Excerpts from Events

Is there something worth appreciating? [06:00 min] When we go to a restaurant and your bread is not warm, you say to the waiter "I would appreciate if you could bring me warm bread"
We use appreciate for every small thing, say if someone brings you glass of water, you go: "I appreciate that!"

Do you know what appreciation is? Do you have any idea what appreciation is?
Regardless of your age, this is one of the things that will not change- Appreciation! Even when you're 90 years old and you can't see so well. When your glasses are like binoculars!
The power of appreciation is not going to change. Hone in on it. Last year I was in Portland and I was coming back to the hotel after doing an event. I was looking out of the window, and there was this couple. For whatever reason, they were homeless and they laid down their bed in front of a shop. And she had biggest smile on her face. And I was like "Wow! You've lost everything. You're going to sleep outside and you're smiling!" - Appreciation!
Was that something she was looking forward too? to lose the home and sleep outside? Whatever the reason was- she was able to be happy and appreciate. That is the power of appreciation!

Is there something that is truly worth appreciating? And the answer is: Yes!
What is it? It is this moment in which this breath arrives. It is worth appreciating. The moment that you understand the simplicity of this existence, then it is worth appreciating. The moment you realize your desire to be fulfilled, then this is worth appreciating.
There is nothing you can do to remove the desire to be fulfilled. Nothing!
Your desire to be fulfilled.

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!

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.

Excerpt from event in Atlanta, Georgia [09:45 min] This is clipping from event held in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 8th, 2010.

If you're on a boat in survival situation in the middle of a hostile ocean, you don't wanna be on that boat with enemies, you wanna be with friends. And even if they're your enemies, start making friends. Do you understand what I'm saying? Because if you don't, guess who's life is going to be miserable. Not just their's, your's too. And that's what happens.

We don't understand what it means to be alive and therefore what is the significance of a human life. The causes are greater than the dignity and integrity of a human being. "You think like this therefore, Out you go!"
But this comes from the lack of understanding of who you are. It shows the lack. Because we truly doesn't understand the value of each moment that we have, whilst we are alive; till it is too late.

I want you to know, and I want you to understand that value. Not based on a belief system. This is what is incredibly cool of what I talk about. It's not a bunch of speculation. It's is not "Well, you should believe this. Close your eyes and believe this." No. Feel this! Feel peace in your life. Not just think about it. Have gratitude in your life, not because somebody told you have gratitude, but because you have gratification. If you have gratification, my friend, gratitude is automatic. You don't have to make any attempt. It will happen.

And what is gratification? Look it up. Look it up if you want to; Fulfillment!

A singular focus [02:25 min] Prem Rawat speaking in Washington, D.C., USA
The question becomes- Is the focus to have that joy to have that joy in this life. Is the focus to be content and fulfilled? Or is the focus in bewilderment.
What you do entertain as a thought every single day? Gratitude? Or I wonder what happens next! Bewilderment will not bring you gratification. Never has, never will. Knowing, feeling, experiencing- will!

A big and loaded statement, I think! [04:06 min] Whatever you're looking for... This is a big statement, it's loaded and it's big. It's very profound, I think! Whatever it is you're looking for, is inside of you. Why is it profound? How does the person who made this statement knew what you're looking for? It's a big assumption, right? It's infact a huge assumption saying that we're all looking for the same thing. Could it be? That we're all looking for the same thing? We call it different things, but we're looking for the same thing.

That peace, some people call it peace, God, Joy. You know what Kabir said about this? Kabir said that there's only one well and everybody comes to this well to fetch the water. The difference is of the vessels. But the water is the same in all the vessels. So somebody brings bucket, plain pot, hand-beaten pot, clay pot. Pots may be different but the water in the pot is the same because it comes from the same well.

We cannot thrive on our difference forever. Differences are good and they should be appreciated. But they should not be the basis of our functioning in this world. You look a little different that me- Good! Easy to recognize you and easy to recognize me! If we all look exactly alike it would be like, who am I looking for!

But don't forget that we all came from the place, landed on the same port, din't we? It's only one port- Port Earth. Could it be, we have the same mission? I think so. I think so. I think so.

And the mission is to be fulfilled.

That's what I do [02:25 min] Reality is much more beautiful than fantasy. Because there is someone actually with whom you can live with 'Happily ever After'. And that is in your heart. No conflicts, no judgement.

This is the reality my friend. You're here and you are the ocean of peace, of kindness, of understanding, of happiness. Look within and you'll see what I'm talking about. And, if you do not know how to look within (opens his arms)- This I'm good at! That's what I do.

I'm not here to sell you anything. You search, wherever you find it; perfect. Be happy, enjoy it, be content. Flourish. But if you don't find it, look me up.

I've this way, I call it knowledge; To know. That can take your attention from outside, turn it inside and you can feel that ocean inside of you. That's it. That's what I do.

Inner Potential [04:29 min] Peace begins with each human being. Olive trees are not looking for peace. Why I say olive tree is because it is the sign for peace. If someone or something is bothering the olive trees, believe me, it's human beings. Left alone, it'll be just fine. We human beings need to see our inner potential. Not so that we can do better work. But so that we can be better at feeling the joy that resides within inside of us, that's why!

Potential [03:14 min] You are alive and because you are alive, you have this possibility, Prem Rawat says. What is the possibility? he asks. Know. Know that all is meant to be well. You have the potential to know and you should know.

Kabir- No-nonsense, no philosophical mumbo-jumbo, straightforward poet [05:53 min] There are people are far more infatuated by only two questions

1. Where did I come from?
2. Where am I gonna go?

Then there is certain group of people who are much more attracted by the other two questions

3. Why am I here?
4. Who am I?

In your life you have to focus on which of these four questions, you really want answers to. Which ones? On the subject of first two, there's immense amount of speculations. And somehow the way the nature has it- you can't verify it. It's all hearsay. Whilst the other two question requires tremendous amount of consciousness and clarity and they deal with 'now'.

To put this in perspective I'm going to quote Kabir. My favorite no-nonsense, straightforward enlightened poet. No philosophical mumbo-jumbo. Kabir says:

Ram bulava bhejiya
diya Kabira roye
jo sukh saadhu sang mein
so baikunth na hoye

"God has sent me an invitation- the final call". And upon hearing this, knowing that he's going to die, Kabir starts to weep. For he says, the joy that I find in the company of this truth and in the company of the seekers of the truth. That joy is greater than the joy of heaven.