"Out of three thousand years, only seven hundred years were not of war – and not in one stretch. Sometimes for one day there was no war on the earth, sometimes for a few days; otherwise the war has continued.

"War is the greatest thing that man has remained involved with. Destruction seems to be very attractive; killing and murder seems to be the goal of the human mind. In three thousand years, man has fought five thousand wars. Vietnam is nothing new, it is as ancient as man. It is not something that is happening today, it has been always there – because man is ill.

"And you ask me, 'How much inner peace is appropriate?' As much as you can manage – the more you have, the better. Because only pools of peace will destroy the compulsive attraction towards violence. Only pools of peace all over the world, many many buddhas, will be able to create a new vibe, a new wave, a new consciousness, in which war becomes impossible – in which all energy moves in a creative way, all energy moves towards love.

"So don't sayI understand the logic of it. The logic is, if man becomes very peaceful then he will not bother about Vietnam. I understand what you mean by your question. You mean, if people become very silent and very peaceful they won't care what is happening in the world around them, they will become indifferent. So how much peace is appropriate? – that's why you ask the question.

"But try to understand. The war is not the disease itself. Peace is missing in the heart – hence the war exists. The war is a consequence: more peace, less war. If peace becomes predominant, war will disappear.

"War cannot disappear by the efforts of people who call themselves pacifists. War cannot disappear because of Bertrand Russell. War cannot disappear because there are people who are against war – no. The people who are against war will create another war. You can see, if you have observed a pacifist-protest, you can see how war-like they are – shouting, screaming, protesting. You can see in their faces they are dangerous people."