Words of Peace Global News
Report: Event in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina - April 27, 2013
[Mon, 20 May 2013]On April 27th, 1,179 people piled into a gymnasium-turned-auditorium to hear Prem Rawat speak about the importance of life itself. Sitting on chairs, bleachers and sometimes the floor, all guests were warmly welcomed and admission was free of charge.
Here are some things he had to say:
So, who are you? You are, in this moment that you are alive, the recipient of the most beautiful, most abundant, and most divine gift of all. Because you are alive, you are the recipient of this breath.
There is one thing that holds even death at a distance. Do you know what it is? So far this breath is coming in and out of you, even death can not touch you.
Do you know the shortest, most complete sentence in the English language? 'I am.' Cannot get shorter than that. 'You are.' You are. Why make it more complicated than that? You are. Delight, enjoy, understand, experience.
Photographs by Mehau Kulyk and Lynette Mau.
FFP Expands Its Helping Hand in Nepal
[Thu, 16 May 2013]
It seems like only yesterday that the second Food For People (FFP) facility opened near Katmandu, Nepal.
Tucked away in the Ganesh mountains, a tiny village called Tasarpu was chosen as the site where, in 2009, five hundred children and one hundred infirm adults began receiving daily hot meals. Last month over seven hundred children were fed. The number of infirm adults who need this additional meal has dropped to just twenty-six.
Before FFP, Tasarpu children often skipped school in order to help their parents with household chores, such as trekking long distances to fetch water. The addition of one nutritious meal a day by FFP has brought a greater sense of prosperity to the community. As a result, Tasarpu school attendance has increased to over 90% and school enrollment has doubled.
Recently, other FFP projects have been undertaken or completed in the village, increasing the quality of life. These include the landscaping of staff living quarters for those working in the food program; a drinking water and sanitation system at a local primary school; and additional training for the staff and local residents in organic farming.
To bring the expense of these projects into perspective, the sanitation project cost only US$64; and a month’s supply of seeds, fertilizers and tools for farming is only US$18.
Each day, the FFP staff sets aside time to receive on-site training on how to grow vegetables organically. The villagers are invited to on-site demonstrations on how to incorporate organic growing practices in their own gardens and, in some cases, this can increase their income potential. One of the newest trainings is for mushroom farming. Mushrooms will be used in the FFP meals, and also sold in the open market to generate funds for the FFP program.
Tasarpu residents are so enthusiastic about these new trainings that some are providing compost fertilizers to FFP free of cost.
Said one villager, "Since our children are having free meals every day there and going to school, we would also like to offer something that we have. If more fresh vegetables are grown in the FFP vegetables farm, it is our children who will eat them."
This month, FFP is also offering two-day eye clinics in two other villages — Butawal (in western Nepal) and Chitawan (in mid-southern Nepal).
Photos courtesy of the Premsagar Foundation Nepal.
Report: Event in Curicó, Chile - April 20, 2013
[Wed, 01 May 2013]At the Gimnasio Municipal Abraham Milad in Curicó, 1,103 guests crowded together to hear Prem Rawat talk about a possibility that only exists "because you are alive." For the next hour, he kept revisiting how the divine is the one that allows this miracle to continue, and that the divine can be known.
Here are some things he had to say:
Do you feel the presence of that divine in your existence? Do you feel the thirst for that joy in your life? Do you feel the want for clarity in your existence? Do you? Because I want to tell you how blessed you are. How incredibly blessed you are, because that divine has decided to join you in this existence. In fact, the only reason you exist is because of that divine.
It is this, the heart of a human being, that makes you unique. Have you felt that feeling, that you are in synch with your existence? Have you felt the feeling of what it is like to wake up in the morning and feel thankful that you are alive? That is the most precious gift of them all. Do you know what it is like to stop in the middle of your wars and battles, and understand the peace that dances within you?
Open your eyes, and learn to recognize a miracle. And the day you do, you will be amazed. Why? Because every time this breath comes into you, it’s a miracle.
Photographs by Mehau Kulyk and Dayana Mayorga.
