‘Ram is not a deity, he is an ideal’: Sadhguru Sri Madhusudan Sai on why temples matter

Spiritual leader Sadhguru Sri Madhusudan Sai has defended the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, arguing that while hospitals and schools address physical and educational needs, places of worship serve those seeking inner stability, direction and faith.

Speaking to Business Today Group Editor Siddharth Zarabi at the National Stock Exchange, Sadhguru addressed the frequently raised question that resurfaced during the consecration of Lord Ram’s temple in Ayodhya – why invest thousands of crores in a temple instead of building hospitals or schools.

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He acknowledged that he has long advocated service to humanity, including education and healthcare, and was questioned for attending the temple ceremony. Recalling the criticism, he said, “I was a part of the ceremony when this Ram temple was being consecrated. And when I came back, they said on one side you preach that instead of building a temple build a school, instead of building a temple build a hospital, because human beings are moving temples of God, God resides in them and let us serve man to serve God. All this is the philosophy that I preach, then why did you go and attend the temple function which spent three thousand plus crores to build it and I don’t know how much more it will spend in its lifetime to maintain it.”

Sadhguru, who is leading the ‘One World One Family’ mission, said he responded by distinguishing between material and spiritual needs. Not everyone, he said, requires a hospital or a school, but many struggle with anxiety, lack of direction and the search for meaning.

“Not every human being on the earth is sick and needs a hospital, not every human being on the earth is uneducated and wants a school, but there are people on this planet who struggle with this idea of inner peace, who struggle with mental wellness issues because they have no anchoring or grounding or no faith.”

For them, the spiritual leader added, these temples serve as schools and hospitals. “Out of eight billion plus people, I am sure there are four billion who don’t have access to water, sanitation, education, health, but there are another four billion who have access to this, but they need something greater and deeper than that to be happy and not become sick. And these temples serve as those centers of faith. It’s not about worshipping a particular name or a form. It’s about what you bring to society through a temple,” he said. 

While Sadhguru left the scale and grandeur of such monuments to public choice, he maintained that their presence has a social function. “Temple’s presence, as I mentioned, does help those who really do not need a hospital or school, but they are well-to-do, they’re healthy, but they need a direction in life. They need faith. They need their inner resilience. That comes from a temple and the faith there.”

He cited his travels in Europe, where he observed empty churches being repurposed into commercial establishments. According to him, declining participation in places of worship has coincided with rising mental health challenges and social instability. 

“I was in Italy, which is the home of the Christian faith, and I saw huge churches being empty. They’ve been turned into motels, bars, and restaurants. And I asked about such beautiful buildings, what’s happening? They said, people don’t come to church anymore. And to maintain these huge places is very difficult, so they are turning into business houses. I said in the 17th, 16th century, whenever that was built, when the population was much lesser, the whole hall or the whole sanctum was filled. Today it’s all empty.”

“At the same time, you see drug abuse, substance abuse, mental wellness issues, crime, all that is rising continuously. It’s only because we could not bring our younger generation to understand the philosophy of our religion and why it is important,” the spiritual leader said.

He added that religion may have been misused in the past but, when practiced responsibly, it can foster compassion and humility. “I always say Ram is not a deity. He is an ideal,” Sadhguru said. 

Explaining what he meant, he compared Sri Ram to historical figures whose statues and memorials symbolise ideas rather than mere personalities. “We put up the statue of Abraham Lincoln…because he brought an idea of democracy, he fought against apartheid, and he brought equality; slavery was removed, abolished, and we worship him. I worship Ram as a dharma, as an embodiment of dharma who taught us how to live our lives well.”

“So when all these monuments are built at whatever cost of social leaders, political leaders, religious reformers to inspire mankind, Sri Ram stands at the very embodiment of dharma in our culture. Why should we not glorify and, in a way, put a monument in his name so that everybody learns and, in a way, follows his path?”

Sadhguru concluded by reiterating that temples are not in opposition to hospitals or schools but serve a parallel purpose. “Temples are important; they have their role to play.”