Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5, Issues 139 - 164
The Prem Rawat Foundation
4/1/2008 - 18/12/2008


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i139, 4 January 2008: The Success Story

There is the possibility that one little understanding can change the whole equation of life for you. This life can actually become a joy–not tedious, not living in bewilderment, not trying to duck–but making every day meaningful, filled with gratitude.
A lot of people may think that's a challenge. It's not. Because it is not a process of creating something. It's putting things back where they belong. Things have gotten so mumble-jumbled. What is the key? Place the self above everything that goes on during your day.
I'm not talking about being selfish or the self that says, "I need to be in front of the line." That's not placing the self first. That's being arrogant. The self I am talking about is that which you are, by whose presence you exist and without which you are nothing. You place everything else above that self. And what are the consequences? Confusion, doubt, wondering, coping, trying to explain.
Do you know how much time people spend trying to explain everything that happens? "This is why I got the parking ticket, why my tire went flat, why I lost my keys, why I don't have a good job, why I lost my promotion, why this happened." So many explanations.
People today are more content with explanations than with reality. How often do they say, "I can change that. It's not about losing my keys, getting the flat tire, getting a ticket. It's not about things going according to my plan or not. But something else is taking place. I am alive."
One day you will have to go. Don't look for immortality. Look for the immortal. What is immortal? Can we even imagine what is immortal? No. It's just a definition–something that never dies. Well, what is it that never dies? Everything that the eyes see will go. One day, the sun and the Earth will vanish. Once they weren't. And one day, they'll be gone.
That's the nature of all that you see. All that you thought is permanent never was. It just pretended to be, and you wanted to believe it, desperately. Do not be saddened by this, but awaken. That's the point.
You have learned to trust. That's all you can do. Bank on the kindness. Trust that there is a kindness. That somehow, whatever you go through, whatever happens, it will turn out okay. You are alive. And you have a choice: you can either get frustrated, bewildered, sink in the deep hole of doubt, or you can understand.
Life is a powerful thing. The desire to be fulfilled, to be in peace, is powerful. In these things, I trust. In these things, I find my comfort. Something within me perseveres to achieve that clarity in my life.
This human being is a success story. It is a success that started a long time ago and is still unfolding. And it will be a success story until the very last breath. If the heart is full, that's it. That is the success.
This understanding, this clarity is possible. To be in that place, to take advantage of the joy, is a conscious choice you can make. It's all about joy. This is the one life you have. Get it right. Now. Now is never too early and never too late.
Be in peace. Be in joy every single moment of your life. Because it's possible, and it's possible in your lifetime. Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i140, 17 January 2008: Congratulations!

Congratulations, you are alive. Here you are. Once, you weren't here. And one day, you won't be. All your drama and trauma, all your ideas, all the things you like and don't like, all the things that happen that you judge your life by are but a dream. Just a dream. Dreams are not to be taken lightly, but they are dreams.
In the middle of all these dreams, there is a place within you where you can truly be awake. In that awakening, there is no judgment. There aren't issues of good and bad, right and wrong. You are not judged. There are no yardsticks and no races. Nobody is standing there saying, "You won" or "You lost." Just a beautiful reality that you are alive.
You have the ability to understand, to know, to admire. These are your qualities. You have the ability to get angry and the ability to be calm. You have the ability to be in turmoil and the ability to be in peace. Which do you use the most? Frustration. Anger. Disappointment.
Once in awhile, you actually find yourself happy. When you are, it is such a big deal that you think about it for years to come. And when you get older and your short-term memory goes, you will say, "I remember when I was there. Oh, that was so beautiful."
You have some other qualities: You can appreciate this existence. You can truly be happy in a timeless way–no camera needed, no special circumstances required. You can be in the joy that springs from your heart every single day.
Most people are trying to understand their mind. People have been trying to do that for an extremely long time. And they never will. They write books and say beautiful things, but it is like having a garden that looks spectacular though every flower is made out of paper and every tree is plastic. The grass is fake, so you don't ever have to cut it.
The disadvantage is that flowers don't bloom there and spring never comes. Bees never fly, no flower has a beautiful aroma, and the trees do not sway in the wind. Even though it all looks pretty, it is static–as in dead.
That is why it is so important to have a living experience. Living. Breathing. Existing. Feeling. Thinking. Understanding. Knowing. That's what is real.
What does your garden look like? Have you smelled the flowers? Have you ever seen a bee? Are there birds in the trees? Is there a season when it looks fine and you are content?
People get used to being frustrated. They get used to being mad, upset. They say, "That's life. Good times, bad times–it's all okay." What is okay? Me being lost? Me ignoring my own nature? Me being away from myself? Me not recognizing myself?
That's why every one of us needs so desperately to understand that there can be no compromises, that an effort needs to be made every single day to see, to feel what we have been given–from the heart, from our very basic being.
Know that a time will come when all that you rely on will slowly fade away. What will remain? You. You will still be able to experience, but erosion is afoot. It happens so slowly you don't notice it, but it's afoot. Every day, every second, it marches on, but above it floats a beautiful reality that is timeless. You are alive. And till the day you are alive no more, you can go inside and feel happiness; you can feel joy.
There is hope. Your heart is knocking on the door. Open up. Feel, see, understand, realize, know. Be in that joy, be in that feeling every moment. Understand the beauty of the possibility to feel clarity, to feel gratitude, to be thankful to be alive. I'm here to remind you: don't wait. Wake up. See, feel, admire, be a part of your existence.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i141, 31 January 2008: What It Means to Be Human

Enjoyment is a tool that can conquer any mountain. When your heart dances, let it. And enjoy it. I guarantee that you will start to notice the difference. And the more you enjoy your life, the simpler it becomes.
Recently, flying through thunderstorms, it was magical. There were beautiful clouds on one side–almost like an opening. There were clouds on the ocean side and clouds on the land side. The sun was shining through. Sometimes just the tips were lit up, and then whole clouds lit up. There was no lightning, just showers. Beautiful rainbows. It looked like something straight out of a book.
I was sitting there, looking at all this. I know exactly what a
rainbow is. I can actually tell where there's going to be a rainbow, if there is going to be one. All it requires is suspended water droplets and the sun. It's the refraction of the water droplets that makes the rainbow.
And then there's the clouds. I know exactly what a cloud is–it's moisture. And as the heat is sent up, the cooling begins, and as it cools, clouds form. Rain is all the humidity that was pushed up into the atmosphere where it gets cooled and falls down.
So I was sitting there thinking, "Yes, I know all that. But why is it so beautiful?"
I enjoy it. All the logic in the world is not equal to taking in what this heart has to offer and enjoying it. The heart is as much a part of you as your brain. Give it the equal time it needs, and your life will begin to change, because one thing that everyone can use, and is most deficient in, is appreciation.
Doctors won't tell you this. It does not show up on your blood test. But we are all deficient in appreciation. We don't know the value of the things we have been given. We don't understand the beauty of this breath. I mean, once you understand the beauty of this breath, how can you not appreciate it?
Then the tears are not always of sorrow. Sometimes they are of joy. And you begin to understand the difference between the two. It is not the emotion of all the darkness, but it is the first rays of light emanating from the heart. A relief. It is the sense of relief the travelers feel when they see their destination in front of them.
A sense of relief. To come home. A sense of relief to have found what you were looking for. You didn't even know what you were looking for, but, in a moment, you instantly know when you find it: This is it. This is what I was looking for. There's a tremendous sense of relief.
In a fair, a child gets lost. All the balloons and the toys and the rides were attracting and attracting and attracting. And that was fine, but in a moment of distraction, the child let go of his mother or father's hand. Now all the excitement of the fair could never compensate for that loss. But imagine the sense of relief when that child sees his father or mother coming toward him. All of a sudden, there is no reason to cry. The sadness turns into joy.
And so, we are who we are. There is the etiquette in this world of how we should be, but we are not that. We are human. What does it mean to be human? I don't think anybody really knows anymore. Maybe they knew a long time ago, but now it has come down to being proper: how you should eat, how you should greet someone, how you should be seen, how you should show yourself, what you should say.
So many things happen. At the end of the day, we are all human. And the ability to enjoy this life is innate. So begin to enjoy. And that enjoyment can conquer mountains.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i142, 15 February 2008: Nothing Trivial