Report: Event in Salvador, Brazil - April 5, 2013
[Tue, 16 Apr 2013]On Prem Rawat's first visit to Salvador, he delved into what it means to be part of the infinite, and to have the infinite be part of you. He implored his audience to get to know that divinity while the river of life is still flowing.
Here are some things he had to say:
There is something of the infinite in you, and that which is the infinite in you remains infinite forever. It is the only thing that was never created and will never be destroyed.
It is by the courtesy of that infinite that anything exists. It is beyond any concept that anybody could ever have, what the value of that divinity is. So, how precious are you? Unfathomable. So far the divine is in you, it’s unfathomable.
This is why it is so important in your life to know that divinity! Because you’re surrounded by it. Below you, above you, in you, outside of you is that beautiful dance of this divinity. Either learn to dance with that dance, or one day the river is going to stop flowing. What’s bad about that river not flowing? Nothing, except for one. Now you cannot do what you could have done while you were alive.
Photographs by Mehau Kulyk and Dayana Mayorga.
Trade Fair Event in Ghana
[Tue, 16 Apr 2013]
A new exhibition initiative was held at a trade fair in Accra, Ghana in February. The fair was officially opened by Ghana's Minister of Trade and Industry on February 28, 2013.
This peace initiative ran for eleven days, and was a highly successful and enjoyable experience for both volunteers and attendees of the fair. The project manager of the initiative reported:
“Our stand was well set up, and very attractive. On a small TV monitor we played short DVDs, and audio messages were played from the DVDs with musical interludes… Prem Rawat’s message of peace was the toast of the fair, and people congratulated us for a good job done and encouraged us to take the message to other places.”
Attendance:
- 623 people voluntarily visited the stand to seek information.
- 82 people made their contact information available so they could be invited to a future event with Prem Rawat.
- During the fair, thirteen evening events were held with a total attendance of 2000.
Stall attendees were invited to write in the guestbook — many of the comments showed an appreciation for the message:
- “We all need peace”
- “Peace is supreme”
- “Inner peace is necessary”
- “Prem Rawat makes me understand peace come from within”
Thinking of undertaking a similar initiative? Check out the guidelines for booths & exhibits.
Sustainability and a Culture of Peace
[Thu, 11 Apr 2013]
Prem Rawat was awarded the honorary title of Citizen of São Paulo on Tuesday, April 9, at a special ceremony held at the Municipal Chamber of the City.
With over 300 guests in attendance, the event was broadcast live over the web, and recorded by four TV channels in Brazil.
The theme of the event was “Sustainability and a Culture of Peace,” which was particularly poignant for a city that has suffered from tragic violence over recent years.
Senior Alderman Gilberto Natalini, a leading advocate for building a culture of peace, hosted the san paulo citizenshipbcitizenship ceremony. He mentioned in a pre-meeting with VIPs, including Prem Rawat, that some say it is statistically safer to live in Baghdad than in São Paulo. Although the city had seen a drop in violence, Prem Rawat made the point that the loss of just one life was too much and that a culture of peace building is urgently needed. It is evident that the city of São Paulo is keen to progress this effort.
As requested by the São Paulo government, The Prem Rawat Foundation is helping the city by implementing its Peace Education Program, starting in 10 community centers with more to follow.
The award ceremony was preceded by several key speakers talking about the need for a culture of peace, its importance to São Paulo, and the positive influence that a message of peace like that of Prem Rawat can bring. Speeches included a letter of congratulations and support for peace from congressman Walter Feldman, a proponent of peace in the Brazilian Congress.
Prem Rawat then spoke for over 30 minutes on the importance of peace in the life of each individual. He explored the issue of hunger and how, on average, half of the world’s food production is thrown away. Some 1.2 billion tons a year is wasted. The fact that such high levels of food production exist shows that there is no shortage of food in the world. However, greed has led to shortage and starvation for many.
Prem Rawat believes that reduction in hunger could reduce criminality, as has been the case in communities benefiting from the supply of good local food at facilities created by The Prem Rawat Foundation.
He went on to talk about what would be humanity’s greatest achievement. It was not cell phones or technology or going to the moon. Rather, humanity’s greatest achievement would be peace, and this was an achievement well worth striving for.
