I travel a lot, and I have to cross borders. Some days, I go through three or four immigrations checks. Someone asks me, "How long are you going to be here?" "Just a few hours." "What are you going to do?" "I'm just coming to speak." He has to look at me and look at the passport and say, "Okay. That's you." But I am me. This is somehow to verify. There is some practicality to it, but couldn't it be another way? Where my integrity is intact not because I have a little piece of paper saying I'm really me? But that's how it is.
When you go to school, you are tested on the subjects somebody else has decided you should know, not on what you do know. And if you know everything else except what this person thinks you should know, you fail. Maybe you just forgot one thing, but you have to prove to someone that you know it.
It seems we live in a world that is diametrically opposed to the integrity of just one individual who desires to be fulfilled. I remind people: what you are looking for is inside of you. If you need somebody to hold up a mirror, this is what I do, not define how you should look.
What qualifies me? Well, I don't have a rubber stamp. I started when I was very young. My feeling was, "Maybe I can bring some happiness, some joy to people." My perspective is very down to earth and simple: One, you are alive. This is the best news you will ever receive. Secondly, you didn't come with a manual, but one was built into you. No need to have a printed manual when within you has been placed the want to be fulfilled. Can this want be fulfilled? Yes. So you are alive, the want has been placed within you, and the wish that you carry within can be fulfilled. What's the problem?
Perspectives. Why has the most fundamental need of fulfillment been so drastically changed to, "It's not possible"? People don't address their needs; they address their ideas. And today, ideas have become more important than our needs.
It begins with every individual. No world leader is going to come, shake your hand, and "ta-da," it's done. No. The next time you look in the mirror, understand that lighting this world begins with one candle - you.
This world is said to be an illusion. The illusion is "me and mine, you and yours." The problem with illusion is it looks so real that you can't point out what is fake. For all those people who perform magic, what is the key to their illusion? Distraction. They have to distract you. You look over there while they do the switch here. So, in your life, are you distracted? Oh, yes.
If you have never understood the value of breath, you've been living in a state of distraction - the greatest illusion. You came, and all too soon, it will be time to go. When you were young, the clock ran slow. Every five minutes, you asked, "Are we there yet?" Then, as you get older and older, whoosh, another year is gone. I know that time doesn't change; it is our perception of time that has changed.
Here's a little story about that. Once there was a man who prayed and prayed to God. And one day, God appeared. "You've been praying to me. What do you want?"
The man was shocked, but he had some questions. "God, How long is your day?"
God replied, "Well, actually, millions of your years are but a second to me."
"So God, how much wealth do you have?"
God said, "If you took all the wealth in the universe and multiplied it millions and millions of times, that would be just one cent to me. Anything else?"
So the man said, "God, could I have a cent?"
And God said, "Just a minute…"
The want, the wish, the perspective of time. Do you know that you live on the most special place in this galaxy - the most amazing planet around? And, amongst all the creatures that exist on this earth, you are included. All that looking here and there is the distraction. Look within you. Understand the pulse of your existence. Understand what you're about. Understand your thirst. Enjoy that feeling you have inside of you. Live your life fulfilled, not in some idea but in reality. You will find the reality of this life to be extremely beautiful.
Prem Rawat
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Who are you? Let me give you a bit of an economy lesson here. If I were to say you were going to receive $25,550, is that a lot of money? For some people, it's a lot. For some, it's not. It won't buy you a house, a car, a refrigerator, a washing machine, and pay for your food for too long. These days, $25,550 is just not that much. If this is all you had, it's not going to last that long.
What does the number 25,550 have to do with you? Well, if a human being lives for 70 years, which is an average, that's how many days you get. That's it. That's it? Only 25,550 days?
That's what my calculator says. A measly 25,550 days, some of which just blew past while walking around in diapers and trying to learn how to walk. Then others blew past me as I was trying to learn how to count up to 25,550. Then when you get to the last 550, it comes in nickel and dimes. You just go day by day, and that's it. And every day I lose a dollar. There's nothing I can do to hang onto it. All I have is 25,550.
When I speak, I don't want to make people feel guilty. I just try to give a sense of urgency because people have so much going on that I want to call their attention to themselves and their existence. After me, will this world go on? You bet. Will flowers bloom? Yes. Will rain come down? Yes. Will the sun shine? Of course. But the thing is, I won't be there to enjoy it.
And so, 25,550 is a good way to bring it to a point where you can start to see the urgency of this life - how precious, simple, and beautiful it is. Whether you decide to spend it or not, the dollar will be gone. What do you want to buy with the dollar that you get every day for 25,550 days? Me? I want to buy the truest joy, the sincerity that only a human being can have towards the infinite that resides in me. I want to be free.