An Indian poet once said that human beings have all the wealth they could possibly want. They just don't know it. The infinite is in every heart, and when it is recognized, everything changes. Everything becomes beautiful.
Not knowing what we have, we measure ourselves by what we don't have. And we are told that if we have this, this, and this, we will be happy. I know a person who was very successful, and in one week everything turned upside down. He went from being at the top of his game to being nobody. He even became distant from himself.
I know that solitary confinement is considered the harshest punishment for people because we are social animals. What if you had to be just with yourself? How would that be? Have you made peace with your existence? Or would you be hounded by questions you do not want to ever be asked but that you carry within you–the darkness of the unknown, of your fears?
Everyone has fears. There is the fear of failure: how you appear in the eyes of others–what your colleagues, your neighbors, the world think of you. But have you learned to live with yourself? Have you socialized with this human being that you are? You, as a human being, what is your value? You judge yourself by all the scales that people put in front of you, "This is what's important, this is what's important, this is what's important." And you say, "Let me see where I am on this scale." And that becomes the measurement of your success. Get rid of that scale. You don't need it, because it is relative. You can be extremely sad, but on that scale, you're still right up at the top.
So how steady are you? How steady is your house? Instead of wasting time trying to measure up, strengthen your house, because the storm is going to come. Maybe it will be a little storm, maybe a big one. It's irrelevant, if your house is strong. Inner strength is the strength that lasts. The person I was talking about had everything. All he needed was inner strength. But when his house of cards fell, he fell with it. His house wasn't strong. If he had had that inner strength, it would've been okay. He would've been happy. He's still not poor, but that's not the point. That scale will fluctuate. The question is, will you fluctuate with it?
Don't judge yourself by what the world has done to you and what the world tells you, by what has happened or what has not happened. You are alive. You're breathing. And because you are breathing, you are rich, not poor. You have a great gift. The same power that's backing up the entire universe is backing you up–something I cannot even pretend to fathom. I know the word infinite. I cannot fathom it, but I can feel it, because that infinite is also within me. And that's my strength. The universe breathes; it comes together and expands, comes together and expands. It's a living thing. Something is keeping it all intact. And breath is coming to you, courtesy of that. Most people ignore it: "Breath? What is this breath? " But don't ignore it, experience it.
This thing called life has been described as a portal, a gateway. This is as close as the infinite and the finite can get. And here, in this life, the finite can experience the infinite. Just like in space, eventually the infinite will consume the finite. The finite will go back to being dust again, and the infinite will remain.
That's amazing, I think. There's a lot of nothing out there. And then there is something, and that something is really something. And then, a lot of nothing again. Expanding and contracting. Breathing, existing. Disappearing, reappearing. Colliding. Becoming something else. It's quite a thing. Amazing. Here you are; you are something. Don't compare it, "Oh, that's so trivial." In this universe nothing is trivial–nothing. Even dust is not trivial, because that's all there iscompacted dust and loose dust. You're dust. But it's something, not nothing.
So let go of your confusion, doubts, misery. Do not always worry, "What's going to happen? Where am I going?" This is what you've been wondering all your life. People have so many ideas. Fine. I absolutely believe that heaven is here. And I not only believe, I know this is the vessel that can feel the beauty of heaven. This is what has been given to you.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i143, February/March 2008: By Design

My message is not entwined in a philosophy. It does not come from a book. It is not a concept or an idea. It is based on one thing: you are alive. And because you are alive, there is a possibility that you can be content. You can have a joy in your life that is unaffected by anything, a joy that is independent of everything.
For some people, betterment means having a better job, being more successful or more productive. For some, betterment means having a better family, a bigger house or bigger car. But think about it: who are we? We are here on this planet Earth for a limited time. We think we will live forever, but that is just an illusion.
The reality is that one day you weren't. Then you were born. Today, you exist. And one day, you will have to go. It's a universal rule. Nobody is exempt. It applies to everyone, whether you are poor or rich, educated or not. It doesn't matter.
Do you know who you are? Somebody calls your name and you say, "Yes, that's me." But have you understood that within you there is magic unfolding, and this magic is the reality of your existence?
Before you were born, everybody wondered, "Boy or girl?" But when you actually came into this world, everybody's focus was only one: breathing or not? And when you leave this world, everybody will watch for that last thing: breathing or not?
So, what is the big deal about breath? The big deal is: Without it, you are nothing. And with it, you are everything. With it, you can be an uncle, a father or a mother, a son or a daughter; you can be successful or a failure. You can laugh or cry. And without it, you are dust.
As long as there is breath, you're not dust. With breath, you can say, "Come in! Welcome! Good morning!" Without it? People will say, "Take it away."
The big deal is: Here is the most incredible blessing, and we don't pay attention to it. We pay attention to what we consider a blessing: "Give me a child, give me a job, give me this, give me that." But you are more blessed than you realize. And the day you begin to count your blessings, you will be amazed. That is when you will understand what it really means to be thankful. When the heart is truly full and you begin to understand, confusion vanishes and clarity comes. You begin to see the simplicity of existence. It's not about success and failure, but being grateful for this life.
Some people say, "My purpose in life …" Not your purpose in life. What is the purpose of you having life? What is this?
This body, due to breath, moves and dances and feels. All day long you're feeling, feeling, feeling. You feel cold, hot, soft, rough. You are a feeling machine. And everyhuman being longs to feel joy. Since we were little, we wanted to feel that, even before we had a name for it.
The human heart is filled with a joy that you can feel whenever you want to, wherever you are–a joy that you can never have enough of. Do you know that you cannot tolerate sadness very well? You're not made for it. When you are sad, you want to leave it as soon as possible. Joy–no problem. You would think that would give you a little clue as to what you are about. The clue is: there is no limit to joy, and we are extremely allergic to pain and suffering.
Have you found the source of endless joy? It is not far from you–by design. If you have a longing for joy, it would be pointless to have the source of that joy inaccessible to you. So, in the clever design of this life, the source of joy goes with you wherever you go.
Enjoyment in this life is a possibility. There are no restrictions. Find that infinite source of joy within you.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i144, 14 March 2008: A Single Source

I'd like to talk about the gift of this life you have as a human being. What is a human being? What makes us so different? On one level, there isn't a lot of difference between us and other animals. Maybe the difference is no greater than the difference between a cat and a dog, but we are different.
What is that difference? There are animals out there that can outrun us, so it's not running. And there are animals out there that can out-jump us, so it's not jumping. It's not the smile, because monkeys smile quite frequently to show their teeth and let everybody else know they're the boss. So it's not smiling.
What is it? This is not based on science, but my inclination is that it is our power to appreciate, to enjoy, that makes us who we are. Dogs enjoy what they enjoy. There's no question about it. They wag their tail, and their eyes light up. They even get a smile. They enjoy what they enjoy. Cats are the same way. They enjoy what they enjoy. And birds enjoy what they enjoy.
But there is something we can enjoy because of who we are. And that, in my opinion, is what makes us a little bit different.
Now look for a moment at plants. I was driving along one day, and I noticed that even though the ground was undulating, the trees were growing straight up, not perpendicular to the ground. Why? Because their roots are on this earth, but their relationship is with something that's in the sky. They need to expose leaves to the sun, and the more the better. That's their relationship.
A tree takes many things into account–storms, wind, and that relationship it has with the sun. There are plants in Antarctica that grow very close to the surface because they know about wind. They know that if they try to pop out, they'll be gone, so they grow very, very close to the surface, but their relationship with the sun is still constant.
You see a myriad of designs–intricate leafs, branches, root systems, bark. And the tree has a relationship with something that is so far away from it. The tree doesn't know how far the sun is. But everything in its design, in its existence–as we call it–is in balance. If that balance is compromised, it cannot exist.
If we were to take a look at our own existence, how balanced is it? Most of us think, "I've got to survive in this world, and whatever it takes to survive is all I need. Period. That's it."
But who do we have that ultimate relationship with? What is the single source of inspiration in our life every day? For me, it can't be a hero. It can't be something you learned. It can't be an ideology or a great poet or artist or philosopher. It is something that resides in the heart.
The fact is that power is within everyone–period. But the only question is whether we recognize it, whether it manifests. And that is what I am here to talk about.
I'm not here to fix your problems. What I want you to realize is that there is something real inside of you that is greater than the sum of all your goods and bads, regardless of how you see yourself. Whatever you have read or whatever you think, there is something that resides inside of you. And that is what can be the single point of inspiration in your life.
I hope you will discover and pay attention to that thing that is within you and that you will forge a relationship with it. For then you will not just survive, you will thrive.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i145, 27 March 2008: Kindness

Recently, someone was asking me about being kind. He was frustrated in his life and wanted to become a "better person." I told him, "Don't try to be a better person, because you already are. The kindness that you want to feel, you have. Ask a farmer how they prepare the field. It's not by frustration. When you get frustrated, you have the want, the desire, but you don't know what to do with it. So, prepare the field." You're the field. Prepare it. How? Whatever you do most in your life, you will become good at it. Maybe you are good at being frustrated. If you practice this the most, you will become very good at it. So instead, start practicing kindness.
To practice kindness, just become a little more conscious. When you're going to talk to somebody, first think, "Who am I talking to?" Many times parents really want to tell their children, "I love you," but that's not what comes out. Instead they say, "Why did you do that? Why can't you be like this? I've told you so many times …" What they really want to say is, "I love you."
Being conscious has many benefits. I know this because when I am not conscious, I say things that I regret. So I'm not coming to you as an expert. I'm coming to you as a person who has a lot of experience. Consciousness. This is your life. Don't let circumstances run your life; you run your life–what you want, how you want to be. Do you want to be angry? Sometimes it is good to be angry. Sometimes you want to be kind.
You are like a painter. There are many colors on your palette. You don't have to use only one. It's your life. Kindness is in you. Unconsciousness is in you, and consciousness is in you. The only thing you need is to take a moment to be conscious. This is easy to do. Just take a little moment before you do something and think, "What is it I am about to do? What is it that I want to do? I'm going to have this conversation–how do I want to feel afterwards?" These are little things that you can do. And of all the little things you can do, the easiest one is just to take a little time.
What about the "reality" of all the things you have to do? That's not reality–that's fiction. To me, there's no difference between thinking about all the things you have to do and thinking there was a monster in the closet when you were little. There's no monster in your closet. Do all the things you have to do have to be done now? Maybe you wake up at 6:00 in the morning, and the office doesn't open till 9:00. But you think, "I have to do this. I have to do this. I have to do this."
Take a little time to be conscious. It only takes fraction of a second. If you are in the cockpit of an airplane, you don't want to be unconscious and hit the wrong switch. Hitting the right switch just takes a fraction of a second. And if you want to be conscious, it only takes a fraction of a second to think, "What am I about to do?"
Kindness is in you. You don't have to create kindness. There's more kindness in you than you can possibly imagine. There's more love in you than you can possibly imagine. Why should you be kind? When you are kind, it makes you feel good. A lot of people want to be kind so that people will approve of them. But when you are kind, it makes you feel good. A very good incentive. And it's very contagious.
You want to be kind? Be kind to you. Yes, people get angry and this and that, but you need to forgive and to forgive yourself. This is where kindness begins. If you cannot be kind to yourself, being kind to other people is arbitrary. We all make mistakes and will continue to make them. If we did not make mistakes, we would not be able to learn from them. But we need to learn from them and move forward, whatever it takes. As long as you learn from them, making mistakes is not a problem.
So, you have kindness; you have everything you need. Practice it. And what you practice, you will become good at. It's very simple. It really is.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i146, 10 April 2008: It's All Perception