The event concluded with Gilberto Natalini and journalist Soninha Francine awarding the citizenship of São Paulo to Prem Rawat. Previous recipients of the honorary citizenship of São Paulo include Pope Benedict XVI In 2007, U.S. President Bill Clinton in 2008, and the Dalai Lama in 2011.
He was also awarded the Mark of Peace, a replica of the famous monument to peace by the same name in São Paulo. Part of an international peace initiative conceived by Luigi Brancati, the replica is given to distinguished individuals for their work for social action and building a culture of peace.
Photographs by Mehau Kulyk.
Food for People Nepal Wins Accolades in the National Press
[Fri, 05 Apr 2013]
Govinda Adhikari, a journalist with The Nagarik Daily, published in Kathmandu and widely read throughout Nepal, recently wrote an editorial praising Food for People as the first working solution to a long-time challenge: how to help the Chepang, an aboriginal Tibeto-Burman people who live in the rugged Mahabharat mountain range of central Nepal.
Traditionally semi-nomadic, the Chepang depended on their ancestral forests for sustenance. Their ownership of this land is not legally recognized, however, and much of the forest has been cleared for development. For several generations now, the Chepang have been struggling to adopt a more settled, agricultural way of life. Yet the topography makes permanent farming difficult, and there is usually not enough food.
For four decades, Mr. Adhikari wrote, government and foreign NGOs have poured money into development programs for the Chepang, and yet approximately 90 percent of them still live below the poverty line, and less than 25 percent are literate.
Then, he wrote, "I happened to witness a program called Food for People. It is not a stereotyped development program … on the contrary, it is an altruistic work envisioned and supported by a gentleman, Mr. Prem Rawat."
Food for People, he said, works on a very simple platform: children who are enrolled in school and ailing adults can receive a nutritious hot meal each day. "One does not have to be indebted to anyone or praise any power for satiating his hunger.
"Started in the neediest village, the Food for People program has had a positive impact among the children over there. The number of children going to school is found to have increased to 95 percent after the introduction of this program, and we have learned that 75 percent of the students participating regularly in the program succeeded in last year's SLC exams" – the Secondary School Leaving Certificate all students must take at the end of the 10th grade.
The whole community benefits, Mr. Adhikari enthused. "The children, due to a healthy and balanced diet and improvement in personal hygiene, fall ill less frequently these days. Parents are no more compelled to make child laborers out of their children, and the women are no more subjected to sexual exploitation just in the name of food. So effective has been this program that, if it can be continued for a decade more, the living standard of the village as a whole is sure to witness a tremendous improvement."
Photos courtesy of the Premsagar Foundation Nepal.
Eye Surgery a Game Changer for Palestinian Child
[Thu, 28 Mar 2013]
At three and a half, Mariam developed a pronounced squint. Her concerned parents took her to a local optometrist, who diagnosed farsightedness and prescribed glasses. But remembering to wear your glasses is hard when you're only three and a half, and the squinting persisted.
Mariam and her family live in Tulkarem, an ancient city in the foothills of the Samarian mountains in the occupied Palestinian territory. In this impoverished, war-torn part of the world, where intermarriage among close relatives is common, congenital eye diseases that lead to blindness are widespread. A squint may not seem like much of a problem—but the social cost is high. Squints and other obvious eye defects are stigmatized, and children who are afflicted with them are hidden away at home. They can neither play with other children nor go to school.
Mariam's parents sought help at a satellite clinic of St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group (SJJEH), which has been providing eye care in the area since 1882. The nonprofit is dependent upon contributions to continue its mission to treat all of those who require its help, regardless of their ability of pay. TPRF has been providing support to SJJEH for this purpose since 2008.
Doctors at the clinic confirmed the diagnosis of moderate farsightedness and recommended that the child be encouraged to wear her glasses full-time in order to gauge their full effect on her appearance as well as her vision. A return visit several months later showed that while her vision had indeed improved, her squint stubbornly remained. Corrective surgery at St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem was scheduled for the following month.
The weather was very wintery all month, and Mariam arrived at the hospital with a cold. An anesthetist and an ear, nose and throat specialist examined her and declared her fit for surgery. Surgeons operated on one muscle in each eye and considered the operation to be a complete success.
