ADI Magazine #7

PREM RAWATSPOKEN WORDS
ISSUE #7, published 12th October 2011

ONE
SINGULAR
REALITY
IS COMMON
TO EVERY
HUMAN
BEING.

Good news, page 6

ADI MEANS ANCIENT: BEING OLD IN WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE; DATING FROM A REMOTE PERIOD; OF GREAT AGE; HAVING THE QUALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH AGE, WISDOM, OR LONG USE; VENERABLE.

Peace is inside of you,
and you can feel it
not just know about it,
but feel it every day.

Addressing audiences worldwide, Prem Rawat, known also as Maharaji, delivers his message of peace to many different people –young and old, rich and poor, those from cities and villages alike. The articles in ADI MAGAZINE are Prem Rawat's spoken words from these occasions. They have been edited for brevity and readability, but still maintain the flow of speech. The pictures of people in ADI MAGAZINE have all been taken at events where Prem Rawat spoke, but not necessarily the same events that are featured in this issue.

If you would like to write your reflections on the content of ADI or share your thoughts about the magazine, e-mail the editor at: adi@wopg.org.

Editor: Ole Grünbaum
Editorial staff: Mary Wishard and Sherry Weinstein
Art direction: Rasmus Olesen
Photographer: Mehau Kulyk and Michael Wood

ADI Magazine is printed on FSC-certified paper, from responsibly managed forests and verified recycled sources.

CONTENTS

GOOD NEWS PAGE 06

The peace that we are searching for is not separate from us. If we look for the peace that is defined by our minds, that idea of peace and how we define it will change. As generations change, as cultures change, as outlooks and fashions change, the definitions of peace change with them.

But there is one reality of peace that has never changed, and that is the true desire for peace that resides in the heart of every human being. Some people say, "Sounds good. How do I get this peace?" Wrong question. Peace is already inside of you. You don't need to get it. You already have it.

"How do I find peace?" Also the wrong question. How can you find something you have never lost? You think peace is far away from you, but it's not. It lies in your heart. Be silent and listen to what your heart has to say.

WIN THE WAR PAGE 12

In your life, you will have many battles but only one war. And as vulnerable as we are as human beings, we fight the battles but forget about the war.

All the things that happen in our lives –the good and the bad –are just battles. And what is the war? Do you know that in you the most beautiful is taking place? It's the coming and going of the breath. In you is the source –the immortal source of peace.

Knowing that and being able to feel that every day is winning the war. What do you do when you fight a war, and you realize your strategy is wrong? Change the strategy. You have looked outside; maybe it is time to look inside. You have believed in many things; maybe the time has come to know. You have made many excuses; maybe it is time to make the choice.

The good news is:
what you are looking for is
inside of you.

06

GOOD NEWS

Let's think about what peace really is. Is peace the absence of war? If it is, we've definitely had peace. Then how can it be that from peace, war comes again? What kind of peace is that?

Peace is not the absence of war. What is it, then? Is it when economies do really well that we are in peace? Some people think so. But if peace is when everybody is fed and everybody is doing great, why is it that great economies fail and great countries have no reluctance to go to war? Why is it that the very ones who are supposed to protect human beings are the ones who turn the guns on them?

Then what is peace? There are 7 billion people on the face of this earth, give or take a few. What do these 7 billion people want? We come up with ideas of what people need. Advertising companies put up big billboards saying, "This is what you need." There are magazines for everything –fashion, food, homer,' and

they all say, "This is what you need." But what do the 7 billion people wish for every day? Consciously or unconsciously, while they're awake or in their dreams, they all wish for peace in their lives.

One singular reality is common to every human being. The peace that you are searching for is not separate from you. If we look for the peace that is defined by our minds, that idea of peace and how we define it will change. As generations change, as cultures change, as outlooks and fashions change, the definitions of peace change with them. But there is one reality of peace that has never changed, and that is the true desire for peace that resides in the heart of every human being.

Who are you? You know more about your neighbors and your friends than you know about yourself. Who are you? Where did you come from? Why are you here?

The answers exist in one place only –the book of your heart. Whether you call it peace, contentment, or happiness, they are all words for one thing. And that one thing is your truth.

In the world of

everything that changes

and changes, there is

something inside of you

that does not change.

