Prem Rawat: Lockdown Day 1 Broadcast

Hello everyone Prem Rawat here. I just thought I'd take this time and address everyone. We're in the midst of coronavirus and um it's very hard and very trying times for a lot of people and if some way I can alleviate the load, the burden, the concern, of course we all need to be concerned but if I can somehow alleviate the burden that people feel on their shoulders then they would be wonderful. So what's going on? Well, it's a little little virus that's taking over and there are so many commentaries. There are so many ideas that people have. There's so much misinformation. There's good information, there's bad information. And somehow there is very little clarity. There's very little understanding of what really its all about. Now, has anything changed? Well, in one way, everything has changed. But every human being wants to feel secure. Everyone wants to feel good. Everyone wants to feel free. So in that sense, nothing has really changed because this is when everything was fine. When coronavirus was not an issue, people wanted to feel that too. But today, because this burden is upon us and it's like the fear. The fear comes in. And of course, you can let the fear take over. And fear would love to take over.

But let me just remind you of something. There's something really wonderful inside of you and it's called courage. In these dark times, n these very concerning times, we need to be using courage, not fear, to live through this. We need the light that shines from within our hearts to illuminate this very dark jungle out there. We need to live every day with a sense of purpose, a sense of clarity, a sense of understanding a sense of just not doubt, but clarity. And this is what I talk about all the time. But in these times, these elements that we have inside of us really need to shine. Every day, it's not a question of, you know, today is not important. No. Today is important. And all of a sudden the world being in pretty much a lockdown, just locked down everywhere just about. What do you do? What do you think about? And there's so much misinformation on television, on social media and so on and so forth. But there is a truth inside of you and you need to let that truth come out. There is a reality inside of you and you need to let that reality come out.

So the contrast I would say is immense right now because there is so much that is well, real concerning stuff that is going on, this coronavirus that we need to isolate ourselves and that we need to make sure that we are healthy but we have to be healthy not only physically but we have to be healthy here too in our minds. So all of these issues really come into play, its like OK how do we do this? how do we take the good and make the good really come out how do we enjoy ourselves in these dire circumstances? So sometimes you know you really have to just step back and say to yourself well what is this all about? I am here, I am a little part in this puzzle. Of course you don't want to hurt other people so you don't want to g, the guidelines are being provided and some of it makes complete sense. What do you rely on? Well, for once you also have to look at inside of you.

You have to rely on yourself too. Your heart, your understanding, your desire for clarity, your desire to be happy. You have, you have to rely on that. You have to accept that that this is a very basic thing, not just be drowned in fear, drowning in like, "Oh my God, what's going to happen to me?" You should be concerned. But at the same token, there is something very beautiful that is being said from your heart, from yourself. And you need to, you need to include yourself in this one. Don't exclude yourself. You need to include yourself in this one. You need to include that beauty that you have inside of your heart on this one. Because what's going to happen? Well, you know, we saw, we see the numbers from China and this is where the epidemic started. But at the same token they they clamped down and they were able to manage it to the point where at this moment anyways the the numbers of people dying and new cases have significantly dropped down. Can we do this, can we can we win this war? Um yes we can win this war. The only thing is it would be nice if we didn't have such high numbers or you know these enormous numbers were not there for people dying. But we human beings have to bind together, we have to come together and we have to come together in a very funny way and we have to come together by being together ourselves even in isolation. We have to be complete, we have to be whole and not do silly and stupid things but at the same time will human beings win this? win this race? win this war? and yes you know, yes we have to, we have to, we have to go andthe way we can win it is to be sensible, to be clear, not be in doubt, not be in anger, not be in frustration, not be finger pointing at each other. It is time, this little virus which is not a living thing. It's just some RNA wrapped around in some fat. It has done for this world something really amazing. It is calling upon us in its very unfortunate and harmful way to come together. All of us helping each other around the world, spreading good news, not rumours, not wrong information but spreading the news that use courage, use clarity, use that good stuff that you have in you and then and only then I really feel that not only can we win this but we can really win this war, really really win and not be shortchanged by it, not be smacked by it, not be hurt by it but come together and this is time to rely on yourself to do not silly things.

That's the guidelines are you know, isolate, stay home. Don't spread this to other peoples, maintain your distance. To follow these simple guidelines but at the same token also be visiting our heart, visiting ourselves, visiting our understanding and just from clarity, coming out from clarity to to to be able to see that, yes, I'm still alive and my aspirations have not changed. So whatever it may be, and people, you know, have their ideas of how this is gonna happen and how that should happen. And doctors are coming together. Medical staff is coming together to help people. And we need to be helpful towards them. We need to be helpful towards each other. This is time for humanity to really kick in and for us humans to really take on those super nice attributes that we have as human beings and offer that to each other. Offer each other kindness. Offer each other understanding. This is the time for empathy. This is the time for clear thinking. This is the time for courage. And if we can have that, then I think we can make a huge difference for ourselves, for every single day that we are alive.

Ah, even without the coronavirus, because our world needs to be with or without coronavirus. We need to be in that clarity. So I hope all the things that I have said something makes sense to you. And you take that to heart and and and no reason for fear, because fear doesn't do anything, you know, except just clamps you down. What you need is courage. Understand the complexity of the problem. Understand the severity of the problem. But instead of giving fear the rise, give clarity the rise. Give courage the rise. Give understanding the rise, not the doubt. And these are the things that can make a difference in in in every single day that we have. Now I'm going to try to communicate with you as much as I can. And this is the first attempt at it. I'm doing this, you know, in a very simple, very simple way. I set up my little tripod. I set up my little iphone and this is what it's recorded on. I don't have extra lights. I'm just in in in this room. And it's a pretty plain background. So to me, background doesn't matter. You know, the lighting doesn't matter. Just so far I can reach and give you some comfort, give you some understanding, give you some clarity so that you can have a better time of this, you know, because these are trying times. There's no question about that.

And not have to be living in fear, but come from courage. Come from clarity. Come from understanding and and and and yes we will win, we will win, we will win I have been affected by this very much just like everyone else I had gone to Europe, I had done a few uh few events and then uh Europe was coming into a lockdown so I decided well I've got some time and may as well go to S America because not much in terms of coronavirus was happening there. So I flew to Brazil and then when I was in Brazil amazingly then the the next day or so I was supposed to go to Argentina and Argentina went into lockdown, no more, no more meetings, no more this is. Okay and I didn't really want to go to Uruguay because again I didn't want to be doing meetings and spread this thing so a lot of these things have been happening and finally not too long ago I got to United States. I haven't yet been home so I'm still few thousand miles away from home but I am in America and I hope I can get home soon and of course, of course I'm going to isolate myself but that doesn't mean that I can't talk to you. That doesn't mean that I can't send this message out to you wherever you are and uh maybe, maybe I can make a difference and I will certainly make as much time as I can available to you and I hope that these broadcasts get get to you and and and and and you can enjoy them, like them and have a good time with them. So thank you. I'll see you later.

Prem Rawat: Lockdown Day 2 Broadcast

Hello everyone. Prem Rawat here. So you know the whole idea of these videos is really to just help you out in any which way I can because of the lock downs with the coronavirus virtually all over the world. I thought it would be a great opportunity just to exchange some ideas, some thoughts that I have had and when you look at the situation I mean to say that it's a calamity. I don't think that would be too far fetched and this coronavirus just rising and rising and rising and rising. Well where it started from in China they've got it more or less under control but in the other places its still making a beeline for his peak and where that is going to be nobody knows. In a sense what can I say that would help? So I was thinking about it last night and the only thing that comes to mind at first, at least anyways, is that you know this isn't the first time and calamities have hit mankind before and when you think about it, things have happened that are just amazingly bad but somehow we gather, we gather our strength and and so this is this is the point that I want to make. It is not what we are faced with but how we handle it that makes the difference. Whether it is something good that we are given as a gift or something terrible like now this coronavirus.

So in a way you've got two things happening. One is your life your existence and that's a gift that you've been given and of course the second thing is whatever, why ever, I'm not gonna get into that. But you've got this virus that you know whatever people talk about it, however they put it, it really scares people. In a way it's justified, that yes, they are scared but it's not what you have in front of you but how do you react to it? how how do you handle it? So just you know off the top of my head comes the story of Ram and on the day of his coronation and everybody is very excited. He's excited, his wife is excited, his father is excited, his mother is excited and it's gonna be this coronation and all the all the citizens of Ayodhya, this this place in India. They're all extremely excited that Ram is going to be the king. He's gonna be a just king. He's very learned. He's young, he's he's got, he's got everything and that very day that he's going to be crowned the king, his second mother, his step mother had gotten some boons that she hadn't used. So Kaikeyi, more or less I'm paraphrasing this, she goes over to the king and says "Look remember those boons I had asked you for? well what I want you to do is I want you to stop this coronation. I want you to have not Ram be the king but my son Bharat be the king and um I want you to exile Ram 14 years in the jungle, just exile." And you can just imagine you know everybody's so excited.

Everybody's so like "yes this is gonna happen" and then all of a sudden instead of all that excitement and all that anticipation something totally different is gonna take place and the father didn't take it well because he really wanted Ram to be the king. Ram's mother didn't take it very well. But how did Ram take it? How did Sita take it? How did Lakshman take it? That was another from the 3rd wife Lakshman and Satyagandha Twins Bharat from Kaikeyi and then Ram the eldest, the eldest son. So Lakshman just told Ram. He said, look, you know, "we are inseparable. I'm coming with you. Whether you like it or not." Sita said, "I'm your wife. I don't. care. You know, my place is with you. Not not particularly in a palace. I didn't marry a palace. I married you. So I'm coming with you." And just for even a minute, if you can think like, Oh my God. You know, here's everybody so excited about something so wonderful. And then this entire calamity happens. This, this, this really weird thing happened. So the king calls around and says, "look, you know, this is what you gotta do." And Ram says, "no problem Not an issue. It's ok. I was going to be king because you wanted me to be king, and now you want me to go to exile and not be king. Fine. I'll be ok. You know, whatever you want." So not without getting into the nitty gritty of the story, because story is very beautiful.

The whole issue really becomes not what you're handed, but how you take it. What do you do with it? What do you do with your life? What do you do with this human existence that you have? What do you do with this earth that you have? What do you do with the trees? What do you do with the rivers? What do you do with the oceans? What do you do with the air? What do you do with the nature? What do you do with all that we have access to, that that we have been given? What do we do with it? We can destroy it. We can destroy our time because you know one of the, one of the big things becomes the boredom of nothing, you know, people who are so into socialising in this and that and go out there and party, do all that now you can't do that. You can't go out and you're basically in your room, in your in your apartment in your house, in wherever you live. So long time ago, I used to talk about solitary confinement. I used to say people why is that like the worst punishment you can have? Because people really don't know themselves.

You know here is this, here is this incredible opportunity and this is what I talk about the three things that we need to do and the three things that we need to do is one: know yourself because if you don't know yourself don't understand who you are what you are about, all the other trappings that you get used to. you know go out there and do this and do that and my job and my this and my that and you know everyday grind and all of a sudden it's like well you get a holiday in a way you get a holiday but it's with yourself, now can you take that? can you actually say hey I can actually enjoy this because I do know who I am and what a wonderful time for me to really get in touch with me. With, with who I am, try to understand, try to have sympathy for myself, empathy for myself, understanding of myself so one thing you got to do is know yourself. Without knowing yourself its basically you are a stranger, a stranger that you don't know who you are and then all of a sudden with some virus you know from somewhere comes along and and and and it's affecting the world.

I mean it this this this is like you know a horror movie in a way and then next thing you know it's really affecting the whole world and the world has to really - the governments are coming down saying well you got to isolate you know you got to lock down and and and and and you can't go out there and you can't do all this and when you look at all the lists of everything you cannot do amazingly enough in that list there is one thing you can do and that is that you end up with yourself and you can get in touch with yourself. You can know yourself a little bit better, you can understand yourself because those are those are the basics and other things I'd like to talk about, the other two things I'd like to talk about that in future videos we're in lockdown may as well talk about that in great detail but here's the one about you and so given this situation, given this set of circumstances in which there you are and you have to be with yourself. What are you gonna do with it? How are you gonna, how are you gonna spend that time? Are you gonna be frustrated? Are you gonna be saying "Oh this is terrible and blame somebody, play the blame game you know that's what people love to do. Play the blame game but the the the thing is that on one side, Internet is a wonderful thing, can be but on the other side there's so much misinformation out there so a lot of people are just like "well should we do this? should we do this? should we do this? should we do this?"

So very very interesting times but you can definitely make it worth your while by trying to understand yourself, by trying to say "ok. it's not the situation, its what I do with it. do I come with courage? do I come with clarity?" When you read Ramayan or when you Ramayan you know everything is like perfect, the day that has been chosen uh for him to get to be crowned is like the perfect day and and and and all the stars all line up and everything else and there's quite a bit of talk about that and to me it's like well you know I was then I was listening to this it was just like well the star said this was great but it didn't quite pan out that way because on that very day that he was supposed to be crowned he's being exiled for not for 1 year or 2 years or three years this is 14 years he's going to be out. He's not gonna be a prince. He's not gonna be you know somebody that the, somebody looks up to but he's going to be in the jungle, he's in exile, he's eating whatever he can find. Its not like he you know he's got a chef and he just says okay I want this for dinner tonight. Very difficult and he's got a wife and he's got a beautiful wife and he's just gotten married to her and and this is a killer and he realises he can't have sex with her because if he does that she gets pregnant and there they are for 14 years he's gonna take take um that baby and and and the baby will also be in exile for 14 years and wouldn't be in very comfortable situation and it would be so much more difficult for Sita so there they are they love each other but they haven't consummated their marriage and it's it's like unbelievable but what does he do with it?

He comes with courage. He goes forward and he actually ends up slaying so many people that are bad that that that that interfere and he goes forward and he protects, he protects Sita, he protects the good and and and of course, of course he is the incarnation of Vishnu. So, in that sense he is, he is there for a purpose. And so one way or the other way, you can, of course, legitimise everything. So this happened. This was preordained. This is this way. This is this way but not so much that. But look at him as a human being, because he is. He is. He's got a wife. He has a brother that dearly loves him. And he loves his father, and he is very much duty bound to whatever his father wants. So anyway, this is what I thought would be worth thinking about, at least for a day, not think about your calamity, not about thinking about your problem, but how you are going to react to the problem. So I hope this helps in some way, and I will see you again. Have a good day. Have a good day. Have a good evening. Have a good night. Have a good day. And again, whatever you.can do to make it worth your while. Do it.

Prem Rawat: Lockdown Day 3 Broadcast

Hello everyone. It's Prem Rawat again and today I'd like to talk to you about being conscious, having that consciousness and this is what I had talked about yesterday. The two points. Know yourself. Live this life consciously and have gratitude. Of course I'll talk about gratitude later, but to live this life consciously to know that what you have been given is something very, very precious. I'm not talking about your problems. I'm talking about this life, this breath that you have. That means so much. And look around you. You know, sometimes we forget what we have been given. This life is so powerful. This life is so good. This life is so real. And it's not going to be there all the time. Interestingly enough in these days, whilst we are in lockdown with this coronavirus. It's very interesting because you look around you and always the world has been this you know bubbling and going going going and all of a sudden it's not going anywhere and everybody's being asked to just go home and you know isolate themselves and not contaminate other people. Good advice. But what does that mean for you?

So all of a sudden you find yourself at home and maybe your home is what it is. You have your family. Maybe you don't have too many people. But all of a sudden you find yourself in this situation. What do you do? It's a very interesting question. What do you do? Because more than ever now that you are at home and you are kinda in a quote unquote lockdown. You need to be more conscious, not less. You need to be actually more conscious of what's going on, what's going on in here? What's brewing here? What's being cooked? What's being concocted here? Are you getting bored? You have no reason to get bored. Know yourself and you will understand that this is not about boredom. This is not about that. This is about truly opening your eyes and looking at things the way they really are. And to me, that's that's all that it takes living your life consciously isn't some, you know, journey onto a top of a mountain as people would have you believe it, you know, or to the bottom of the ocean or whatever it is. But it's really quite simple. It is to open your eyes and realise that what you have been given is incredibly, is incredibly, incredibly precious. What you have been given is incredibly incredibly beautiful.