"The proven support of The Prem Rawat Foundation has been integral to the continuing success of the Hospital Group in being able to provide vital, charitable, ophthalmic services for children in a most troubled region of the world," says SJJEH CEO Ron Bull. "On behalf of patients and staff across the occupied Palestinian territory, we are most grateful for the Foundation’s sensitivity to the work we do."
As for Mariam, who spent an extra two days at the hospital due to another snowstorm, she has promised to wear her glasses full-time.
Report: Event in Cotonou, Benin - November 25, 2012
[Fri, 01 Mar 2013]Cotonou — the largest city in Benin and home to Stade de L'Amitie de Kohounou, a stadium usually reserved for major soccer matches and outdoor concerts. For a crowd of over 6,000 people, it proved the perfect place to hear Prem Rawat speak on November 25, 2012. With a great deal of levity and humor, he talked about the need for friendship and how we already have the ultimate friend inside.
Here are some things he had to say:
You have anger in you — no doubt. But you also have calmness in you. You have confusion in you, and you have clarity in you. You have love in you, and you have hate in you. And you know what I think? Exactly the same amount. Not one drop less of hate, and not one drop more of love. Exactly the same amount. Question is, what do you choose in your life and why?
Who is your friend? Do you know? The infinite. That power that created the universe, that sustains the universe, that will destroy the universe, is residing inside of you 24/7! Day and night! That’s your friend. Do you have friends in high places? The supreme is residing inside of you.
I am only here to tell you that, so far you are alive, the divine is within you. And you should know the divine. That’s all. Because if you do, you will be given a gift. And do you know what the gift is called? The gift, my friends, is called peace. That’s how you get peace!
Photographs by Mehau Kulyk.
TPRF Funds Freshwater Supply, Modern Sanitation for Rural Indian Village
[Thu, 21 Feb 2013]
A project to provide clean water and improve sanitation at a girls school in the remote Indian village of Veedur will raise the standard of living for all of the area's 6,500 inhabitants. Clean water is among the most desperate needs in the Villupuram section of the state of Tamil Nadu, where Veedur is located. For the villagers, whose traditional occupation is agriculture, lack of water means no way of making a living. They are trapped in a downward cycle of low literacy and poor health.
TPRF is partnering with The Society for Women Education and Economic Thrust (SWEET), a local nonprofit, to tackle that challenge at a level where it will benefit the most vulnerable members of the community: its schoolchildren.
Sanitation requires access to clean water, but recent dry spells have made that a scarce commodity in landlocked Veedur. "Villupuram as a whole is a dry area, with no sea or river around," says Ms. N. Sagayamary, SWEET's secretary.
Keeping children in school is especially difficult in the summer, Sagayamary says, when schools close down their toilets due to insufficient water for flushing. This lack of sanitary facilities has been cited in a UNICEF report as a major reason for dropping out of school among teenage girls. When water is scarce, they are also at risk of being pulled out of school to join their mothers and aunts in long treks to fetch water for their households.
SWEET's plan is to drill a bore well, build a rainwater harvesting system on the school premises and install pipes and taps to ensure the high school has a year-round supply of water for its toilets. This, says Sagayamary, will not only benefit the school's 1,500 students but also their families and others in the community.
"Women residing around the school need no more tread long distances and waste time and energy bringing water," she says. Smaller children will have no occasion to use open-air toilets, as they do in the absence of access to the school's toilets. She cites a Human Development Index of India survey that shows even one family that adopts open-air toilet practices can prompt the spread of diarrhea and dysentery through an entire village.
"This is an uncomplicated project in which the input produces direct output," Sagayamary says. "The outcome and impact all are immediate."
President of Italian Senate Honors Prem Rawat
[Mon, 11 Feb 2013]
On December 3, 2012 Renato Schifani, President of the Italian Senate, hosted a conference that honored both Lifetime Senator Emilio Colombo, one of the founders of the European Union and previous president of the European Parliament, and TPRF founder Prem Rawat, who has been widely recognized as an international advocate for peace. The event was held in the Sala Zuccari, a ceremonial suite within the Palazzo Giustiniani, home of the Italian Senate in the heart of ancient Rome.
