Excerpts from Events

What are you busy with? [03:19 min] We are busy, and we allow ourselves to be busy, and we accept that we are busy. But we never ask ourselves what are we busy with. Where's it going? There are careers, and people work. And don't misunderstand, I'm not saying good or bad. I'm just presenting how it is. You are busy with your career, you are busy with your life. You are busy in trying to make some dream come true. But where is this headed? What's going to be its outcome. How will it all end? And it's doesn't matter whether you are a king, or a pauper, or a beggar. Whether you are the most important person, or the least important person on the face of this earth.

Ultimately, there is something waiting for you. You go through the same rules, as everyone. There are no exceptions. One day you weren't, today you are, and one day you won't be. We judge our life by what is placed on the plate. And don't we do that. And so we say I'm happy because of this. But I ask does it make any difference? Because at the end of the day everybody has to share the same exact fate. And no exceptions. You cannot buy another day because you are wealthy. When it is your time, then it is your time, and you have to go. So the point really becomes, not the death, nor the birth. You understand? But what happens between the two moments!

Play It With Passion [07:48 min] Human being is an incredibly fine, sensitive, experiencing instrument. That truth resides in you and it will sing out. That is the ultimate passion. Play this instrument. Its resonance, its gratitude, contentment, peace, joy, these are the nodes of this instrument. Play it with the passion it deserves. Fortunately or unfortunately till you play, that yearning will never go away and if you play it that yearning will increase. In my book when something is like that that without it the yearning never goes away and with it the yearning increases then this is the most accurate description of true passion. And that is the passion you need in your life.

The Grand Illusion- Maya [09:21 min] This is not about the books, this is not about the explanations. The people who are caught up in the explanation are going to need more explanations. Am I wrong? You think all the explanations that have been written 200 years ago, 300 years ago, 2000 years ago would have been sufficient. You think that is sufficient? People are still writing them. People are still interpreting and trying to figure out, what was 'really' said! Do you think its going to stop anytime soon? No. People will go on explaining to you, what was really meant when the word was used. And you, you want nothing better than a predigested package- feed it to me! This is how most people are! There are a lot of people who're going to buy the new iPhone. But they're never going to read the manual. And for years they're going to go around, till they find somebody else who has an iPhone and has also read the manual, and go "How do you do it?"

Whoever can explain to you this, of how everything happens, is not telling the truth. Because; it cannot be explained. We forget our very humanness, that we are human beings. So many have come before us. We are tantalized by technologies, 'oh its different now'. Is it? What has all this technology got to do with your humanness. Your humanness has nothing to do with it. Your sorrow, your joy will not be affected by all of this. This was dubbed long time ago, there was a word given to it- Grand Illusion 'Maya'. People still don't understand on how could this be an illusion. They even make jokes about it being illusion. It is an illusion because it is here today, and gone to tomorrow. What seemed to be forever, is gone. And where? No one knows. Right in front of your eyes, a day is gone, the biggest magician plays his grand effects. A day is gone, and a life is gone- and nobody applauds of how wonderful that little illusion was. Because this is not an illusion, because this is not an illusion. What is gone- is not coming back. Thats why you need to be conscious in this life.

From Coal to Diamond [04:42 min] You have heard the word transform? Let me tell you about the transformation of coal. Coal is very dirty. It is so dirty that if you touch it, your fingers will become dirty. It is so dirty that if you are just around it when it is being handled, the dust from it will get all over you and you too will become black, like the coal. That how coal is. You see coal miners come out of the coal and they are completely black.

But, and this is the big but. When that coal is squeezed and squeezed and squeezed, it begins to transform, and it becomes a diamond. Now, lets talk about a diamond. Diamond is very different than the coal. Its clean. You put it in your pocket, and nothing will get dirty. You put it in your hand, it will not get dirty.

And then, if you take that diamond, cut it, facet it, it is such pure form of carbon, squeezed, that it will begin to shine. You can take the coal, a soft piece of coal, and try to clean it, wash it. If you try to wash a soft piece of coal, you know what will happen? The soap will get dirty. Your hands will get dirty. The cloth with which you are cleaning it will get dirty. Everything that it touches will become dirty.

And then the diamond, it is so tough that it can polish other things and make them shine incredibly. This is one of the most incredible examples of transformation.

So, do you have this possibility in your life? I am here to tell you, you do! You do! And that squeezing, I can make that happen. I have this wonderful gift, the gift of knowledge, that can transform you, from coal to diamond.

Happiness [05:23 min] What makes you happy? Is it something you do that makes you happy? Is it a sequence of circumstances that makes you happy?

Love [05:14 min] Falling in love is not a formality. Falling in love happens, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Do you enjoy just being alive? Chennai, 2014 [06:51 min] We have learnt so much, but the question remains- How to be in peace. We have learned how to make buildings, car, airplanes, and even wars. Peace is already in the heart of every single human being. Being so close, people still search for it. People are very proud that they're searching. Why are you searching for peace when it is inside of you? Search not for peace, but for the way to be able to get in touch with it. What should you search for, to see your face- Another face? You should be searching for a mirror.
In your life, where is your focus? You should be enjoying being alive! Do you enjoy being alive? I know you enjoy going to party, listening to music and a lot of other things. But do you enjoy just being alive? If you don't, you're focusing on the wrong thing.

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.

Thammasat University, Thailand "The Greatest Gift" [06:17 min] Prem Rawat addresses the civic leader, government officials and professors at the Thammasat University. Thammasat University is one of the most prestigious universities in Thailand. More than 70 years since its establishment in 1934, the University has produced more than 240,000 undergraduate and graduate students who have greatly contributed to the development and progress of the society and the country. The University’s alumni include prime ministers, top-level politicians and officers, Bank of Thailand governors, as well as most of the city’s governors.

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!