Do you know the value of this breath? You know, you have to realise one thing. You're in the middle of making history here. This is a very historic time. I mean, here we are. We're in 2020. I mean, we're at the such a bleeding leading edge of technology and we have our phones and we have our this and we have our aeroplanes and we have our fast train, super fast trains. We have our cruise ships and I mean my God we you know we live in technology you wouldn't believe. I mean when Titanic first came out it was like an incredible wonder because of how big it was. Well the new cruise ships are much much bigger than the Titanic. Yet here we are and this little virus has got the whole world clamped, it's got the whole world in its fear, it's got the whole world in like, well locked up and there's nothing you can do about it and the leaders some of the leaders are not so leadery pardon the pun but you know that's just the way it is you can see what they're doing with it is just everything is a knee jerk reaction. Some leaders are very good and they're taking the precautions and and and truly leading people but otherwise it's just like you know you're on your own and sorry we don't have any advice for you just go home and then I'll just do whatever it is and of course people have expectations and people have expectations that in these times of trouble somebody will come up and say "hey you know this is what you should do."

And that's leadership to help people, channel people towards a positive a good goal but what about you and your leadership because you're a leader too you, lead your life nobody else leads your life you lead your life and so in you leading your life, in you managing your life. How are you gonna do this? Are you gonna take yourself and bore yourself? Are you gonna take yourself and make yourself be afraid? Are you gonna allow all the misinformation to come in and scare you? You're the leader. You are the door keeper of your doors. Your doors of sanity. Your doors of understanding, your doors of clarity. And so this is where really really, you have to begin to understand how important it is to live your life consciously, that eyes open, look around, appreciate what you can appreciate. What you don't like, what you don't want, make sure it doesn't come in because you are the door keeper and you have to understand the value in these moments when you have that quiet time because this one part of you that doesn't want anything else except joy, except to be happy, except to be content, except to be, if I may say so "blissed out," but that's good. That's good.

And then there's another part of you that wants to rip you apart, that wants to weaken you, that wants to take away your serenity, that wants to take away your clarity, that wants to take away your understanding. Well, one will win and here's the big important part. Who will win? Who will win? The one you allow to win. The one you feed. I'd like to tell you that story again where once this kid in this camp comes up to the chief and he says "chief I have a question" and the chief said "what?" He said that" I see that in people, the same people there is good and there is bad, how can that be?"And the chief said, "well, it's very simple. In each one of us, there is a good wolf and there is a bad wolf, and they fight." The kid thought for a little while, and he said, "so chief, which one wins?" And the chief looked at the little boy and said, "the one you feed, that's the one that gets strong. That's the wolf then." Now, some of you have heard this story. It's the same thing. Who wins? Well, who wins? The one you feed. Are you feeding the bad wolf? Or are you feeding the good wolf? What does it mean if the bad wolf wins? Well, you would have wasted your time.

An incredible opportunity, because this is what I talked about yesterday. It's not what's thrown at you. Its how you react to it. So this could be a fantastic opportunity to quieten down, to understand the value of how things should be, not how things you find yourself in, all the noise and all the crazy stuff. But it's like, no, this is how it should be. This is, this is good. And I need to focus on myself. I need to focus on my heart. I need to focus on the good that I have. I need to focus on all that, that is beautiful about this life. I need to focus on the consciousness that I have to be aware. I need to focus on the beauty that I carry. I need to focus on that light that I carry inside. I need to focus and bring my attention to it, that beauty that dwells in me. And if I can do that, then the good wolf wins. Its simple as that. Then the good wolf wins. Otherwise torn apart, scared, Oh my Gd. You know this is this way. This is this way because there's a very big difference in being concerned and being scared. Concern means you take the appropriate step. Scared means you just go hide. Close your eyes and go I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared. Up to you. But what do you want it to be? And, living this life consciously? More important now because now you are with yourself, not with other people. Now you're less distracted so before you know, this distraction, that distraction, this is happening, that's happening, this is wrong, that's wrong, now you're with yourself and think, understand, clarify, beautiful time to do that.

Take it in. Take in life. My God take in life. Take in the value of each breath. Take in what it means to be, to exist. Take in what it means. You know it's like a cloud. A beautiful cloud. You see it? And it's like, oh, yeah, it's a cloud. But look at it. It's moving. It's it's it's changing. It's never the same and appreciate that your life in the sense is is a cloud. You came through one, one wall and you're going to hit the other wall and you'll be gone and you think everything is so slow sometimes because between these two walls the time that is there is, is relative when your bored is like it's moving ever so slow and when you're having fun its moving ever too fast. Well it shouldn't be ever too fast and it should never be too slow. It should be what it is and that's appreciation. Not manipulation, not manipulation of life, not manipulation of beauty. Let me manipulate the beauty to fit my ideas but acceptance, seeing, understanding. That's what life is all aboutb and what a beautiful time to go inside and really feel, feel the joy, feel the beauty, feel the heart that is still bubbling in the middle of all this that is going on There is a lamp in this, in the in the middle of all this darkness, there is a lamp that is lit inside your heart. Look at it. See, how much illumination. Illuminate your world and enjoy what's there. So today this is what I want to talk, live your life consciously. Well make the most of this time if you by the way have any questions that you would like to ask me please send them to PremRawat.com and they'll get to me. So thank you and stay healthy, stay well.

Prem Rawat: Lockdown Day 4 Broadcast

Hello everyone. Prem Rawat here again and can't believe it. It's already day 4 of these broadcasts and I really hope everybody is enjoying them for whatever they're worth. So today I'd like to talk to you about gratitude. So I can imagine people going. What? What are you talking about gratitude for? I mean, look at this, you know, world uncertainty the economics of it, you know, don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. The leaders in turmoil, the countries in turmoil, societies in turmoil. So what possibly could there be to be thankful about. Well, let's begin with this. First of all, yesterday, uh, you may have noticed that yesterday's broadcast had no video of me, just pictures, stills. So what happened? Well, I thought, you know, I'd try doing something better and so I don't know if you know this but I'm just using my phone to do this and really don't have a big setup or anything like that. It just got a little tripod, my phone, cleared the picture behind me and I'm just standing there. There's no lights. This is the morning light that you see so what happened well this is what happened is that to use the better lenses which are on the backside of them I flipped the phone around so I couldn't see myself and of course you know whatever software they've got in there it doesn't recognise a face and say O. K. I'll focus on that. So after I'm finished. I looked at the footage and it was like whoa what happened and it was all out of focus, didn't look good but what I was saying and it was very spontaneous, it was good. So at first it was just that same thing, terrible. It was something wants to come and rip you apart, you know, it's like how could you do that? you know that was the dumbest thing and then I thought about it and it's like look it's already done and you said something that was very good. It came from your heart and you know make the most of it. So I sent it anyways then I said just put some stills on it, send it out because I couldn't repeat it.

It's not like I'm reading from a script it's all it's all very spontaneous and it always reminds me of that story that after the Mahabharata, the Great War, Mahabharat was over, Krishna went to say hi to Arjun and said you know how is it going and he said it's going pretty good, sure beats being in exile you know living in the jungle and all of that now I'm and living in this palace and everything's good. Krishna just said "well is there anything I can do for you?" and Arjun says "well actually you know all those all that wisdom you imparted to me on the battlefield I've pretty much forgotten what that was, you know, it was pretty intense time so could you, could you just run that by me again and Krishna said "geez you know that was spontaneous. I I I don't know if I can remember what it is but anyways he did run a very small compressed version of it for Arjun and it's called Anugita, Little Gita, so it was one of those things. Its like "do I throw away this footage or what I did say was good, it came from my heart, it was very genuine, it was very spontaneous, do I save it some way? and I'm very thankful that that happened. I'm not particularly thankful that I've goofed and you know camera goofed and phone goofed and this happened and that happened but I'm very thankful that not for what should have happened and it didn't happen. I'm not thankful for that, I'm thankful for what came out of my heart, what I felt and talked to you about living consciously because that's what living consciously is about, is, is is to see, to to look around, to to have some cognizance of what's going on in this world as it relates to you, as it as it relates to your existence because what you see, you see from your eyes, what you see, you see from your perspective, from everything that's happened to you the sum of all those things tunes in your vision.

Now somebody who who sees mountains all the time, they see a mountain, its no big deal. Somebody who doesn't see mountains, who lives by the ocean they see a mountain and it's a big deal. It's like well look there's a mountain there and vice versa somebody who lives by the ocean, looks at the ocean, its like well there's the ocean and somebody who doesn't live by the ocean, maybe lives by the desert and they see the ocean its like wow there is the ocean. So everybody has a different perspective, everybody is slightly different in the way they take in and so this life is not objective. It's very, very subjective. How you proceed, how you look at that. So you know easy enough is like one time I went to the prison and it was in Australia, the Walston prison and the inmate there, one of the inmates when the time came for question and answers he goes "but how do you know what it's like? you know, you you you don't live here, you don't you're not in the gaol" but I think about that quite a bit and it's like yeah his perspective of what life is, what freedom is, what all these things are, is totally different than mine but that's the way it is and I'm not trying to make everything objective.

I'm not saying you know it should be the the experience that you can have of your life should be the same for everybody. No, it's different and therefore because that is different, gratitude will be different for everybody. Every single person will express their thanks in a different way because your experience is different so if you live your life consciously, you will recognise the need for knowing yourself and then when you get to know yourself and you then live your life consciously it will be different and your gratitude would be different because you're looking at it from a different perspective. You're not looking at it from the same way and that gratitude is like a fruit that you as a healthy tree put forward living life consciously is like a flower and this is your this this existence is this magnificent tree and it flowers and then when you live your life consciously there is, there is a quest to to be fulfilled, to do, want to know yourself and then when you know yourself, most amazing gratitude swells forth and that's that's the fruit and you can share that fruit, you can share that gratitude, what you are thankful for.

So can you be thankful for coronavirus? I don't think so. I don't think anybody can be thankful for coronavirus but you can be thankful for something else and that is that you have this chance, that you have this opportunity to think, to contemplate, to understand, to express, to to to feel, to see and this, see that's that's what's important that that you can do that and how important is that gratitude because you look at what gratitude means and gratitude means that you are putting out that fruit, you your heart is full. You can express that, you can feel that, you can understand that and that is why gratitude is so important because without that gratitude - gratitude is almost the scale of health if you will. If you're putting out that fruit, wow! Good! Good! you're healthy and if you're not, maybe something is amiss, something is not quite right. Maybe there isn't the appreciation. Maybe you don't understand what it means to know yourself.

Maybe you don't know yourself and the value of knowing yourself because I can see how being locked up at home, you know, and you're not going out you're trying to minimise contact, you know, social beings, social beings and okay you can watch television, you can only watch so much of it and sooner or later, it's going to be you and you and just you, you know, and I I I was uh looking at, looking at the television and somebody said "Oh there was this guy in this one particular country and he was locked up for 3 days with his wife and child and 4th day he ran away, he just couldn't stand it but when you can't stand that really what you can't stand is something inside of you otherwise if you can, if you are comfortable with yourself, you can be comfortable pretty much in any situation but when you're not comfortable with yourself, it doesn't matter what situation you are in, you are going to be uncomfortable and knowing yourself is just that, living this life consciously is because it is important to see, to perceive, to to to to acknowledge the gifts, to receive the gifts that you have been given. That's what consciousness is all about.

The way I speak of it anyway is, you have to take in all that you have so you maximise this existence, this being alive and if you can do that then wow! you really have captured what it is all about. You know you see that sometimes it's like oh this is a wonderful photographer and why is this, why is this person a wonderful photographer because they can capture what really happens, they can really capture the story. Have you captured your story? Have you captured your existence? Have you captured you being you and maybe in day to day activities all the things that go around in our lives we don't get all that, you know, because we're too busy to even think like that but here you have this opportunity to just not do be those busy things that you know you're constantly doing and instead give it some time to think, to contemplate, to meditate, to understand, to to to to reflect on the importance of existence, on the importance of having joy in your life. The importance of having clarity in your life. The importance of having a heart that is full. The importance of having serenity in your life. The importance of having that feeling that that you are complete, that every moment that you are living you're taking and making the most of it, the most of the existence and that's when all that comes together, when all those puzzles, little pieces all over the place, when they click, then gratitude comes forth and for you to be thankful for your existence, for you to be thankful for your life. Wow! What can be greater than that? For you to be thankful for every day that comes by, what can be greater than that? For you to be thankful for every hour that comes by, what can be greater than that? For you to be feeling that completeness with every breath, fulfilled, what can be greater than that? Well, I can't think of anything else that can be greater than that.

Because the magnificence, appreciated, becomes more magnificent. Magnificence, unappreciated, remains hidden. Remains unfulfilled even though it's beautiful. Even though it's incredible, it always will be. Every star, every grain of sand, everything in this world. Every every every day. The sun shines. The clouds come, the rain comes, sunshine happens. The summer comes, the winter goes, the winter comes, fall comes, all the seasons. Everything. And then your seasons that you understand the microcosm, that you understand that there is a universe in you too. And you appreciate that universe. You you you look at that universe. You you look at the stars. You look at, you look at the moon. You look at the sun and you look at your sun. The light in your heart. You see your moon. You see your stars. You see your universe. You see the joy that, that dances in your heart. The symphony that plays within you. The the the the dance that goes on in you. The play that goes on in you. The movie that is you, in which you are the star. Wow. Just like it is outside and we've got these cameras and we've got you know stereo equipment and we want to capture everything and wow this is an incredible recording and we want to hear it again and again and again and yet you are your camera. You are the only camera of your inner universe and if you capture it, if you appreciate it, then gratitude will come just like when you listen to a beautiful music and you want to dance do it and you like it and you smile and you get lost in it and you, it feels so good.

Well when you capture your inner universe then that's what happens. That's what gratitude is all about. That's that's that's that's then it all comes alive and I can ramble on I guess but the point is if you have experienced it, if you have ever ever experienced it, even the tiniest bit you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't it's not gonna make much sense. It's just a rambling. Anyways, I hope you send some questions to premrawat.com and of course if you wanna send questions to timeless today that's that's perfectly OK too. They will, they will get to me. I'm looking forward to those questions. I have a lot of questions that have already been sent to me but I thought you know again this is a unique circumstance and in these circumstances people may have a different, different set of questions. So I wanna I wanna answer those questions to the best of my ability and the most important thing is folks be healthy and be well and be safe and most important be be. So thank you very much. I'll see you soon.

Prem Rawat: Lockdown Day 5 Broadcast

Hello everyone. I hope you're doing well in this whole drama and trauma. This is Prem Rawat here and another day, another opportunity to talk to you about in this strange situation where indecision and and and ideas and fear and everything else is being just kicked around and kicked around and kicked around and kicked around. But I would like to talk about in the midst of all is that clarity, you having this gift of breath in your life. You being alive. You being here on this beautiful planet. You know the sun hasn't changed. It's there. Of course we hear about the news. Coronavirus concentrated news, focused news. This is wrong. That's wrong. This isn't happening this way. That's not happening that way. Every day, the amount of cases just increasing and increasing and increasing in the world. Then I was reading this whole little bit about New Orleans where they have this Mardi Gras and all the people came out and now a lot of people are getting sick. There's a lot of people out there, young ones who are like, I don't care if I get coronavirus. I just want to have a good time and the demographics of people who are getting sick in the United States is very, very different. Believe me, there's a lot more younger people getting sick in the United States than other regions. So you sometimes wonder what exactly, are we capable. It's a simple thing. You have to have to isolate. If you isolate, don't get contamination. Sooner or later, this thing will move along. You don't have to get sick. You just have to have your social distance. Keep your distance. That's so difficult for people. That is so difficult for people to try to keep their social distance. They they want to just be, you know, we got to do this and we got to do this. And this is what they're used to. This is what they're used to. And all of a sudden something happens and all what you think is normal is no longer normal and you can't do it. And in fact, if you do it, it's detrimental to you. So it reminds me of this story.