The conference, attended by ministers, counselors, and ambassadors from Europe, North America, and Asia, was broadcast live by the Senate TV across Europe and North Africa and was streamed live on the Internet. A special link was also made with the Italian Consulate in São Paulo, Brazil, home to the largest Italian community outside of Italy.
Gianni Pittella MEP, 1st Vice President of the European Union, formally appointed Mr. Rawat as “Ambassador for Peace” on behalf of the Brussels Declaration Pledge to Peace, which was signed in the European Parliament on November 28, 2011.
Both the President of the Senate and the Minister of International Relations affirmed the importance of the Brussels Declaration as “one of the most important declarations in Europe in recent decades.”
In addition to the 150 guests in the Sala Zuccari, 60 students from a Rome secondary school, the Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II, watched the proceedings in a nearby room via a live link. The school is a signatory to the Pledge to Peace and has organized three competitions — one each for the elementary, junior, and senior students — to explore the meaning of peace.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states that, “The peoples of Europe… are resolved to share a peaceful future based on common values.” In line with this objective, this conference brought together people who had helped shape 70 years of post-war European peace with young people who will represent peace in Europe for the next 70 years.
The event was an ebb and flow of speeches and activity, as the distinguished speakers stood up to pay tribute to Senator Colombo and to Prem Rawat. The senator described his travels in post-war Italy and his vision to work toward a unified Europe. The Vice Minister of Education spoke about the importance of this legacy and the need to embed peace education in schools.
In between the speeches, guests were entertained by music and by actress Paola Lavini and TV host Michele Mirabella, who recited quotes from famous peacemakers such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin. Michele Mirabella also read out the winning entry from the Vittorio Emanuelle II Junior School.
The friendly atmosphere of the conference was reflected by Senator Colombo, when he said, “We’re here because we are friends connected by the same ideal.” Prem Rawat then brought more humor and informality to the occasion and reminded the audience of the importance of simply uncovering the peace that we already have.
After receiving the citation (below), Mr. Rawat chatted with the students, emphasizing their role in bringing peace.
The event was summed up by a third year student who said, “I think peace is very important for young people, because we are the future. We have to stop saying, ‘What can I do?’ Just say, ‘We can do it!’ and bring peace in the world. Being in front of Prem Rawat was really an honor for me. He sent me a message of hope that I want to spread around — with my friends, with my family — because to bring peace in the world is possible.”
The Citation:
In consideration of his enduring commitment to encourage and disseminate a vision of peace for more than four decades; and
In consideration of his role in fostering the important values of human dignity, brotherhood amongst men, and peace, as demonstrated by The Prem Rawat Foundation, a Foundation that he established,
We, the duly authorized secretariat, hereby record that having been the source of inspiration for the Declaration of Intent, signed at the European Union Parliament on November 28, 2011 conventionally called "The Pledge to Peace," Mr. Prem Rawat is hereby appointed
"The Brussels Declaration Pledge to Peace" Ambassador.
Rome, December 3rd, 2012
The Senate of the Italian Republic
Palazzo Giustiniani
Report: Event in Accra, Ghana - November 22, 2012
[Fri, 08 Feb 2013]On the Gold Coast, in the capital of Accra, Prem Rawat spoke of our place in the universe: how we are an integral part of the world around us, shaped and supported by the same forces that shape and support the rest of creation.
Here are some things he had to say:
Right now, something is making sure that this breath is happening: that fabric of this universe. Of all that exists and all that doesn’t exist. The ultimate. That which was, is, and will be — cannot be created, cannot be destroyed — is touching you, embracing you, in you.
People say, 'Oh, I am insignificant.' No, you’re not. You are made out of the same ingredients as the universe. You are not related just to your father, to your mother, to your brother, to your sister. You are related to the universe! You are related to the sun. You are related to the moon. And you are related to every star that you see in the sky.
Who are you? You are the drop that holds within it the ocean. Turn within and feel the joy of being alive. Make no pretense to sleep when your heart wants to be awake. Make no pretense to hunger when your heart is giving you a feast — a feast of peace, a feast of love.
Photographs by Mehau Kulyk.
