Excerpts from Events
Taking off the mask [06:08 min]
Giovanna Tassi, the General Director of Ecuador Public Radio and Television, interviewed Ambassador of Peace Prem Rawat during one of his visits to Ecuador. In this excerpt, Prem Rawat speaks about how the message of peace has helped transform gang members in Ecuador, and the importance of each person seeing their own inner beauty.
Universal Forum of Cultures, Barcelona invites Prem Rawat [09:21 min]
The Chief Executive of the Universal Forum of Cultures, Barcelona invited Maharaji to address the prestigious forum. He expressed that we understand peace from a political or socio-logical perspective, but Maharaji has a very unique perspective on peace!
Ravan's Advice to Lakshman, brother of Ram [04:29 min]
For most of us, we do things, We find ourselves in a trap where everything is faster than we are. And we have to catch. And we trying to catch up with everything. With the projects that din't get done, all the ideas that we have. And don't feel bad about this, because goes back to hundreds and thousands of years ago. It's documented. When Ravan (Anecdote from Ramayana, one of the greatest epic from India) he was the bad, he stole Ram's wife Sita. Finally Ram did him in. As he's dying. Ram sends his brother, Lakshman, saying "Actually he's quite literate, quite a wise person, ask him a few questions."
Ravan is lying there, he's dying slowly. Lakshman comes upto him and says "Tell me how to run a kingdom, what is good, what is bad." And of-course, Ravan stays very quiet. Lakshman comes back to Ram and says "The rope is burnt but the twists are still there. He's so proud of himself that he won't answer!" Ram asked, "No. No. what did you do?" Lakshman says, "I went by his head and asked him". Ram said, "No. Don't go by his head. Pay him all the respect that is due to him. Then very nicely and kindly ask him." So Lakshman does that.
And one of the things that Ravan says is just that "I had so many wonderful dreams. I wanted to do so much good, but I din't do those things. I started doing things that were no consequence. If at all they were of any consequence, they were of bad consequence. I didn't choose consciously the things that I wanted to pursue in my life. And today the result is, I'm lying here. And I've had so many blessings from different deities that nobody would be able to kill me. But here I'm, I'm dying. Because I din't pursue the good. I pursued those things that were of bad consequence."
He talks about his dreams, and his dreams are really big! He wants to convert entire ocean into sweet water so that people will have good supply of clean water. He said "But I din't do that. Instead, I started pursuing, how I could Kidnap Ram's wife."
Stupid!
Of-course in that moment he says "I understand this is stupid, but there is nothing I can do about it now. I wasn't conscious." We're all guilty of not pursuing the good, and pursuing things good for nothing. We're all guilty of that. As far back as that story goes, that has been the case.
Prem Rawat asked to define peace [02:45 min]
On the 23rd of May 2013, Prem Rawat spoke at the UWC Red Cross Nordic college in Flekke, Norway to an audience of students and faculty.
Five seconds of Heaven [03:02 min]
Prem Rawat speaking in Salvador, BrazilTry this- it works, believe me. When you go home, try it. Five seconds of heaven. If you have children/husband/wife at home, try to make five seconds of heaven for them. What would make five seconds of heaven for a husband- this is what's amazing. It's not breakfast. Listen.
And the day you want to make five seconds of heaven for yourself, listen to your heart.
Life [06:02 min]
Prem Rawat talks about his perspective on life, analogizing to playing a piano.
If you want to look at life, look at it this way. That it's a bunch of layers. Only one sheet is real. The rest are just translucent overlays on top of that one real sheet.
What I do, is I ask people to lift those layers one by one and see that they're only the layers. Every layer is changeable. The only thing that doesn't change is the basic fundamental layer on which everything is developed. Life too is very much like those layers- We've got our relationships, friends, jobs, this and that; pretty soon getting caught in all of these layers that we forget what the main sheet is- what it is about.
Some pianos come with 88 keys. Lowest note- highest note. All songs played on that piano will be contained between those notes. If artist goes beyond those 88- nothing! Doesn't matter how good he is. If someone says "Press all 88 keys at once, and it will play every single song that can be played on the piano". Technically it's true. But it will not sound beautiful, it will have no emotions. A song is not just about playing the key, but the silence in between. That's what defines the song.
