Maharaji: Festival Of Knowledge, Miami, July 7, 8, 9 1989: Run With It

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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EXCERPTS FROM MAHARAJI'S PRESENTATIONS AT A FESTIVAL OF KNOWLEDGE, MIAMI, JULY 7, 8, 9

July 7: Friday Evening

Prem Rawat with Fat Jowls 1989It's wonderful to see all of you. It's been a while since we've all come together, at least in these proportions. Nonetheless, the message that inspired us hasn't changed. And it'll stay the same. Because that's what the fundamental thing is.

I think everybody's here because they want to be here. We have just a little bit of time, three days, for us to open up - three days you've taken off to invest in life itself, to have a romance and a love with this life. It's a date - a three-day date with this life … maybe some cobwebs will be removed from some dark old place.

Sometimes it isn't that you need to look for perfectness. Sometimes you need to look at your definition of perfectness. And you will find that your definition of perfectness is so imperfect that if you merely correct it, you will come in contact with that perfectness. Unquestionably. That perfectness is all around you. The perfectness is not a convenience. It is.

July 8: Saturday Morning (Q & A)

I suppose I'm a guide. But there are three kinds of guides. One takes a blank piece of paper and says, "You're here, and you go down here and turn left, then right … and that's it. That's what you do." But that's not constant. You change from minute to minute, and information you find in a book freezes the day it was written… You need somebody to constantly update that information.

Then there's another kind of guide who says, "Look. I'll walk behind you. You walk in front and just go straight until I tell you to turn left. I'll call the shots and you keep doing what I'm telling you to do."

And then there is another kind of guide who says, "Look. You're here. There are certain things you should be aware of. Don't open the red door, because it's an old elevator … there's nothing there, just a shaft. And don't go through the yellow door, because that's filled with garbage. The rest - enjoy. Turn left, turn right, go forward, go backward - whatever you want. And if you need me, holler. If you want to know about something, call me. But you enjoy it. I'm here to take you through, but you go through" … And to me, if I can be a guide, that's the kind of guide I'd like to be … and in that there's an incredible comfort. The guide is always there; that person is always there.

The triangle is the basic frame, like the chassis in a car. It's the three most important elements: you, the Knowledge and the teacher. There's no physical triangle, but these three elements help perpetuate each other. When the student asks, the teacher replies. And when the student needs that feeling, Knowledge is there.

What makes the teacher a teacher? You and that Knowledge make the teacher the teacher. What makes Knowledge the Knowledge? The teacher and you make Knowledge the Knowledge. And what makes you a student and the teacher a teacher… you can just take it and keep going all the way around, it's a self-perpetuating system.

How can you make your commitment to Knowledge grow stronger? Well, if you grow stronger, then your commitment can he stronger. If you're weak, your commitment will be weak. Learn. Trust. Because you are capable of trusting, you are capable of knowing. Know. Trust. And look.

Will you always continue to grow? Well, do you want to? Then you will. The choice will always be yours. You have and you'll always have the simple capacity to be able to shut your eyes and say, "I don't want to grow any more." Isn't that wonderful? I think that's wonderful …

You want something to happen in your community? You do it … I'm not talking about putting wild programs together - calling people and doing horse shows. I'm talking about doing synchronized programs where instructors can come. What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for some big phone call to come? Well, it may not.

July 8: Saturday Evening

I love to work on engines. In fact, I just rebuilt one, a 1958 Mercedes. I pulled the engine out. Went disassembly-happy. Stripped the engine down to its bare bones and started cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. Because there was so much stuff in there. Mineral deposits from years and years ago. And then the time came when it was done and it looked shiny like a brand new engine. A few wires were replaced, put back where they belonged, and it started right off. It was beautiful to hear it roar away. Smooth. Everything working just right. Incredible. I like that. I like the feeling of being able to take something that was barely running because it had choked on its own self, take it apart, clean it, and bring it to a point where it can work again, breathe again, function again.

One thing I have learned is that my job is to make sure there is always enough room in my cup. Otherwise, how is it going to be filled? And as much as my cup is filled, I go there and expand it a little more. I have learned that within me, being a beggar is wonderful. I'm not talking about begging for money. I'm begging to he fulfilled and to keep stretching that cup - not to let the process stop. In that, I find growth. In that, I find mercy. In that, I find love. In that, I find all the answers to my questions.