Report: Event in Johannesburg, South Africa - November 17, 2012
[Fri, 18 Jan 2013]At the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Prem Rawat spoke of the need for consciousness in our everyday lives, saying that we have little time for distraction.
Here are some things he had to say:
My friends, what would you say? Are we distracted? Every day in our lives, where is our focus? How many days do you think you’re going to be on this earth?
If you want to know, be conscious. Being conscious will make you understand what knowledge is, what life is, what this breath is. What existence is.
How could you forget that the divine resides within you? How could you forget? Have you ever felt down, out, sad, crying, the worst person in the world? With the divine inside? Have you ever felt lonely with the divine inside? Have you felt like you're in hell, with the heaven inside? Don’t believe: know. Fulfill this life.
Photographs by Mehau Kulyk and Priyanka Saini.
New Filtration and Storage Facilities Bring Clean Water to Thai Schoolchildren
[Tue, 15 Jan 2013]
More than a thousand schoolchildren in rural Thailand will have access to clean drinking water, thanks to a partnership between TPRF and a Thai charitable foundation.
About 84% of Thais have access to clean drinking water, according to the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Those who lack such access are concentrated in remote rural areas where there are no public utilities. Many are too poor to afford bottled water and must make do with water from ground wells and streams.
Schools in these areas rely on rainwater to provide drinking water for their students. But most have insufficient or antiquated storage facilities, and, particularly during periods of drought, the children are at risk of waterborne diseases.
The Betterment of Life Foundation (BoLF), a five-year-old nonprofit based in Bangkok, has as one of its primary objectives the provision of tanks and filtration systems that will ensure permanent, reliable sources of clean drinking water for these remote schools.
"The previous projects that BoLF has done clearly demonstrated the difference that a grant of this nature makes to all students, teachers and also villagers nearby the school," says BoLF Director Somchai Chansate. "The principal of one school in the north said, 'Water is turbid when it's raining. Without rain, water is clear, but if you look into the water carefully, you will see that it is contaminated. I take pity on my students that they have to drink water like this. It's such good luck that we have got this fund from the Betterment of Life Foundation.'"
BoLF's study showed that the water at this school was contaminated by herbicides and insecticides as well as E. coli bacteria.
For its pilot "Drinking Water for Schoolchildren" project, BoLF chose 12 schools from 121 applications submitted from all over the country. The success of that project resulted in several more applications, and the nonprofit is now targeting eight more schools, selected based on the quality of their drinking water and distance from the nearest city.
The project is expected to provide clean drinking water for at least 1,878 students and teachers, as well as a large number of villagers who live near the schools.
BoLF volunteers visit each school to determine the best filtration system for its water source and budget. The schools then become partners in the project by overseeing the installation themselves. "It is our past experience that this gives the school and the community ownership of the project," says Chansate.
After the installations are completed, BoLF will continue to be responsible for water quality, changing the water filters when necessary, and ensuring that maintenance is done regularly. In a recent letter to TPRF President, Linda Pascotto, Mr. Manu Leopairote, Chairman of BoLF wrote, “The extensive geographic coverage of your work, the personal engagement and giving from the heart, and the professionalism of the staff, make TPRF our benchmark on excellence in humanitarian work.”
Report: Event in Antananarivo, Madagascar - November 14, 2012
[Mon, 07 Jan 2013]For many living in Madagascar, hearing Prem Rawat speak in person seemed impossible — while he often went to other countries, the price of a roundtrip airplane ticket to and from the event would be far too exorbitant for the average resident. That all changed when, on November 14, 2012, Prem Rawat came to Madagascar for the very first time. Hundreds who had never had the opportunity to come to an event made their way to the capital of Antananarivo, excited to finally have that chance.
Here are some things he had to say:
What does that mean, 'to be content'? One could argue, 'to have everything'. But can you have everything? Or do you already have everything, but don’t know it? The most precious thing in your life happens to be right under your nose, and you’re not aware of it. What is it? The coming and going of this breath.
A lot of people go, 'Well, can’t I just think about happiness?' Yes, you can. But thinking about happiness is not going to make you happy. Thinking about peace is not going to bring you peace. Thinking about wealth — if that could bring you wealth, nobody would be poor.
