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.
Stating the obvious [04:17 min]
Everything that I am stating is obvious. What is the obvious? That you are alive. This is obvious. That peace that you look for is inside of you. That is obvious. Everything else, in a moment's notice, can change. The only thing that doesn't change is your strength, your beauty, your joy. You, after all, are a human being.
Life is a Voyage [03:40 min]
Just look at the facts. It seems like we are here to enjoy. Just use a little bit of logic, don't go by saying " no, no, no we are not here to enjoy, because life is so miserable and bla bla." No no.. Use facts- you are given a body, that loves to enjoy, hates pain, loves enjoyment. And you are here! So put the two and two together, and you end up with something- that wants to enjoy. So perhaps the purpose of this voyage is not pain, suffering, but to be able to experience the ultimate experience. What is the ultimate? What is the ultimate? The ultimate is that power that makes EVERYTHING possible- powers it, moves it- in the whole Universe! But the fascinating thing for us is not understanding the Universe but that which also powers the universe, happens to be within us- and this we can EXPERIENCE! Why? Coz this is where you experience the truest, truest Happiness.
Seed of Kindness [03:51 min]
When we come in this world, We are given seeds. And this is of course a metaphor
But its true that we are human beings. But the opportunity truly is, what we do with these seeds. And what are these seeds?
Well we can begin with very simple stuff. One of the seeds can be the seed of kindness, There is a seed of love, there is a seed of understanding, and there is a seed of doubt, there is a seed of confusion. And it always becomes- whatever seed it is that you have sown in your garden- garden of life, garden of existence, then ultimately this is what you are going to sit under and rest, and how restful it will be, directly depends, on what kind of seed you sow.
So every seed that you have, has a particular quality, has something that it offers, but when it is sown, and when it bears itself, when it grows and becomes a tree, it is going to have very particular characteristics which you may or may not like.
I am not here to pass judgement, nor am I here to try to advertise what kind of seed it is that you should have sown.
I think that if I merely point out some of the characteristics of these, then you are capable of making that decision for yourself, that fundamentally being human, you have enough intelligence to choose from clarity, to choose what will benefit you the most, each one of us within ourselves, carries an innate need and this need is never dictated by the world, it is our need, and it is fundamental to every human being.
This is the need that we have when we were young, it is the need that will stay there throughout our lives and will be there till the very end.
This is who we are- This is one of our natures.
But its true that we are human beings. But the opportunity truly is, what we do with these seeds. And what are these seeds?
Well we can begin with very simple stuff. One of the seeds can be the seed of kindness, There is a seed of love, there is a seed of understanding, and there is a seed of doubt, there is a seed of confusion. And it always becomes- whatever seed it is that you have sown in your garden- garden of life, garden of existence, then ultimately this is what you are going to sit under and rest, and how restful it will be, directly depends, on what kind of seed you sow.
So every seed that you have, has a particular quality, has something that it offers, but when it is sown, and when it bears itself, when it grows and becomes a tree, it is going to have very particular characteristics which you may or may not like.
I am not here to pass judgement, nor am I here to try to advertise what kind of seed it is that you should have sown.
I think that if I merely point out some of the characteristics of these, then you are capable of making that decision for yourself, that fundamentally being human, you have enough intelligence to choose from clarity, to choose what will benefit you the most, each one of us within ourselves, carries an innate need and this need is never dictated by the world, it is our need, and it is fundamental to every human being.
This is the need that we have when we were young, it is the need that will stay there throughout our lives and will be there till the very end.
This is who we are- This is one of our natures.