Which one is real So there was Once Upon a Time there was a king and he was quite well off and had a beautiful kingdom. Things were good. And one day he has this dream and in this dream he dreams that he has fighting with his neighbour. And they're having a war this, this is a frantic war and all of a sudden he loses the war and he has to flee the battleground and he has to get away as far away as he can to save his life. And he's running and he's running and he's running and he's running and he finally goes to the jungle and in the midst of the jungle there he finds himself and he's really tired. He's wounded. He's been running for a really long time. He's hungry. It's it's just not a good scene. All of a sudden he sees a little hut he goes over to that hut and in there in that hut is the old woman, he goes to her and he says "could you give me something to eat please" and she says "look I don't have any food to give you that's already prepared but here is a little bit of rice and here is a little bit of lentils, you could cook them together make a khichdi and satisfy your hunger." So the king says "thank you" takes the rice, takes the lentils, gets a little pot, he has to get the wood. It's raining and so the wood is all wet, smoky tries to start a fire, takes him a long time but he finally gets the fire going. He's really hungry, he's really tired, he's devastated, he's lost his Kingdom. I mean everything is just you know piling up on him and then he finally gets the rice done, the lentils done but they're too hot for him to eat so he finds a leaf and he spreads the lentils and and and the rice on the leaf just to cool it down. In meanwhile there's these two bulls and they're fighting with each other and they come towards where he's cooling his food and the next thing you know they take what he has made with great difficulty and just mix it into the mud, just destroyed. This is like too much for him so finally just ends up crying, tears rolling down his eyes and he wakes up the, the wetness on his face, the tears on his face wakes him up and he wakes up and he's like, looks around and all of a sudden, he sees he's in bedroom. He's got this beautiful velvet, you know, bed and beautiful ornate pillars and and and lamp and the bodyguards there and he's bewildered. This dream was so real for him. He's really bewildered. And he finally gets up and he goes, "Oh my God, which one is the dream? That losing the war, being in jungle, cooking that food, was that the dream? And this is real. Or is it the other way? This is all a dream that I am a king, that everything is fin. and that was really me losing the war, me being nobody, mean you know being in that dire situation that that was real and this just puzzles him to no end so next day he gets up and his gets in his court and he immediately makes an announcement. I wanna know. I wanna know. I had this dream and I wanna know which one is real. This is real or that is real. That I'm in dire straits, that's real or that I'm a king. That's real. And of course, a lot of people, and I'm going to cut the story short. There's a lot of people are like, oh, yes, sire, that was a dream. This is real. You're a king. You're a good king. Everything is good. But somehow he's not satisfied. Finally, this kid, his name was Ashtavakra and which literally means he was all, you know, twisted and everything in his body was all twisted. He he sets it straight right. And this is what he says to him because I guess it's a little bit of a drama. He comes and when he comes, everybody sees him walking into the court that he has the answer and everybody just starts laughing. It's like, how could this person who's all, you know, twisted and everything, how is he going to answer the question?

And all of a sudden he turns to the king and he says King, why have you called me in the company of these people who only can tell me, about me, from looking at leather, leather meaning the skin. That's all they look at and they have already made up their mind. Who I am. They don't, theyhaven't even talked to me. They haven't even looked at what is inside of me and they're judging me from what they see. Anyways, the king realizes this is somebody not you know, ordinary, extraordinary and he gives him the the throne and he says please sit here and and and and welcomes him and then he begins after the king asks the question then he begins then he says "King, that that where you lost your war and you were in the jungle, that was a dream and your question that you see your kingdom. you see your, you know, palace you see your bed is that a dream?" He said "that's a dream too king. The reality is beyond those two, the reality is, the reality that is in you. Not in what you see, what you perceive, all this will change and so in these times I can't help but think about that story, that all that that we perceive to be is the dream. It's a very realistic dream and it's a dream because of the two walls, the wall we came through and the wall we're going to hit and disappear on the other side. That makes all of this a dream. A very realistic dream. But many, many saints over the period of their time have said "this is just a dream because one day you'll wake up and this won't be like this. This would be something else. Everything keeps changing, every everything keeps changing and the nightmares keep coming and this keeps happening and that keeps happening and so what do you do?" Well you must somehow get in touch with that real reality and that real reality happens to be the reality that is inside of you. Not some concept, not some idea and maybe maybe during this time, during, because of the circumstances the story rings a little bit truer than on a wonderful normal, everything going your way kind of day. Where everything isn't so going your way but you just have to say "okay, I'm here the most important thing is breath is coming and going inside. I am. I exist, the miracle of miracles is taking place. I am here. I am here and because I am here and because I want to know who I am I will enjoy that process of going inside and feeling who truly I am."

This will all change. Things will go back to being the routine and when life becomes a routine, when life becomes drab like that, you're not in touch with your life anymore because there's something exciting about every single day. There is something exciting about every single moment. There is something exciting about every breath that comes into you. And that's your reality. That's your reality, all this that you see, all this that you perceive. It wasn't. It is and it won't be. That is its reality and then there is something that was, that is and that will be. I mean after all the creation of Earth and and all of this isn't that old. We haven't been relatively speaking, we haven't been on this earth for such that long of a time. Yes we have made huge advances but those advances. what do they do for us? All of a sudden we find the basic human needs and necessities have to kick in, the basics the basics that absolutely fundamentally the basics and where are you in those basics? Do you like it? Can you live with it? Can you enjoy your day today? Can you be? Can you exist? Can you still court clarity? Can you still feel gratitude for today? Or it's like bewildered and oh my God. You know we got this problem and we got this problem and did you hear bad news and da da da that it's a buzz. You know everybody's like a buzz, you know when one negative news, one negative this, one negative that and you realise it's ok. It's ok. You exist, be thankful, be positive, be real. Understand the reality and you are a part, you are a component of, of all that is around you. You are a part of it. And when you can shine, when you keep darkness at bay and that's so important. And that's important every single day with or without this corona virus. Every single day, to keep that darkness at bay, to keep the confusion at bay, to allow clarity to come and feel the thankfulness every single day for being alive. Is that simple? My God, that's simple. You know, of course it is simple. That is incredibly simple. And yet I know that it is incredibly difficult. It's profound when it is difficult, every moment to be able to be with that relaity. So not like that king who gets confused, but with that clarity move forward every day and be in that beautiful place. So I'll talk to you soon. Take care. Be well. Be healthy. Be safe and be.

Prem Rawat: Lockdown Day 6 Broadcast

Hello. Hello. Hello everyone. I hope all of you are well and I know these are very trying times and even though I have addressed some of these issues as I have the questions are starting to come in, they're getting compiled, but people are still a little bit afraid of of of whatever is going on and I would like to just take this time to just say look the rules are very simple. Don't give the virus. Don't get the virus. Simple as that. However you need to do it. Isolation is the best. But then the question comes what do you do in this isolation? Well, it's very unfortunate. First of all, that we have to even address this issue. Because being with yourself should be second nature. Being with yourself should be great. Should be wonderful. Should be not an issue, but unfortunately that's not the way it is. It's like, "Oh my God, what am I going to do? You know, people are going stir crazy and and this is happening and that's happening." But believe me, the issue really is about first of all what do you need to do at this time? Very simple. Come with courage not with fear. Not with "Oh my God. What's going to happen? What's going to happen? What's going to happen? What's going to happen?" Come with courage. Two things you need. If you want to make this time go by nicely, quickly, whatever. Two things you need.

Patience. You thought you had it right. Here's your test. Patience. Second one. Courage. That's all you need And this time will fly by. Clarity is always in you. Reach in for it. Not reach out. Reach in for it. Joy is in you, reach in for joy. Your beautiful treasures that are buried. Now you need them. See. Now you need them before I know I would come. I would sit down. I would talk to people. You know you have this in you and people could go. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now you need them because without this what do you do? What do you do? This can be crazy. And so reach in, reach in for that patience. Reach in for that courage. The joy is still in you and you can make this a wonderful time in isolation. Yes, you can make this a wonderful time. It always reminds me of this one thing where there was this person and he was incarcerated in prison and he had been listening and doing the peace education programme and I keep talking about the breath and that how the peace you know and breath ??? is so beautiful and so one day he went and he lay down in his cell on his bed and he was describing this experience to somebody and he said "Prem keeps talking about the breath so I started focusing on my breath and as I focused more and more and more on my breath I started to fill with peace. How beautiful, how wonderful, how incredible and he said all of a sudden "so much peace. I started feeling so much peace that I have never felt before" and to me it's always like "my God this person can experience peace incarcerated in a prison?"

What about those people who are not incarcerated? Can they? Of course they. I'm looking forward to doing something and I'm we're looking at the possibility of this that all those people who are in lockdown maybe we could all just go through peace education programme with me and I could be the facilitator and we could all do the peace education programme. I mean I think that was just would be brilliant because it works so well of people who are incarcerated in it in a way we are all incarcerated it just happens to be we are incarcerated at home but we're incarcerated so we're looking at the possibility of doing that. I mean that would just be great that would be wonderful. but until that time please don't be scared. Don't be afraid, come from courage, have patience, have understanding, this too will pass, of course it'll pass and so far your family members are concerned in spending time with them and you know, whether you like it or not, understand they're part of you. and it's OK it's OK to accept them to ove them. You don't have to try to have a sense of responsibility towards them. Oh, I have to do this. I have to do this. I have to you know greet them this way. I have to greet them that way. No. just be, just be who you are and let them be who they are. Many many wonderful ways to engage. What do you think people used to do in old days? I mean you know we have forgotten those things, come gather around. Let's let's let's hear a story. Let's read a story. Let's talk about a story. Let's be fascinated by that. I was fortunate enough. I feel that when I was growing up there was no television. It is not like it hadn't been invented. It just didn't get to India. And what did I do? Listen to stories. I was fascinated by stories. Anybody I could find who would tell me a story. They had my undivided attention. How wonderful is that? There was a time. No television and in in India at that time when the radio came on, it came on sporadically. It came on from just, you know, one hour or hour and 1/2 or two hours and then it would go off nothing So what do you do in that time? You understand something, you discover. There's so much constant bombardment now that we have forgotten how to be without the use of all this technology and without the use of that phone and without the use of that social media . We have forgotten what it is like and once upon a time this is the way people were and they lived fine. I mean you know some unpleasantaries because maybe there wasn't a sewage system and everything stank a little bit but regardless of that my God you know people are like "oh I'm going stir crazy." How can you go stir crazy? You're alive. There's something incredible taking place and then there are people who are completely locked up in expectations of what their expectations are and what expectations of each other and then they can't come together because these expectations get in the way. This is not time for expectations. This is time to just be. Can you be? Of course you can. You're a human being. First thing you are is you are a human being. About having to say that sounds ridiculous but I have to because that's what you've forgotten, that you are a human being and and and if we forget that we are a human being then what have we become? You know, yeah, there is all these companies and they keep you know making all the technology and more technology and more technology.

In fact one of the, this is, this is the thing. We don't know the difference between need and want. We have become such slaves to want that we have forgotten what we need and there is a company and it's a huge is one of the biggest companies in the world and they manufacture a lot of things and not one single thing that they manufacture do we need, and they are huge, they're big I mean I'm talking about financially and people just like go crazy over them. and not one single thing that they make do you need? How mind boggling and so many things that we are completely attracted by. You see we don't understand that those things that we call attractions are really distractions because if they take you away from you that's a distraction. That should be the definition of a distraction, that which takes you away from you. You need to come back home to yourself, you need to to start feeling that goodness that is in your heart, the joy that is in your heart, the clarity that dances in you, the serenity that is in you, the patience that is in you, the courage that is in you. You need to get in touch with those things and this is the opportunity to do this. This is the opportunity to do, you know when I when I look at it, it's like oh my God how can this coronavirus be good. It's not good, believe me it's not good but then I saw this footage and these porpoises in Venice, Italy, the pollution has gone down so much that these porpoises are there. You can see the bottom of the the the the water, you can see bottom of the ocean, the bay, you can see fish, you can see swans that's like hmm then I saw like all the pollution in China disappear, it's like hmm.

What have we done? what have we created? We have created a monster out of our wants and it is destroying this planet. It is destroying us and if nothing else and you know when you look at some of the numbers of even, even this coronavirus, thousands and thousands and thousands of people have recovered without a problem and most of the people report very mild symptoms. Some of the places where people are dying, they're dying because of the lack of hospitalisation and the lack of you know even the uh medica equipment that they need. But whatever is happening, maybe, it's an incredible reminder that we as human beings need to get back to this wonderful thing called humanity. We need to become human again. We need to understand who we are and what our needs are. Not wants, needs are. Maybe this can be an incredible reset to get back to the basics. To get back to that that we already have inside of us. So my friends. You know, whatever happens, just remember. Be patient. Come with courage. You have amazing stuff inside of you. The joy. The serenity. Time to share. Time to bring it out. Time to dig in. Dig into the treasures and this is that possibility. So be well. Be safe. Be healthy. And most importantly, be in joy.

Prem Rawat: Lockdown Day 7 Broadcast

Well, hello, hello, hello, everyone. I hope you're faring well. And over the weekend, I figured this would be a good time to answer some questions - so I've got some questions here.

And the first question we are going to deal with is from Sanjay, from, (I don't know where he exactly is; he doesn't say). But he says, "I would like to thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas on lockdown situations. It has really helped me understand the reality" - well, that's good - "given strength and hope." That's exactly what I want - you to have strength, and I want you to have hope.

"Government officials, people are giving so many directives and suggestions for being physically safe from coronavirus. It would be very nice to hear from you for the same. Sanjay."

Well, thank you for writing, Sanjay. And what I'd like to tell you is this. Look, I'm no doctor - and I'm not a virus expert by any stretch of the imagination - and I don't do that.

But I can tell you one thing. Of everything that I have heard and I have gathered, two things: "Don't give it to anyone - and don't get it from anyone." That's it. Don't give it to someone if you're a carrier - and don't get it from someone if they are a carrier.

Whatever that takes, very, very simple. Wash your hands. You go out; you wash your hands. Take it easy. Feel good; feel hope; feel safe. Have patience. You're going to need patience. Patience is required. And have patience; feel good. And deal with this from courage. Not from weakness, but from courage.

So, I hope, you know - and again, you know, what I'm talking about here is for you to have a good time even in this situation. Because the "good time" that I'm talking about is inside of you. And tap into it.

So, you know, have a good time! Be coming from that place of patience and having courage - and having two goals, "Don't give it to someone - and don't get it from someone." Whatever that takes. So, that's it.

"What about those people who are essential workers; do you have any words for those, this time?" From Casey. Well, thank you for writing, again. They're doing an incredible job; they're really risking their lives so that the rest of us can go on and have some sense of normalcy in this situation.

So, one, I would like to thank all of those people around the world who are doing this. And two, I think - and like I said for Sanjay, [sp] we really all need to come from courage and patience. And those two things, we need to all exercise as human beings on the face of this earth, especially in regards to coronavirus.

That's what it takes. You know, it takes approximately fourteen days for the quarantine to go on. And to spend that time, not go stir-crazy. And it takes patience.

So, I really - well, one, again, I would like to thank all those people who are doing this and providing that. Be safe. Obviously, you have a lot of courage. And please, be patient - and keep doing what you're doing, so that the rest of us can go on being and having some form of normalcy in our lives. And, again, "thank you" from me.

"Thank you for the lifeline of wisdom you are sharing. I have a question. Although for many, this is a time of forced isolation, for many others it means being cooped up indoors with an active child, children, and no time to yourself and increased stress and irritability. Children don't understand what's going on and want to see their friends and go out and play.

"I hugely appreciate your parenting advice and perspective. Do you have any advice during this time? With love and thanks, Wendy."

Well, my advice is, children will pick up on your irritation. Don't be irritated. If you are irritated, something is wrong. When they start to smell the "wrong," it's over. Believe me, it's over. At that point, it's like a frustrated parent, you know, picking up a child and going, "Do not cry!" I mean, that child's going to cry.

So, calm down. It's okay. They're your children; you're around them, whatever. Engage with them. They have the sweetest way of seeing this whole thing. They don't see the problem; they see much more of a solution; the solution is, "Why can't we have a good time?"

You can have a good time. Coronavirus has no - you know, it doesn't attack "good time" by any stretch of the imagination. You just have to discover what that good time is. And we have gotten so used to these routines of "good time" that we have forgotten how to tap into "good time."

There was a time when there was no television. There was a time when there was no form of these "entertainment," quote-unquote. There was a time, there were no iPads; there were no iPhones; there were no, you know, cellular phones; there weren't these super-computers, nothing!

And so, what did people do? Well, people took it upon themselves - and even "time of silence" was great, was wonderful. But now that's looked at as a punishment.

I mean, it's really, really bizarre but a child, you know, will do something wrong and it's like, "Well, go to your room and sit down and think about it!" Excuse me. That's a good thing. You're using it as punishment, but that's a good thing, for somebody to sit down and think, think it out, think out your day because you're going - everything is going so fast.

So, you may have to reinvent what once you and everybody knew - but now you have forgotten it, so it's a question of actually reinventing that time with a child and having a good time!

And maybe taking a story and looking at it different ways and understanding different things, sparking the imagination - that's all that a child needs. So far their imagination stays sparked, so then, that's really good. But that's what I think, anyways.

You know, so - but it's not like I am a parenting expert or anything like that. So, I hope you understand where I'm coming from. And thank you, thank you for writing.