If we have the strength to have wars, we have the strength to have peace. If we have the minds to have wars, we have the hearts to have peace. Peace is not far. In fact, peace is dancing in the heart of every single being on the face of this earth, waiting, once again, to be discovered.
Photographs by Mehau Kulyk.
Report: Event in Port Louis, Mauritius - November 11, 2012
[Thu, 13 Dec 2012]For the first time since 2008, Prem Rawat spoke at an event in Mauritius. It was held at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre in Port Louis — Mauritius' capital city and main commercial port. Given that the crowd spoke Hindi as well as English, he alternated between the two languages throughout his talk, using a variety of stories, jokes and analogies to bring home his point.
Here are some things he had to say:
It’s easy to be a believer. You can believe anything you want. Knowing is a little bit more specific. You cannot know anything. You can only know that which is. What is? This beautiful breath, this beautiful existence.
You know who is your savior? You! You’re most qualified to save yourself. You know all your weaknesses. You know all your strengths. You are eminently qualified to save yourself. So get on with the business of saving yourself by recognizing the potential that you have within you. Understand. This is not a little thing.
Recognize. Understand. Delight in the discovery of life. Delight in the discovery of this breath. Delight in the discovery of the divine that resides inside of you. Lastly, is peace possible? Yes. How is peace possible, with all those problems out there? Because peace doesn’t reside in problems. Peace resides in you!
"Peanut Butter Medicine" Provides Nutrition in Haiti
[Tue, 04 Dec 2012]
TPRF is helping to fund a program that restores malnourished Haitian children to health in just a few weeks.
Meds and Food for Kids (MFK) is a nonprofit based in St. Louis, MO, which is saving the lives of Haiti's malnourished children and adults by providing Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). RUTF is a mixture of peanuts, sugar, oil, powdered milk and micronutrients, which Haitians are calling Medika Mamba—"Peanut Butter Medicine."
An evaluation of Medika Mamba conducted in partnership with the World Bank showed an 85% cure rate in patients in six to eight weeks. TPRF's grant will purchase in-shell peanuts from local farmers, which will produce enough Medika Mamba to save the lives of almost 3,400 children.
Two-year-old Vena is the seventh of eight children in a poverty-stricken Haitian family. When his father left, his mother, who is unemployed, struggled to feed her children, but many days there was no food at all. Vena was the most seriously affected. He grew listless and refused to eat or drink. In despair, his mother brought him to an orphanage. On arrival, Vena weighed just 10 pounds, and the orphanage staff recognized the symptoms of severe malnutrition.
The first week, staff members spent long hours coaxing Vena to eat or drink milk. When he started asking for food he was put on the Medika Mamba program and immediately began putting on weight.
"He gained a pound each week," says Marianne Frapwell, MFK's development officer, "and each day he looked more alive. He began to crawl, smile, laugh, and play. Each day his mother visited him, and she was so happy to see her son so healthy. A month later, Vena was 14 pounds and ready to go back with his mother."
Vena's case is all too common. More than a third of Haiti's population is under the age of 14. Nearly 28% of these children experience moderate malnutrition, according to the World Bank, and 18.9% suffer from severe malnutrition, which, if untreated, can lead to irreversible physical and mental disabilities and depressed immune systems.
Severely malnourished children lose muscle mass and cognitive ability, and successful treatment requires more than well-balanced meals. MFK is a member of the PlumpyField network parented by Nutriset, which provides members in poor countries with the micronutrient mix used in Medika Mamba.
Over the past eight years, MFK has provided treatment to more than 30,000 malnourished children in Haiti, and by purchasing the peanuts to make Medika Mamba from about 500 Haitian peanut farmers, has also helped boost the nation’s economy. MFK has partnered with the American Peanut Council and leading agricultural researchers to teach these farmers better growing techniques that can increase their yields.
The nonprofit is building a new factory in Cap-Haitien this year that will greatly extend its reach. Frapwell says MFK will have the ability to treat approximately 100,000 children each year, 12 times the current number, and will increase its agricultural outreach programs to 1,000 farmers.