A person who is happy can spread happiness. If you want to do some good, learn how to be fulfilled. Finding a way to be fulfilled is the most incredible art there is. Why? Because what you are looking for resides within you and always has. That's how the 25,550 came to be. And the departure of that thing will be the end of the 25,550. But though you never lost it, you search for it.
Many people tell me, "I've been searching for a long time."
I say, "But you never lost it."
"Oh, good. Then show me where it is. Is it in that drawer? That cabinet? The glove compartment?"
"No. No. No."
"Is it in my bedroom? Is it in my car? Is it over there?"
The more places you have searched, the longer your list is because you want to verify that it's not there, not there, not there - because you want to be able to say, "Well, I've already looked there."
Where is it? Within you. And what I am saying is you need to know it. In this life, you have to know. There are no other alternatives. You are like an amplifier. Amplify the knowing. Amplify the fulfillment. Amplify the joy of this heart. Bring into your life the beauty of existence itself.
Your life cannot be just for the fulfillment of the ideas of what life is about. The show that you are attracted to will go on. You are walking in this fairground of life. When you are gone, others will come, and they will continue to come for a long, long time.
Understand the opportunity that you have been given. In this vessel, the most amazing gift of breath comes. What will tomorrow be like? In one sense, it will be no different than today and no different than yesterday, but if you are fulfilled, it will be unique. And then you won't have to count the 25,550 because it won't matter. Each one is making you infinitely rich.
To have lived a lifetime and not know is a tragedy. In your life, know and be fulfilled. If you don't find it, I'm here. But the main thing is to find it. What you are looking for is inside of you. If you are alive, that's your lottery ticket. You won. On average, it'll come in 25,550 times. You don't ever have to be poor again. This is the gift: 25,550. It still gives me shudders every time I think about that number. That's all? It's not enough! But whatever you have is the ultimate blessing in your life. Kindness has been given. Capture it. Be in joy. Be fulfilled.
Prem Rawat
Have you ever heard someone say, "You won't believe what just happened to me"? We hear this and think, "Somebody's going to tell me something that happened to them, but why are they saying, 'You won't believe what just happened to me'?" The keyword is believe because if you had been there, you would know and not have to believe.
Now, belief is okay, but you give it much more credence than it deserves. Knowing deserves the credence you give to belief. Knowing is certain. It's clear. There are no ambiguities, no hypotheses. This is what happened. But when you don't know, is belief sufficient?
I can just imagine a long time ago, a person standing on a ridge, looking at the stars, wondering: "Who am I? Why am I here? What is this all about?"
I call these the questions. Even though since then there have been a myriad of religions, textbooks, stories, ideas, philosophies, wars, contemplation, inventions, exploration of outer space, these questions still exist. They are asked in one way or the other by every human being. Maybe they're asked in times of trouble or in times of plenty - but they are asked.
Until these have been answered for you personally in a clear, concise way, you will not understand the need you have for peace, the need you have to be happy. And once you understand that the desire for peace is innate - not learned - you will pursue it.
Ultimately, you came into this world and you're going to leave this world. And you have a belief system. You do. And whether you have courage to hear it or not I have the courage to tell you that you are here to experience heaven. You have always believed that heaven is something you're going to get to after you die, if you are good. You learned this. The desire for peace, to be happy, to be in joy - nobody had to teach you. You have had this since you were a little baby.
You have been given this body - the ultimate experiencing machine. That's all it does all day long: "Wow. Beautiful. Hot, cold, soft." If you were to make a list of the sounds, the smells, the tastes, the touches that it can appreciate - that list would be huge.
You have this most incredible thing called life. All of a sudden, you can move. You can understand. You can dance. You can smile. You can cry. You can think. You can feel. All this has come together, and while you are alive, you can know. And when you know, peace comes, the truest joy comes. Your life has to evolve around knowing - not just believing. Clarity. Your life has to evolve around this desire from your heart, from within you, to want to know.
What does your life want? People make all kinds of effort, "I have to do this, and I have to do this." Then tragedy strikes, and they lose everything. Then they say, "I just want to be happy." Maybe that's how it is supposed to be. The building block of your achievements needs to begin with the achievement of peace, of joy. Build on it a tower as high as you want, and it'll never fall down because it is built on solid ground. It is tied to the most stable thing in your life. You have taken care of the essentials in your existence. And then, having gratitude is natural. It's not a belief, "I believe I'm happy."
Truth isn't some mysterious thing sitting on top of the mountain. Truth dances in you. Clarity is not something you dig out of a goldmine. Clarity and understanding are not buried somewhere; they are inside of you. They need to be evoked. They need to be invited into your life. They need to be called upon; they need to be nurtured, they need to be truly invited and welcomed. All the answers you want are inside of you. All the wealth you want is inside of you. All the wisdom of the ages is inside of you.
Understand, accept - discover those things that are inside of you. When you experience that joy in your life, it is something special. And when you experience peace, it is the triumph of a human being. You have won every war. You have succeeded. The moment you feel peace, you have fulfilled your destiny.
