'If there is nothing worthwhile, just sit!': Sadhguru's advice to the next generation, urges them to focus on perception

Somewhere between the mountains of Nepal and Tibet, life moves at a different pace. The faces Sadhguru encountered during his travels showed a way of living closely tied to nature and largely untouched by the rapid changes of modern life. Carrying a camera along his journey, he began preserving those faces through photographs. Years later, that visual documentation has taken the shape of Disappearing Faces, his new photography book.

He recently unveiled the book at the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi. The book also became the backdrop for Sadhguru to think about modern life and share his message for the next generation.

Sadhguru’s message to the next generation

Speaking in an exclusive conversation with The Economic Times, Sadhguru spoke about Disappearing Faces, his travels and what he believes the younger generation needs to focus on as it prepares to shape the future.


According to Sadhguru, the next generation should not simply inherit the world created by previous generations. Instead, he believes young people should have the freedom and ambition to create something genuinely new.

His advice, however, is not simply about technological progress or building something bigger. Sadhguru believes the way people experience life is equally important.

He urged the younger generation to pay more attention to perception and experience.

In his view, "Life is rich only because your experience of life is rich. For that, you need to focus on perception, but today’s generation is totally dedicated to expression, though they don’t have much to say. It’s very important we invest a certain amount of time and energy for perception and experience. Then, if there is something worthwhile, you can express it. If there is nothing worthwhile, just sit!"

The larger idea behind his advice is to slow down and become more aware of the world instead of feeling pressured to constantly produce, share or react.

What does Disappearing Faces mean?

Going forward, Sadhguru shared that his new book is not simply a collection of photographs. The title Disappearing Faces refers to a changing way of life that he observed during his travels.

While photographing people in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet, Sadhguru noticed faces shaped by a life that was closely connected to the surrounding land and relied heavily on sensory experience.

He clarified that the word “disappearing” does not mean the people themselves are vanishing. In fact, he pointed out that, "Actually, they are going to thrive better because most of their children are going to schools. But their faces are different. They don’t look like this anymore because they have intellectual input. This is a different kind of disappearance. This is an era that is disappearing."

What is changing, according to Sadhguru, is the character of these communities and the way people experience their surroundings.

The photographs, therefore, attempt to preserve something that may not look the same several decades from now. They document people at a particular point in time, before rapid changes in education, technology and modern lifestyles reshape their communities further.

The book consequently serves as both a photographic record and a reflection on how quickly ways of living can evolve.

For the younger generation, Sadhguru's message is to experience before expressing, observe before reacting and make room for perception in an increasingly information-heavy world.

Disappearing Faces is currently available in both hardback and paperback editions, allowing readers to explore the photographs and the changing worlds they document.