Looking for Joy [05:30 min]
Open my eyes, and let me see the good that is in my heart. Let me admire the beauty of my existence, the simplicity of being. So many people come to listen to me with hope that I will give them something magical- A word that they can speak and all of a sudden their car that hasn't started for 15 years will start. The toilet that hasn't flushed for 30 years, will flush! It's no coincidence that story of Aladdin exists in all the culture in some form. If you open your eyes and see, you ultimate wish has already been fulfilled
Griffith University, Brisbane- Australia Honors & welcomes Prem Rawat [08:34 min]
Maharaji addressed a distinguished audience of faculty, students and guests at Griffith University. He was thanked by a leader from the Australian Institute for International Relations. Griffith University is committed to high standards of scholarship, innovation, internationalization, social justice, ethical standards and lifelong learning. It consistently ranks high among Good University Guides, with the Griffith Business School ranking 11 in 2006.
Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia- Closing address [09:41 min]
Closing address by Prem Rawat, at Griffith University in Brisbane Queensland Australia, followed by a vote of Thanks by the President of The Institute of International Affairs of Queensland.
To be happy [06:21 min]
The thirst is always there to be fulfilled and that is the real thirst. Those wants that I have in my life, that have not changed since I was a child. Do you know of those wants, do you know, what they are??
The promises, you made to yourself, to always fulfill those wants, have you kept them up? Have you looked?? Have you searched for that? that has always been within you?
You have searched outside but have you searched inside?? This is why this is so different, this is why my message is so different, because everybody points outside, I point inside. I say what you need, you already have
Who are you?? There is one part of you that always was, is and will be. One part of you that makes you, YOU. This (skin) could become a pumpkin, come back as eggplant, because it is just dirt, just dirt. Dirt will mix into dirt and next thing you know, it could be coming up as jackfruit tree, coming up as flower. It could be coming up as eggplant, could be coming up as banana. Actually it’s not much of a difference, because molecules are just molecules, but what makes you as you, is the union of the two the infinite and finite and come together. That one part of you, that always will be, will be, was, but wasn’t you and will be but it won’t be you, you, is those two have come together, and so far those two are together, possibility exists and of all the possibility, one of possibility that exists is that this finite machine can feel the infinity.
As close as they get, you feel. The feeling machine, this is what you have been given, feeling machine-it feels, feels and feels. This is what it does and not only does It feel, it does something else. When it feels something good, it likes it; it smiles, becomes content, and actually becomes happy. This is not me saying this; so many people have said this.
Plug this machine, you keep plugging it into the world, trying to happy just like walking around this world, try this, try that and you know brings happiness when it fizzles out it is gone. Hey instead of plugging into all these things, plug in to that infinite, that’s in you and it fireworks, bliss, contentment, joy, all become yours.
A call from within [06:15 min]
"How much money is spent developing arms so that they can destroy- efficiently! How much money is spent for peace? When I talk about peace, people are extremely skeptical. If we dont have peace, we have nothing to be proud of! If we have not accomplished peace, then we would have a fundamental problem. We will not understand what the meaning of life is, what it means to be alive. On one hand we feed the generations and on the other hand we prepare to kill them. Its a very strange dichotomy.
Have you felt that need? I cannot create the need for anyone. Do you understand what your calling from within has been? I have been looking for something all my life, I dont know what it is, but I’ve been looking for, all my life. Could it be peace? Could it be contentment?
When Socrates said "Know Thyself!" What was Socrates talking about? Now it has become a point of discussion and debate in universities. "Know Thyself!" Because you are the source of what you are looking for!
Do I have a vision for peace? No... I have something more! And very humbly, I say to you "What you are looking for, is within you!" That peace for you as a human being is entirely possible on the face of this earth. Not impossible- very, very possible. Turn within and you will feel it!"
The sweetest and simplest place [02:23 min]
All my dreams have come true.I still dream of other things but all my dreams have come true . Because I am alive, because I exist.
This in the sweetest and most simplest way becomes my home, you are at home! This is your home, this existence is your home.
Be in that serenity!
Be in that contentment!
Be in that joy. For the person who is singing, which note can he sing on? For the person who is playing the piano, which note has he a license to play an off-key? "None!"
On a piano it is not about the keys that are not played, it is about the keys that are played.
Enhance those keys should be that the sound that comes evokes the feelings that it should evoke!