People talk about "Eastern thought" and "Western thought." Why do we divide up the world? It's a round Earth, and it goes around and around.
I'm talking about something universal. What is real is that we are all human beings. We have put these layers upon ourselves, but these layers are not real. There is no East, and there is no West. Don't just look at the face and skin color. Our different faces are like flowers in a garden. If they were all the same color, it would be very monotonous. All the different colors–the pinks, greens, reds, yellows, browns–are what make the garden pretty.
But we look at the faces and say, "You are different." There are people who love the East and hate the West or people who love the West and hate the East. That chasm is getting bigger and bigger, when it should be getting smaller and smaller. We can all help each other. We don't have to be divided by our religions or our beliefs, by what we think. If we want to follow traditions, we should be able to follow traditions. All that everybody needs and wants is elbow room–a little room to move.
Personally, I don't like divisions. People are people–every single one. We are human beings–not made in China or the USA but by that power that created everything. We should be proud of the fact that we are alive, that we are human. We should be educated to have more tolerance for each other. After all, we live on one planet. You know, if you live in a house with others, you've got to be friends with everyone. Well, we do live in one house. It's called planet Earth. Here it is. And it's the only one.
If you don't like your house, you can move out. But where are you going to move from planet Earth? To Mars? You'll be cooked and frozen, cooked and frozen–like a TV dinner. This is the house we all live in. Instead, we can make it more tolerable. When it rains, whether it is on a desert in India or Africa, it's the same rain, and it makes the flowers bloom the same way. We are not that different. At the end of the day, we really aren't. And who we are is not a bad thing; it's a good thing. It's a very good thing.
Somebody I visited had a sticker on their refrigerator that said, "Smile," and when I asked them why, they said, "Oh, it's nice to be reminded." Nice to be reminded to smile? You're a human being. This is what you do. When things are right, it is automatic. You don't need to be reminded to smile. It will come naturally. When all is right inside, a smile will happen.
Some people want a garden year-round, so they buy fake grass, fake flowers, fake trees to make a garden. Then they say, "Look at my garden! It's great, isn't it? It looks like this year-round, and I don't have to mow the grass." Yes, but where are the butterflies and the bees? Where is the aroma of the flowers? Your garden may look great, but it's not really your garden. Do you want your garden to look great even if it's not a real garden?
Be real–for yourself. Don't live in this fake fantasy. You are here for too short a time to pretend. If you want to fly, then really fly. Because you can. You don't have to pretend. Pretending doesn't go very far. And you're not here for that long.
A lot of young people think life will go on and on for a long time. Ask people who have been alive for quite a while how quickly life goes by. It's all perception. Remember when you were young? Your Mom or Dad would be driving the car, and 15 minutes was too long. Now you say, "We're already there?" It's all about perception.
You finally start to recognize the value of time when it gets less and less. Not a smart thing. Understand the value of time now. The best way to understand it is to be content as much as you can be. Then you have conquered time. Then you have understood what you have been given–the most incredible gift of life.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i147, 24 April 2008: The Grand Miracle

I'm not here to try to point out all the problems of the world, because there are too many. But, despite all the problems, all the things that are wrong, there are some things that are really, really good. Despite all the ugliness, there is something very, very beautiful. Despite all the mistakes, there is one thing that is perfect. And that perfection, that beauty, is in you.
There are people who like to point out all the problems, and in a way, I'm glad they do. But I think there should be some people who point out the good, the beautiful, because this life, despite all the problems, is beautiful. And sometimes, caught up in our troubles, our turmoil, our ideas, our concepts, we forget what we have been given. Who are we? Are we just the sum of all the things that happen around us? Are we just people who wake up in the morning and realize our responsibilities, "I have to do this, I have to do this"? Or is there something more, something inside each human being that wants to smile, to be thankful, to feel gratitude, to feel joy?
I speak from my own experience. I have responsibilities. There are good days, and there are bad days. In the good days, I want to be happy. I want to feel peace. I want to feel connected to myself. Then there are the bad days. And even then, I just want to be happy. Nobody can explain happiness. You know what it is. It isn't just smiling or laughing or a time of day when you become happy. Happiness comes because you feel good. We think it is feeling happy about something–our child graduates from college; we win a lottery ticket; we get a promotion. We think our happiness is associated with all these things.
There is only one person who can make you happy, and it happens to be a person you know very little about. Strange. You know about your friends, other people–your associates, your colleagues–but very little about yourself, who you are. And you are that one person who can make you very happy. I see people driving on the highways honking their horns, yelling, screaming. Somehow I get the feeling that they don't really think life is important. They just want to get to where they're going. I want you to take a moment and understand something–that your life is incredibly important. You're not a number. You're not a name. You are more than the sum of all your goods and bads. So many people live in fear. But there is a place inside of you that cannot have fear, where you can feel freedom. When somebody has to tell me I am free, I'm not free.
We have our formulas. Happiness has nothing to do with formulas. "This plus this, minus this, equals happiness." Either you feel happiness or you don't. Either you feel joy in your life or you don't. What do you feel in your life? Because this life is the stage where peace will dance, where happiness will sing a song for you. This life holds promise after promise after promise, gift after gift after gift for you.
I have been watching spring coming. Ah, it is so beautiful to watch spring come. Right outside my office at home, there is a tree, and in the winter, it shed every leaf, down to just bare branches. And then slowly but surely, spring began to come, and not a day was wasted for those green shoots to start appearing. This I call dedication. This I call life. This I call "the grand miracle." If that tree was human, it would say, "Why are we doing this? Winter will come again, and I will have to shed these leaves again. So forget this–just hibernate."
It is not logic, but something that transcends logic. Love is not logical. These little shoots wait and wait. They can't forecast the weather. They don't think: "These two days are warm, but then the next two days it's going to rain again, so just wait." No. For them, it is: "Here it is. The warmth has come. The sun is shining. The temperature is right. Let's go." And as tender and delicate as those shoots are, even with two days of cold and rain, they keep on going. There is a drive that is more powerful. And this scene plays out for billions of trees every year. Your spring has come. It is time to reach within and allow the hope for peace in your life to resurface, to see the good, to understand that good, to once again know and to once again say yes to what you have ignored for so long–you.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i148, May 2008: When Spring Comes

Here we are in spring. And the tussle is on. On one side, winter does not want to let go of its hold. On the other side, the warmth of summer wants to break in. And this is played out in the skies, the clouds, the lightning, the rainbows, the sun. And on the ground are delicate little plants. They're fragile. Last fall, they gambled. "To survive the winter, we will need to shed our leaves." And they did. The gamble was, "Summer will come again and, when it does, we will be able to put out our leaves and once again become whole."
Now they are prepared, and the slightest hint of summer coming has spurred them to start putting those delicate leaves out again–ready to make that commitment to being complete. My question is, are you ready for the spring in your life? If you are, I have some very good news for you: Spring indeed has come. Bloom! This is not the time to reason or question or argue whether spring has come for real or not. It is not the time to lament that leaves have to be shed again, so what's the point. Do you know that every day you are alive, spring comes? Yes, pain comes, too. What is pain saying to you? "Hello, haven't we been a little unconscious lately? Awaken." When pain comes, people think, "Let's look at this. Let's analyze it." That's not what pain is for. The grinding of the gears inside is because something isn't right.
As a human being, you have a rhythm. And this rhythm says, "Move. March. Go. Move. March. Go." Move. Understand your mortality and be inspired to move on, not stop. Understand also that a part of you is immortal. You're like a sandwich. One part of you, that you have paid a lot of attention to, is the wrong slice of bread. You should have paid attention to the other slice, because this one will disintegrate. That is its nature. Don't let that scare you. Let that inspire you to focus on the part that is truly delicious. And the inspiration to do that resides in your heart. Within you is the drum that plays the beat to know, to understand, to dance to the rhythm of the dance of understanding. "I understand what a gift I have been given. I understand my urge to blossom." The beauty is, spring will come. And when I look at those tiny bright green leaves emerging, I say to myself, "Go. Do it. Don't be threatened. Don't be disheartened because it is cold today. However strong this grip of this cold is, it will be broken."
For you, however strong the grip of ignorance is, it will be broken, because the seeker within you is stronger than the sum of all the questions and confusion there is in this world. Such is the drive from inside. And this is the most beautiful drive–to search. If a person searches, I say, "Good. If you search genuinely, you will find the person who will fulfill that quest." It's called the thirst, the thirsty, and the water. Because there is a thirst, there is the thirsty. And because there is the thirsty, water will be found.
Some people go through a lot to find the water. And it will be found, because the water you are looking for is within. You don't have to go to a particular place. You don't have to look for an oasis or a well or birds or anything. Anywhere you are on this desert, every breath is pumping the most incredible water that will quench your thirst, day and night. Look within your heart, and you will find the truest essence of your existence. Look within you, and you will find the most beautiful waters. Look within you, and you will find your answers to which you don't even have questions. I'm talking about the passion and compassion in this universe and beyond, the most incredible energy that created the sun, the moon, the Earth from dust. From nothing to create everything. To create this Earth with ceilings without pillars, incredible textures of carpet, alive, beautiful, ever-changing. To create a magnificent light, made up of every shade. To create night lights that are unimaginable–the moon, the clouds, the stars, all of it. And for you to have the ability to witness this, not only to see but be able to admire. To make every day and never to make two alike–this is craftsmanship. To make the trees and snowflakes and never two alike. And to make human beings and never two alike.
When the rain pours and pours, remember the magnificence that you have been blessed with. Remember what the possibilities are. Remember that you're part of it all. You're not some abstract, good-for-nothing thing that just happened to be. When the craftsmanship is so good then every bit needs to be looked at and admired, nothing is frivolous. Not a grain of sand, not a leaf, not a snowflake, not a raindrop is out of place. And if you accept that, then you must also accept you're not out of place. See and understand the reality, because it is more beautiful than anything you have imagined. And as spring comes every day in your life, without hesitation, sprout.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i149, 22 May 2008: Bridge of Life