Here's another question, "How can I choose clarity more? How can I choose serenity, kindness, compassion, love more? How can I afford to live a well-cared-for life of security, peace, joy and happiness that focuses on what is real, more and more?"

Look - well, whoever you are, thank you. Your name isn't here, but - it's a good question. And the most important thing is that these things that you talk about, "kindness, compassion," they are in you. They are in you.

You know, you know exactly what anger is and what does anger look like. This is this emotion; it comes in and it explodes; you turn red; your blood pressure goes up; your heart is pounding; you're mad; you're - you know! You know exactly what anger is like. And after that anger is past, you can, of course, look back and say, "Yeah, that made me angry."

Are you that familiar with kindness? You know what hate is like - but are you that familiar (as you are familiar with hate) - are you that familiar with kindness? Are you that familiar with compassion? Are you that familiar with peace? Are you that familiar with joy? Are you that familiar with happiness?

If you're not, therein lies the problem because you should be. Those things are in you at any given moment. Those things exist in you at any given moment; it's not like you leave your happiness behind. It is not like you leave your compassion behind. It's not like you leave your joy behind. Wherever you go and whatever you do, it's right then and there.

Just like anger, just like hate, just like confusion, we truly need to understand theseattributes. And when we begin to really understand these attributes, then there is something inside of us that will begin to choose those attributes over the attributes that we, by default, choose now, which are anger and fear and everything else.

With so many people with this coronavirus, the biggest thing - people are afraid. And why are people afraid? "Oh, what's going to happen to me?" And when you look at the numbers - and I was looking at them this morning - it's far more people who have died of natural death than from this coronavirus.

But it's not right; it's not good - I'm not saying that. But when you look at the numbers in terms of just what happens every day, it's not a huge thing! The numbers are not that big - even though they're exponentially growing and growing and growing. And this is, again - a lot of the world leaders are not doing such a good job of leading people.

But regardless of that, what do you think being scared of this thing, of coronavirus, will do - absolutely nothing. All you need to do, like I said, is have that goal, "Don't give it to someone; don't get it from someone."

So, we are very familiar with some attributes that we have - but we are not familiar with the other attributes we have. Knowing yourself then truly becomes knowing those attributes as well! Saying, "Yes, I have anger - and I don't like anger. But I have compassion. I have joy." And more familiar you get, easier it becomes to choose those.

Understanding that that's who you are, your value - and this is an example that I give, is "What is the value of a box, of a small box?" And maybe all it has, that box, you know, all it holds is a ring - and the value of the ring is like 200,000 dollars. Then what is the value of the box?

Well, maybe the value of the box is fifty dollars. (Ten dollars, twenty dollars, whatever.) But so far that ring is in that box, the value of that box is also 200,000 dollars.

This is what you have to understand. Take out the ring from the box - and the value of the box is fifty dollars, (five dollars, ten dollars, whatever). So far that ring is in that box, the value of that box is equivalent to that.

And then? That's the same thing that's happening to you. So far in you, there is that thing called "life," your value is infinite. Take that away - and of course, nothing; this is just a box. And this is what happens.

So, be more familiar with those attributes that you have; fall in love with those attributes. And then you can enjoy this life more and more and more.

Another question. "Thank you, Prem. Might you say something to those who have the virus? I have been texting the lockdown clips to many people who don't know you. So fantastic for everyone."

Well, all I can say is, look, again, the same thing. Do this - you have the virus; they've told you you have the virus - be patient. Feel good. Get good sleep. And face this thing with courage. Face this thing with courage. Not with fear. Face this thing with courage.

You will get better. People want you to get better. But you need to have that hope coming from inside of you.

Do this with courage; do thiswith patience. Let it run its course. Take the steps that are necessary. Feel well! Take those steps that are necessary. And I hope that you have an incredible, speedy recovery. And that would be wonderful.

Here's somebody who writes, "Hi, Prem; I'd like to thank you for everything that you have shown me and for helping me.

"My daughter asked me a couple of years ago when she was seven or eight, 'Dad, when I die will I remember you? And when you die, will you remember me?' I didn't want to BS her, so I replied, 'Good question but I really don't know.' I've been thinking a lot ever since. So, the question for me became, 'Does the heart have a memory? Or is it only aware of the moment now?'"

When you love someone and you are with that person, what exactly do you get out of them? What do they bring you? When you see that person, you love that person, they bring you joy. So what does that mean, "joy; they bring you joy?"

Well, what does joy look like? Has it got their name stamped on it? Or does that just make you feel good, being with that person, thinking of that person?

And that's what the heart knows about, that feeling, that goodness, that joy that that other person might bring. Maybe the catalyst; they're just the catalyst for it.

And of course, through whatever, if you have brought joy to each other, (she to you and you to her), then you will carry that joy, without any labels of names, forever! Because the heart is about being full.

And you may not be taking…. You know, when you to somebody's house and you have a wonderful dinner, you don't take that dinner with you wherever you go after one week, two weeks, three weeks. But you will remember that good time that you had at that dinner. And life is like that.

So, I hope that that answers your question - so, yeah, I'm not being very specific, I know. But the heart is about being full. And if she brings joy to you and you bring joy to her….

And this is what's so important in the relationships, that we really understand that that's what it is about, you know, "How can I bring joy to that other person and how can I receive the joy that that other person brings to me?"

Then, it's really just that. Just that. And that's a gift that you give to her - that has no value. Monetarily, you could never fix a value to it. The value of it is infinite. And the joy that she brings to you, the value of that is infinite; there's no limit to it.

So, I hope that helps. So, thank you very much - and I'll see you all very soon. There are quite a few more questions, by the way - but we're going to keep the time about the same.

So, I'll see you tomorrow! Thank you.

Prem Rawat: Lockdown Day 8 Broadcast

Well, hello, hello, hello everyone. I hope you're faring well and over this weekend I figured this would be a good time to answer some questions. So I've got some questions here. The first question we are gonna deal with is from Sanjay from I don't know where he exactly is, he doesn't say but he says "I would like to thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas on lockdown situations. It has really helped me understand the reality." Well, that's good "given strength and hope. "That's exactly what I want you to you to have strength and I want you to have hope. "Government officials, people.are giving so many directives and suggestions for being physically safe from coronavirus. It would be very nice to hear from you for the same, Sanjay." Well, thank you for writing, Sanjay and what I'd like to tell you is this, look, I'm no doctor and I'm not a virus expert by any stretch of the imagination. And now I I don't do that but I can tell you one thing of everything that I have heard and I have gathered two things. Don't give it to anyone and don't get it from anyone. That's it.

Don't give it to someone. If you are a carrier and don't get it from someone, if they are a carrier. Whatever that takes very, very simple. Wash your hands. You go out. Wash your hands. Take it easy. Feel good. Feel hope. Feel safe. Have patience. You're going to need patience. Patience is required and have patience. Feel good and deal with this with from courage, not from weakness, but from courage. So I hope you know and again, you know what I'm talking about here is for you to have a good time even in this situation because the good time that I'm talking about is inside of you and tap into it. So you know, have a good time be be coming from that place of patience and having courage and having two goals, don't give it to someone and don't get it from someone. Whatever that takes, so that's it.

"What about those people who are essential workers? Do you have any words for those this time?" from Casey Well, thank you for writing, again they're doing an incredible job. They're really risking their lives so that the rest of us can go on and have some sense of normalcy in this situation. So one, I would like to thank all of those people around the world who are doing this and two I think and like I uh said for Sanjay we really all need to come from courage and patience and those two things we need to all exercise as human beings on the face of this earth especially in regards to coronavirus. That's what it takes, you know, it takes approximately 14 days for the quarantine to go on and to spend that time not go stir crazy and it takes, it takes patience so I really well one again I would like to thank all those people who are doing this and and and providing that. Be safe. Obviously you have a lot of courage and please be patient and uh keep doing what you're doing so that the rest of us can go on being and having some form of normalcy in our lives. And again, thank you from me.

"Thank you for the lifeline of wisdom you are sharing. I have a question. Although for many this is a time of forced isolation and for many others, it means being cooped up indoors with an active child, children and no time to yourself and increase stress and irritability. Children don't understand what's going on and want to see their friends and go out and play. I hugely appreciate you parenting advice and perspective. Do you have any advice during this time with love and thanks, Wendy" Well, my advice is children will pick up on your irritation. Don't be irritated. If you are irritated something is wrong. When they start to smell the wrong. It's over. Believe me, it's over. At that point it's like a frustrated parent, you know, picking up a child and going "DO NOT CRY." I mean, that child's going to cry. So calm down. It's okay. They're your children. You're around them. Whatever, engage with them. They have the sweetest way of seeing this whole thing. They don't see the problem. They see much more of a solution. The solution is, why can't we have a good time?

You can have a good time. Coronavirus has no, you know, it doesn't attack good time by any stretch of the imagination. You just have to discover what that good time is and we have gotten so used to these routines of good time that we have forgotten how to tap into good time. There was a time when there was no television. There was a time when there was no form of these entertainment quote unquote. It was a time there was no ipads. There was no iphones. There was no you know cellular phones, there were no these supercomputers, nothing And so what did people do? Well people took it upon themselves and even time of silence was great, was wonderful but now that's looked at as a punishment. I mean it's really, really bizarre but a child you know will do something wrong and it's like we'll go to your room and sit down and think about it. Excuse me, that's a good thing, you're using it as punishment but that's a good thing for somebody to sit down and think think it out think out your day because you're going everything is going so fast. So you may have to reinvent what it what once you and everybody knew but now you have forgotten it, so it's a question of actually reinventing that time with a child and and and and having a good time and and and maybe taking a story and looking at it different ways and understanding different things, sparking the imagine, that's all that a child needs so far their imagination stays sparked, now that's really good but that's what I think anyways now. So it's not like I'm a parenting expert or anything like that so I hope you understand but where I'm coming from and thank you. Thank you for writing.

Here's another question "how can I choose clarity more? how can I choose serenity, kindness, compassion, love more? how can I afford to live a well cared for life of security, peace, joy and happiness that focuses on what is real more and more?" Look, well whoever you are. Thank you. Your name isn't here but that's a good question and the most important thing is that these things that you talk about kindness, compassion, they are in you, they are in you. You know exactly what anger is and what does anger look like? This is this emotion. It comes in and explodes, you turn red, your blood pressure goes up, your heart is pounding, you're mad, you you know, you know exactly what anger is like and after that anger is past you can of course look back and say "yeah that made me angry." Are you that familiar with kindness? You know what hate is like but are you that familiar as you are familiar with hate, are you that familiar with kindness. Are you that familiar with compassion? Are you that familiar with peace? Are you that familiar with joy? Are you that familiar with happiness? If you're not, therein lies the problem. Because you should be. Those things are in you at any given moment. Those things exist in you at any given moment. It's not like you leave your happiness behind. It is not like you leave your compassion behind. It's not like you leave your joy behind wherever you go and whatever you do its right then and there, just like anger. Just like hate, just like confusion. We truly need to understand these other attributes. And when we begin to really understand these attributes then there is something inside of us that will begin to choose those attributes over the attributes that we by default choose now which is anger and fear and everything else.

With so many people with this coronavirus thing, the biggest thing people are afraid, and why are people afraid? Oh what's going to happen to me? when you look at the numbers and I was looking at them this morning, as far more people who have died of natural death than from this coronavirus. Its not right its not good. I'm not saying that but when you look at the numbers in terms of just what happens every day, it's not a huge thing. The numbers are not that big even though they're exponentially growing and growing and growing and this is again a lot of the world leaders are not doing such a good job of leading people but regardless of that what do you think being scared of this thing of coronavirus will do? Absolutely nothing, all you need to do like I said is have that goal: don't give it to someone, don't get it from someone.

So we are very familiar with some attributes that we have but we are not familiar with the other attributes we have. Knowing yourself then truly becomes knowing those attributes as well saying "yes I have anger and I don't like anger but I have compassion. I have joy" and more familiar you get easier it becomes to choose those. Understanding that that's who you are, your value and and and this is an example that I give is: what is the value of a box, of a small box and maybe all that has that box you know all it holds is a ring and the value of the ring is like $200,000 then what is then what is the value of the box? Well maybe the value of the box is $50, $10, $20 whatever but so far that ring is in that box the value of that box is also $200,000. This is what you have to understand. Take out the ring from the box and the value of the box is $50, $5, $10, whatever. So far that ring is in that box. The value of that box is equal to that and then that's the same thing that's happening to you. So far in you there is that thing called life, your value is infinite. Take that away and of course nothing. This is just a box and this is what happens. So be more familiar with those attributes that you have, fall in love with those attributes and then you can enjoy this life more and more and more

Another question. "Thank you Prem. Might you say something to those who have the virus. I have been texting the lockdown clips to many people who don't know you, so fantastic for everyone." Well all I can say is look again the same thing, do this you have the virus ,they've told you you have the virus, be patient, feel good, get good sleep and face this thing with courage. Face this thing with courage, not with fear. Face this thing with courage. You will get better. People want you to get better. But you need to have that hope coming from inside of you. Do this with courage. Do this with patience. Let it run its course. Take the steps that are necessary. Feel well. Take those steps that are necessary and I hope that you have an incredible speedy recovery and that would be wonderful.

Here's somebody who writes uh "Hi Prem, I'd like to thank you for everything that you have shown me and for helping me. My daughter asked me a couple of years ago when she was 7 or 8 dad when I die will I remember you and when you die will you remember me? I didn't want to be a sir(??) so I replied good question but I really don't know. I've been thinking a lot ever since. So the question for me became does the heart have a memory or is it only aware of the moment now?" Um when you love someone and you are with that person, what exactly do you get out of them? What did they bring you when? When? When do you see that person? You love that person. They bring you joy. So what does that mean? Joy. They bring you joy. Well, what does joy look like? Has it got their name stamped on it? or does that just make you feel good? Being with that person, thinking of that person and that's what the heart knows about that feeling, that goodness, that that joy, that that other person might bring. Maybe the catalyst. They're just a catalyst for it. And of course, through whatever. If you have brought joy to each other. She to you and you to her then you will carry that joy without any labels of names, forever. Because the heart is about being full and you may not be taking when you go to somebody's house and you have a wonderful dinner. You don't take that dinner with you wherever you go. After one week, two weeks, three weeks. But you will remember that good time that you had at that dinner and life is like that. So I hope that that answers your question. So I'm not being very specific I know, but the heart is about being full and if she brings joy to you and you bring joy to her and this is what's so important in the relationships that we really understand that that's what it is about you know how can I bring joy to that other person and how can I receive the joy that that other person brings to me? Then it's really just that, just that and that's a gift that you give to her that has no value. Monetarily you could never fix a value to it. The value of it is infinite and the joy that she brings to you, the value of that is infinite. There is no limit to it so I I hope that that helps. So thank you very much and I'll see you all very soon. There's quite a few more questions by the way but we're going to keep the time about the same so I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 8

Hello, everyone. I hope this video finds you all well. And again, just continuing with the questions today.

Another question is, "I'm confined with my wife, my mother-in-law and my daughter, eight-year-old Laura. Laura and me try to get the best of this time and I share with her your thoughts and guidance and she likes it. But my wife and my mother-in-law are quite afraid with anxiety. I would like to help them but I do not know how. Can you help me? Thanks." And this is a question from Pedro.

Good question, Pedro-because I think a lot of people are very afraid of this thing, of what's going to happen. And it's not a big deal. When it really comes down to it, you have to take a few precautions.

Now, this virus is a common-cold virus, from what I have understood. And it really has very mild symptoms, unless you have problems, underlying problems; then it can get quite complicated. This is my understanding of what I have heard from various different doctors.

But basically, if you keep your hands clean and don't touch your face, stay away from the person who possibly is a carrier for this disease, not be in an environment where their sneeze or something like that could be hanging around for a long time, then you really don't have much to worry about.

So it's, if you're in isolation and you're not going out there and you're maintaining your distance, keeping your hands clean and not touching your nose and mouth and eyes, you have very little to be afraid of.

That may be a fact that goes in and makes a difference for a person or doesn't. But really, what they need to understand is "There is still life. And the appreciation that they can have for this life is still important." They'll be okay. If they take precautions, they'll be okay.

But, you know, and maybe in this particular set of circumstances, people get very confused-but hey, you've got to take those precautions when you cross the street!

You know, and a lot of times, when Americans go to England-and they drive on the other side of the road-and, you know, it's quite easy to look the wrong way to see if the traffic is coming. And that's, you know, they see, "Oh, yeah, it's clear," and they step out and they could be stepping out right in front of an oncoming car.

So, precautions, we have to always take. If we don't take those precautions, we don't manage to do or get our job done that we have to do.

