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.

Does God Test? [06:41 min] This is your nature, this is how you are. You have a mind, but you don’t think it is limited. You think it is unlimited. It is very limited. It can think of incredible things, but can it think of obvious things? Not always. Mind can dream about tomorrow. Mind can remember all those things that happened yesterday. But can mind actually help you live in the moment called now? It can’t. It’s not capable. Its job, to either go backwards or forward. Its job is not to think of what is now. It’s only one thing in you that can understand the moment called now and it is your heart. Not your mind. That’s why you have a heart. That one place from where questions don’t come but inspiration does. That one place from where reasoning doesn’t come but gratitude does. Gratitude and understanding that gratitude. Not reasoning. Mind likes to reason. Mind likes to gloat. Human beings like to gloat.

What does God do? In India, people believe God does nothing but test, test, test, test! I ask you a question. The God who tests, does this God know what the result will be? No, you think about this.. okay. People say, God is testing me. So, if the God is testing, that will imply that the God does not know whether you will pass or fail. Because if he already knows, you will fail, what is the point of testing you? If God already knows you will pass, what is the point of testing you. But you think God tests you. If you think that God tests you, then this God that tests you doesn’t know and why would you like to be tested by a God that doesn’t know.

There is a big hole in this theory of "God tests you". God does not test you. You allow yourself to be tested. Who gives you the test? The society gives you the test, your friends give you the test, because they don’t know. Why would God want to test. What would be the reason. It is quite the contrary, that every human being is blessed. The blessing already exists. To understand this that the blessing already exists, thats why you need knowledge. Because nothing shows it clearer. Every day that you sit down to practice it, nothing shows it you clearer that the blessing has already been given to you. Nothing.

Do you feel blessed? [04:45 min] In India, I got this email from this person and he said, there is this couple in South India and the guy’s wife is dying of cancer, so they would like to see you. So, we worked it out. It was a young couple, a very young couple, and I walked into the room where they were sitting. And believe me I could’nt figure out who it was, that was sick. She looked just radiant. And her grandmother was sitting on one side, her husband was sitting there, and she was sitting, and I was like, "Who is it?". The doctors had said time-out. Yet I remember her face, because she was still filled with so much hope and so much joy. And it reminded me of the flower that I had seen coming out of the rock.
The audacity - Why should you be so happy, why should you be so hopeful. Don’t you know what the doctors are saying? But there was a thankfulness, for having knowledge. For having been alive, for having this gift. And a hope, not formulated in some concrete numbers. But whatever will happen will be fine.
This I must tell you is a powerful thing. Why here, why are you using your time and energy to sprout here, go down further south, it’s better. But no, this is it. This is the place. When that flower sprouts from that rock, in the middle of the most incredibly barren land. What that flower is saying, "This is the place to be. Regardless of the consequences. And I am here and here I’ll grow, and it happens."
Hope, but hope cannot be the first thing. Knowing, understanding, and then that brings the truest hope. Let it be like that, the truest hope. Not in, "This is the specific result I want.", but in, "It will be fine." That there is indeed a blessing in my life. "Do you feel blessed?"
Blessed you are, the only thing missing, is for you to know it.

The Lamp [08:57 min] Recognize your freedom, that within you is a light so bright, that never again, do you have to be in darkness. And if the majesty that is inside of you is unchanging. Where is freedom? Freedom is within you. Where is the joy, the joy is within you. That is your true love, that is your true joy, that is your true knowledge. So, in this life, you dont have to wander. In this life, you dont have to walk confused. The wondering should be changed to knowing. Know where you are. Know what you have been given. Know the truth about you. You, are the well and from this well comes the spring of clarity.
Each one of you needs the peace within. You are a lamp and you need to be lighted. And when you are lit, you too will give light. This is when you will look the most beautiful.

Passing of Life [06:40 min] This existence is your home. And it is incumbent upon you to make this home as comfortable as possible.

Heaven, hell, and God [08:45 min] Look what people have done to God. And why? Because there are expectation. When they don't get according to their expectations "There is no God". What is expectations from God; Two eyes, two ears, white hair, light in the back (only in the back, not in the front), teeth, lips, hands, feet. So then people go "I'm looking for God." Are you looking for God, or you're looking for somebody you think should be God? God doesn't need eyes. What is God going to see with the eyes- who is omniscient and see everything doesn't need eyes like this in front, coz you can be doing things at the back! This is expectation.

Put aside your expectations. Know how to receive. When you are open, you go inside, you feel. Knowing the coming and going of this breath is the blessing. God is residing inside of you. What is your reason for living? Are you living for fulfilling other people's expectations? Now, how do you know about God. Its simple, somebody told you! And whoever the first person was, whatever spices he put on in description will stick with you for the rest of your life. How do you know about heaven, and the hell? Have you been there? You can say "I'm sure what I felt now, must be hell" I can understand that, but see somebody told you about hell, and the heaven just stuck with you. Heaven is in you now. This is where God resides (pointing within)! The whole idea is about now. If you don't know, then you are in ignorance. Nothing is bigger hell than darkness- Ignorance. And nothing is greater joy than that light, that beauty. Receive it.

The Journey [05:52 min] Where does this journey begin? Do you know? It's interesting. You know how to breathe, right? But I wonder if you know that this saga begins, this symphony begins, with the first breath in.

Surprise event at Malibu, California [04:13 min] Do you have the ability to look at every day anew? Yes you do. Do you? No, so, whats the point? Do you have the ability to recognize the value of a moment? Do you? No. You are perfectly satisfied being frustated. You would rather talk about all those things that went wrong. It's a nice point of conversation with your friends, with your family. All the things that happen that are good, no one wants to talk about. It's not interesting. It's not interesting to talk about that you are alive. It's taken for granted, till you die.
The opportunity has been given to you because you have the ability to recognize what is good. So, do so.
If life was a canvas and a bunch of colors, would you paint? If life was a drum, would you play? Would you? Or would you say, I do not know how to paint. Or would you say, I don't know how to play. Or would you say, I do not understand. Or would you say, I don't know how.
I don't know how, is an excuse because if you really don't know how, then you would find out how it takes to search, takes to see, takes to understand that tool that you have been given, the tool called life.

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.

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.