I want to tell you a story. It is a very different story, because it's not about a king or a queen or romance or victory or failure. The purpose is not to occupy your time or entertain you. There is a simple and beautiful reality, and it's the most magnificent story. It is about what is–this beautiful creation in an incredibly hostile universe.
We've been given an opportunity to be here. Is that good or bad? That's not the point. Let me give you an analogy. Let's say there is a very beautiful painting by one of the masters–trees, ocean, clouds, sun–but you have never seen it. Then one day you do. However, the painting was packed improperly, and it rubbed against the box. The greens, blues, oranges, and whites have all gotten mixed up. It almost looks weird. All that is left is the master's signature. And you think, "He painted that?" Everybody looks at reality with a twist and wonders why reality isn't beautiful. When it comes down to this little thing called peace, I have found that nobody in this world has a clue what peace is–none, zip, nada, no idea. It's so sad that it's almost humorous.
Some people think, "Oh, the end of war is peace." So you mean that before the wars began, there was peace, and peace led to wars? Some say, "Eliminate the hunger in this world, and there will be peace." Listen, there are people who purposely go hungry trying to lose weight. If you created a "hunger detector" and drove down all the roads in the world with it, and anybody who was hungry would get food shoved in their mouth, would there be peace? You would have more wars.
So we have concepts. It's as though we have a film in front of our eyes, while reality is sweetly dancing. All that you see that is so beautiful will not always be there. This time you have is about the opportunity to be alive. It is not about the semantics of your life. It is not about the circuit diagrams of your existence. It is not about all the other things we allow ourselves to be distracted by. Peace is. And peace manifests within the heart of every single human being. That is the only place. Don't look at reality through the eyes of all these formulas. Look through the simplest eyes that you have been given, and what will you see? You will see a perfection, hear a rhythm, discover a magnificence greater than what you could ever imagine. That is what this story is about.
The viewpoint we have latched onto because of our ideas is so different that we are incapable of simply appreciating what is–just seeing, understanding the beauty of the breath that comes in and out. It is the simplest act that takes place. It happens naturally. And its existence verifies that you are alive. So powerful is this breath that as long as it is happening, all is well. And if it isn't happening, the story changes.
The coming and going of this breath is a gift. And absolutely, as long as the breath comes into you, all is well indeed. When you feel that simplicity, you can begin to hear the real rhythm of your life. You can appreciate what you have been given, and the story will be complete.
You will be set free when you understand that you do not need the support of all the ideas, that you can just stand on this bridge of life, and that it is solid, good, strong. You can jump on it, and it won't fall down. You will be able to appreciate its strength. And then your heart will fill with gratitude for all that you have been given. And when your heart fills with gratitude, you will have the answers without needing the questions. It gets better and better, because there is no limit to that better, and there is no limit to the ability you have been given to enjoy.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i150, 10 June 2008: Pulse of Life

It's so important to understand the subject of this life. I don't think the importance of truly grasping what this means can be over-emphasized. As human beings, we have an incredible brain, incredible talent. We can accomplish so many things–almost too many. Because we are alive, we can experience peace and joy. We can go to the moon and create space stations. We can peer into the deep, deep reaches of the universe. And because we are alive, we can also create wars, decimate this planet, and make it impossible for everything to exist.
Cell phones have saved many lives. But the same technology that is saving so many lives is also being used in weapons and a weapons delivery system that is wiping out more lives than it is saving. And the saving might happen over a period of a year, but the destruction happens within days.
So, it becomes obvious that we have to choose. And what should our choice be? Well, to put it in context, there is a place you can go that is not really real. It's virtual. There, you can create an alter-personality of yourself. You can fly. You can do all the things you've always wanted to do but could never do, but only virtually, not really. In this virtual place, people buy apartments and sofas for apartments. But when you buy the virtual apartment and the furniture, you pay for it with real money. It's a million-dollar-a-day business$365,000,000 a year. And it's growing. People even meet in this virtual place and get married!
I bring a message about reality, a message that says, "What you are looking for is inside of you."
Who are you? What are you? What is your core? We need to know that in this day and age more than at any other time. Otherwise, our choices will be virtual or make-believe, but the consequences will be real. Unfortunately, consequences are always real.
What is your real potential? There is a power, a beauty, that resides within. When I turn within, my heart is filled with joy, peace. I have to choose this every single day, because in this world, the line between the virtual and the real can become too faded. And I choose reality, because it is far more beautiful.
An Indian writer named Tulsidas once said, "All that you see is illusion. As far as your eyes can see, it's all illusion. If you want reality, turn within." The problem is that we don't like what we see, but we don't understand why. So we create an alternative world in which our fantasies can come true. People like Tulsidas said, "Turn within and all your fantasies will come true. The truest wish will come true." But we have to choose. Every single day, we have tochoose.
Reality is beautiful. Don't try to measure it, because contentment, joy, love, understanding cannot be measured. There is no scale for them. Understand. Open your heart. Look within and see how beautiful it is. Feel your life filled with joy, filled with gratitude, not explanations or ideas. This is reality; no formulas or philosophies are needed to truly receive the gift every single day.
You are the vessel for the sweetest satisfaction, joy–the pure clear water of contentment. When you are filled with this, you come alive, because that's what life is. You can understand. You don't have to be confused. It's that simple. Realize the pulse of life.
What an incredible opportunity it is to choose a gratification that is given every day when you turn inside. It's not about the struggles you've had or the list of failures, but about each success that took place. You will still make mistakes, but the beauty is it's not about mistakes or failures. It's not about the length of the night. It's about the rising of the sun. The light comes, and a new day begins.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i151, 27 June 2008: It's Your Choice

Someone told me that they wanted peace so that they could give it to others. But you can't give your peace to anybody else, just as you can't give anybody your time. You cannot give a person who is dying even five more minutes.
Peace is very personal. By having peace in your life, you can become a catalyst for others, this is true, but you cannot give them peace. They have to find their own thirst, have their own understanding, and find that peace within. That possibility is always there in your life. If you have the wisdom, you will take advantage of it. Sometimes people think wisdom is enlightenment. They see an old painting of a saint with a light over their head and think, "Oh, that's an enlightened person." But true enlightenment is when you recognize, and wisdom is deciding to choose the joy that is within you. It is not about knowing what's coming tomorrow. Problems come and go. If you have a problem, one day it will go just like it came. Things will change–you will change–but the passion for joy, for clarity, will remain with you for the rest of your life.
My thirst for clarity, for joy, has not changed since I was very little. Everything else has changed–my likes, dislikes, what I eat, what I don't eat. Everything has changed, but that thirst has not changed.
Choose that in your life. This is a choice that has to be made every day–to enjoy your life. You have to come as a free person, not with baggage, not in fear, because that won't work. Problems come in different shapes and sizes. Sometimes they change their appearance. But what do you want in your life? This is a choice you're going to have to make.
People have hesitation. I cannot do anything about that because this is you. Personally, for me, hesitation is a waste of time. I can tell you a story about hesitation. Once there was a man who went to a fair. His teeth were really dirty–almost black. As he was walking along, he came to a display where a doctor was selling medicine for 15 cents. The doctor was showing it to people and offering that if somebody came from the audience with completely black teeth, they could wash their mouth with the medicine, and their teeth would become sparkling clean.
This man wanted the medicine, but he couldn't decide. Maybe it's too expensive. Maybe he doesn't really want it. Maybe he does want it. Does it work? He's standing there thinking, "Should I? Shouldn't I? Should I? Shouldn't I?" He's got a five-cent coin and a ten-cent coin, and he's rubbing the two coins together over and over. "Should I? Shouldn't I? Should I? Shouldn't I?"
Finally, all the bottles are gone except for one. So, the man takes his coins, throws them at the doctor and says, "Here, I'll take it." The doctor picks up the coins and says, "With what?" The man said, "Well, I just gave you 15 cents." And the doctor said, "I've been watching you going, 'Should I? Shouldn't I? Should I? Shouldn't I?' And in this process, you have totally worn down the coins. They are no good now."
Hesitation is like that. The coins are our time. "Should I? Shouldn't I? Should I? Shouldn't I?" If you are ready to make the commitment that joy is what you want in your life, you will be welcome. It's never too late, but don't hesitate, because in hesitation, you're wasting your time. When this breath comes into you–and it just didnobody can say, "I have been breathing for 60 years, so it's okay if I don't breathe for six hours." No, it's not okay. Each breath is needed. Every day joy, peace, needs to be accepted, felt, understood. This is the dance. This is the symphony of life.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i152, 12 July 2008: Walking with Strength

