bel..."

"I don't believe in leaving everything to the government. I am a firm believer in the power of social change. - So, he was probably one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. You are one of the g..."

"You see, I recall something that happened all the way back in 2013. It was when my party declared I would be their Prime Ministerial candidate. My critics often tried to corner me on one point. It bec..."

"For me, the country always comes first. However, to belittle someone, or speaking ill of others, is neither part of my cultural values, nor my traditions. Moreover, our culture upholds and advocates f..."

"To give you an example, I have advocated for embracing renewable energy. We founded the International Solar Alliance with the motto, "One Sun, One World, One Grid." Even when it comes to global health..."

"Organizations like the United Nations came into being after the First World War, but they failed to evolve with the times. And this inability to adapt has sparked a global debate on their relevance. -..."

"Returning to your example, I have a close relationship with Russia and Ukraine alike. I can sit with President Putin, and say that this is not the time for war And I can also tell President Zelensky, ..."

"There has been a lot of suffering. Even the Global South has suffered. The world has been grappling with a food, fuel, and fertilizer crisis. So, the global community should unite in the pursuit of pe..."

"for good relations between India and Pakistan? - I would like to delve into periods of our history the world may be unfamiliar with. Before 1947, during the struggle for independence, everyone was fig..."

"Time and again they decided to be at odds with India. They have waged a proxy war against us. Don't mistake this for ideology. What kind of ideology thrives on bloodshed and the export of terror? And ..."

"Because even they must be weary of living in strife and unrest. They must have grown weary of relentless terror, where even innocent children are killed and countless lives are destroyed. - Are there ..."

"This was a testament to how clear and confident India's foreign policy had become. This sent a clear message to the world about India's commitment to peace and harmony. But we didn't get the desired o..."

"Now, coming to the question of who’s better and who’s not. When it comes to techniques in sports, I’m not an expert. Only those who specialize in the technical aspects can judge which techniques are s..."

"But if we talk about the past, back in the 1980s, one name that always stood out was Maradona. For that generation, he was seen as a true hero. And if you ask today’s generation, they’ll immediately m..."

"They said, "That’s what people call our village." Curious, I asked, "Why do they call it Mini Brazil?" They explained, "In our village, football has been played for four generations. Nearly 80 nationa..."

"while I spoke from the stage that was a remarkable gesture on his part. After finishing my speech, I stepped down. And as we all know, security in the U.S. is extremely strict and thorough The level o..."

"And I believe that, across the world, politicians are covered so much by the media that people mostly perceive each other through its lens. People rarely get the chance to truly meet or personally kno..."

"I could feel that. And he spoke to me freely, discussing many things openly. That was my experience from our first meeting. Later, when his first term ended and President Biden won, four years passed...."

"Maybe key takeaways, key memories. - Look, I can say this, I have observed President Trump both during his first term and now in his second run. This time, he seems far more prepared than before. He h..."

"But let me give you an example so you can see the kind of work that was done. I noticed that the benefits of certain government schemes, especially welfare programs, were being exploited by so many pe..."

"Even within a family, not everything is always perfect. But our focus is to ensure that these differences don’t turn into disputes. That’s what we actively work toward. Instead of discord, we emphasiz..."

"- The world is worried about a brewing global war. The tensions between China and the United States in Ukraine, Russia, in Europe, in Israel, the Middle East, what can you say about how we in the twen..."

"And the wars have only made it worse. I believe that modern wars are no longer just about resources or interests. Today, I see so many kinds of conflicts happening. Physical battles often get discusse..."

"And from all the different forums I attend, one thing is clear, everyone is deeply worried about these conflicts. We can only hope that peace is restored very soon. - I'm not very good at this. - You ..."

"- Look, regarding you first point, when you humbly said That you don't know what you are doing, that you're not good at this. I disagree and personally feel you've put in tremendous care. You've done ..."

"- Thank you - Regarding the earlier events that you mentioned, like the 2002 riots in Gujarat, I'd like to paint you a clearer picture of the 12 to 15 months leading up to that, so you can fully under..."

"Because ultimately, the people behind these attacks are driven by a similar mindset. Then, in October 2001, terrorists attacked the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Soon after, on December 13, 2001, India’..."

"the largest of the previous century, which had left thousands dead. My first major task as Chief Minister was overseeing the rehabilitation of survivors. This was a crucial task, and from day one afte..."

"it had been just three days since I'd become a State Representative, when suddenly, the horrific Godhra incident occurred. It was a tragedy of unimaginable magnitude, people were burned alive. You can..."

"The riots in 1969 lasted nearly six months. So there was a long history long before I was in the picture. But that one tragic incident in 2002 became a sparking point, leading some people towards viol..."

"and today, Gujarat is actively contributing toward building a developed India as well. - A lot of people love you. I've got to hear from a lot of them but there is also people who criticize you, inclu..."

"Genuine criticism requires thorough study, in-depth research, and careful analysis. It demands finding the truth from falsehoods. Today, people look for shortcuts, avoid proper research, and skip deep..."

