Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was the starting point for Maharaji's 1998 global itinerary. In his opening address on March 25 at the Malaysian Chinese Association, he encouraged everyone to welcome and accept both the gift of Knowledge and service into their lives. He also returned to a theme he had raised at last December's Long Beach event in the United States: the next phase.
He greeted the audience of 1,800: "Most importantly we need to renew and replenish. When drought comes and there is no water, everything begins to dry out, because it needs sustenance. Plants need water to continue.
"In this life - without that clarity, without that understanding it is a drought …
"Take a look at a desert: it looks dead - nothing for miles and miles. But when it rains, it's just miles and miles of unbelievable beauty. Some of the most wonderful flowers grow in the desert.
"In your life, have you created a desert? And do you now run from it because you see no beauty in it? And now you go to all the other places which you think are beautiful, when all you need is the rain in the desert. Then you will be mesmerised by the beauty that is within you. That is that understanding. That is the acceptance of this life."
He continued with this review of his work to date: "My master, my father, wanted me to bring this message around the world. So, I did. There's people everywhere that have Knowledge.
"Now we need to go forward. We have just completed phase one. Now, there is is phase two. There are so many people who are hungry for this gift.
"I hope that this year is a year for everyone to enjoy, and to awaken. To allow our lives to be blessed by the blessings. That is what is going to make this life, this year, prosperous.
"There is nothing more auspicious for a human being than to accept and welcome the master and welcome the gift of Knowledge, to welcome and accept the gift of service."
He emphasised the importance of staying in touch: "When you hear the words of the master, there is nothing more soothing, comforting and clarifying - all at the same time.
"Give Knowledge the importance in your life that it deserves. Let those words go where they need to go to do the magic that they do. I hope that this year brings a tremendous number of opportunities for people to participate. I really hope. A lot of people say: 'What can I do ?' If that's what you think, then you missed the point. Participation is the expression of gratitude… So, come from that place. When the opportunity knocks, take it."
"We have to go forward. There's a tremendous amount that has been done and a tremendous amount that needs to be done."
In Miami, on February 13-14 this year, Élan Vital held a conference on participation. The highlight of the weekend was Maharaji's acceptance of an invitation to speak.
In an inspiring informal address, printed in part below, he covered a wide range of issues, including plans for future growth. He placed particular emphasis on the need for all those who participate to co-operate with one another.
I'd like to begin with the simple analogy of a watch. Imagine a watch that hasn't been put together yet. It's just in pieces. There's nothing wrong with the watch, but it hasn't been put together yet. All the different components sit there: somebody made the crystal, somebody made the hand, somebody made the strap, somebody made the case, and somebody made the inner movement.
Here is a watch in its different pieces. And all of a sudden there is an effort by someone to put it together. The purpose of a watch is so that you can look at it and it can tell you the time. It has that capability. That person who proceeds to put it together sees that potential in these scattered parts and pieces; he sees the potential that if they are all brought together this will happen.
When the pieces are separate, it doesn't matter where they are. It doesn't make any difference if they're working or not working. But if that potential, which was seen by that person is to be realized in earnest, then all of a sudden, the margin of where these parts are is going to need to narrow down. And eventually, in the process of this watch being put together, it's going to get to a point where the exact placement of each part is going to make a big difference.
I know I'm dragging this out. But I want you to remember this analogy … for the duration that you're going to be involved in participating in any way. And that's why I'm drawing it out. It's very important because this is my foundation.
A long time ago when I came from India to England, and from England to the United States, there was just a potential in the air that something could happen. Nobody knew what would happen. And people - on whatever front they could make an effort - did so. And at that time in a way, being synchronised - the placement of all the different parts, trying to serve one purpose - wasn't even important.
And from that vision, that feeling, it began. At first, it was basically England, then America, until now where the list is astounding. I'm not looking at countries where they have propagation, but where confirmed aspirants come and receive Knowledge.
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It's a Team Effort Continued from front page
To me, the ultimate health is people receiving Knowledge. That says everything.
So coming back to the core, to the foundation: what's really important here is to do whatever we have to do in a very synchronised fashion.
The need is to come together. The need is to do it in a synchronised fashion. Now inside this watch this poor little gear could scream and say: "You know, I'm really important. Put me on top." Or, "Today, I don't want to turn that way. Today, I want to turn the other way." No, it is extremely important that that little gear does exactly what it has to do in the bigger picture of being totally synchronised so that three pieces of equipment can do their job: the hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand.
So, I hope that I'm starting to paint a little picture here for you.
To keep things right, to keep things headed in the right direction, that takes human effort. And that has been given to us, too. We have the capability of making conscious effort, and I think we should. That's how it needs to come together.
It's a team effort.
How big is the team? Well, the place where the video was filmed, at the event, that's part of that team that allows the little video event in a little community to take place. Don't forget that. No video, no video event.
Remember what that team is. It goes all the way from that event to your little event. Your little event isn't that little anymore. Your little event to which 10 people are going to come is a subgroup of the same event that took place where I spoke to 10,000 people. It all has to be done with great care and consciousness.
It's pretty simple. It just requires a little understanding and a lot of effort. That's what propagation is all about. And it requires commitment. Commitment is something you have to understand.