Do you understand the miracle of being alive? Do you understand the power of breath? Do you understand what it means to awaken every day? When you wake up in the morning, what do you think of? Do you think, "I'm alive –again"? Or do you think, "What time is it? Am I late? I have to go to school. I have to pick up my kids. I have to go shopping. I have to do this. I have to do that"?

These questions will be asked for as long as there are human beings on this earth, because they are fundamental questions. And until you understand the quest that brings up these questions, you can search and search and search, but you will never find your reality.

Do these questions not intrigue you? Yet, where do you find the answers? In a book? No. In philosophy? No. On top of a mountain? No. Written on a rock? No.

WHAT DO YOU PRACTICE?

A lot of people want to talk to me after a doctor has told them, "You're going to die." We don't understand our own mortality, because we don't understand our own life. We need to wake up, to understand.

It is a matter of habit. What do you practice every day? Do you practice frustration? Getting mad? Thinking, thinking, thinking? Confusion?

Or, do you practice being thankful for this life? Do you practice being thankful for every moment that you are alive? Do you practice being kind? Being generous? Sharing? Caring? Do you practice feeling good? Do you practice peace in your life? If you do, you're going to get good at it.

Why don't human beings care for each other? Why? Who else is going to care for us? We are all we have on this earth. Our benefactors are not on the moon or on Jupiter or Mars.

If we cannot care for and understand each other, who is going to care for and understand us? Buffalos? Cows? Of course not. But instead of understanding each other, we hammer on the differences. "You're a Muslim. You're a Christian. You're a Hindu. You're rich. You're poor. You're educated. You're uneducated." All of this, "You're this; you're that" is destroying our core, our fundamentals.

Scientists tell us that one day this earth will not be around anymore. It'll be gone. And your observation must have told you that one day you will be gone. You will not be around anymore. I'm not trying to scare you. The point is not death but being alive. Do you think you are alive?

You begin to live the day you embrace the peace that dwells in your heart. You begin to live when you acknowledge the fundamental questions of who you are. When those questions are answered, clarity prevails. When you have witnessed, understood, and accepted the source of the peace within you, that is the day you will drink from the waters of the heart and your thirst will truly be quenched. People say, "I want to have my own

house." So they build one. You know what? A house will never belong to you. After you are gone, it'll belong to somebody else. Not much different than a hotel. The only difference between your house and a hotel is that the hotel room only has a number on the door. The house also has a name on it. But that name will change.

In the world of everything that changes and changes, the good news is there is something inside of you that does not change.

Recognize it. Find out what it is. The day you do, you will begin to live. You will begin to understand, and you will begin to be thankful. And when you have found that joy, practice it the most so you will become good at it.

FIND YOUR THIRST

Some people say, "Sounds good. How do I get this peace?" Wrong question. Peace is already inside of you. You don't need to get it. You already have it.

Find your thirst, and it will lead you to the water. This is what I want to tell you. And the good news is: what you are looking for is inside of you.

Rejoice. The journey to peace is not a solemn one. The journey to peace is full of enthusiasm and newness and discovery and openness and feeling beautiful.

Some people say, "If you want to find peace, you have to join a monastery." No, you don't! Some say, "If you want to find peace, you have to go to a mountaintop." No, you don't! If you want to find peace, go to the mountain within you. If you want to find peace, go inside the monastery within you.

It's good news; it's beautiful news. Peace is not far away from you. Search if you need to; search, and if you don't find it, look within. And if you can't find it within, I can help. I help people who want to be able to look within. I have something that is like a mirror. In this mirror, you see the reflection of your own self.

11

Feeling peace
not once, but every day that
I am alive,
is winning the war.

12

WIN THE WAR

I want to address how fortunate we are that we exist. And in the course of talking about how beautiful that is, I'm going to talk about battles and war.

Now, you might be thinking, "Shouldn't it be 'wars'? Battles and wars?" No. In your life, you will have many battles. But you have only one war. And as vulnerable as we are as human beings, we fight the battles but forget about the war. We get so concerned about the battles: "Got to win this, got to win that." And if we lose a battle, we say, "Oh, my God, that's it. I've lost everything." No, you haven't! That was just a battle.

If you lose a battle, no problem. Try again! As long as you haven't lost the war, you can fight as many battles as you want. Retreat; try again tomorrow. Get a bigger sword –whatever you can do. But once you have lost the war, that's another story.