July 9: Sunday Morning

…You have to be a student. And what's the beauty in being a student? It's really beautiful to be a student. Ask me. Because that's where I'd rather be. Teaching is a funny business, I'll tell you. Being a student, you can never be wrong. Teaching, you can.

But as a student, it's, "Here I am. All ears. Show me. Teach me. Give me." And that's all there is. That's all I have to do, is be there. I don't have to come up with anything. I don't have to come up with a good joke. I just have

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to be there; I have to be present. I have to listen. I have to allow this process to unfold.

Sometimes it's really hard to open a crate. You have to get a crowbar and pry and pull that first nail and start dismantling. And then there are all those chips in there. So much removing goes on. And then in the middle of all that. there's another box. And then you open that box and there is another box and you open that box. And then, finally, there's the object. But its wrapped in plastic. And you have to open that as well. And there it is: what you want.

To me, it's the same way. There's that process. That process has to be there. It has to be very clear to a person: why do you want Knowledge?

A lot of people lay out all this garbage. "Well, destiny, you know. It's your destiny. It doesn't matter…" And then somebody brings out the fancy Indian word: "Karma! This is your old karma. You're paying for this. Because your God, He's waiting. He's got this big shoe on, and He's waiting to kick buns. That's all He does all day long." No awards are ever sent out. It's just, "Wait till that guy gets here."

Destiny and karma - I mean, if that's the way the game is going to be played … why play? It's as if you're going to play poker and you take the deck and say, "Well, you get the four aces, right? And you get the three of clubs and the five of hearts." What's the point? It's already been decided who's going to win and who's going to lose. But that's not the way it is. It never has been that way.

July 9: Sunday EveningPremies 1989

Knowledge is an expression. Knowledge is that feeling. Knowledge is that love. Knowledge is that kindness. Knowledge is that thing that allows me to open those doors so I can access the treasure that's within inside of me. It really has nothing to do with creed, color, people's imaginations, or people's thoughts. It is so simple, so unique, that I almost have to catch up to it. It will never catch up to me. Knowledge is so simple that I have to become as simple as Knowledge is. Because that's really what I am.

Here I am on this sailboat. Maybe all my life I have read a lot of books and done everything I could to learn how to sail. But I never learned how to create wind. There is no book on that. At first, maybe I push and shove and put my little oars out, thinking, "This will get me going." Maybe I put all my sails out. And yet, I end up just sitting there…. Hey, you've got to wait for the wind to come. Nothing is going to work until you can allow yourself to say, "Okay, it's the wind. And when the wind is present and fills the sail, it will happen."

There is so much to learn if I can be the learner. So much for me to see if I can be the seer, if I can be the observer. I really need to know what my job is, because sometimes it's very confusing. My job is to put the sails up, kick my heels up, relax, and be ready for the wind. My job isn't to sit there in the back seat and blow. Because blowing isn't going to do it.

Sometimes it's really odd. I wake up at 5 in the morning and say, "What am I doing? Where am I? What am I doing waking up at 5 in the morning? This is crazy." The hotel staff thinks you're crazy. You call the porter and tell him to wait a few minutes and he's leaning against your door, half asleep, poor guy. The taxi driver? He thinks you're nuts. The handler thinks you're completely bozo. The whole aviation department. Everybody. Where are we going? To the next place where we are going to talk about Knowledge. And there's that feeling - that little feeling that ignites - the feeling that somebody will be touched, that maybe in somebody's life an impact will be made, that somebody's sails will be filled and they will sail on.

I am not here to dictate what your journey should be. That's yours. And I am not here to tell you which vessel you should sail in. That's yours too…. You decide your course. Which course do you want? The horizon? Endless. Limitless. Some vessels are better than others, but you decide which vessel you want to sail in and where you want to go.

One of the first things you do when you make bread is to let it sit. After the first kneading, if you put yeast in it, it will be gone. But let it sit. Let the gluten relax. Let it happen. And then, you add yeast to it. But not too much yeast. You don't need too much yeast. Just let it happen. Let it sit - that's my favorite part. Come back three hours later and this little ball is now all puffed up. It's so big, you have to knock it down. Then you let it sit again. You let it rise and then knock it down and then let it rise and then stick it in the oven.