So, it really is a question of setting the priorities straight. The priority cannot be to get scared. Because what that does is it'll drag your body down. It wears on you.

And when that happens-I mean, anxiety, people are anxious about something-and they don't sleep well. And that's the worst thing you can do for your immune system. You need to get good sleep for your immune system to be at its peak, so you don't have to.

See, the good news is, you can take precautions-and these precautions will assure you that you won't get it. It's as simple as that. And so there's no reason to be afraid.

"Dear Prem, I have a question. Please, what can we offer, especially our children and grandchildren in times like these, apart from each other, kindness, love and empathy?" This is from Barbara, from Vienna.

Hello, Barbara. Good question. "What can we offer them?" The first thing-our family that we are maybe in lockdown with, one thing I wanted to tell you is, "Give everybody elbow room. Give everybody some space." This is one of those things that, if we don't do that, (especially if we are locked up in a house or a relatively small space), it can truly, truly drive everybody crazy.

So, please, take that kindness and make it mean something. And not just, "Oh, yeah, I'm going to be kind to you." But make it mean something. And the way you can make it mean something is to give each other empathy, give each other that space that is very, very, very, very important.

So, I just, you know-and truly enjoy each other's company, instead of sitting there and trying to find faults with each other. Because families have a way of doing that spectacularly. They just sit there and, "No, now that's not how you do it. That's wrong; this is that," dah-dat-dat-dat, dah…. And this just drives everybody crazy.

Instead of doing that, give everybody space; give everybody respect. You know, we're so eager to respect everybody outside of our family circle-but this is really a good time to give each other some respect, give each other some space, give each other some empathy, give each other some sympathy when it's necessary.

Give each other an understanding. And appreciate each other's company. When you appreciate something, something beautiful actually takes place.

And you need to appreciate each other's company because, in fact, you do like each other. You don't express it, but you do like each other. So, it's a wonderful time to really do that, when you are in that situation, when it's a lockdown situation.

"My question is, I am on some chat groups and people are having a difficult time and coming from a place of 'doom and gloom.' I want to share my thoughts with them about the beauty that we have-but I am a bit concerned that, because they have a very different perspective than me, they will not appreciate it. I don't want to offend anybody by seemingly making light of the current situation.

"Do I share my thoughts and feelings only with those who I know share my perspective-or do I try to share with those who don't?" And this is from David. I don't know where you are from, David, but, great question.

And the reason why it's a good question is because, you know, "Do you let people know the good news?" You don't have to make light of it; it's a serious situation for a lot of people.

And it is a serious situation. Because this is one of those viruses that, even though it's in the family of viruses we get as a common cold-but this is one that we had never experienced before. This one hadn't made that jump-and this one has made that jump.

And this is not the time for blaming each other or, you know, getting into that kind of stuff. But this is the time to really take everything one step at a time!

And the "doom and gloom" situation, people always want to paint that. You know, my suggestion to you would be, "Try; see how it goes." Maybe you don't get one hundred percent; maybe you get ten percent; maybe you get five percent, people who appreciate the message which is positive.

That would be wonderful. Because this is not the time of doom and gloom. I mean, there is no point in sitting there and lamenting, "My boat is sinking; my boat is sinking; my boat is sinking; my boat is sinking." That's not going to stop the boat from sinking! Do something; for God's sake, do something.

And one of the most important things is to have a realistic perspective on this situation; weigh out all the bits and pieces, not just one thing.

Because, look, I say this many times. It's like, you're driving a car-and you see a sign and it says, "Speed limit," you know, "fifty miles an hour" or whatever. What do you do?

Do you take your head and stick it on top of the speedometer and say, "Well, that's the limit-and it didn't talk about limit of 'left' and 'right' and this and that or, you know, hitting another car. No, I'm just going to make sure that I'm driving exactly fifty miles an hour-and hone in on that."

Well, that's going to definitely get you into an accident. And that's what happens sometimes; people just zoom in on one thing.

And, you know, it's like, I always question this one thing, "Why is it that people love to watch horror movies?" I mean, some of them are really grotesque. But some people enjoy that-they enjoy getting scared. And it's like a "safe scary" thing, but they love being scared.

And so, maybe it's another thing that's just playing out for people, "Oh, it's like, yeah, the doom and the gloom of it all. And it's like, terrible and this is horrible and-we're all going to die and, you know, I…."

But the thing is, human beings have gone through a lot. There have been plagues; there have been things that the medical science wasn't there to even help out with. We are in a much, much better situation. At least, we can understand this. And we have a way to be able to understand this.

Now, are all the governments doing what they're supposed to be doing? I don't think so. And that-I'm not here to criticize them. We need to just get through this period. And that's what's important.

And so, yeah, "doom and gloom" is not what it's about. I know there are people; I come across them all the time-you pull over to a stoplight and there's, music is playing. And it's not coming from my car; it's coming from another car.

They certainly are upbeat about their music and they want the whole world to hear it! I mean, they've got their windows rolled down; they're just going at it. And it's like, "Look what I've got. And I'm playing this song…."

You enjoy. You enjoy yourself, first of all. You enjoy this message; great, enjoy it. You don't want to be part of the "doom and gloom," then don't be.

And, you know, if you want to help people, sure, help them out. Maybe they will appreciate it; maybe they won't. If they don't, shut up. And if they do, keep going. It's as simple as that. (Maybe I made it sound too simple.) So, I hope that helps.

Another one is, "My question is, 'how to recognize that you are slipping back into unconsciousness before it takes hold-and you're swept away into the drama and emotions?' Thank you." From Karen.

Hello, Karen. A great question. It's a great question; this-and I'm telling you, this is relative to the situation that we are facing today. And this is very relevant in terms of every day that we live.

So, question is, "How do we recognize-you are slipping back into unconsciousness?" Because you're going too fast. Things are happening too fast; slow down. Slow down. Take it one step at a time. That's how life is meant to be lived.

Just because the world has gone on this tweak of, "Let's see how much you can do, how advanced you can be, how much you can accomplish…." You know, look, I used to be one of those people who used to advocate 150 percent, 200 percent. The reality is, there is no such thing as 200 percent.

My understanding since then is, "Take it easy, one step at a time. What are you doing? What are you about to do?" Give it some thought. That's what consciousness is about. "What am I experiencing? What am I feeling? Where am I headed? What are the consequences of what I am about to do?"

If people could do that, my God, all of a sudden, you wouldn't have a need for prisons. You wouldn't have a need for all these, you know, guns coming out and all these things that keep on happening.

If people could just have that in their life, very simple: "Slow down. Take it easy. Do things eyes wide open, not eyes closed. Understand what you are about to do." And these are the ways. Because when that speed comes, that's what speed does; it makes you blind to the obviousness of what you are about to do.

What a great way to practice this-what a great way to practice this every day that you are in the lockdown, because you can afford to slow down. You don't have to-well, what are you going to speed up for? You know, there's no reason to.

So, great question; "Slow down." And look at it and assess what you're doing, assess what's going on. Be cognizant of things that you are about to do-instead of just doing them and then looking at the consequences later. So, I hope that helps.

Okay, here is another one that has to do with "the consequences of unconsciousness is doom." "Is it possible the extent of the doom can make it impossible to experience the joy in the now? Needless to say, I found myself in a deep hole. Michelle."

Look, I'm sorry you found yourself in a deep hole. You shouldn't be. Because had you been conscious, you could have avoided it.

You know, the whole issue isn't-in life, the whole issue isn't about making things disappear, making your problems disappear. It's really about going around them, learning the art of going around your problem, around….

You know, you don't have to look at the mountain and say, "Well, I've got to go over that mountain." No, find a way around that problem. So much easier, so much nicer, so much more doable. And that's how it should be.

So, don't be unconscious-because that's not what life wants you to be! Life wants you to be very conscious-and appreciating, every day, everything that is happening around you.

I don't know if I've ever really said that "the consequences of unconsciousness is doom"-but I do agree that it's pretty darn close to it.

And always understand one thing. There is nothing that you cannot change. You have a choice. At any given moment, you can always come down from the mountain and say, "Okay, I'll find a way around this mountain; I'll find a way around my problems; I'll find a way around these issues."

This is a choice you can always make-always make. And would it be a waste of time? No, it actually may save you a lot more time than you realize.

So, I hope that helps. And please, don't be in a deep hole; don't be in a pickle. You can come out of it. And you figured out how to get into it; you can figure out how to get out of it. And then, once you do? Most important thing is, "avoid, avoid, avoid."

So, that's all the time we have for today. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 9

Hello, everyone. I hope you're doing well under the circumstances-I know that there are some people who are watching this video, who are going to be watching this video who are infected. I hope it's not too bad for you.

Serious times, serious issues-but the issues of feeling well are still relevant, of feeling good is still relevant, of feeling safe is still relevant, of feeling well is still relevant.

"So, isn't it just, shouldn't it be all about just this problem?" No, because this is a problem which can absolutely go out of proportion for us.

If we don't look at it in correct proportions-and the proportions are, "Yes, it's serious. But at the same time, there is something else going on. There's also another urgency besides this pandemic, this coronavirus pandemic. And that is your life, your existence. You."

This is a hiccup in your journey of life, your understanding, your road-and the destination that you have chosen for yourself. So the question, of course, becomes, "What is it that you have chosen?" There are many, many ideas; there are many, many issues-but right now, things that truly matter are things that you can do something about.

Because this is not…. You know, in a way, you can't do much about the disease itself and the way it spreads and so on and so forth. But you can, of course, take the precautions so it doesn't get you.

And that's something that can be very empowering-for yourself! Wash your hands; maintain that distance. You know, don't give it and don't get it from other people.

Of course, first, try not to get it-but if you do get it, well, still come with the sense of courage and clarity and understanding. That's still required. And those are the things that I want to talk about.

So, to me, it's not an issue of, "Can I stop the earthquake?" No, but I can help you strengthen the house. And that's what's important, so if the earthquake comes or the earthquake is there, at least, the house is strong enough, flexible enough that it'll take whatever comes its way.

And this is what we need to talk about; this is what we need to understand. Because, what have you got? Take a look at the basics-absolutely, the basics. You have life! You still, under the circumstances-you still have this wonderful thing called "existence."

You exist! You are! You can feel. You can understand. You have a heart. You still favor kindness over hate. You still favor joy over pain, over suffering. You still favor clarity over doubt-you still do that because of who you are, of you being a human being.

Maybe you didn't come with an instruction manual, but you sure came with a whole bunch of preferences. And you prefer that beautiful serenity over the turmoil of this world.

It is the sense: "Finally, we have to be in control of us!" And what do I mean by that? Because all day long we go around abdicating the responsibility of our wellbeing to somebody else. "Oh, the doctor will take of me. Oh, so-and-so will take care of me; the government will take care of me."

Right now, some of the leaders, (now, not all of them, of course), but some of the leaders are so twanged-out. I mean, they're just, they have checked out. It's incredible. It's unbelievable.

There are people who are working overtime-in the healthcare industry, people who are working-and they're being applauded and I applaud them. And they're having to bear the consequences of the decisions of some of these leaders who have no idea what they're talking about, no idea what they're doing.

But finally, here is the chance to understand one thing. And that this is not the time to blame-anybody. But it is time to take charge of your existence.

I have been saying that, not today-all along: "You need to take charge of your life. You are the angel that has come who's going to save you." But I've been saying that so many times. But now there is no question about it-and absolutely no question about it. Will your technology save you? Absolutely not.

You know, buying a new phone isn't going to save you anymore. Somebody introduces something different; that isn't going to make any difference.

Right now, you're back to simple basics. "What?" Maintain the six-feet distance; wash your hands. Isolate, isolate, isolate. "Wow. You mean, right now, no government can help me if I don't isolate?" No. "I need to wake up to the possibility of me?" Yes. "Do I need to get my program right?" Yes.

"And how am I going to make it tolerable, this isolating period, you know, and everything else?" Well, that's what you have to do!

So now, the question will come, "Oh, by the way, do you know who you are?" And this is why I say, you know, three things. If you could do three things: "Know yourself; live your life consciously…."

And this has become a big issue, "live your life consciously." Not only do you get to live your life, but you have to live it consciously. You have to be very aware of, "What am I touching; what am I doing? Oh, who is that; where is that and well, and what's going on?"

"Live your life consciously." And third, "Have gratitude in your life." Because that makes it possible to tolerate all this-to have gratitude. To feel thankful in this heart-even in the midst of all this, to feel, "Wow, I'm still alive." And every day that I am alive, to be thankful. To actually appreciate.

So, here is the whole essence of it-you! And you have to come-and yet, it's almost like you have to mature. And maybe for something like this, you know, we would-of course, we pass on the responsibility to somebody else. It's like, "It's, somebody else will take care of me."

You know, there are a lot of people-and they're just like, "Oh, yeah, well, I'll just, you know, I'll take care of all my problems if I just walk into the church." "And I'll take care of all my problems; I'll go to the temple and I will, you know, do prostration in front of the idol and everything will be fine." But now you can't go there. So what are you going to do?

How incredibly convenient that the one you need to pray to is right within inside of you. Brilliant. I mean, brilliant. So, come this kind of problem, not an issue. That the ocean of serenity is inside of you-brilliant, brilliant! That the ocean of clarity is inside of you, brilliant.

And this is the time to know and to understand and to feel that one thing: "That there is a drop in the ocean, everyone knows. But there is an ocean in the drop, only a few know." This is the time to find that ocean in the drop, because that drop that Kabir is talking about is you. Is you! Find that ocean in this drop.

And right now, all of the buzz that's going on, that's got to stop. You need to know facts. Not fiction. Every step that you take needs to be with facts, not fiction.

You need to be clear; you need to-really, this is the time to understand the value of clarity. This is the time to understand the value of being conscious. This is the time to understand the value of being complete-and this the time to understand the value of being and coming from strength, not weakness. Because you make those mistakes-and the coronavirus will have its field day with you.

The ideal situation? Yes, that's what would be the ideal situation, is that you could avoid the pandemic. And then, maintain your health till some solution is-they find a vaccine or something like that and then, you know, sort that out. That would be the ideal solution, but some people can't wait that long; they already have it.

But again, you have…. See, you know, you have to understand, there is a doctor in you too, by the way-of all the things you have in you, you have a doctor in you too-and a laboratory that's constantly performing the tests, saying, "Ah! I don't know that one. I don't know that coronavirus; I'm going to have to come up with antibodies for that coronavirus."

And that's the first doctor that comes in a first response. And what are they doing? In a lot of places where they see that, you know, you've got these, the symptoms, they send you, "Well, go home and isolate yourself." Well, this is so that your doctor can heal you.

But that doctor works the best when you're coming from strength, when you're coming from happiness, when you're coming from joy, when you're coming from clarity, even under the dire circumstances.

And this is so powerful; this is such a powerful time. Because everything that I have been saying kind of plays out.

And I'm not saying like, "I was right and you're wrong"-and that's not my point. But my point is, "Take heed of what I am saying. Take heed of what I'm saying, because what I have been saying is going to help you now." And those people who have been taking heed of that, they know what I am talking about.

So, that goodness in you has to get sparked. That goodness in you has to come out. Those two wolves that fight in you-the good wolf has to get fed. Now is not the thing of just, you know, doing the experimenting of, you know, "What happens if I feed the bad wolf?" Well, no, this is the time to feed the good wolf, period.

This is not the time for the questions; this is not the time for all the million different issues; this is the time to know. This is not the time for believing; this is the time for "Know; know the value of knowing."

This is the time for you to emerge, to mature within yourself. In your understanding, to grow. In your understanding-and finding yourself, knowing yourself, living your life consciously and having a heart full of gratitude. To me, this sounds like a winning formula, an incredibly good winning formula.

So, be safe; be well. Be. And I'll see you again. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 10

"How fortunate you are that you're the caretaker of the most magnificent gift there ever can be-and it's called 'life.' It's called 'a human being'-that aspires to be free, to be content, to be in peace. Be in peace. Be in joy. Fulfill those aspirations of the heart. And you, too, will see the value of life." - Prem Rawat Audio

Prem Rawat:

Hello, hello, hello, everyone. I hope you're all well, safe-and healthy in this time of coronavirus.

So, I'd like to just talk a little bit about, you know, so much that I hear all day long that goes on-a lot of uncertainty, a lot of bad decisions being taken. On one hand, yes, all these things that are happening out there affect us; of course they do. And some of those bad decisions, of course, affect us.

Because you look at the United States; it's number one now. For the wrong reasons, it's number one. And when you look at the population of China versus the population of the United States, it's a lot less than China. And they actually did fare better. (And just, yeah, I'm just looking at numbers, okay; I'm not looking at political situations.)

