Excerpts from Events

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!

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.

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.

Five seconds of Heaven [03:02 min] Prem Rawat speaking in Salvador, Brazil
Try 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.

Peace [06:24 min] The day you begin to accept and understand that accomplishment, that blessing, then you begin to understand what peace is.

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.

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.

India Habitat Centre addressed by Prem Rawat [03:41 min] People ask me "Give the Knowledge to me". I say, No. First, recognize your thirst. Because if you are not thirsty, water doesn't mean anything. There is nothing to sell here, and nothing to buy. Knowledge is not for sale. It is not for sale. Not a penny! Not because it is very cheap, but because its priceless. Because there is not enough money in this world to buy it. Knowledge a mirror-
Knowledge is a way to go inside. To see, to feel, to experience.

India Habitat centre Advises and if needed, assists the Government in the formation and implementation of policies relating to habitat, and human settlements.

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.

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.