"Their strengths, their flaws, the mistakes they have made, but that requires great, great, great preparation. So this, I wish there was more of that, of great journalism. - Yes. Clear, well-directed, ..."

"Yet, if something wrong occurs, the bee can sting so powerfully that you’d have to hide your face for three days straight! However, some people selectively picked up just half of my analogy and create..."

"- Well, I've been actively involved in politics for years. Before stepping into active politics, my focus was primarily on organizational work. This also included managing elections and strategizing c..."

"As you may know, I had once set out on a quest for spiritual awakening. So now, I revere my nation as the divine itself. And I now revere the people as a manifestation of the divine. Like a devoted pr..."

"It fortifies people's trust in the BJP, echoed in the election results. I never tallied our election triumphs, but we have had people's blessings. - I was wondering if you could speak to the incredibl..."

"It even surpasses the total population of the entire European Union. Out of the 980 million registered voters, 646 million people ventured out and braved the intense heat of May, determined to cast th..."

"I firmly believe that India's Election Commission sets a global standard as a benchmark for conducting free and fair elections. It is the apex decision-maker. This in itself is such a remarkable story..."

"This is one of the main reasons I love the United States. But there's just nothing quite as beautiful as democracy when it functions in India. You know, like you said, 900 million people registered to..."

"Rather than seeking power, I stay committed to doing and getting work done. I am more focused on productivity than power. I have always dedicated myself to serving the people. I have always devoted my..."

"has never even remotely crossed my mind. Like at the time of pandemic. With the lockdown and traveling restrictions in place, I came up with a way to make the most of my time. I designed a governance ..."

"Loneliness is never a concern for me, as I always find ways to stay engaged. And I have long been at peace with myself. The time I spent in the Himalayas have helped me develop this. - I've heard from..."

"And when I was campaigning in 2014, I had made a promise, first in Gujarat, and later across India I promised my fellow citizens that I will never fall behind in hard work for my country. Secondly, I ..."

"came from the goddess he worshipped. Meaning, ideas emerge from spiritual discipline. and discipline is more than just hard work. It means fully devoting yourself to a task and completely immersing yo..."

"not something asked or heard, or learned merely from books. Secondly, from a governance perspective, I carry no baggage of any kind. I don't carry any baggage that weighs me down or forces me to act a..."

"So ultimately, my economy benefited as well. My approach has always been to stay focused on these fundamentals. Another strength is my risk-taking capacity. I don’t worry about potential losses for my..."

"And, I believe that's our greatest asset. - But also, if you look, many of the top tech leaders, first of all, tech talent, but tech leaders in the US are of Indian origin, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadell..."

"I believe this is a hallmark of our civilizational ethos. - So you spoke about this human intelligence. Do you worry that AI, artificial intelligence, will replace us humans? - It's true that in every..."

"Because of the way AI functions, it has challenged how we perceive work itself. But human imagination is the fuel. AI can create many things based on that, and in the future, it may achieve even more...."

"But until those changes take effect on the ground, I feel another responsibility: If our children face challenges, it's my duty to listen to them, understand them and ease their burden. In a way, when..."

"When I was in school, I observed one of my teachers using an innovative idea. On his very first day, he placed a diary on the table and said, Whoever arrives earliest each morning will write one sente..."

"- How did those students deal with stress, with struggle, with difficulties along that path? - Parents must first understand that life is not just about taking exams. Families should understand, that ..."

"- And you said, always focus on learning. What's your approach to learning? What advice can you give on how to learn best, not just when you are young, but throughout your life? - Let me share a perso..."

"Most people stress so much about the future that their present quietly slips away. Before they know it, the moment has already faded into the past. - Yeah, I've heard a lot of stories of you having me..."

"It will arrive when it's meant to. - What gives you hope about the future, not just of India, but all of human civilization—all of us humans here on Earth? - Well, I am an optimist at heart. Pessimism..."

"These ancient and powerful rituals, born in India, have emerged from thousands of years of the spiritual practice of sages. They connect us to the essence of life. - <i>Shaantih, shaantih, shaantih.</..."

"After fasting for two days, I recommend you ease into eating slowly. And I hope you reap great benefits from this fasting experience. I’ve explored several new realms of thought for the first time eve..."

"to the amazing team around the Prime Minister. Everyone was super kind, excellent at what they do, efficient, great communication, and just great people all around. And since I spoke English and Prime..."

"They're all different flavors of America. On my visit, I walked around and rode rickshaws everywhere, just aimlessly wandering the streets, looking to talk to people about life. Of course, like many p..."

"When I travel through Eastern Europe, for example, in contrast, reading a person is much tougher. The meme does have some truth to it. There's often a protective layer between the heart of the person ..."

"with my friend Paul Rosolie in the near future, maybe with some other friends, all around from the north of India to the south. Now allow me to also comment about one of the books that first drew me t..."

"I won't go into a deep analysis of the book here, but I will mention two key lessons I took away and carried with me to this day. First lesson comes from this scene in the book that to me is one of th..."

"Those are my early steps in seeing the world through the lens of Eastern philosophy. But many of Hesse's books had an impact on me. I would recommend to read "Demian" when you are younger, "Steppenwol..."