So what are these battles? And what is the war? All the things that happen in our lives –the good and the bad –are just battles. And how do I know that people are extreme]y concerned about their battles? Recently the plug was pulled out of the bathtub, and all the water started to drain out really fast. I'm talking about the economy! Actually, the plug had been leaking for quite a few years. But somebody kept putting another bucket in there, so it never looked like anything was happening. But then all of a sudden, somebody really pulled the plug, and the water went down very fast. People started jumping out of office buildings because they thought they were finished. They lost the battle, and with that battle, they also lost the war. They could have easily lost that battle and then won again. And lost another one, and won again. But once you lose the war, that's it.

WHAT IS THE WAR?

And what is the war? Because of our arrogance, we fail to see the reality that in each human being lies the source of peace. In each human being lies divinity, beauty, the source of fulfillment. In each one of us. But you have to be humble enough to see that. If you look through the glasses of arrogance, that's not what you will see. What you will see is "Me? I'm here. I have to do this; I have to do this; I have to do this. And after that, if I do this, and this, and this, I'll go to heaven."

In our arrogance, we claim heaven. Where is that heaven? Away from us. Who will get there? Those who make good grades. But drop the glasses of arrogance, and you will see that the heaven you are looking for is right here –not anywhere else.

Somebody might say, "Ah. You mean to tell me that good-for-nothing person is in heaven?!" Yes. But if that person doesn't know that, are they? I'm talking about knowing, not believing.

Do you know that in you the most beautiful is taking place? It's the coming and going of the breath. What if I were to tell you that in you is the source –the immortal source of peace? What if I were to tell you that you are blessed in every way possible?

And then, what if I were to tell you that knowing that and being able to feel it every day is winning the war?

You have battles of relationships. People get upset with you; you get upset with them, and you make up. But do you know that there is a battle you lose every day because you do not recognize the beauty that is inside of you? And ultimately, if you keep losing that battle and lose the war, you truly will have come into this world empty-handed, and you will leave empty-handed. Empty-handed. Having everything and having saved nothing. Having everything and not having savored anything. Having a house next to the purest water and dying of thirst –that, truly, is a tragedy.

NOT LOOKING?

When I say these things about peace being inside of you, joy being inside of

you –that, indeed, what you are looking for is inside of you –a lot of people say, "I'm not looking for anything." Let me ask you a question: When you wake up in the morning, what do you do? Do you just lie there in bed till you can confirm it's 11:00 PM again and then go back to sleep? Or do you get up?

thought about it: Laugh, smile, as much as you can. Because right now, when you have a need, you merely say, "Waah." But as you get older, this cry gets much more buried. You will have a need, but you are going to express it in infinite ways.

Maybe the first thing you go for is a cup of coffee or tea. Maybe you get ready to jog. Maybe you take a shower. Maybe you get ready to go to work. Do you realize that, within you, you have a mechanism that says, "Arise"? And this is so fundamental that it existed before people had jobs. This "Arise" isn't so that you can get to work. This "Arise" is saying, "Enough sleep already! Get up! Get on with being alive!" If you have any doubt about it, look at a baby.

Not long ago, our family had the great fortune to welcome another member. And so, I am a "grandfather." Nothing actually happened to me. I just stood there taking pictures. It wasn't that I became a grandfather –no, what happened was our baby had a baby.

Because of our

arrogance, we fail to see

that in each human being

lies the source of peace.

In each human being lies

divinity, beauty, the

source of fulfillment.

In each one of us.

And I have been observing this baby. Sometimes he's sleeping. Sometimes he is smiling, cooing. Trying to talk. Going at it. Moving his hands, looking around. And sometimes he's crying, "Wash!" He doesn't express exactly what it is he needs. He just goes, "Waah," and somehow his mother knows what to do, and he calms down and goes back to sleep.

I was tickling him, and he just started to smile, babbling, "Ga-ga, goo-goo." And I kept doing it, and he kept smiling, and he almost wanted to laugh. And then I

That you have a need isn't going to change. The way you express it is going to change. The way you are entertained is going to change. It isn't going to be your grandfather tickling you on your cheeks, and you saying, "Ga-ga, goo-goo." It might be your girlfriend doing a similar thing, and you saying a similar thing, but it won't be "Ga-ga, goo-goo." It'll be a little bit more than that. Actually "Ga-ga, goo-goo" and "I love you" are not that far apart phonetically. Right now, it's "Ga-ga, goo-goo," and then it's going to turn into "I love you."