What is this life all about? One day, we all have to go. You know that; it's in the back of your mind some days. Other days, you don't bother thinking about it. For most people, the subject is very unpleasant. But the issue is your existence–you being alive. Just what does that mean to you?
So many people say, "If we could just find a solution to this problem, everything would be fine." People everywhere basically know that they want to be happy. They want to be content. They want to feel good. Every human being is innately like that. This is our nature.
We seek equilibrium. The storms in our lives are not a good thing. When a storm comes, we seek shelter. We don't say, "I'm going out in the storm now. This is the perfect time." We need the equilibrium of feeling good. I'm not going to define "feeling good." There are certain things that work for you, and certain things that don't. Feeling good works. Feeling bad doesn't. You don't get bored with feeling good. When you are feeling bad, on the other hand, you want to get out of that situation. This is your nature.
Do you concur with your nature? Do you try to nurture a good feeling and perpetuate it as much as possible? Or do you carry around a pocketful of band-aids? A pocketful of band-aids is: "There is no way I'm going to be conscious or perpetuate happiness in my life. I will do things that are unconscious, and when I get hurt, I will simply pull out one of the band-aids, take care of it, and I will be okay."
Being unconscious will get you hurt–no question about it. When you don't listen to your own fundamental needs, something will happen, and it will not be pleasant. So what is pleasant? Pleasant is when the priority of life is acknowledged and my heart is filled with gratitude. When I know the friend within, when my house is built on the foundation of knowing–not beliefs, wishes, and ideas–it is very, very pleasant. This is what life is all about–filling yourself with the pleasant, filling yourself with infinite joy.
Can life really be filled with infinite joy? Is that possible? If you doubt this, you don't understand the nature of what resides within you, because what resides within you is complete joy, complete clarity. Think of life like this: It is your opportunity to spend time with the best friend you ever had. It is your chance to be with the ultimate clarity, the ultimate kindness, the ultimate joy. That's what a life is. It's not promised to be forever. But the possibility exists that you get to spend time with that which is the most beautiful. And that resides in your heart.
So, wherever you go and whatever takes place, just remember this: Life is not just ups and downs. They happen. That's our doing. By our unconsciousness, we allow greed, anger, and fear to overtake the sanity of being alive. If there is suffering on planet Earth, it is brought by the people, for the people. We are the ones that set the expectation of how everything should be. "You should be like this, live for this long, look like this, look like that."
Did God create the problems in this world? No. We did. It is about human beings. If you could just know that this life is the chance to spend time with that which is the truest, unconditional love… This is the opportunity for every living being to spend time with the Beloved within, to feel gratitude for life and rejoice. When that happens, you feel alive, and you begin to live. And the most magnificent movement is the coming and going of the breath. It needs no proof, no buildup. Its blessing is obvious. Is it obvious to you? You exist. You are alive. Gather your strengths, not your weaknesses. What are your strengths? Your strengths are consciousness, kindness, understanding, acknowledging, rejoicing, loving. And when you walk with these, the outcome is beautiful. Every second you spend with the beauty inside of you, you are liberated. You are free.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i153, 26 July 2008: Acceptance

We all want to have fun, to enjoy. The most fun of all is to be alive. Not everybody understands that, because we get caught up in what "fun" is, what life is, and how that should be defined. And all of a sudden, we find ourselves coping with what is happening around us rather than enjoying.
Coping is totally different from enjoying in the truest sense. I'm not talking about parties and balloons, but about something so essential to a human being –the fun of the heart.
People say, "Life is terrible. If you think life is fun, if you think life is about joy, then you need a reality check."
What is your reality? My conviction, my understanding is that of all the days you have in this life, if just one day you are fulfilled, then this life was worth it. If it was just six hours, three hours, one hour, one moment, one second of being able to realize what you have been given–this life was worth it. You cannot realize what you have been given until you have accepted it from your heart. Look at what you have been given in its entirety. Even if it is for one second, it is so beautiful, so precious, that it is indeed enough.
When the call from within comes, when the heart says, "Be fulfilled," we ignore it. We think it is not significant enough, or we say, "I don't have time for this stuff."
We think that, as this breath has been coming and going, it will continue to come and go, and that there will be no end to it. Excuse me, there is. And the humility that it evokes is so amazing. It's not like a hammer falling down. It's a fine line. One day, I have to go. And when that becomes certain, the value of this time, this life, this breath becomes clear.
It's not about the beginning or the end of life. It is that one day, one minute, one second you are touched by the pure joy, the pure reality, that resides in you 24/7, that never abandons you. Wherever go, whoever you are, the gift keeps coming. All you have to do to put your world right is to accept it. That's all. You don't have to ferment it, reshape it, cut it, wash it, frame it.
Do you know what the greatest form of worship is? Acceptance. In that acceptance, in that understanding, clarity begins to come, not confusion. What comes with joy is clarity. These things are paired. Clarity is paired with joy, not with confusion. Confusion comes with doubt, anger, fear–all the things we don't like and don't know how to get rid of.
What is being offered is not just to feel that joy for one moment–which would be enough–but to feel it whenever you want to. There is no question that whenever you turn within–be it your last breath or not–you will be rewarded with joy, with peace.
What do you want? Look at your heart. It hasn't changed. You may have gotten older, but your heart has not changed. What you desired when you were very little, you still want today. And it's not the toys. It's the joy of being alive–to wake up, to want it, to grab it, to accept it in earnest.
I want you in your life to feel that feeling of fulfillment. That's all. I'm not here to confuse you or tell you that everything you know is junk. I'm not here to say you should follow a religion or not follow one. Do whatever you have to do. But of all the things you do in your life, do this one, too: feel fulfilled. And of all the things you do, do this one also: accept the gift that has been given to you so abundantly.
This breath, accept it. The day you do, that will be the most incredible act of worship you will have ever done. Your heart will instantly fill with gratitude. And when your heart is filled with gratitude, there is no greater heaven on the face of this earth. Time stops; worries are gone. The heart is filled with gratitude. The heart is the best. It will bring you back home.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i154, 11 August 2008: Making a Difference

I have traveled the world many times speaking about peace. And people ask me, "How is peace going to be possible?" I tell them, "Maybe you have ten reasons why peace is not possible: There is too much greed. There are too many people who are hungry. I have 6.7 billion reasons why there should be peace on this earth–6.7 billion being the population of this earth, approximately."
I have the same interest you do, the same quest as you, the same dream as you. And we, the people, can make the difference for peace on this earth.
We have relied on institutions long enough. Institutions can bring us prosperity–ways to flourish on the outside. But when it comes to feeling the peace on the inside, this remains our responsibility. I have gone from village to village. I have seen the poor, and I have seen the rich. These are society's differences, the glasses they give us that say, "Look at me. I am rich; I am poor. I am tall; I am short. I am a woman; I am a man. I am educated; I am not educated."
These divisions have pushed people further away from each other, not brought them together. Look at the condition of this world. There are more educated people today than there have ever been. And look what that has brought. If the solution lies anywhere, it is, and has always been, inside of us. It is incumbent upon human beings to bring peace, to bring kindness to each other.
Peace and the quest for peace will persevere. You are the little seeds that, when they germinate, carry on the cause of peace in this world.
What is peace? People think, "If everybody had food, then we would have peace." Excuse me. Who creates food? Do people create food? No. We can sow the seeds. Nature does the work. Nature grows the trees and the fruit. Is nature partial to what language you speak? Is nature partial to any of the divisions that we have created? No. Can the people of this world be fed? Yes. What does it take? Kindness.
There is a saying: "If you are strong, you should be kind. If you are smart, you should be simple. If you are wealthy, you should be humble." I agree. The kindness that needs to exist is in the heart of people, but skepticism hides that kindness.
Some people say, "If all the children were taken care of, there would be peace." God takes care of that child for nine months in the womb. That's not where the problem begins. It's when the child comes into our world. Nine monthsfood, water, sleep–everything is perfectly taken care of.
I am not here to give you peace. I am here to put the idea in your head that peace exists inside of you. Start thinking, that's all. The thirsty will find the water, because they have the thirst. But if there is no thirst, they could be standing next to a lake, and it won't make any difference whatsoever.
I am saying, "Let us know the dream of our heart to have that crystal clear water." Everybody can not only drink from it but bathe in it. This is the dream; this is the possibility. One step at a time.
People come to me and say, "Give me some peace!" How can I give you what you already have? You have that peace inside of you. The attitude that needs to change is: Is peace a possibility or not? This is what you have to decide. I have decided for myself. Yes, peace is a possibility. The drums of peace have been ringing on this earth for a very, very long time.
Your strength lies in understanding your thirst, your need to be in that joy, to be in that happiness. There is a dimension inside of you that is greater than all that you see on the outside. You are more than the sum of all the bad that happens in your life. Peace is inside of you even in turmoil, and you can experience that peace. It begins with understanding your thirst for it.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i155, 8 September 2008: Beyond Description