Prem Rawat
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I hope what I have to say is going to help you in this journey of life. If it could simplify your life even a little bit, that would make me very happy. I'm talking about something that is so simple - your life, your existence, the gift of breath that comes into you, leaves, and comes again. The fact that you're alive is so simple.
How did it get so complicated? Even though I can say it's simple, and it is simple, how is it that it doesn't feel simple, that it feels very complicated? There are all the things that you have heard, that you think about, that you look forward to or don't look forward to. How does it get so complicated?
Look at the simplicity, and it's there. The breath comes. You wake up in the morning, and you find yourself alive. It's not like you have to put in a bunch of coins: "Let me be alive, I've got the money." You find yourself awake. Then you start thinking about all the things you have to do that day, all the schedules you have to keep, all the things you have to remember, all the things that are important and not important. Thus begins your day. And somewhere, the simplicity of being alive is lost.
Make it simple. Exist, accept, understand this moment now. What's going to happen, what's not going to happen - just take it one moment at a time. Begin with the basics of who you are.
Look around you. Do you realize there is no other planet like earth for light years around? There are planets that are full of dirt, too hot, too cold, too far, too strange, too violent. The one you live on is magnificent. This one glows blue, has beautiful clouds, lightning you can see from outer space.
Can you ignore and not be thankful for even one minute, one day, that you exist on this beautiful planet? That you are who you are? On this beautiful earth you are alive. See the goodness in you; recognize the goodness in others. You and I get to be alive. People say, "Nah, I've got this problem, that problem." You are devotees of your problems. This is what you think about.
We are on this magnificent earth, with technologies you cannot imagine: vapor rising from the salty ocean, wind blowing it and carrying it over land, then sweet fresh water raining down. A planet so incredible that all you need is a few seeds and a little water, and it'll feed you. It'll take care of you.
Here, the perfect distance from the sun is a beautiful light for night called the moon; the breeze, the ocean, the birds, the fauna and the flora - divinity dancing in the wind. Beauty. Out of nowhere. A show of all shows. And for me to exist in this time, I cannot help but to feel gratitude. Don't ask me for whom. The gratitude wells up, a letter that needs no address. It is a matter of the heart from where this letter comes and to whom this letter will go. But it is my letter to express my gratitude every single day. We have forgotten what it means - the opportunity to be alive, to have the privilege to be able to take this breath.
A lot of people say, "That's too simple. Talk to me about something my brain can dig into." I don't want to. Your brain has already done enough damage in your own life. You have forgotten what you were searching for. You look, and every day you hope. Then all of a sudden, everything comes tumbling down. This is what is going on right now. Optimism and dire panic. Failure and non-acceptance of failure. Greed. Economic crises happen because of greed. As long as there is greed, there will be crises happening again and again and again.
When you recognize this breath, your heart will fill with gratitude, and when it does, you will be successful. That's true success. Not doubt, not fear. But clarity, simplicity, understanding. I want to enjoy every day I have, all the days I can.
Prem Rawat
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This is a fact: today is whatever date it is. Here is another fact: it will never come back - never, ever. It cannot happen.
What does that mean to you? You woke up; it's another day. We look at our calendars - the years, the months, the weeks - like it doesn't mean anything. I talk about "the moment called now." Well, by the time you finish saying "the moment called now," it's not "now" anymore. It's gone. Time is a force that is so powerful, it just moves, moves, moves. And it touches you. But the question is: what do you do in this time?
Do you act like a human being? Or do you try to be somebody else? A robot. Acting. We are all actors, acting someone we are not. You might think, "I'm not an actor. I'm a responsible person. I have my duties, my schedules, my agendas." But we pretend, "I am so-and-so." On the scale of this universe, you are nothing, absolutely nothing. And yet, in your universe, you are the supreme leader. You want to shape, understand, and control your destiny.
What is your destiny? If you want to know your destiny, you can. But the destiny you have is the destiny of a human being, and you will have to become a human being first, not an actor. Not the imaginary king of an imaginary kingdom in an imaginary time far, far away from the kingdom of reality.
What do I do? I'm not here to preach to you. I have some tickets to the greatest show on earth. I look for people who want the tickets, and they look for me. You are the venue, but you need a ticket. I have one. I'm not selling them; I'm giving them out - compliments of one human being to another.
Who's playing? The most magnificent is playing in this theater for a limited time. How long? As long as you are alive. When can you see the show? Whenever you want. Will you like it? It is a performance of performances, the impossible drama playing out. The infinite, the Divine, has decided to come and join you on this journey.
Recently, somebody asked me, "Why is life difficult?" I said, "Suppose you have a brand new car right out of the factory that runs fine. Then you take the tires and put them on the roof, take the engine and put it in the trunk, take the gas tank and put it where the engine is, and ask the dealer, 'Why doesn't this car run?'"