In this life, if you take all these notes and mash them together and say "yeah, everything is fine. I'm playing the song." You're sadly mistaken- there's no song. If life doesn't seem quite right, you are not mistaken- It's not being played right. It's about the sequence, the silence, the harmony. This is what constitutes a song. It beings with your existence, your life, your clarity, your song. You playing the song, not some hired artist playing it for you. It is your enjoyment of that song that means everything.
What makes you truly happy? [06:17 min]
If you were to lose everything! Can you be happy? When you were born, how many husbands did you have? or how many wives or girlfriends did you have? Did you even, in that time, know that you were happy? Were you incapable of being happy? Have you seen a little baby?
I want to ask you, what makes you truly happy? Is it some thing, or is it you? This my friend (pointing to the heart), is the home of contentment and peace.
Come a little closer [09:20 min]
This evening we have an opportunity to listen about a simple reality, because you exist. It is so easy to conjure up all the ideas and concepts that exist in this world. It is almost impossible not to be affected by all the hearsay that go around. And all of a sudden, a simple reality gets ignored.
What is this reality? You're alive. That within you in-fact, is the divine. Within you are the answers that you seek. Lot of people go, "If that's the case then how come I don't see the divine?"
I've an explanation for that. If you were to go way out, into the outer space. First you'll just start to see a little bigger picture. You can see more, more, and more. Right? No! Not entirely true. The further out you go, Even though you can see more, the resolution drops. So all of a sudden you don't see human beings any more. If you go few light years, you won't even see the blue sphere!
So, what's the trick? The trick to see that which is really there, is beautiful. What is it? Come a little closer.
Peace is inside of you. And people say they don't see it. Feel it. Why? Because you're so far away from your own self. And the answer- Come a little closer. And keep coming closer, closer, closer till you see it.
Prem Rawat talks about Kabir [06:10 min]
Peace is not a disappointment. Peace is a reality. The joy that is inside of you, is a reality. This is an actuality. And you see, this is where it gets a little funny. If I say it, you migth say, "Aww, I don't know, he said it." So, I bring along Kabir. And when he says it, people go, "O Wow! Kabir said that." And it works very well. Works very well for me. Just bring on along Kabir, and get him to say it. And then people go, "Oh yeah, I got it."In this world, you become absolutely loved and credible after you die. It is absolutely amazing. Death has a profound effect on people. But thats just how it is. When Kabir was alive, did anyone hear him? No! He died penniless. No credit was given to him. He was just somebody battling this stuff. After his death, "Ohh, have you read his stuff!"
And what does he say? That divine that you are looking for, is inside of you. That Kabir said. See, I said the same thing a few minutes ago, exactly the same thing. Thats why Kabir is great.
What is this world like? He says that people are going all over the place searching and looking for that divine, when that divine dwells in you. Like the musk deer who searches for the scent throughout the forest but the scent resides within its own navel.
He says, imagine a pond and on the pond there grows a lotus and all around the lotus, the bees are buzzing. And the same way, he says, this mind wonders buzzing around all that it finds attractive. And who is caught in it, everyone. All the knowledgeable ones, all the intellectuals, all the ones that have all the credentials, all the holy ones. I did’t say that, Kabir did! They are all buzzing around this stuff.
All the while, the divine is waiting for you, to be acknowledged. The church of churches is within you. The temple of temples is within you. And the one you seek, is within you. What do you need? You need someone who can show you the way inside. Somebody who can put a mirror in front of you, so you can see, who you are.
Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) in Lisbon, Portugal [02:49 min]
In the tradition of YPO, I'm going to share my experience with you. 40 years ago I was 13 years old. My objective was to take a message to the people of the world. And it had to do with human beings and to cause them to explore themselves as the source of Peace.We want success, and I say to you, there should be two types of success. One is in your business life. That has to be successful. But there is another one. And your business life's success will be judged by others. But there is one success that cannot be judged by others and that is the success that you feel you are in your life.
You too have an incredible potential; not as a CEO but as a human being. That's part of my message- As a human being. And when you understand what it means to be alive, I can tell you, all the rest of the successes will follow!