Maharaji: Birmingham England August 17, 1986

His speeches were not written or prepared but they are certainly not unrehearsed. The speeches preceding his current one are the rehearsals and his speeches following evolve gradually using the same store of tales, premie gossip, clichés, life events, recent tv shows, stock phrases and buzzwords.

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Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker 1986 A CELEBRATION OF LIFE

What we're really talking about today is the importance of taking away the barriers and joining in on the celebration of life. That's what it's all about. To me, every day has to be a celebration of life.

I think there's three kinds of people in this world. The first group lives in a house and the sewerage runs right through the center of it. The whole house stinks. So what they do with their life is get a job so they can buy deodorant and incense and perfume to hide the putrid smell.

The second group says, "God, I can't stand this anymore. I have to move." So they move to a new house. Except they don't realize that their new house is exactly the same as their old one. The sewerage is still running through the middle of it.

And then there is the third group of people. They say, "Listen, I don't like the smell. I'll pitch a tent. I'll find a cave. I'll build myself a mansion if I have to." And they do.

Imagine that all three groups have to deal with the problem of getting to the other side of a big wall. If you tell the first group, they'll just say "It's too big. I'm not tall enough. I can't jump it." The second group will look around and say, "If only we had a ladder, we could do it." The third group of people look at it differently. "Okay," they'll say, "so we have to get to the other side. Fine. But first of all give me a good reason. Why should I be on the other side?" So they find out why. They get their thinking straight. They find out how to accomplish the task. Then they accept the process and commit to doing it. These people definitely find a way to plow a hole through the wall. Indeed, they're the ones who will make the hole in the wall - a hole that will remain for others to pass through as well.

Undoubtedly, I want to belong to the third group of people. Once we figure out what we're doing, let's do it.

Some people say to me, "This must be a challenge to you." Well, it's the best challenge there is: Take the world and spread a little happiness, a little love, a little kindness. Spread a little of this beautiful gift everywhere you go. Do it right. Do it with quality and do it in a way that has never been done before.

One of the things you have to appreciate is that the challenges I have to meet nobody else has had to meet. I am in totally unexplored territory. The frontier. The final frontier, so to say. I'm taking this Knowledge and making it available. I'm taking it to the Muslims, to the Hindus, to the Christians, to the Jews, to all human beings. I'm breaking the barriers that people think we can't get across. And everyone can be a part of it. Everyone.

Some people say, "Well, I don't have much of a role to play." Hey, don't belong to the first and second group. Even if each of us removed just one brick from a wall of 30,000 bricks, the job would get done. Do you realize that each one of us has to remove just one insignificant brick for the wall to disappear? Don't kid yourself by saying "small" and "big." It's the determination that counts. It's the wisdom that counts. It's the quality that counts. Then that wall will disappear. It will be picked so clean that there won't even be enough evidence left to know that a wall ever existed.

There's a lot of people out there waiting for Knowledge. In fact, the demand for Knowledge has never been as great as it is now. Never. And what's so beautiful is that people are not looking for a religion or a cult. They're looking for something simple and pure.


"To me, every day has to be a celebration of life."

You don't have to go out there and tell people about Knowledge. I know a lot of you think I'm taking something away from you, but I'm not. I'm giving you the freedom some of you may never have thought you had. Why do I do what I do? I do it not because I have to - if I had to I wouldn't enjoy it - but because I want to. I love it. I put everything into it. It brings me great pleasure and joy. It's wonderful. In the same way, you need to do what you do because you want to. There's no difference.

It's really beautiful what's going on. The letters I've received in the past two years have been filled with so much thankfulness - because people are having an experience. This Knowledge is working. It's happening.

The main thing is: We are going. Let me give you an example from the world of aviation. Do you know what a pilot does on the runway just before takeoff? Taking into account the temperature, the wind, and other variables, he looks in a book and determines how much runway length is required for takeoff on that particular day. At the beginning of the runway, he puts his feet on the brake pedal and squeezes as hard as he can. He takes those engines and brings them right up to the temperature and power needed for takeoff. When the engines reach that state, he releases his brake and the airplane goes roaring down the runway. Eventually, he reaches a velocity called "decision speed." Technically speaking, when he's one knot over decision speed he's going - unless he loses an engine or half his wing falls off. In other words, there comes a point when he has to go.

Now, if we are to calculate ourselves roaring down the runway, where are we? Are we before the decision speed? No. Are we at the decision speed? No. We are well past the decision speed. We are committed to go. And to do it right. There are not too many directions we can look at, except straight ahead. The future holds nothing but the incredible for us - only more and more joy in the celebration of life. It's time to let go and be. Be where life wants us to be. Be in the "now," now.

And remember, no matter what you end up doing, don't forget to be and enjoy. The freedom that stems from within the experience Knowledge brings is absolutely the most important thing to enjoy - no matter what it is you do.

So thank you very much.


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