What have you done to your life? Please, come down to earth. It's not a bad place. Being a human being is not so bad. It's actually very good, very profound. You can accept. You don't have to live in a world of make-believe.
Sometimes I give this example. Make believe there is a cow - black with white spots, cute, small. Does this cow have problems? Yes. It's there, but it exists only through a belief. Can this cow give milk? Yes, but you have to believe it; you can't drink it. In belief, it even moos, winks, has big eyelashes. In belief, this cow is just gorgeous, and she gives a lot of milk, but not any that you can put in your tea. And her milk makes a lot of butter for toast, as long as you believe it's there. But you and I have no use for an imaginary cow. It can't give milk that we can drink.
If this is the only place you're going to live all your life, what's the point of the rest? You are so fortunate to be alive. This is the grandest of all blessings. Make-believers don't understand this. They're looking for the make-believe toast so they can have the make-believe butter from the make-believe cow that gave the make-believe milk. They dream of heaven when they are already in heaven: "I have to work really hard. I have to do this, and I have to sacrifice this, so when I die I'll go to heaven." You know what the big problem with that heaven is? You have to die.
The beauty of this heaven is: You don't have to die. All you have to do is open your eyes. Stop dreaming, start looking, and you will see what a heaven this is. You don't have to make believe. Truth, joy, is within you. Inherent kindness is ever-present. Every day. Explore the gift you have. It's about discovering, feeling. You really should consider that ticket. It will take you to an incredible show of shows. Within you.
Prem Rawat
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I'd like to talk about something very beautiful: you are alive. That's incredibly beautiful. And when we talk about the self, we are talking about recognizing, understanding who you are. When you think, "I am an Australian; I'm a New Zealander; I am English, Scottish, Irish," you are forgetting who you are. You are a human being.
We hear about superheroes who have reached the ultimate state of being. What if I said that you have reached the ultimate state of being? You are alive. That's the ultimate state of being. There isn't a higher state than being alive. This is it.
People go to the movies to be entertained, for some action, some drama. They have a whole ritual of getting their popcorn, their candy, their soft drinks. Talk about planning! The army could learn a thing or two about discipline from these people. They know exactly what and how much to get. Then they sit down in their chosen seat. The movie starts, and the line between reality and the artificial blurs. Some people even start crying. If they could see the real shoot, they'd be laughing, because what they're looking at is maybe the fifteenth take of the same scene.
We believe. Let's believe for a minute that there is a cow in front of you, and the cow moos. Maybe there's no harm in believing in it, but when you need milk, remember one thing: If this cow does give milk, it's only make-believe milk. It's not real. You won't be able to drink it. You can imagine it, you can pretend you're drinking milk, but it won't satisfy your thirst. Everything about it has to be make-believe, because it's all a fantasy.
In the arena of knowing, there's no make-believe. You experience. This is what I talk about. It's not a fantasyland. There is a longing within a human being so deep that it leaves you dry and, in the same moment, fills you up. It's a magical dance of quenching the thirst within.
Have you ever had water when you were really, really thirsty? Water becomes sweet. The focus is on nothing else but to take that water and drink, drink, drink. After you finish drinking, you say, "Ah!" You're satisfied.
What is water? It's something that has no identity. It isn't square and it isn't round. It takes the shape of whatever contains it. It has no color. It flows out of the ground, sometimes out of rocks—unbelievable places. If you were to try to describe water for its physical appearance, you could not do a good job, because it would always sound insignificant. Yet its power is so incredible that nothing can stand in its way—no mountain, no rock. Over time, water will carve what we think could never be carved. Yet water has tenderness, gentleness, softness. It's the softest feeling, and it can destroy mountains.
The lack of water has wiped out civilizations. Yet water has a clear understanding and sense of purpose. It comes from the ocean, it travels through the land, but water clearly knows its destination. It knows it has an appointment, a love affair with the ocean. When it merges with the ocean, its identity is gone. It's stripped of all that it was. It's home again.
Why am I telling you all this? How is this going to help you? Because you can learn from it—about the passion, the desire, the want in your life. You have a thirst in you. You have a thirst to be fulfilled, but many people don't acknowledge it because they're afraid. Why? Because they don't know what will happen to them. They have some concept that if they really acknowledged this thirst in their lives, they might become a vegetable, they might become irresponsible, or they might not be able to hold down a job.
What you do in this world, you do. It has nothing to do with your inner passion, because it will never satisfy that inner passion. They are two different things.
I'm here to tell you to listen to that sweet thirst. How could you not desire true peace in your life? Understand the passion for peace and satisfaction in your life. You have been thirsty. Throw your bucket in the well. And when that bucket is full, reel it in, and you will have a reward. Your reward will be satisfaction.
Prem Rawat