It reminds me of a similar process in my life. Because I need to be kneaded and then you have to let me rest. If you don't, it will be a disaster. If you really want good bread, you have to put yeast in. If you don't, it will come out like a thin wafer. I need the yeast for the bread to grow. To rise. That yeast is like Knowledge. Without that, I won't rise. And then it's time for a knock-down. Every time that rising happens, gluten is going at it and everything is breaking down and things are becoming softer and better and more wonderful. And then it goes into the oven where the whole process is captured. And the aroma in the kitchen is "ahhh." Where nobody was hungry before, now everybody is hungry.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, whichever situation you live in, whatever your pleasure happens to be, whatever you do in your life, just remember, first of all, that you have the most incredible gift of life. Don't ever forget that - whether you practice Knowledge or not. Whether you decide from this program,

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Prem Rawat with Fat Jowls 1989

iv-04 (48K) "This is not for me, I've had it up to here." Fine. No sweat. I don't have any problem with that. That's your decision and always will he your decision.

People say to me, "Well, Maharaji, it's so difficult to practice." Just remember how good you feel after you've done it. If somehow you can remind yourself before you do it - how good it actually feels afterwards- it's a lot easier.

If you decide to stay with Knowledge, of course, enjoy it. But the first thing, the very first thing you must do, is be very thankful that you are alive. Because that is a gift that definitely cannot be replicated. Be thankful for every moment in your life. And if you cannot be thankful for every single moment that you are alive, at least be thankful for as many as you can be. Okay? I mean, something is better than nothing. Feel the gratitude. Feel the kindness. Feel the loveliness. Feel how well you are actually being taken care of. You are. You may not have a Rolls Royce. I don't. You may not have the whole world in the palm of your hands. You may not have Donald Trump's boat. But when all is said and done, you are pretty well taken care of.

If you don't have Knowledge, and want Knowledge, fine. You will have it. Don't ever think that's the issue. Relax. You will have Knowledge. This is why I am here. This is why I travel. You can have Knowledge. So enjoy these days. Forget about the big bandwagons and all that stuff. Just remember the thirst you have. It's such a lovely thirst. It's such a lovely thirst.

Imagine some thirsty people walking in the desert. They crave water. Their search, their journey, is for water. And the further they go into the desert, the thirstier they become - the more water they want. And in their thirst, in their severity, in their intensity for wanting water, they hallucinate. They see mirages on the horizon. They imagine a big bar with a big palm tree in the back and piña coladas and fresh water and all these things. They run to it, but when they get there it all turns to sand.

Prem Rawat with Fat Jowls 1989 As they walk on, they become weaker and thirstier and their situation deteriorates. They imagine how wonderful it will he when they find water. They imagine that there will be a beautiful, clear lake. Clear, crystal water. Cold and sweet. And they'll dive into it. They imagine it will be like a waterfall and they'll stand under it with their mouths completely open for the water to fill them. And they imagine how wonderful it will he to dive in and drink this special, cold, beautiful, clear water. And this person starts to climb a hill and senses that there is water. They feel the dampness. They walk into a cave and there is no question. There is water. They can smell it. They can feel the humidity. Finally, at the back of the cave, there it is. Water. But you know what? It's not a well. It's not a lake. It's not a waterfall. It's just a little point in the back of the cave and the water is dripping. Drop by drop. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Maybe in your willingness you had thought. "When I find water. I will scream and jump and shout that I found water." But when you find it, you are shocked. This is it? This is it! And there is nothing else to do. There's only one thing you can do. And that is to lie down, open your mouth, and let those drops fall into your mouth. To me, that is the sweet, sweet surrender. Just lie down and open your mouth and let the process begin. When you feel the first drop, you want it faster, but it won't come any faster. But it will come. Just drop by drop. And it's OK. There is more water in there than your little belly could ever hold. You will be filled. But it will happen drop by drop. That's the way Knowledge is.

Every day, be thankful. Feel that. Practice this Knowledge. Practice this Knowledge for yourself. Don't do it for anybody else. Don't do it for me. Don't do it for your wife, don't do it for your husband, don't do it for your friend - do it for yourself. And do it right. One lifetime. Run with it.

© 1989 ELAN VITAL. INC