Many times, I ask, "Does light really know about darkness, and does darkness really know about light?" This is a very interesting question, because maybe we wonder, "Isn't there some point where the two meet?" Think about it. Does light know about darkness? They have never met. Can they ever meet? I don't think so, because their natures are so fundamentally different.
It is the same way in the world of the heart. There are principles that guide and dictate the heart, and then there are principles that guide and dictate the mind. Do the two know about each other? I don't think so, because their natures are so fundamentally different. One does not rely on feeling or understanding. The other does. There is something in you that, just by reading a description of food, can say, "That's good." But your nature is that only after food has touched the tongue and the aroma has reached the nose can you say, "Wow! This is good!" So for one part of you, description is good enough. For another part of you, something has to be real. Then, and only then, is it accepted. In that part of you that belongs to the realm of the real, there is something very beautiful called the heart. In the realm of the heart, description means nothing.
Imagine that you've bought a house, you're cleaning it, and in the corner, you see a shiny diamond. You pick it up, and your first reaction is, "I bet this is fake." But, if in that corner, there's a beautiful box with a fake diamond in it, your first reaction will be, "I bet it's real."
Aren't you curious which part of you dictates your life? Both are parts of you, no question about it. Which is the part that makes decisions for you? It's a very simple question, but it has incredibly profound consequences.
I'm not talking about decisions of what to eat, what movie to see, what clothes to buy, or even who to marry. I'm talking about the decisions that really matter to you. The heart is incapable of making decisions in an illusive world. It does not understand it. The mind is quite capable of making decisions in this world. It does understand it, because it created it. "We need this, we need this, we need this…." The mind has made the world situation confusing. But in the realm of the heart, there is no confusion. There never was and never will be. In the realm of the heart, there is only one thing: To be fulfilled. To find that joy, to find that feeling–not a description of the feeling. What I talk about is not dogmas, theories, descriptions, explanations. This is about finding the joy in your life. And not just once, but to have that joy available to you every single day for the rest of your life. That's it. If you're looking for descriptions, explanations, rules, something to believe in–you won't find them here, because this is the realm of the heart.
In the realm of the heart, there is knowing. To know, not have faith. To walk in clarity, not in doubt. People say, "Have faith, and that will overcome doubt." I say, "Have clarity, and that will overcome doubt." Which one? Faith or clarity? Clarity. Not just, "I hope, I wish, I pray." But, "The next step will be taken with clarity, not wishful thinking."
The joy that you seek already exists in the heart. All you have to do is awaken to this possibility. Understand. Feel. Do you understand who you are? You are conscious. Because you are conscious, you can feel the infinite. And when you do, joy happens–the truest joy. Not "Happy Birthday" joy. Not becoming a dad or mom joy, graduating joy, finding a job joy. It is the joy that happens when the consciousness experiences the beauty inside–that joy. The joy of being full.
So, while you have this consciousness, feel the joy in your life. This is who we are. Come and accept clarity in your heart. Pay a little attention to this other world that is also a part of you–the world of the heart, the world of knowing, the world of clarity, the world of simplicity. I guarantee you that you will feel good–a good that cannot be described in words. And then, walk every step with clarity, with confidence. Every day that you have, of all things that you can do, you can also be fulfilled.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i156, 26 September 2008: Touched by the Magic

You know, as human beings, there is a lot that is good. But there are certain habits we have that are not so good. And one of the bad habits we have is that we are so attracted to distractions. Any minor little distraction somewhere, and that's where our attention goes.
Why is that a bad habit? Because it robs us of the essential things we need to make this life a beautiful occasion. And this is the possibility. This is what you can do–you can make this one lifetime the most incredible time. How? You are in this world; you exist. One day you weren't here; today you are; and one day you will die. I can guarantee you that you don't understand what that means–because of the distractions. When the time comes that you lose the capacity to be distracted–and such a time does come–then and only then will you begin to understand what life is about.
How do I know this? Have I reached that time in my life where I'm not distracted? No. But I also know that there was somebody who was kind enough to show me. Because when I get caught up in my own tune, in my own definition of what life is, I become careless.
Look at a person living an "exciting" life–bungee-jumping. This is what some people think is exciting. They actually challenge death, "Take me on!" And they think that's excitement. Or they climb a vertical rock without any safety lines, just using their fingertips and powder. The only reason Death doesn't take them on is because it is laughing so hardjust bowled over with laughter. One day Death sobers up. And just like that, they're gone. Their body becomes dirt again.
So what is life about? Is it about the excitement? Or is it about feeling a heart full of joy? All the things that we think are important will one day turn around and become unimportant. I have been reading letters from people who are either at the very front of the line or maybe two or three people from the front of the line. The other day, I was talking to somebody, and he said, "Oh, so-and-so is close to dying."
I said, "Well, we're all in the process. Join the line." I guess some people are more in the front of the line, and some are a little further back in the line. But there is a line, and everybody is headed that way. That is the law of existence. And the law states: "You are here, but for a limited time." And no one–no one–gets to change that law.
People say, "Oh, but there are cryogenics and all those things." Excuse me, but this earth is made out of dust. The metal cylinder that holds the cryogenic agent and your head is made out of compressed dust. And the innate vulnerability of dust to return to the state of dust is tremendous. The miracle is not dust turning into dust. It is: How come it hasn't already? That's the miracle. Destruction should've happened a long time ago. I mean, all that needs to happen is for one small celestial body to head this way and get a little too close, and it will be pulled towards the earth. And when it does, it will obliterate this planet.
This dust is more fragile than a gold or silver leaf. Have you ever seen a silver leaf on a piece of paper? In India, they put them over dishes and foods. That silver is so delicate that, if you breathe the wrong way, it will just go all over the place. That is how delicate it is. And from this dust, many, many things have been created, like rocks and mountains.
I am here to tell you what I have been telling people all my life: Don't let another day go by without being touched by the magic of what has been placed inside of you. Don't let another day go by that is filled with doubt, anger, and confusion. Don't let another day go by without feeling the fulfillment of this heart. It is possible to be fulfilled in this life. It is possible to be in peace. It is possible to be conscious. It is very, very possible.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i157, 10 September 2008: A Singular Quest

Many times, I ask, "Does light really know about darkness, and does darkness really know about light?" This is a very interesting question, because maybe we wonder, "Isn't there some point where the two meet?" Think about it. Does light know about darkness? They have never met. Can they ever meet? I don't think so, because their natures are so fundamentally different.
It is the same way in the world of the heart. There are principles that guide and dictate the heart, and then there are principles that guide and dictate the mind. Do the two know about each other? I don't think so, because their natures are so fundamentally different. One does not rely on feeling or understanding. The other does. There is something in you that, just by reading a description of food, can say, "That's good." But your nature is that only after food has touched the tongue and the aroma has reached the nose can you say, "Wow! This is good!" So for one part of you, description is good enough. For another part of you, something has to be real. Then, and only then, is it accepted. In that part of you that belongs to the realm of the real, there is something very beautiful called the heart. In the realm of the heart, description means nothing.
Imagine that you've bought a house, you're cleaning it, and in the corner, you see a shiny diamond. You pick it up, and your first reaction is, "I bet this is fake." But, if in that corner, there's a beautiful box with a fake diamond in it, your first reaction will be, "I bet it's real."
Aren't you curious which part of you dictates your life? Both are parts of you, no question about it. Which is the part that makes decisions for you? It's a very simple question, but it has incredibly profound consequences.
I'm not talking about decisions of what to eat, what movie to see, what clothes to buy, or even who to marry. I'm talking about the decisions that really matter to you. The heart is incapable of making decisions in an illusive world. It does not understand it. The mind is quite capable of making decisions in this world. It does understand it, because it created it. "We need this, we need this, we need this…." The mind has made the world situation confusing. But in the realm of the heart, there is no confusion. There never was and never will be. In the realm of the heart, there is only one thing: To be fulfilled. To find that joy, to find that feeling–not a description of the feeling. What I talk about is not dogmas, theories, descriptions, explanations. This is about finding the joy in your life. And not just once, but to have that joy available to you every single day for the rest of your life. That's it. If you're looking for descriptions, explanations, rules, something to believe in–you won't find them here, because this is the realm of the heart.
In the realm of the heart, there is knowing. To know, not have faith. To walk in clarity, not in doubt. People say, "Have faith, and that will overcome doubt." I say, "Have clarity, and that will overcome doubt." Which one? Faith or clarity? Clarity. Not just, "I hope, I wish, I pray." But, "The next step will be taken with clarity, not wishful thinking."
The joy that you seek already exists in the heart. All you have to do is awaken to this possibility. Understand. Feel. Do you understand who you are? You are conscious. Because you are conscious, you can feel the infinite. And when you do, joy happens–the truest joy. Not "Happy Birthday" joy. Not becoming a dad or mom joy, graduating joy, finding a job joy. It is the joy that happens when the consciousness experiences the beauty inside–that joy. The joy of being full.
So, while you have this consciousness, feel the joy in your life. This is who we are. Come and accept clarity in your heart. Pay a little attention to this other world that is also a part of you–the world of the heart, the world of knowing, the world of clarity, the world of simplicity. I guarantee you that you will feel good–a good that cannot be described in words. And then, walk every step with clarity, with confidence. Every day that you have, of all things that you can do, you can also be fulfilled.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i158, 24 October 2008: What's the Point?