So, we have to make some decisions for ourselves. And what decisions are those that we have to make? Well, under the circumstances, I cannot guarantee many things. But I can guarantee one thing to myself-that I will feel well within me. This I can guarantee.

Because I can do something about that. I may not be able to do anything about coronavirus; I may not be able to do anything about the testing; I may not be able to do anything about a million other things, the economy, the this, the that. But whatever happens, wherever I end up, wherever the situations end up….

Because, you know, it's not easy. And everybody would love to know; everybody would love to say, "Yeah, this is where it'll be." But it's very difficult, because it's just one mistake after another mistake after another mistake-and I'm sure they're going to keep on making the mistakes.

But a long time ago, when the Arab Spring began and I was meeting some political figures-I was in Italy-and this lady I remember, she was very touched by everything that was going on with the Arab Spring. And she said, "How are people going to survive? How are people going to be okay? This is so bad."

And I said, "That's the only thing, ultimately, that ends up being okay-are the people. We have continued to be. Many regimes, many kings, many emperors have come and gone; many civilizations have come and gone, but ultimately, we have survived."

And that's a pretty big statement. You know, when you look at these mighty empires that have fallen-but people have gone on. And they have morphed; they have allowed themselves to exist.

So, what can I do? Well, first of all, I have to come from strength, not weakness. Because weakness is not going to allow me to see the possibilities that might exist at that point in time. And the second, most important thing-you have to be flexible.

Last night, this is what I was thinking about-it's like, you see these trees. And there are trees that are very rigid; they don't flex-and they break! They're gone; they're done. And those trees that are flexible in the wind, in the storm, survive-because they can flex, because they can bend, because they can move.

Now, of course, you know, the way we see ourselves is like, "Well, I'm not mobile; I am this-and this is who I am." We want to see ourselves as a rock. But when that storm comes, that's not the best thing to be. The best thing to be is to be flexible. Now, I'll give you an example.

When I was in Brazil-of course, I left Spain and I flew to Brazil. And the reason why I left Spain is to go to Argentina-and then after Argentina, I was supposed to go to Uruguay. And everything was set-and we were going to do some events and, you know, "going to visit a prison and all that was going to be great."

So I was looking forward to that. And I flew from Barcelona, flew to Brazil. And I was in Brazil. And then all of a sudden, (it was like, I think, the second day), I was supposed to go. And all of a sudden, it was like, "No, nobody's coming into Argentina; it's a lockdown."

"Wow. What's going to happen now? Can we go to Uruguay? Naah, I don't want to go to Uruguay because I don't want to do an event and have all these people coming to see me…. And that could really, you know, trigger a coronavirus thing. And so, you know, I don't want that, the COVID-19; I don't want that."

So I decided not to go. "So, what am I going to do? Maybe they'll lift this; maybe something will happen."

And it was so frustrating. Because it was like, "Okay, let's go to Africa then; let's go to South Africa." "No, you can't go to South Africa," because by the time they found out that, you know, we could go to South Africa, then the next day it came out, "You can't go to South Africa because they're going into a lockdown."

And I was like, "Well, wait a minute. What am I going to do? What am I going to do?" And then all of a sudden, I realized that the situation was so fluid-it was like water. It was just changing, changing, changing, changing, changing, changing, changing….

And you know, change is one of those things. Most people are afraid of a change. They don't understand what that change is all about and so they're like, "I don't want to change. I don't want things to change."

Well, in that moment, believe me, I didn't want things to change; I had a plan. And, you know, my plan involved a lot of things. It wasn't just me. It was all the people in Argentina who were going to come and see me; it involved those people; it involved a whole crew that was going to go down there for the stage setup, for the microphone setup, for the audio, video, all that setup that needed to happen.

And then, all the permissions that had been gotten for the prison, for my visit there. So, it was just this huge preparation that was afoot. And they had been waiting for a very, very long time for me to come. But it's like, "Okay, stop. Look at the situation. It's not going according to your 'plan,' quote-unquote, 'plan.'" What is that plan?

You know, we have a camera-and the camera is here. And this camera makes pictures. I didn't say "takes" pictures, mind you; I said it "makes" pictures. So this camera up here makes pictures. And these pictures are very, very powerful. They are not to be underestimated-and they are the root reason why I have expectations, because of these pictures that are created here.

So, first, first, reaction, "Try to make it happen." It's not going to happen; it's out of your control. The situation is so fluid, you've got to become like water.

Now, you know, when you're packing and traveling, packing, you have to be very careful of liquids. Because even if you don't tighten a cap completely tight, it will leak out-because that is the nature of liquid. It requires so little space; it is so fluid that it'll take any opportunity that it gets and it'll escape. It'll go where it wants to go.

So, all of a sudden, it was like, "Wait a minute. Why am I fighting all this? Because what I really need to do is be as fluid as the situation requires. Then there is no problem." Then there is absolutely no problem.

Now, as a pilot, we do this all the time. I mean, if there is a thunderstorm sitting on your airway, you don't stress. You go, "I'm going to go around it." You take a look at your radar, take a look at your satellite picture and make a, you know, good, informed decision of which way best to go around that.

You'll take a look at the wind. And if the wind is blowing one way, you don't want to go downwind of that thunderstorm. If you can, go upwind. And if you go downwind, you may have to go for quite a while to get around it.

And you make a good, informed decision. You know, see if you're going to top it, not top it; "Do you need to go around?" And of course, it's not a good idea to try to top it.

If it's just a small thunderstorm, it doesn't matter. But if it's a big one, you know, and you lost an engine or something; you're on top of it-then you have to go down? And what are you going to do? Because down below is something you don't want to get into.

So, what you do is you go around, go around it. So, I realized, "I have to be fluid; I have to go-I have to work with this situation. The situation isn't going to work with me; I have to work with it." And then it just all started to make sense. It's like, "Yeah. In my life, that's the way it is. I have to be fluid."

Now, easy enough said under these circumstances. But when these circumstances are not there, do I understand that I have to be fluid then, too?

Or am I just sitting there making pictures-this camera up here is making pictures, not taking pictures, making pictures-and these pictures are pretty powerful pictures. I want things to be a certain way-and that's it! "If it doesn't work out that way, it's terrible."

And, you know, so, there are people who are going to say, "Well, you know, the rich and the powerful, they have that picture and they work for it." Yeah, some of the rich and powerful have destroyed their entire fortune because of that picture in their head. And it goes on every day. It goes on every day. The picture gets created. And then it's like, "I will try to make it happen the way this picture is."

But it's not about that. It's not about making that picture happen. There is something else that has already been created and taken-there is a picture that has already been taken. And that picture is your wellness, your safety, your strength, your courage. You see, that's the whole thing.

Everybody in this world knows about all the negatives that you have in you. You know about those; no questions asked, you know about the anger; you know about the fear; you know about the doubt; you know about the uncertainty. Nobody in this world has to explain those to you.

But you don't know about these other things that you have. And unfortunately, these other things are really, really powerful. Kindness-to yourself first. Because unless that kindness is working for you, you're not going to be able to be kind to others.

I know you want to be kind to others, because that's the doctrine that you have been preached. But the way it begins is first, that kindness has to be for you. First thing, the clarity, before you can put out any clarity for somebody else, that clarity has to be there for you!

Otherwise, if you are not able to see…. You know, what good does it do for a driver if everybody else can see fine, but the driver can't see? How long is that bus ride going to last; how long is that car ride going to last? How long is it going to be that that flight is going to be safe, if the pilot cannot see but everybody else can see just fine?

So, and you know, this is the caution that they have for the oxygen masks: "If you have a baby or if you have a child, first put your mask on. Because if you pass out because of the lack of oxygen, you will never be able to help that little child."

So, you have to have that clarity first-you have to have that kindness first; you have to have that understanding first-and then and then only will you be able to effect it for somebody else.

So, this is what it becomes; this is what it is all about. You, as a human being, have these traits; you have these strengths. But because, whatever-you know, maybe nobody taught you that you had these strengths. But you know you have them. Well, this is the time to use them.

And if you do, if you come with clarity, if you come with understanding, if you come, not with doubt, but just clear, then I don't see a problem. In the long run of it, I don't see a problem. You will be able to make steps-especially those pictures that get created in your mind, if you were to be able to put them aside.

It happens-I see it everywhere, everywhere! I mean, I give this as an example. And one time it was my grandson's birthday, and we had gotten him some presents that we were saving for the later part of his birthday party. And we had gotten him some presents that he got to open before.

He comes to me and he goes, "That's the worst birthday I have ever had." And I'm like, "Whoa." You know, and then when he opened his really neat presents, he was like, "Oh, no, okay, this is a good birthday."

Where did that come from? Because he had something in his brain, in his mind, of how his birthday should be-and it wasn't going according to that plan; it had changed.

You look at people who get married-and there used to be a whole show; it was called Bridezillas. And, you know, brides gone crazy because they have this idea of how the whole wedding should be-and it wasn't going according to the plan.

So this camera that you have up there, makes some pretty powerful pictures. And then you try to weigh everything against that: "How is that; how is that; how is that; how is that; how is that?" And that's how your world revolves.

So, even in these circumstances, it's kind of a little bit funny. Because right now, you didn't know what to expect, so this thing wasn't really producing any kind of pictures. But now it slowly, as time wears on, starts producing pictures: "This is how it should be; this is how it should be; this is how it should be."

You know, why can't families come together and tolerate each other-because of the pictures! "I expect this of you; I expect this of you and I expect this of you," and it's all about expectations.

Put those aside and all of a sudden, you have a very fluid human being and you have a very fluid situation-that can move, that can change, that can go with it. And that's who you are. This is your possibility. This is what you can be.

You don't have to be this other being that is confused all the time, that is wondering and puzzled and bewildered and, you know, looking at anything of "where is that planet and where is this and where is that? And how does that work and how does that work and how does that…?" No, you don't have to be that.

You can come from strength; you can come from clarity-and whatever the situation and whatever curveballs the situation throws at you, I want you to know that you have enough strength that you can tolerate any curveball coronavirus or anything throws at you. You can endure it; you can take care of yourself; you can be. You can be safe.

Of course, that's between the two walls-that's between the two walls, that's the possibility. And your life, your existence should mean everything to you, because it is. It is the most precious gift, most beautiful gift that has been given to you, that already has been given to you-and you're the caretaker.

How fortunate you are that you're the caretaker of the most magnificent gift there ever can be-and it's called "life." It's called "a human being"-that aspires to be free, that aspires to be content, that aspires to be in peace.

Be in peace. Be in joy. Fulfill those aspirations of the heart-and you too will see the value of life.

So, again, hope you feel good. Be safe and be well. And be. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 11

Hello, everyone. I hope everyone is well, doing well. And what I want to talk about today is about feeling hope, feeling good.

Because that's something you can do. You don't have to feel victimized by this; you don't have to feel like "Oh my God, you know, this is the most horrible thing"-even though it is! It is the most horrible thing.

But you don't have to be victimized by it. You can understand that you are the source of your own treasure. And you have a tremendous amount of treasure in you. You have hope in you; you have clarity in you; you have understanding in you. And these are the things you have to dig up now-for real. I mean, what other option do you have?

So, something has to happen; something like reality has to hit. I mean, here it is! You know, so what are you going to do? Things are not looking that good. You know, we're almost, not quite-you know, we're at the 800,000-plus mark, very rapidly approaching a million people.

And a huge death rate-not that bad, but still, one is too many, in my opinion. And there's a lot of bad news out there, "Oh, this is terrible; that's terrible and everything…." And yeah, there is-you know, we rely so much on world leaders to see us out of these pickles and these….

And some of the, some leaders are good, no question about it. But some leaders are out to lunch and they have not come back and they're not coming back anytime soon. Because everything they do, they're just more confused and more confused-I mean, truly, there's no leadership in some places.

So, what happens next? You know, you have to stay isolated; the situation is not that good. "Where is the money going to come from? Where is the job security going to come from? Where are all these things going to come from?" Well, good questions. Truly, truly good questions.

And what can I do? I can't open up a factory somewhere and try to offer jobs to people-I wish I could. So, what do I do; what can I do? Well, maybe I can help you tap into a source of hope, a source of clarity, a source of understanding, a source of the light that is in you.

So, not that it's going to answer all your questions. But you, as a human being, will be far more fulfilled, better prepared to move forward, better prepared to take on this coronavirus, better prepared, in fact, to take on whatever might come your way.

And that would be a wonderful thing. That would be a wonderful thing. Because in life, bad things do happen. Things that are not wanted, things that we don't like, they do happen. And when they do happen, you know, we get stumped, where it's like, "Oh my God, now what's going to happen?"

And that's the obvious question, "Now what's going to happen? I'm ruined; I'm destroyed; I'm this; I'm that." And we can-it's so easy for us to take on the negative side of things. And maybe we say, "Well, but that's the reality."

But there is another reality. And I would like to point out that reality to you. Under this dismal situation, under this incredible darkness, what you really need is a beacon, is a light. And there is one. And that's the good news; there is one.

And that beacon, that light is in you. You are the source. You are that angel that has come, that can save-you, you! You are that beacon that you're looking for, that little hope, that little knowing, "Okay, there, there, there it is."

And, you know, when you go out in the ocean, when you can see the land it's a whole different feeling; it's a whole different feeling-you can see the land. You know exactly where you are: "Okay, there is that. And if something happens, that's the way we'll end up with; that's the way we'll go."

But then when you get out further-no land-and all you see is water, water, water, water everywhere. Water, water, water everywhere. And it all looks the same! Of course, it all looks the same. "So, where are we going?"

Well, at that moment, there is something that you have to look at. And if you don't have anything fancy or something like that, but if you have a compass-because that compass is always pointing to that magnetic north.

What is that magnetic north? That is telling you, "There, the north is that way. And if your course is east (090), then steer 090 and you will go east-180 and you'll go south, 270 and you'll go west. You want to go north? No problem; follow the compass."

Do you have a compass? Yes, you do. You have a compass within you. Not here. But here-the compass that always points to what the reality truly is. The reality? The reality is "You are alive." The reality is "You exist."

And so far you exist, you have incredible hope. You can accomplish anything you want! Anything that is not favorable to you, you can change it. This is the possibility.

And one of the examples I give-things didn't go very well for Ram. You know, a few thousand years ago-and things did not go well for him. He, the day-and you've already heard the story-the day he was supposed to be christened the king, he was instead told, "No, you're not going to be crowned the king-but you have to go and be exiled for fourteen years."

He'd recently just gotten married-and he said to his wife; he says, "Well, okay, I won't see you for fourteen years." And she said, "No way. I'm coming with you." Looked at his brother and his younger brother, he said, "Well, I'm coming with you too."

So, that's bad enough, right? So, you're not going to be king and you've got to go out into the jungle for fourteen years…. Okay, now you don't have any technology. You've got to go out in this jungle; where are you going? No, to no particular place. Just wandering around, finding food, literally, just from the trees, bushes-berries, fruits, vegetables, whatever he can get hold of. You're in exile!

Does it get worse? Well, of course it gets worse. Well, what happens? Well, what happens is, in the midst of all this, Sita gets stolen, kidnapped by Ravan and gets taken to Lanka. Now, Ram doesn't even know where he's taken her.

So, finally he meets some people who say, "Okay, you know, she's in Lanka; this is where Ravan has taken her, so why don't you go there?" So he goes.

And you think that's bad enough? No! Now, what's he going to do? This king, Ravan, the king of Lanka, he is mighty; he's powerful! How is he going to take him on? He's got an army; Ram doesn't have an army.

Ram doesn't have an army; Ravan has a huge army. And not only that; the army, Ravan's army is made up of monsters! And so, how is Ram going to even take this challenge on?

So, things get worse and worse and worse and worse and worse, but Ram doesn't lose that hope. He doesn't succumb to it. He keeps his head above the water-and he finally gets an army together.

And he-don't start laughing but it is hilarious-the army that Ram gets together is made of monkeys and bears. (Oh my.) And they don't have the technology to make a bridge, so they take rocks-and they get them to float so that they can walk across the barrier to Lanka, to this island.

Never losing hope becomes so important-and there is no reason to lose hope; that's why you need that compass, the compass that's always pointing to that one direction, saying, "There it is! There it is; there is your beacon; there is your light; there is; there it is." And you don't need to lose. You don't need to succumb; you don't need to give in to all of this negativity.

You know, and a lot of times, you know, we come across all that negativity, "Oh, this is a problem; that's a problem," people start to get scared. And now you realize that, you know, social media is no help, no help whatsoever for this. And you have to make those decisions; you have to figure out what is fake, what is real.