The fact that you need to like and that you need to express what you like is not going to change. With the frustrations that you will have, the "Waah" is going to become very refined. It's going to go from "Waah" to "What's the matter with you?" But the root of it is going to be the same: that little anger….

My grandson turns all red, as if to say, "Uuugh! I need to let you know it's not right." And that's not going to change. How it is done will go through incredible nuances. This is the story of your life, and this is the story of my life. We think we are older? All we have done is refine what we have always done.

THE CONNECTION

Do you have a need? Absolutely. And every day you go satisfaction hunting. How do I know this? From the advertising industry, which is worth billions and billions and billions of dollars, because they know you are vulnerable and you are looking. You are looking, and you are searching, and if they put a colorful billboard up there, you will look up at it and say, "That's what I need!"

They know that. In magazine after magazine, newspaper after newspaper, advertisers count on you being vulnerable, because if you weren't looking, there would be no reason for them to advertise.

But they know that in between reading the news, you are looking. All they have to do is grab your attention.

I'm addressing the people who say, "I'm not looking for anything." Yes, you are! If you don't know it, that's too bad, because you are. And there's a lot of very smart people –at least that's what they consider themselves to be –who know that you are looking for something, even when you say you're not.

The question is, "Do you know what you're looking for?"

There was a moment when this baby was born, and suddenly there he was.

He didn't know. The nurse took him and dried him off. And then he was put on his mother's stomach. And, as little as he was, he lifted his head, opened his eyes, and looked at his mother. In that moment, I knew his loneliness ended. Up till that point, there was nothing he could connect with. I don't know if he could see anything except gobs of light, but if you looked in his eyes, you could see that he looked at her. Maybe he could smell; maybe he could hear. There she was, and he made a beautiful connection. And from then on, in his life, everything is taken care of.

You and I, we have grown up with that need to make the connection, and it is still there. What I am looking for, what you

are looking for, is to find the connection within ourselves. Not to a face, but to a feeling that is real, that is true. To the true understanding of what it is to be alive.

Some people say, "Oh, you talk about death." No. I don't talk about death. All I say is that it is inevitable. But I don't get into it, because my message is not about death; it's about life. It's about right now. What did today bring you? What did yesterday bring you? What can tomorrow bring you? Do you have any idea? Tomorrow holds the promise of the fulfillment of a lifetime. Today holds the promise of the fulfillment of a lifetime. Yesterday held the promise of the fulfillment of a lifetime. That's what every day is about.

THE CHOICE

When we get into emergency situations, the first thing that goes is our arrogance. Up till then, we say things like, "That is not my name. Please, pronounce my name correctly!" Then you find yourself trapped in an elevator, sandwiched between two floors. And what do you scream? "Help me!" No name, nothing –no etiquette. Just, "Help me! Can anyone hear me?"

This me is your reality. And as long as you remember that, you will do well for yourself. Understand and remember that it is this me who has come into this world, and it is this me who one day has to go. It is this me who has the desire to be fulfilled, and it is this me who needs to be fulfilled, and it is this me who may lose quite a few battles. But this me needs –needs –to win the war.

There are so many who help people win battles. "Let me read your horoscope. When were you born? Let me see what today

will be like. That planet is over there, and that planet is over there, so wear yellow today and don't sign any contracts." Yes, there are plenty of people waiting to help you win the battles. And they've got you so absorbed in trying to win the battles, you have forgotten about the war. And so when I come along, I say, "By the way, forget about the battles; let's win the war." And everybody says, "What are you talking about? What war? I thought it was all just battles." No. If you're in a battle, believe me, there is a war.

And the war has to be won. Do you want to win the war? That's the bottom line. You have to choose.

In your life, doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result is not going to work. When people do that, it's a little rocky for them, to say the least. They keep going on in the same grind, hoping that one day everything will change. How? If you want change, you have to make a choice. Do you want peace in your life? You have to make the choice.

BUDDHA

People say, "Is it that easy? No searching? No going to the top of the Himalayas? No surrendering of everything? No burying your head in the snow for eight years? None of that stuff?" Of course, if you want to do that, it's all possible. I'm sure somebody will be happy to accommodate you. It won't be me. I don't like cold weather. I'm not coming with you. And I don't want to bury my head in the snow for eight years.

