Prem Rawat (Maharaji) at Holi 79, Excerpt 29th April

Again we are being offered another opportunity, another chance to just sit down, to just come together and to experience that beautiful experience. To experience satsang. What is satsang? Maybe to a lot of people you get up, grab your microphone and start talking about something. But anybody who has experienced anything about satsang can tell you that that's not satsang. Satsang is really that experience that manifests when the Knowledge manifests. Satsang is that experience that manifests when really Guru Maharaj Ji manifests in our lives. No, it's not a lecture. It's not speech. It's not an opinion. It's not even a philosophy. Because it's an experience.

And the whole thing can be compared to the sun. There are not two suns. When the sun comes up, that's period. There is no doubt about

the sun. When the sun is up, no matter how many clouds there are, you can see that light shining everywhere. As far as you can see, that light manifests -- that sun, that warmth, comes alive, comes through.

Either you are having an experience of satsang or you're not. Either the sun is up or it's down. And when we really let go …

Let go of what? What do we have to let go of? Okay, that's a very good question. Everybody might have asked, "Well, what do we let go of? What is surrender? What are we holding on to?"

Look around you. Sit down for a minute and just really look at yourself. How many things are you holding on to? I mean thousands and thousands, an indescribable number of things that you hold on to, that are dear to you, that you don't want to let go of. That experience of all those things that you like, that you love, if they all were to disappear, what would happen? Sad. Shocking. Displeased.

And we hold on to so many things in this life. Not one, not two, not three, not four, but thousands of things. This materialistic world is like velcro fasteners, almost. You touch the pieces together and it just snaps together. Doesn't want to let go. And Guru Maharaj Ji says, "Okay. Look. Let go of all those things, because they are slowing you down. Forget about this world for a moment." Because how much attention we put into this world. I mean it's incredible, It's outrageous, all the attention that we put into this world. Newspapers, radios, television -- you name it and it given to this world.

And Guru Maharaj Ji very simply says, "Wait. Wait a minute. Stop all this for a second, Forget about everything. Just remember me. Just remember that Grace. Just concentrate on that Knowledge. Just focus on that Knowledge. And then you shall have an experience."

And maybe to us that is a lot to ask. Maybe we have this feeling, "Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, that's too much for me," Or, "Maybe Guru Maharaj Ji, someday in my life, by your Grace .. "You know, sort of like buttering it all up. "By your Grace, someday in my life, maybe I'll surrender to you."

Haven't you heard Guru Maharaj Ji very distinctly, very clearly putting it: "Surrender now. Let go now. This life is now." The number of things we take for granted is just completely outrageous …

And Guru Maharaj Ji says, "Look. Okay. All these things you pile on. Your name can be changed. Your house can be changed. Your shape can be changed. But there is one thing that never can be changed. And until and unless you realize that one thing -- your true name -- you are lost in this world."

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Being lost doesn't click in peoples brains. "Lost? I'm not lost, man. I know where the bullring is. I know the coffee shop across the street there. I know the ice cream store. I know which turnabout to take. I know which bus to take to my hotel. I know which airplane to take to my city. I ain't lost."

But there's the catch. You can go on believing that. But that's getting more lost and more lost and more lost and more lost and more lost.

And so premies, this is our time. This is an opportunity for all of us. Can I say that it has been given by Guru Maharaj Ji? Well, so has everything been given by Guru Maharaj Ji. Not only this opportunity, but this life has also been given by Guru Maharaj Ji to us.

And now, we just look and the Grace and the mercy of Guru Maharaj Ji is so incredible. It's so beautiful. To me, every time this really clicks in my heart, "Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, to you, we are so many, so many, so many, so many. You can point to one person today and not remember him tomorrow. That might be feasible. But to me, you are only one. I have no option; I have no choice. And I don't want the choice. I want your devotion. I want your love. I want you. I want your Grace. Because in your Grace, in your kindness, in your blessing, is everything, is that kingdom, and the kingdom of heaven is that rule. The rule that you give me in my heart. You are the ultimate king. And in your world I want to live. Guide my desire. Make me a devotee. Let me become a devotee."

So many beautiful prayers have been said by so many beautiful, different saints. "Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, let me become devotee. Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, make me your devotee. Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, I am nothing, and you have made me everything by your infinite Grace. Keep me at your feet." I mean so many, so many prayers have been said to Guru Maharaj Ji.

And there's that whole song about Guru Maharaj Ji. "Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, you have done such a beautiful mercy upon this soul that you have broken all ties of my ego, of my desires. Day and night I was completely into this maya, into this world, and you have shown me that this is nothing but a dream. And you have broken my concept. You have awakened me."

Then, "I was completely into scriptures and going to all these holy places and this was it. I thought this was going to bring me liberation. But you have given me the secret of secrets. You have unveiled that there's nothing there. Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, how can I thank you?"

Look, I have realized it that way. There are no short cuts; there are no bypasses. Time constantly runs out and if you don't make that effort now, tell me when are you going to make that effort? And how much of

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that effort is it? Is Guru Maharaj Ji really telling you to pick up this whole bullring? That would be simple; that would be easy. Is Guru Maharaj Ji really saying that you should pick up this world? Maybe even that would be easy. But Guru Maharaj Ji's saying a very simple thing.

To this mind, to this ego, to this misunderstanding it may seem like everything. To this misunderstanding, to this mind, it may seem like, "Oh, this is completely impossible."

Look, it has been done in the past, it can be done now. That's when you become a true devotee … The true sign of devotee is really when that devotion to Guru Maharaj Ji is connected. That true sign of that devotee is when Guru Maharaj Ji is there in his life and that's the only thing his life is. Guru Maharaj Ji. That's when you become a devotee. When there is devotion. When that devotion is real and that devotion is there always. That's when you become devotee. Not when you think you want to become a devotee do you become a devotee.

I mean how long, really, do you think Guru Maharaj Ji is going to wait? He might not. Who are you to tell him, "Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, can you please wait a little bit longer?"

This obscene thing can't always keep on going. And Guru Maharaj Ji has given us everything to stop it. Stop it right now. He has given us Knowledge, he has given us opportunity, he has given us Grace to do satsang, service and meditation. And we have to all get together and do service and meditation. Every one of us. Individually. Really just submerge in Guru Maharaj Ji's world. Really just let go to Guru Maharaj Ji.

Because who is in this world who wants us? Who is in this world who wants us for keeps? Nobody in this world wants us, really. Nobody. Our father doesn't want us, our mother doesn't want us, our brothers don't want us, our uncles don't want us, our aunt doesn't want us. Nobody wants us in this world. Except Guru Maharaj Ji. Guru Maharaj Ji's the only one who says, "Come. Come now and you can stay forever."

Guru Maharaj Ji is the one who says, "You don't have to ever leave. You are home. You can stay at home as long as you want." And that's the kind of opportunity, that's the kind of Grace, that sometimes we kick right in the face. So premies, we just have to surrender now. Now is the time.

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So dear premies, I think we all had a very beautiful experience at Holi. Cold, but wonderful. And you know that's a part, simply a glance, of Maharaj Ji's world. That's nothing. That's physical manifestation only, of that love. That's nothing. That's really only a physical manifestation of that experience. But enough - just enough - that if you can just grasp it, if you can just feel it, to know what that experience really is that Guru Maharaj Ji gives to all ofus."

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