And I'm not here to tell you about the bad; I'm here to tell you about the good-always, to tell you that there is that possibility in your life that you can be fulfilled. There is the possibility in your life that you can go forward.

Always, always, so far this breath is in you, keep moving forward. How incredible is that? How amazing is that, that even in this time of where you would lose all hope….

And a lot of people, I'm sure, are sitting there going, "Oh my God, you know, this is the biggest fiasco that ever hit." Maybe it is the biggest fiasco. That just means, that much more, you have to push.

And talking about pushing, you know-you realize what you went through when you were born? Do you have any idea what you went through when you were born?

And somebody told me, it's like a rocket taking off, a huge rocket taking off; that much energy has to be put forth-you, the baby puts forth to get out of the mother's womb.

The transition that you have to make-literally, what maybe took millions of years, to go from totally being submerged in water to oxygen, has to happen in a matter of a few hours.

And the stakes are incredibly high. The stakes are incredibly high. And everything is against you. In a way, everything is against you; you are fragile; you're weak; you have never been in this world before.

And talk about unknown; you're stepping-are you stepping into a total unknown? Absolutely. You have no idea. Your brain isn't working yet, not the way it should be, where you can make decisions and so on and so forth. It's just a feeling and you go for it.

And it takes this incredible amount of energy. And you come out. And from having all that water and surviving on the mother, from the mother, from that, through that umbilical cord, you have to now do everything yourself. You have to now breathe for yourself.

So, the reason why I'm telling you this? You are no stranger to challenges. You are no stranger to challenges. And take on this challenge-and even in the midst of this incredible darkness, find your light. Find your joy; find your hope, find your understanding; find your clarity; find your heart.

And exist-and be! And not only be, but thrive! Feel good! Be. And be thankful. Three things-"Know yourself, live your life consciously-and have a heart full of gratitude." Don't forget those. Don't forget those. That's very, very important.

Know who you are-why? So that you know that these treasures are within you. That'll give you more power; that will empower you more to move forward. That's what you need to do.

You know, instead of going stir-crazy, like, "Oh my God, you know, where am I going to go…?" And the mind comes in and it's like, "Oh, yeah, I want to go there; I want to go there; I want to go there; I want to go there; I want to go there."

Hey, you are the creator of your circumstances. Either you create a heaven for yourself-or you can create a hell for yourself. It's up to you. My recommendation? Create a heaven for yourself. Whilst you're at it, create a heaven for yourself. Enjoy! Enjoy yourself, enjoy being! Enjoy existence.

Give it a thought; give it a thought-the earth is just cruising at thousands and thousands of miles an hour and there you are, totally protected. All is well.

Be. Understand. This breath is coming in you-your power, the mightiest of all things.

So, I hope you have a great day-a wonderful day. Be; be safe; be healthy; be well. And most importantly, be.

I'll see you again. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 12

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all well. I hope you're, under the circumstances, enjoying yourself. Because the true enjoyment has not been locked out; that true enjoyment is always with you. The peace that you are looking for is always with you. And it's a question of truly understanding what is going on, what is happening.

So, you can look at it, "Well, gee, I'm locked down; I'm in lockdown; I have got this situation; you know, I've got this problem; we've got the coronavirus thing happening," and I mean, everything that, you know, comes with it.

And I can understand people getting angry and getting upset. Blaming-blame game: "That guy did that; that guy did that; that guy did that; that guy did that." And of course, easy to blame. And especially the world leaders, that the way they've been, so many of them-not all of all them, but most of them, the way they've been acting is of complete idiots, you know?

And so, what can you do? Whether they have to bear the brunt of it or not, but common people have to. And, you know, give a thought for the poor people; I mean, what have they got? Nothing. Nothing. The way this world is, poor people have got the worst deal you can possibly imagine.

And yet, this is who we are. Everything that we have got in this shopping center, we don't get to take with us. We came empty-handed-and empty-handed we have to go. None of these assets, none of these things, we will ever take. We don't think ourselves as poor-but just like a poor man, that's how we're going to go, not going to take anything with you.

And so, looking at this, understanding all this, what can you do; what is possible? So, what is possible, that's always been possible-it doesn't require money; it doesn't require assets; it doesn't require anything-but it just requires you. That you have these wonderful, wonderful, wonderful assets that are truly yours. Nobody can steal them or a thief cannot come into a room and steal.

There's a story-it's a Zen story and I really like it. Because one time this Master came to his little hut and he realized that a thief had been there and taken all his valuable things. Of course, he didn't say anything and he sat down by the chair by the window. He opened the window-and it was the most magnificent view. The moon was rising, the stars…. It was just gorgeous.

And he said, "Hah-hah! The thief forgot to take the most valuable possession I have."

And I really like that story. Because that, that the heart can appreciate, that you as a human being can truly appreciate, that's what's important; that's what's real. Everything else is in a constant flux of change. It's going to change because that's its nature.

What is our nature, in a way? And it's really not our nature; it's our misunderstanding-and our misunderstanding is, we don't want things to change. We want things to stay exactly as they are. I mean, just look at the industry-and this huge industry of, yeah, "anti-aging industry." They want to make you look exactly how you are not-young.

Young? When you're young, who cares? You know, you've got a face full of zits and it's like, "Okay, that's how it is." Then you get old and you see one wrinkle-and it's like, "Oh my God, oh! No, and my wrinkles are coming; I've got to…." And then you've got an "anti-wrinkle cream."

You know, in India, they have this cream; it's called "Fair and Lovely." So, I was doing an interview with a television station. They asked me; they said, "Oh, you walk in and you're so radiant. How, how come you're so radiant?" I said, (hah!), "Because I use that cream, 'Fair and Lovely.'" I didn't-but it was just a joke to break the ice.

And that's what it's all about-you know, we want to be who we are not! What is this fascination that we have of being something that we are not? Nobody tries to just be human. Can I be just human? Can I be a human being-who has the asset of patience? That's our asset-but see, well, you have to come into that circle of being a human being to understand this asset of being patient.

Because what else are you going to do? You've got to be patient. It's like, "Oh my God! You know, oh, and my God, I'm locked down; I can't do this; I can't do that; I can't-this is wrong; this is wrong; this is wrong; this is wrong." And the list just goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on.

But once you come into that circle of truly being a human being-and appreciating your valuable assets that you have-the patience, the understanding, the clarity, the power that you have, the light that you have inside of you. That even in this time of hopelessness, where the hopelessness starts to come in, to be hopeful.

Why? Because there is a clear, clear evidence every day that you wake up, every time, that, what is essential. You don't have to sit there and go, "Breathe in; breathe out; breathe in; breathe out." Some things happen automatically; there is a kindness; there is an incredible gentleness; there is an incredible kindness that goes on. You have to appreciate that.

And that kindness gives you hope, hope to go forward. Hope that, "Yes, whatever the situation may be, whatever the situation may be, I will be okay. I will be okay." You cannot let this, whatever is going on….

I mean, the worst part of it-I mean, let me tell you, the worst part of coronavirus is actually not the coronavirus; it's the misinformation that people have. And the misinformation that, (uh!), some of the leaders who've got….

I don't know what's going on with the leaderships, but, you know, just it's like, "Ah! We're going to do this. And no, we're not going to do anything. We're not going to do anything. And we're"-I mean, it's like, "Come on."

You know, and you look at the United States. And they, they knew it was coming. They could see what was happening in China. And people just, you know, going all over the place, traveling, traveling, traveling, traveling. And those things we thought that were so wonderful, all of a sudden, we're like, "Oh my God, this is dangerous!" And yeah.

But we are human; what is our forte? We thought our forte is to, you know, invent and to make these machines and "Look what we have accomplished and…." And will we get over this coronavirus thing-of course, we'll get over this coronavirus thing.

But how do we cope with it? What have we learned? It has become, not an epidemic, but a pandemic. What have we learned over the years, over the years and over the years and over the years? Have we learned that one death due to this is too much? If it could be avoided, it needs to be avoided. Where is, where was the preparedness? Nowhere.

But even in this circumstance-even in this circumstance, I want you to look at your self-and in looking at yourself, find the answers. Not the questions-find the answers that are in your heart, that are in your being-that is not a pile of misinformation.

You know, whatever social media is good for, one thing that it is definitely good for is spreading the wrong kind of news. And it-you know, I was reading about it and it's like, it's causing people anxiety. Well, what kind of "good news" is that, that causes anxiety? Freaking people out.

You know, depression comes in; all of these elements start to come in. See, and the only way you can stop it-the only way you can stop it is to turn within. All this garbage, the only way you can stop it is to turn within.

And somebody's like, "Oh, we have got to do this; we've got to do this; we've got to do tha…." Hang on. What do you have to really do? What is the most important thing? Get your priorities straight. Get your priorities straight. Get your priorities straight.

Your priority, my friend, is to take this breath. Your priority, my friend, is to be in touch with your heart. Your priority, my friend, is to be content. Your priority, my friend, is to be in peace. Your priority, my friend, is to be in joy, regardless of the circumstances you are surrounded by.

To be in that beautiful, simple joy, to swim in that beautiful, beautiful ocean of serenity. To be content, to be calm, to be understanding-to look forward, without losing the sight of today, without losing the sight of now, without losing the sight of what is present.

That's the problem. We are so anxious to look at the future, we lose sight of today. And when we lose sight of today, then that future is not guaranteed. We get so enamored by yesterday, we lose sight of today. When we lose sight of today, then that past is not going to help us do anything. You have to, absolutely, maintain your situational awareness as it relates to what is happening in this moment.

Where you love, express that love. Once is not enough. Once is not enough. That love needs to be expressed again and again and again and again; that's how it is! That's how it is.

You know, it's like a potato chip. You eat one-and you can't just eat one; you have to eat another one and another one and another one and another one. It's like ice cream. You know, you put a little spoonful in your mouth and it tastes so good, and you put a little more and little more and little more and little more.

You see a little kid, you know, and they've got an ice cream cone and they're licking that ice cream-and the joy, I mean, the focus! The focus-is absolutely, absolutely determined focus to enjoy that ice cream. Doesn't matter what's going on around the world, the focus is right there.

And I need to be like that. I need to be like that; you need to be like that, so focused on extracting all the joy that today has, that "right now" has-the beauty that is dancing in your heart, that you are!

You know, do you judge yourself by the eyes of others? Well, you should first judge yourself by your own eyes. You should see yourself with your own eyes. But it is easier to look at yourself from other people's eyes: "I wonder what they're going to think?" And that's such a powerful thing. That's such a powerful thing.

And it's not about other people. Your life is yours. You're the one who came in; you're the one who made that effort, that monumental effort to make that transition from mother's womb to this earth. You made that effort.

And then the day that you go, you are the one who's going to transition beyond that wall. And that's why this is called "your life-your life, your existence." And to appreciate all this, to have that patience, it's truly understanding who you are. And when I say, you know, "Try to extract all that enjoyment that today has for you," it's a gift! It's a gift. Accept that gift; understand that gift.

Otherwise, life is-and like some people say, "Oh, this is terrible about it and that's terrible about it." And those who have understood that joy that is inside of them, they don't say "it's terrible." They say "It's beautiful. It's a gift. Be thankful." Those three things, "Know yourself. Live your life consciously. And have a heart full of gratitude."

So, thank you very much-and I'll see you tomorrow.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 13

Hello, everyone. I hope you're doing wonderfully. Besides all these crazy things happening with coronavirus and all that stuff, that you yourself are doing well-and that's what's important.

So, today, what do I want to talk about? And I was thinking about that last night-and I thought of something that would be really wonderful to, at least, talk about and consider, if nothing else. So, let me begin with this little story.

So, a man had graduated and he was going home, very happy he had graduated and that he knew that he's going to be now looking for a job and doing, you know, all the things that, once you have graduated, you want to do!

So, he's on his way going home and he sees an old man. And the old man has got a big, big, big, big load of wood on his shoulders, on his back, and he's hunched over and he's walking very slowly.

Upon seeing this, the man had an idea. He says, "Well, you know, I, I'm just starting off in life-and this man here, he has been traversing this road of life for a really long time. So why not ask him of how best to be in this world, how best to take advantage of all the things that would be wonderful? Because maybe I can learn something from this old man."

So, as he caught up to him, he tapped him and he said, "Hey, old man, tell me how to make the most out of life. Because I'm just starting off-and obviously, you have been doing this for a really long time; you must have something you can tell me."

The old man stopped. He took the big bundle, the load off his back. He stood up straight. Then he put the load back on his shoulders again, on his back again and he hunched over and he walked away.

Well, that's the end of the story. Did the old man give this man a message-oh, absolutely. And the message is that in life, we walk hunched with a heavy load on our back, really heavy load.

And load of things that, you know-that it's just like, "Oh, that person said that to me and that person said that to me. And he did that to me and I've got this problem with that person. And oh, that person doesn't like me because of this and that person does this," and all this weird stuff that we accumulate.

"Oh, you know, I am a failure." "I am a successful person." "I am a failure because of this; I am not good at this and I can't do this and I can't do that…." And I was thinking, "My God, you know, that is such a load that we carry on our shoulders."

And now, here we are in this situation of a lockdown, don't have too many places to go. What, what would it be like-and nothing else, to just consider resetting, resetting that button? What would it be like to just let go? And accept the beautiful, simple reality of existence. That, like a child, to wake up every day….

And I certainly remember waking up when I was a little child-and I was ready for the day; I was ready to accept the day. I was ready for the day's challenges. Nothing was a routine; nothing was "Oh, I have to do this and I have to do this and I have to do this," no. It didn't matter.

Whatever the day was going to throw at me, I was going to accept it; I was going to accept the challenges. And I was excited, excited to be alive, excited to have that morning, excited to have that beautiful opportunity-and to accept those opportunities from a very open and a clear heart and mind.

Not already pre-contaminated, "Oh my God, you know, the day is going to be really terrible; the, but this is going to be that; this is going to be that."

It's like, one day there was a king-and he came out to his balcony. And he was looking over and he saw this man. And he was walking away and the man saw the king and he acknowledged him and, you know…. And that day the king had a horrible day, absolutely horrible day.

So, the king called this guy over-in the evening, he called him over and he says, "Put him to death." And the guy says, "Well, why do you want to put me to death? Why are you killing me?" He goes, "Because-I just, this morning when I woke up, I saw your face. And I had such a terrible day that, you know, I'm putting you to death."

The guy looked at the king and he said, "Sire, you just had a terrible day; I'm about to lose my life! And I saw your face-and that was the first thing I saw in the morning. So, you are even more unfortunate than I am"-to look at, anyways.

And so that, you know, it's like, every day we get up-and already the tape recorder starts playing, "You've got to do this; you've got to do this; you are late; you are this; you are that. You know, that person doesn't like you. Oh, you have to tell this person that. And you have to do this and you have to do that."

And it goes from your family to your colleagues, to your friends, "Yeah, we've got to answer this; you've got to answer that. You've got to do this; you've got to do that. You, you, you know"-and I know there are people; they write a message and they need the reply right away. If they don't get their reply right away they start freaking out and it's like, "Oh my God, something is wrong."

And you've got to look at the world and then you've got to-you've got to say, "Okay, you know, what's going to happen here; what's happening there; what's happening? Oh my God, we've got to share this," and all of this tape recorder that's playing.

And, you know, in a way, should I blame anybody for this; should I think that that's wrong? In one way, I can completely understand there's nothing wrong with that. It's perfectly okay. But the only thing that I see remotely wrong with all that is that it distracts me from me!

Now, there is a call that I have too-and maybe I don't hear it every day. And certainly when I am mesmerized by all the problems of the world, maybe I don't pay attention to it. But there is a call. There is a call from within, 24/7, 365. And that call is saying, "Be fulfilled. Be real. Be true. Be. Understand. Court clarity. Make all the things that are good part of your life."

And that's the heart's call to action. And our call to action is, "Answer that; get the mail; get, look at the messages, you know; look at the news, the, do this and do that. And respond to this and respond to that." And these are-tons of responsibilities.

So, the question is, can we just hit a button that can reset us? And maybe there is no such button that can reset us. But maybe in here, we can start to appreciate that life is trying to tell me something. That I am trying to tell me something. That indeed, this universe is trying to tell me something.

And when I look at-I look at everything. When I look at dirt-and this is who I am. I am that dirt. From these elements, the very thing that I look at and call just "dirt," that's what made me. This is-this skin, these bones, this blood, these muscles, the organs, that's what they're made out of.