There is a lot to appreciate. One life, and in this one life, to understand what is real, to understand the quintessential, important thing: the value of this existence. Life is life. Breath is breath. To wonder is to wonder. To wander is just to wander. And when people wander, I ask them, "What are you looking for?"
I know that we seek to quench our thirst. We may never say to ourselves, "I'm thirsty." But we are. We might say, "I have everything," but we don't– not unless we have found the water that quenches our thirst.
People ask, "If I acknowledge that I don't have everything, does that make me weak or incomplete?" No. The water you search for is inside of you, and the thirst that causes you to search for it is also inside of you. You do not become dependent on something outside; it is within you. Understand what that means. You do not create anything; you come to know what is already inside of you. And not only know that, but fall in love with it.
When you know and have fallen in love with that one thing, you will be rewarded with peace. Many say, "Oh, when we stop fighting, we'll have peace." No. You will have exactly that–no fighting–but not peace. There have been times when people have not been fighting, and then they started fighting with each other, so could you say that peace leads to war, and war leads to peace? That would be a dangerous statement to make. What is peace? Is peace an absence of the external war or the internal war? You see, the peace you are looking for is from the internal war, the war that rages inside of you.
A lot of people read a beautiful book and say, "Oh, it brings me so much peace." What did the writer read? The writer couldn't have read that book till he had written it. I'm not against books, but books are not enough. That's like hanging a picture of a well on a wall and saying it will suffice. You would never say, "I don't really need a kitchen. What I need is some wall space where I can hang a picture of food, and every time I get hungry, I will look at this picture and be satisfied." Yet, when it comes to peace, people do exactly that. "I don't need anything. All I need is this little place in my house. I will hang this picture, put this book there, do this, do that. And then I will come and spend a few quiet moments."
You have two ears that let outside noise in. But this mind has its own set of ears. It listens to things that were never said, sees things that never existed, talks to people that were never born, and goes to places that don't actually exist. So, when you talk about being quiet, are you talking about a quiet room or real quiet, even here inside?
You have a thirst to be fulfilled, a thirst for peace. If you ask why, then may I give you my observation? There is all this dirt floating around in space. It's compressed and brought into this beautiful planet called Earth. Then it goes through an amazing process. From dirt, dinosaurs come and go, this comes and that goes, and from this dirtcomes another dirt. And thisdirt is a little different, but it's basically dirt. Dirt makes goals and says, "This is what we should all achieve." It says, "I have gone to the deepest ocean, the highest sky." But there's dirt out there much higher than you. It says, "I have ten degrees. I am the youngest at this, the oldest at this." Amazing what dirt thinks. So, what is the point of this dirt being able to think, perceive, recognize, feel–when it will just become dirt again? When somebody will outdo you in whatever you do?
One day, my children wanted to go on an amusement park ride. I asked, "Why do you want to go on this ride? It goes round and round, and it's just going to come right back here." And the answer was, "To have fun." I remember this, because it had a profound impact on me. I started thinking, "From nothing came this body, and to nothing it will go. What is the point?" Well, I will give you the same answer that a very youngperson gave me a long time ago: to have fun. It's just my observation. To me, fun is where truly the heart is entertained, where a person is filled with gratitude, where the dirt is filled with joy. Turn within and feel this blessing of breath. This is the most incredible miracle there is! Dirt can dance. Very unnatural, but with so much charm and grace that it is completely natural–the dirt can speak, the dirt can think, and the dirt can feel the ultimate.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i159, 6 November 2008: Keep What Is Yours

I have been traveling with the message of hope for people–that you exist, that you're alive, that you've been given something that is so precious. I tell people that what they have–not what they need to achieve, not what they need to create, not their need to climb a mountain or swim an ocean–but what they have is the most beautiful thing.
For most people, the hardest thing to understand is that they already have everything they could possibly want. On one hand, there are desires, expectations, aspirations. We are told, "Do this, do this, do this." Remember when you were young and your mother or father would tell you, "Study! Study hard so that one day you can become something"?
I understand the intent behind that statement. The intent is that parents want their children to succeed. But it also implies something else, which is: you are nothing. And that is simply not true.
I don't really want to tell you that your mother was wrong. I want to be able to say that your mother was right. And maybe she was right about everything, except for that one thing–you are something. Not only that, but you are, in fact, something divine. And so, my message brings hope–not just making something up to give you good news, but real hope.
What is the reality? The reality is that within you the blessing of breath is coming and going. What does that mean to you? You judge yourself by what you have accomplished. You judge yourself by what you think your world is. Everybody is proud of something. There are mothers and fathers who are proud of their sons and daughters, children who are proud of their parents–and it goes on and on. Everybody's proud of something.
But go beyond the expectations. Right now your bucket is full of ideas. It's your bucket, but it's full of ideas. And these ideas are not yours. It's your bucket, so if it's full of ideas, at least they should be your ideas, right? But that's not how it is. It's full of other people's ideas.
We buy into the idea, "That's how it is." In this life, it's important to put in your bucket only that which is tried and true–and good enough to bear your stamp. Only what you want to put in, not what somebody else wants to put in.
You think this only happened when you were young? No, it happens every day. You walk around with that bucket and people keep chucking things in it, keep chucking things in it–every day. That's why this bucket is full of nothingnothing that will help you.
What am I saying? Just walk this life on your feet, not somebody else's. Understand its value for yourself, not because somebody else said this life is valuable.
What is really yours? I'm only pointing this out because I think you should take care of it. What is really yours? This breath that just came, is really, really yours. It didn't go into someone else. It came just for you. From the workings of the universe, something stirred, and this breath came exclusively for you. That's yours.
So, are you going to keep what's yours? Or only keep what's borrowed? People who keep borrowed things end up without anything. Because it was all borrowed, one day it will be taken away. Those who keep what is truly theirs will be rich beyond belief. Keep it. It brings with it life. Live it. It brings with it joy. Grab it. Fill yourself with that joy. It brings with it hope. Squeeze out all of it. This is for you, and you get to keep it.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i160, 21 November 2008: The Company You Keep

A fifteenth century Indian saint used to talk about how all the trees that grow around a sandalwood tree begin to smell like sandalwood. They aren't sandalwood, but as they grow, they take on that beautiful scent.
So is it possible that if I keep the company of the most beautiful thing in my life, I will begin to take on its characteristics? Yes. That's the significance of the analogy.
If keep the company of ignorance, I will take on the characteristics of ignorance, but if I keep the company of clarity, I will begin to take on the qualities of clarity. If I want to have the beautiful aroma of understanding, I need to keep the company of understanding.
If this is even remotely possible, what a possibility exists for me in my life!
Kabir, another fifteenth century saint, says, "We are like cloth that is washed with the soap of clarity again and again until it sparkles. You need to sparkle, to shine, because that is your potential." You are not sandalwood, and you won't become sandalwood. But can you take on some of the beautiful, beautiful aroma of sandalwood? Yes. Therein lies your hope.
I hear from people around the world. Many are in difficult situations. Some are in prison, some with life sentences. My message goes to them, and it's an incredible dynamic, because what hope can they have? Even in that situation where there is so little hope, they are looking for hope. They are looking for joy. They are looking for clarity!
We become busy doing so many things that we think are important. But listen to the human being that you are. What is your truest need? Your truest need is to be content.
We go along the highway of life saying, "I need this, I need this, I need this." Some of it is what we think, and some of it comes from other people telling us, "This is what you need this is what you need, this is what you need."
I have heard people rave about Krispy Crème donuts. I hear that the bakeries have a light that goes on when the donuts are fresh out of the oven and that people actually slow down as they pass by the shop in case the light will go on. And if it does, no matter what they are doing, people will stop to get a donut and satisfy that desire for something delicious.
It's tempting. Sometimes the thought comes to me, "Hmm, maybe I should try a Krispy Crème donut." Then I realize, "I don't want to." Does it matter? No.
But everything in this journey of life does matter: what is mine and what is not mine; what I know and what I believe; my thirst and the thirst that has been superimposed upon me. This is a big subject. The way we talk, the way we think, the way we imagine things is directly influenced by the society around us, not us.
What is our true thirst? Who are you? Are you just a puppet, built with the papier-mâché of concepts–one layer of paper over another and another? Or are you something more than that? Pray that the answer is "Yes," because if the answer is "No," we're in trouble.
The good news is that we each have a thirst. We each have a quest to be fulfilled, to be in peace. You may not be aware of it, but deep down you know about it.
Keep the right company, and you will soak in their traits. Keep the company of light, and you will begin to glow. This is the transformation of a human being becoming a true "be-ing." Simple, conscious of existence.
There is a beauty within you that you can be in touch with for the rest of your life. It's ageless. Timeless. Beautiful. Simple. There aren't too many things like that in this world. If you want to keep the company of that, I can help.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i161, 5 December 2008: A Matter of Reality