It's easy just to say, "It is so because it is written." Well, what is your choice? My father used to ask, "What was Buddha's

grandfather's religion?" Think about it. He couldn't have been a Buddhist. Buddha wasn't around yet.

When Buddha was born, the astrologer said to the king, "He's going to be a great king or a great saint." His father didn't want him to be a saint; he wanted him to be a king. So he cut him off from anything spiritual.

One day, when Buddha sneaks out with his servant, he sees a poor person. He's never seen a poor person in his life, so he asks, "Who is he?"

"He's poor."

"Poor? What's a 'poor'?"

"Well, he doesn't have enough money." "Money? What is 'money'?"

One day changes his whole way of thinking. And he makes a choice. He says, "I want to find something that is above and beyond this fortunate business, and poor business, and rich business, and death business –I don't want any part of all that. There must be something better."

Yes, there is. And it's inside of you. It comes with every breath. This life, this existence, this , this blessing. The breath comes in and out of us, and we pay no attention. What if divinity expresses itself in the form of the breath that comes in and out of you? I just said, "what if." That's to be kind. I put the question in your head –not the answer. But I know the answer because I have felt it. What I say to you comes not from a book, but from my own experience of knowing –not contemplating.

"Oh, well, some are fortunate. You are fortunate, Prince. You have a lot of money; you are a prince. He is not; he is a beggar."

"Nobody told me about 'fortunate' What is that?"

He walks on a little bit farther, and he sees a body lying there.

"Who's he?"

"He's dead."

"Dead? What's a 'dead'?"

"He's not living anymore."

Having a house next

to the purest water

and dying of thirst

that, truly, is a

tragedy.

"Living? Am I living?"

"Yes, you are."

"Is 'dead' what's going to happen to me?" "Yes."

To know clearly without any uncertainty about your blessing every day. To understand, without doubt or question, the value of the breath. And to have come to a point where your gratitude is as sincere as possible for a human being. There's a

lot of craziness in this world. But the hope for mankind is that there is something good in every single human being, too.

We have mastered the art of provoking the bad in people, but we have not learned the art of provoking the good in people. The consequences are murders, deaths, and wars. I know people who have been in wars and have come home totally devastated.

CHANGE THE STRATEGY

The time for that beauty, that joy, to manifest is now, and it needs to begin with each person. Peace is inside of you, and you can feel it –not just know about it, but feel it every day.

Battles will come and go. We will win a few and lose a few. But the point is not the battles. The point is to win, and win, and win the war.

When you fight a war, you think you will win if you do this, this, and this, right? That's called strategy. What if you realize your strategy was wrong? Now, don't try the same thing again. Change the strategy. You have looked outside; maybe it is time to look inside. You have believed in many things; maybe the time has come to know. You have made many excuses; maybe it is time to make the choice.

You can make the connection with the beauty inside. There's something very beautiful taking place in this life. You can be part of it.

Do you want to be happy, or do you want to be sad? Do you want to be fulfilled, or do you want to be empty? You have a choice.

What I am looking for, what you

are looking for, is to find the

connection within ourselves.

Not to a face, but to

a feeling that is real,

to the true understanding of what

it is to be alive.

ABOUT PREM RAWAT

As an advocate for peace, Prem Rawat, widely known as Maharaji, has dedicated his life to helping people find peace within themselves – not as a utopian ideal or an absence of conflict, but as an immanent personal experience.

Born in 1957, he began his mission of peace and humanitarian outreach as a young child. By the age of 13, he started addressing global audiences in response to invitations to speak in London, Los Angeles, and other major cities around the world.

Over the course of his life, Prem Rawat has personally delivered his message of peace to over 12 million people in more than 50 countries.

From small, informal gatherings to major international events, from university auditoriums to open-air stadiums seating hundreds of thousands, his message has been welcomed by people from all walks of life.

Currently, his award-winning television series, Words of Peace Global TV, reaches over 115 million households globally, with subtitles or translation in more than 20 languages.

In 2001 he founded The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing his message of peace to people around the world and providing vital food, water, and emergency aid to people most in need.

PREM RAWATSPOKEN WORDSISSUE #7, published 12th October 2011

PREM RAWATSPOKEN WORDS
ISSUE #7, published 12th October 2011