Report: India Tour - Fall 2012
[Tue, 04 Dec 2012]
From October 30th to November 8th, Prem Rawat spoke at a series of events in India. Whether it was Delhi or Pune or Hyderabad, audiences came from miles around to hear what he had to say.
Delhi — October 30, 2012
Eager listeners fill the grounds to capacity as the sun slowly begins to set.
All in all, it is an atmosphere of jubilation. Audience members dance to show their excitement.
Prem Rawat responds readily to the enthusiasm of the crowd.
As the event goes into the evening, there are no signs of tiring.
There isn't space to spare.
Pune — November 4, 2012
In Pune, some guests have decorated themselves with henna in preparation for the event.
The young and the old sit side by side.
The audience waits patiently for the event to begin.
When it finally starts, Prem Rawat keeps the audience laughing with his characteristic humor.
He seems to be in high spirits.
Hyderabad — November 7, 2012
In Hyderabad, ongoing preparations finally culminate in the real event. A woman sits on the grass, listening attentively.
The talk continues as the day fades.
Audience members sit close together to listen.
While there are serious moments, there are also many moments of levity, keeping the mood light.
Prem Rawat playfully speaks to the crowd.
Hyderabad — November 8, 2012
The next day audience members are given the opportunity to speak directly to him.
Prem Rawat expressively answers each person who takes the microphone.
One by one, people have the opportunity to ask questions or give their thanks.
Many are eager to speak, raising their hands as they hope to be chosen.
The crowd cheers as the night comes to a close.
Report: Event in Hualien, Taiwan - October 10, 2012
[Wed, 28 Nov 2012]On October 10th, Prem Rawat spoke about the true nature of success at the Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau. While there, he emphasized the importance of feeling success rather than conceptualizing it, noting that true success doesn't spring from the intellect or its perception of external circumstances.
Here are some things he had to say:
What is success? Success comes from your heart as peace comes from your heart. Not from your intellect. You must understand what this [the mind] is for. This can teach you how to cook. This can teach you how to drive. This can teach you how to fly. This can teach you how to ride a bike. But the true fulfillment this cannot give you. This can give you more desires, but true fulfillment only comes from within the depths of your being. This is the place, from within you, that the peace needs to emanate.
You may lose your memory. You may lose your eyesight. You may lose your hearing. But one thing you will never lose is your ability to enjoy. Never! So you must learn to start enjoying the most enjoyable. What is the most enjoyable? The divine that resides within you is the most enjoyable. The reality that resides inside of you is the most enjoyable.
If you want to be rich, then learn to be generous. It’s only generosity that will make you rich. If you want to be powerful, then learn to be kind. It’s only through kindness that you gain power. If you want to be smart, then learn simplicity. It’s only through simplicity that you can be smart. And if you want to be content, then learn to fill your heart, not your pockets. Then you can live this life in a meaningful way.
Report: Event in Kaohsiung, Taiwan - October 6, 2012
[Tue, 20 Nov 2012]Kaohsiung is home to approximately 2.9 million people, making it the second largest city in Taiwan. On October 6th, Prem Rawat came to Kaohsiung's International Convention Center to speak about finding peace beyond definition.
Here are some things he had to say:
So, what is peace? It’s a very good question. What is peace? Everybody has their own little understanding of what peace is, and I am here today to tell you where peace is so you can discover it for yourself. I’m not here to give you another definition of peace, another interpretation of peace.
Is this the house of suffering, or the house of joy? Important question. Why? Because, if in this house dwells clarity — if in this house dwells joy, understanding, the divine — then this will be the house of joy. But if in this house dwells confusion — if in this house dwells doubt, anger, fear — then this will be the house of sorrow.
The truth, the reality, the beauty, the prosperity, the peace you are looking for — you never lost it. Never! It was always within you, but you have forgotten your true nature. Your true nature is not anger. Your true nature is not fear. Your true nature is not war. Your true nature is not bitterness. In fact, your true nature is sweetness. Your true nature is peace. Your true nature is love. Your true nature is joy. Your true nature is understanding. Your true nature is fulfillment. Your true nature is to shine!
(Last check for latest updates: 6 hr 33 min ago)courtesy: WOPG