There is a lot going on around the world. But I want to talk to each one of you about this life, about this time that we have. It's not often that somebody points out the importance of life itself. We live in a world that sees it very differently.
I'll give you an example. Today, I wanted to know about the latest hurricane. So I turned on the TV. They were talking about how many people might get hurt, how many millions of dollars in damages the last hurricane had caused, and how much damage this one could do. Then, all of a sudden, there was an advertisement saying, "Are you overweight? Would you like to lose five to ten pounds? Then this medicine is for you!" And I'm thinking, "Wait a minute. Half of the United States is in trouble, and we're talking about being five to ten pounds overweight?" That's the world we live in. What reality is and what it is not has become an incredibly fine line. So fine, in fact, that it is almost indistinguishable.
A long time ago, someone said, "As far as your eyes can see, you can consider it to be an illusion." In our little world, we have made compartments for everything. So when we hear a deep statement like this, we don't really want to act on it. If we did, the consequences would be amazing. You'd come out of your garage and realize, "My house is an illusion." You'd look at your wife and say, "You're an illusion, honey." You'd look at your kids and your car in the same way. I mean, it would be almost paralyzing. You'd wonder, "Wait a minute–as far as the eye can see, it is all an illusion?"
So, we have compartments, and we say, "Well, this is one of those deep thoughts." And then we move along. We go on our way because we don't really want to change. If it means saying, "Oh, I love changes," and not having to change, we say that, too. And people actually make these declarations, "I love changes." As long as nobody causes them to change, it's okay. I ask people, "Do you have peace in your life?" "Yes." "Really?" "Oh, yes, yes. I read scriptures, I go jogging every day, I do yoga. I have peace. Now, where is the ice cream?" And that's it.
Why am I talking to you about illusion and reality? Does it matter that all this is an illusion? Does it matter that there is a reality? Yes, it does. Why? Because I see myself in relation to all the things that I am surrounded by. If I didn't see any relationship between those things and me, then it wouldn't be a problem. But when I see that relationship, I am caught.
The point is that all we consider to be real is not. We have our relatives or "relations" and all the people we love. There will be a time when all these relationships will come to an end. There will be a time when they can no longer reciprocate our love. So, why am I talking to you about this? My point is, if you're going to have a relationship, have a relationship with something inside of you, too. If you're going to have loved ones, find the love that is inside of you as well, because this is the one that transcends the limitations of this world.
I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. When you go to somebody's house for dinner, what do you carry away with you? Well, you still have food in your stomach, but you also carry the memory of the enjoyment you had. Learn how to truly enjoy, because when you know how to enjoy, you take that with you in a heart that is full.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, whatever situation you go through, you carry a joy with you. But if you have not understood and included your true self in this life of yours then, yes, you live in a world of illusion. Somehow, you think that this will all be here forever. But it won't.
There is something real in you. There is something beautiful in you. If you want to be mesmerized by beauty, be mesmerized by the beauty that is within you. If you want to understand something, understand yourself. If you want to love, love this beautiful breath that comes into you. If you do this, you will be given a gift of peace, joy, love–not in thoughts, not in words, but in feeling. And that is no ordinary gift.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v5 i162, 18 December 2008: A Moment Forever

This life, in a way, is too short. It would be nice if you could make all your mistakes, get it all together, show up somewhere, and say, "Okay, I've figured it out, and I'm ready."
But it doesn't work like that. We're given some time, but we don't know how much. In the beginning, we just want to be happy. That's all we know. We don't know about responsibilities. We don't know about right and wrong. We don't know about being human. But we know that we have the thirst to be happywhatever that means.
Good things happen; bad things happen. As a child, the level of optimism is at an all-time high. Whatever happened yesterday happened, but today is today. No memories are kept, no blame. Whatever we did in that state was not pre-planned. We call this innocence, and to each one of us, this state of being is very beautiful.
And then we go through the period of learning–the grinding, pounding of information into our heads. The alphabet–A, B, Cs. You don't know why A is A. It just is. You don't know why one is one. It just is. And you are tested on it.
This keeps on going; you are being prepped for this world. What does that mean? It means that you have given up on your ideas, and you are now ready, willing, and able to take on the ideas that the world will give you, including how you believe in God. This is defined as responsibility. I call it "the giant leap of faith." And then an amazing thing happens. It doesn't happen to everybody; it happens to some people. They meet someone who says, "No giant leap of faith necessary. You don't have to jump. Just feel–feel your own thirst."
"What?" They find this idea to be novel, but they see in it their own innocence.
"The happiness, the joy, that you want in your life is within you, and the thirst for that feeling has to be within you, too."
Then they ask, "Could something really be so simple?"
Yes, it could. Because you need to hear, you have ears. Because you need to breathe, you have a nose. You need to be able to see, and eyes have been provided for you. If you need this fulfillment–not want, but need–the thirst for it has been provided for you as well.
Find the thirst. That is the first chapter–recognizing, understanding your own innocence. And not by concept, thought, ideas, or prompting from someone else. The need for fulfillment is embedded within–not in your logic, but in the innocence of the heart. That's where you will find it. And that's where you have to begin. If we are thirsty and go looking for water, we won't get distracted: "Did you see that bird? Did you see that rock? Oh, look at that contrail in the sky." No. Water, water, only water. It is a need, a passion.
A human being's true passion is to be fulfilled. And that passion has survived all our discoveries, turmoil, successes, failures, disasters, catastrophes. However fragile it may seem, it has survived. As human beings have become busier and busier with weapons of destruction, going to the moon, mapping the earth, inventions, discoveries–you might have thought this would have been forgotten. Languages have been forgotten; customs that survived for thousands of years have been forgotten. But somehow, the quest to be fulfilled has survived.
Why am I telling you this? It is a bigger need than you realize. It's huge. And you get to try every day, consciously, to be fulfilled, to be happy. There is no rewind button. When I have come home to this moment called now, I feel my heart dancing with gratitude. Perhaps tears come, but they are of joy, not sorrow. Every fiber in my being rejoices to be alive. I have no quest for tomorrow, or even the moment yet to come. And that's good, because it is a moment that I could live in forever.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5


Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5

Inspire v6 i163, 8 January 2009: Emptying the Bucket

When I travel and talk to people, what is my challenge? Of course, what I say has to come from my heart. It's not a written speech; it's not from a book. But my challenge is for you to empty your bucket.
It's not about saying wise things, believe me. People think I will tell them something that's going to help them. And I do, apparently, because people write back and say how they've been helped since they've been listening to me. But that's not what I try to do, because I cannot push wisdom into somebody's head. All I try to do is to help people to empty their bucket.
Our biggest limitation is our imagination. I've never said this before because I know people will immediately say, "No-no-no, we can imagine some outrageous things!" Yes, you can. But there is something so amazing that exists beyond your capacity to imagine. I call it the peace and joy that reside in your heart. The brain is a funny thing. It tries to fill in as much as it can. If we see an object that we have never seen before, our brain gets very confused. It responds, "What is this?" Imagination can only take you so far. But in the realm of the heart, in the realm of this inner beauty, there is something that is indeed divine, not by our making, but by its very nature.
I'm not talking about conjecture. You see, I'm not going to answer your questions. Is that a favor to you? You bet. All I will keep saying is to empty your bucket, and when you do, you will finally make room for answers to come. Because you see, the answers are inside of you. Do you believe that? We live in a society where if we want to know something, we search on the Internet to find out. But have you found out?
Where is the understanding in this world? People are more educated now than they've ever been. Everybody has their reasons for why things are as they are. But understanding is not about reasons. Understanding is about what you have understood, what you have felt. It's not about preaching. It's about reaching and grabbing the answer and realizing, "Yes, now I understand." That's what I want for you. I don't want you to say, "Now I have been given the answer." That's pointless. I want you to be able to say, "Now I understand. Now I know." That's the way it needs to be–because that is the cry of your heart.
There is an opportunity, a simple opportunity–if you can see it. How can you see it? Empty your bucket. How do you do that? It's easy. Just start throwing out all that's not yours, and I guarantee you the bucket will be very, very empty. Because nothing in that bucket is yours. In your life, you were told things and you said, "Okay." Every time you agreed, something was placed in the bucket, again and again. Unfortunately, it has gotten to a point where there's no room for anything else. It's full.
What's in the bucket? Part of all that goes around in this world. People fight over God. Nations get polarized. Human beings express anger towards one another just for their opinion. We have created a world where, instead of saying, "Okay, we'll never be able to figure God out. Let's just feel God, respect God, and sing God's praises." No. It can't be as simple as that. "Let's give God a gender." Do you think God needs a gender? "Let's give God hands." Does God need hands? That power, that energy is everywhere: nowhere to come from and nowhere to go to. Does that power need legs? Think about it.
Maybe I've inspired you to empty your bucket. Or perhaps I've given you a notion to at least look at your bucket and see how full it is. See if you can recognize that those things are not yours. You never put them there. They are the voices of the people before you, who told you how it had to be. And you said, "Okay."
I'm not saying that's good or bad. I'm saying this is your bucket. At least, it should contain what you think should be in it. Because this life is about you. This gift of life has been given to you. When you accept this gift, it fills you with amazing joy. It brings unparalleled clarity. And then your life is filled with gratitude, gratitude to be alive. Could you think of a better story? Could you think of a better ending to a day? Could you think of a better start to a day than to be filled with gratitude? This is the ultimate gift.
Prem Rawat
Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5 Inspire Electronic Magazine, Volume 5