Maharaji is the teacher of a unique Knowledge. It is not academic learning but an experience of the self. People of all kinds, all nations and religions have received this Knowledge. Many have claimed it to be very fulfilling and essential for a complete experience of life.

Maharaji travels the world telling people about this Knowledge and encouraging those who have received it to continue in its practice. The following excerpts are from a talk he gave in Montreal on 6 March, 1988.

An Incredible Evolution

What are we here to discuss or talk about or to understand? Well, interestingly enough, it's about life. Interestingly enough, it's not this subject which is far removed from us. And is this a philosophy or is it something that really exists? This evening it may all seem like a philosophy to you, but I assure you there is an outcome to this, if one intends to pursue it.

So, what about this life? What is this life all about? After all, one thing that we share is existence. We exist. And what takes place in our existence?

We all go thorugh the same routines, pretty much. I mean, either you were born in the hospital or you were born at home. Maybe on the freeway, maybe in the bathroom, but percentages get less there. Essentially, we come out, we breathe, we change colour and the doctor looks for that. We transform from that stage to where we start taking our first steps, the basic process of evolution which has led us to the point where we can walk.

Then we end up in schools, we end up at that certain stage where our eyes become huge. It's called puberty. And everything looks very interesting. Everything changes meaning. Everything changes perspective. You're not you any more, you never will be. You'll go through things that you never imagined existed.

And from that, somehow, we graduate as well. Settle down in the next phase of items, get a good steady job and then the struggle seems to be to continue to succeed in this occupation, to become good, to have a career and so on and so forth.

Let's say that that's pretty much a peak time. After that, a person starts to realise that they're starting to change. Things are becoming different for them again. It comes to a point where you end up in a very contemplative stage. You have your whole life to look back at.

You know that a certain inevitable fact, time, is approaching. And this time will hit everybody. It's not a question of anybody's exempt from it, it'll hit everybody. And you don't even have to think about it. You don't have to make an appointment. You don't even know when it's going to come, but it's going to come. It's guaranteed.

And yet, what has happened? We all want to leave a mark behind. We all want to accomplish something. But what does life want to do? And is there a distinction between the two things? Is there a distinction between everything that we want to do and something that goes on without our notice? Many people say, 'I'm a doctor,' or 'I'm a lawyer,' or l'm a pilot.' Are you? Really?

There is a point, where the distinction has to be made between what we conceive ourselves to be and who we are. We measure ourselves by certain accomplishments. Now, this would be all fine if the accomplishment of life itself had not already taken place.

In a nutshell, what I'm trying to say is this: You already are something greater than a doctor could ever be. You already are something greater than a lawyer could ever be. You are alive. And does it mean anything to be alive?

Nobody knows what the end is, when the end is. Birth is inevitable, then when birth has taken place you have already accepted the end. They go hand in hand. One is one side of the coin, the other is the other side of the coin. And is this coin just going to flip and then fall down? Or is there something greater?

For me, this has been an incredible evolution, if you will. An incredible search in my own self that has borne some fruit. Yes, there is something that is incredible, that is beautiful.

Think of what has been happening since you've had life. What has happened? I'll tell you what has happened.

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You have been living since you've had life. That sound too simple? Not philosophical enough? Or not challenging enough? But it's fact. It just so happens that you have been living since you've had life. So, now I wonder what could be the purpose of life? How about living?

What have you been able to do since you have had this life? Well, you've smiled. And you've laughed. And you have bitterly cried and wept in sorrow you didn't know was ever going to end or not. And sorrow was never agreeable to you. You never liked it. Joy, you did. Happiness? That's good stuff

The Meaning of Joy

And what does it mean to have joy in this life? What is joy? You have in you the power to make a judgement. You can say, 'This is bad,' and you can say, 'This is good.' You can smile and you can cry. You can know, you can rationalise, you can say 'Why?' You can look at the moon and say, 'Isn't that exquisite?'

Sure, we have this power, this capability in us to send man to the moon, but there is another ability that each human being inherently has within him and herself.

And that's what I'm talking about. I'm not here to condemn anything. I don't need to. I mean, after all, what am I condemning technology for? Tomorrow I'm going to hop on an airplane that's there because of technology. And I'm glad. This morning I had a session with those people who want to receive Knowledge, this gift, through which you can experience a joy, a feeling that is within inside of you. An hour later I was in the air. And two hours fifty one minutes later I was in Montreal. So, I'm not here to say, Ah, look at this disgusting technology, and then go fly an airplane. And I'm not saying 'God, look at all these buttons, switches and gauges, aren't they wonderful?' No, I'm not here for that. There is something which is inherent to each human being and it's already within you.

Now what difference does it make if you find out what that joy is within you or if you don't. This is the difference. None. You can live the rest of your life without it. And you can live the rest of your life with it. And I know that there are some of us who are willing to take on an endeavour to say, is there something more?'

And to those of us who are willing to take on the endeavour, who are willing to make their search from subconscious or unconscious to conscious, 'I want to know, I want to feel, there has to be something more to this life … ' It is those people and only those people who can benefit from what I am talking about.

And you know that the future can only come to you in one form. Only in one way can the future actually come to you and it's called 'now.' There is a saying, 'Yesterday is a cancelled cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is the only cash you've got, so spend it wisely.'

But, do these things actually make a difference? Do we care? Is there something at the end of this whole conversation? Yes, there is. At the end of all of this, there is Knowledge. And some of us are privileged to have it.

And this gift I share.

Know the simplicity of life. Know the joy. Know the celebration. Know the privilege that you have. It is a unique privilege. You exist. And that is the most incredible thing happening to you right now. This is that festival of life that we are all a part of And we endure and we feel our pain, we feel our suffering and yet we need to know that we can enjoy this life as well.

And Knowledge makes that possible. A way, a very simple way indeed, that can allow you to connect to something that is inside of you, if you so wish. There's something going on here you can be a part of. This one is all yours. You've got it. And the clock is running. Know that. The clock is running. And it's going to stop, invariably. But right now, you're alive.

Enjoy this existence. Enjoy this love. This is the deed of incredible compassion that you are here on the face of this earth. You have invested in many things. Maybe won, maybe lost. Maybe it's time to invest in life. It's important to invest in this life. Because what you invest here will always be yours. What you invest somewhere else? Easy come, easy go.