And then the day that I hit the other wall; I'm gone, that's what I'm going to become-dust. From dust we come and to dust we go. And yet, what about life?

Well, a lot of people go, "Well, what about life?" And the question comes up, "What about life," because nobody pays enough attention to it. Nobody is saying "That's what's important." Not all the other things that happen. What's important? What's important is the coming and going of this breath.

How sweet and powerful is this breath! How incredible is this breath-that it comes into you, and what does it bring you? No ordinary gift-an extraordinary gift. And it is the gift of life itself.

Sweetly, simply, to come into you, to fill you so that you can be alive, exist. You can think. And there is no limit to what you can think about; you can think about anything you want. And you should. You should be able to think about anything you want. But you should also think about your basic needs. And I'm calling them "needs." Not wants, needs.

You have a need in you to be fulfilled. You have a need in you to be content. You have a need in you to be in joy. These are your needs. Without them, the consequences are horrible. Without them there is sadness; there's depression; there is confusion.

And you know, it's one of those things; it's like, we talk about doubt. And doubt-fine. Well, should you have no doubt, ever? Well, no. Every chef, every cook, you will see them do one thing. After they make their dish, they'll taste it. Why are they tasting it? They're tasting it because they're doubting. They want to know; they want to know for certain, the salt is right; the taste is correct.

They doubt it. They doubt it-but they do something to get over the doubt. And all they have to do is taste it. Tasting it, now they have no question whether it is good, whether it tastes good, whether it tastes correct like it should, whether the salt is right, the chilies are right, whatever-the seasoning is right: "Everything is good."

So, doubt is not the issue. It is to get over that doubt. And when you're stuck on the other side and you're doubting, doubting, doubting, doubting, doubting, doubting, doubting, doubting…. I mean, right now, are you doubting? You shouldn't be. Get over it. Get over it, because here is the opportunity.

And we know, somebody, I'm sure, is sitting there going "Why is this happening to me?" Well, you can sit there and question yourself till the cows, you know, come home in the evening that, you know, wondering, wondering, wondering, "Why is this happening to me?" Or you can say, you know, "What can I do that would truly benefit me at this time? I have room for improvement. I mean…."

I mean, I am sure there are people who don't think they have any room for improvement, but take my word for it, everybody has room for improvement. And can you improve? Can you accept in your heart, in your mind, that you have a choice? And you can choose. You can choose all that that your needs are. You haven't paid attention to them.

And what an incredible way to be able to reset, by listening, simply listening-and then doing something about those needs that you have, the need for joy…. To go outside, that's not the need. That's a want. The need is, you need to be safe.

But there are other needs too; there's a need to be fulfilled. And that has nothing to do with "outside." For that, you have to turn inside. For that clarity, you have to turn inside. For that beautiful understanding, you have to turn inside. Because that's where you will find it. In you! In you-exists all those things that you think are so far away from you. And that's the irony.

How beautifully Kabir describes that. "That that deer, the musk deer is looking for the scent of the musk. And it searches the forest-but that scent is actually coming from the deer's own navel." That's where the musk is.

And it's a tragedy. And how? That Kabir says, "Like there is fire in the flint, like there is oil in the sesame…." Little seed, sesame seed. You don't think there is much oil in there but you squeeze a bunch of those seeds and there is a lot of oil, sesame seed oil. "And like in the flint, there is fire, so the divine is in you. And if you can awaken to that, awaken. If you can open your eyes to that, open."

And where there is the divine, there is the clarity; there is the serenity; there is the understanding-all that is good is in you. Always has been, always will be. You will look for it outside-because that's your habit. Now, nobody carries ice cream in their pocket. So when you want ice cream, you look for it outside-of course.

But the divine, you carry inside of you. The clarity, you carry inside of you. The understanding, you carry inside of you. The joy, you carry inside of you. Fulfillment, you carry inside of you-the true fulfillment. And that's where you have to look for it. That's where you have to see. That's where you have to understand.

It's not a question of "Oh, yeah, I know that." It's not a question of "Oh, yeah, I know that." It's a question of what are you doing with that-and if you know that the divine is inside of you, what are you doing about it?

Are you excited? I mean, how excited should you be? It should be no limits of how excited you should be that the divine is inside of you. You should be so excited that all those things that you look for, that you need, are inside of you. That that-that is another reality. We consider this world to be a reality-but there is another reality. And this is as real as it is. And sometimes it's not very real.

I mean, you know, I had the best-laid plans. If somebody would have said, "In 2020, you know, there's going to be a long period of time you're not going to be doing events," I would have said, "That's not true. I want to go do events." But the situation changed. I'm not going to invite people to a hall-open them up for contamination; I'm not going to do that.

So, here I am, trying to do my best, you know, to reach out to you, to talk to you through these videos. It's not like there's a ton of people in this room; there's nobody else except me. I come in; I turn on the lights; I turn on the camera; I shoot. Then I take the card and upload the file and it, off it goes.

I'm used to talking on video but usually, there are a lot of people around-you know, somebody's watching the camera; somebody's watching the lights; somebody's doing this; somebody's doing the audio. But this is all just set up and-I do my thing. So, which one is real; what is real?

In April of 2019, there was no hint, (at least, to us), of any coronavirus. Everything was good. Everything was great. And all of a sudden, come around December, we start to hear, "coronavirus, coronavirus, coronavirus." And everything starts to change. Then the next thing you know, lockdowns are happening. Lockdown here, lockdown there, lockdown everywhere.

But the reality of this breath has not changed. And because I was talking to somebody today on a phone call-and they said, "Oh, you know, everything has changed because of this." And I said, "No. No. This is an obstacle, perhaps, in our plans-but the reality, the true thing has not changed."

The breath still comes into you-and that's what was keeping you alive before, is keeping you alive now-and hopefully, if you take those precautions, it will be keeping you alive for a lot longer than you want to, maybe. That would be great.

So, your life, your existence-a great time to even think about resetting. Let go; let go of all that burden that you carry on your shoulders-and stand up straight for a change. And walk this life, learn from this time. And enjoy being alive, even in this weird circumstance.

Don't let it affect you. It doesn't need to; it doesn't need to affect you. It is what it is. All you need to do is take some precaution. And if you take those precautions, you'll be fine. You'll be fine.

So, take care of yourself. Be. Be safe. Be well. And most importantly, be.

I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 14

Hello everyone; I hope everyone's doing well-and safe, feeling good.

Today I thought I would just read a few comments and questions that have come from people who are attending PEP.

Oh, and by the way, yes, we are working towards the PEP, so you'll just have to have some patience because usually when PEP is done-usually, you know, people come together and they all give their comments and thoughts, suggestions, ideas, obviously, but that's not a happening thing.

So, we're trying to do it so that I will do the lead on the-I'll be the facilitator, basically. And then people will be able to write and send their comments or their findings and so on, and then I could read some of those to you. So, there's a lot of prep that has to go on with it, but yes, we're working on it. And it's coming along nicely and I think it's going to be fun.

So, here's a question-and these are mostly from correctional facilities. And, "What does it mean to appreciate life, to savor each moment, to welcome each day as an opportunity for joy? There is love and kindness; there is hate and anger-but life is a gift. And I want to understand it as clearly as possible, to live every single day to its fullest.

"What grows in my garden of life will depend on what kind of life I live. Everyone has the power to transform, and this is my time."

That's what it means, actually-that you have answered your own question. Because to appreciate life, to savor each day, you have to start looking from a very different perspective. And, you know, this is-and this is going to be part of this training that I am putting together.

And one of the things that I came up with is called "un-change." So, what does "un-change" mean? Un-change means that there was a time that you were in touch with all the goodness in your heart. Things were good! You had that eye; you had that perspective; you had that eye to look for the good. You didn't look at things in a biased way; you looked at them from the eyes of reality.

Because we don't see reality from the eyes of reality; we see them through our eyes. And by the time we start looking for that reality, our eyes that we are looking through are incredibly contaminated. But when we start seeing the reality with the eyes of reality, everything really changes-everything. The whole perspective really changes.

So, one of the things that you have to do is un-change, meaning there have been a lot of ideas that have been brought forth. And these ideas, some of them are okay-and some of them are not okay-and you have to weed out through them, you have to sort out through them, how you want to be. You have to make the decisions.

So, one of the things that the training is going to talk about-and I may be giving entirely too much away here-is "You have to be in control." And you have to come from a clear perspective of "What do you want in your life?" What do you want; how do you want to be; how do you want to exist? Not how other people have told you, how other people would like it.

Because you see, it's really a very weird little situation-because a lot of the demands on us, "We should be a certain way; we should be like this; we should be like this," are actually made by society, so that we can fit into the society. Society wants to mold us.

But it actually backfires most of the time. Because in our molding, we start to lose ourselves and the more we lose ourselves, the more disoriented we become. And the more disoriented we become, then we start to go against what the society wants.

So, in fact, if you do know yourself, if you are in touch with that joy, if you are in touch with that beauty, you're going to be a far better participating member of the society than the way the society approaches you to be a part of itself.

So, I'm not here for society; I'm here for you. And I want you to become strong; I want you to understand what it means "to appreciate life, to savor each moment." And to do these things, you really have to develop, (or redevelop, I should say), because that's the part of un-changing.

Because I am saying that you in your life, you know. And you have these powers in you. You have forgotten how to evoke them. You have forgotten how to evoke them and-can we come together and re-evoke those powers, that the criteria becomes kindness? And, you know, I don't want to give more away of the training, but it looks like I can't help it.

You know, and-and of course, we're going to talk about this when the training happens, but to have patience with yourself, with your own understanding, because it takes a long time to walk out of that hole that we have put ourselves in. It takes a long time to start developing, redeveloping that perspective and start seeing reality with the eyes of reality.

So, that's what it takes. "To welcome each day as an opportunity for joy," you really have to become an opportunist. You have to really understand what this is all about. You really have to understand that concept of being in that shopping center-where you've got that limited amount of time and you're not allowed to take anything with you….

You're not allowed to take, physically, anything with you. So, this is the distinction you have to make; physically, you cannot take anything with you. You can have anything you want that's in the shopping center-and that shopping center has just about everything. The only thing you will be able to take away…. And here is the trick. And the trick is to enjoy yourself in that….

You know, and my premise is that it's like a lottery; you have won a lottery-and this award that you have won is that you get to spend an X amount of days in this shopping center. And this shopping center has shops that are just amazing. But you're not allowed to take anything-when your time ends, you're not allowed to take anything with you. So, what are you going to do?

Well, the strategy here is to enjoy every single day as much as you can-so that what you take with you when the time is over is that gratitude, is that thankfulness, is that enjoyment that you have had, "That, wow, that was wonderful; that was wonderful being there." That's the trick.

And it takes time. It takes time to come around to it, because it's taken a long time to deviate from what our true potential is.

Another question-and this is a women's correctional department, "Prem, how did you find peace?" Well, the same way you're going to find peace, within me! I mean, I had to start-and you know, again, it takes a long time to start focusing inside. And my father was kind enough to give me a way, a mirror, that when I had that mirror, I could then take a look and see the true me, the real me.

So, then, of course, the comment is, "This is my favorite class. I try never to miss it. Happiness is not what we have, is what we feel." You got it. That's it! "Happiness is not what you have-but what you feel," because happiness is about feeling.

Peace is not what you have. Peace is about what you feel. Joy is not about what you have-but joy is about what you feel. Love is not about what you have-but it is about what you feel. Clarity is not about what you have-but it is about what you feel. Brilliant. That's it; you've got it.

"We look outside for fulfillment when we need to look inside." Absolutely right. And this is from a university, adult education: "How can I separate myself from my worldly worries?"

Are you your worldly worries? The worries are-this is the point of it-the worries are always going to be there. It's not like, if you took a vacation from your worries for two minutes, that they would disappear and you would have to go looking for them. No, they will find you. Don't worry about losing your worries. They will always be there.

What you have to do is you have to be able to separate. It's exactly like when sleep comes. And so, there you are; you may be sitting in a bus. And so the bus is full; it's full of strangers. And of course, if you have ever seen a bus, you know, it is not exactly the most aerodynamic thing; it is not the most quietest thing.

And yeah, you know, bumps come; then it bumps up and down and a lot of times on the busses, the seats are not that comfortable….

Now comes sleep. So, you have noise-all the things that are going against you; you have noise; you are in the middle of the strangers, (not a very suited environment, well-suited environment to be falling asleep). You're sitting in a stupid little chair that is not very comfortable. Again, not inducive to sleep, because you should be lying down. But here comes sleep.

And what happens? Well, what happens is all those other things that are not suited for it go right out the window-and slowly and slowly and slowly and slowly your eyes start getting heavier and heavier and heavier and you fall asleep.

That's what has to happen here, too. The need, understanding the need, (not the want, the need), becomes so good; the thirst, (and I talk about it as "thirst"), thirst becomes so powerful that it supersedes all those other things. All those worries, all those, all the things that are not conducive for peace, it supersedes them. That's what it's all about.

Question is, "It's important to know what's going on in the world, but it's not as important as what's inside. How do I step back and do that?" Again, it's a matter of habit. Because at one point in time, you didn't care about what was going on in the world-because you were too young. You didn't care about the world; you didn't know what the world was. All you cared about was you.

Now you have learnt this behavior. And I would not say that, you know, you need to stop worrying about the world. No, it's nice to know what's going on in this world. But it's also nice to know what's going on inside of you. And this is, again, that un-change that has to happen.

Question, "He makes it sound so simple. The world is so un-peaceful. How do we go back? Is that even possible?" Well, yeah, of course, it is possible. If it isn't possible then I'm just wasting my time. But I know I'm not, because I know I make the difference.

And as, that was the questions, but here are some of the comments: "I thought this class would be a philosophy on how to bring peace to the world, but Prem talks about a peace that's already inside." Yes. "The more I find peace within myself, the more it spills out to others."

Yes, that's what I'm saying. That's that first thing that I talked about, you know, "where the society tries to mold you in a particular way…." But that's not necessary because when you become whole….

You see, the thing is, when you are lit as a lamp, when you are lit as a candle, a lit candle can light unlit candles. If you take an unlit candle and rub it or bring it right to that fire that is on a lit candle, that unlit candle is not going to extinguish the lit candle-but quite the contrary; the lit candle will light up the unlit candle.

That is the most powerful rule-and that is what I bank on to bring peace to people in this world.

"Prem said that, 'All you want is to be at peace,' which was very profound. You look and look and look-and it's in you." Yes, it's in you. "There is a song that goes, 'People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.' Prem would say, 'People who know themselves are the luckiest people in the world.'" Absolutely, you got that right.

"This Peace Education course has surprised me because it's not what I thought it would be. I look back at decades that went by when I wasn't that conscious. What Prem is saying is simple, that it's already here. It's a matter of looking inward and finding contentment." That's right. That's right; that's right; that's right; that's right! You got it. See, it's so simple. It's so simple.

"A lot of us have never asked these questions Prem poses. We may have started off being inquisitive about ourselves, but then life happens. Prem helps me to be more open and reflective. Everything he says directs me back to my heart." I hope so. I hope so.

This is, again-this is from a church, a Missionary Baptist Church. "I always pray for peace. Even with sexism, racism and other social ills, I want a peaceful nation." We all want-we all want a peaceful place to stay. Believe me, we all want that; it's not unique; this is your need! This is not a want; this is your need-and it's very important.

"Do you think the way we are raised brings us into conflict with others?"

It's not how we are raised; it's how we are indoctrinated that brings us conflict with others-and that's the indoctrination that has to get reversed. And that's why I call it, not "the change," but the "un-change" that needs to happen. And it's a very powerful thing, the un-change-and hopefully, if we do have that training, that'll come out.

And another question that was, "How can I better help teenagers?" Don't treat them as teenagers; treat them as human beings and you can help them. Believe me, teenagers don't want to be treated like a teenager. That's what it is all about; remember when you were a teenager? You didn't want to be a teenager; you wanted to be an adult!

You know, it's a child making the leap to be wanting to be an adult. Don't treat a teenager as a teenager and you will be their friend. Treat a teenager as a teenager and you will be their enemy. This is how simple it is. (Close to "enemy.")

This is the Metro Reentry Facility. "It matters what I understand and what I don't understand. My clarity is so important." (That's an expression.) "I can nurture kindness by treating others how I want to be treated." Yes, of course.

"My four-year-old son was describing his new friend to me, saying that he likes transformers and his favorite color is green. 'Anything else?' I asked. He said, 'His skin is darker than ours.' For me, that would have been the first thing. But for my son, it was the last." Absolutely. This difference of color, difference of this, difference of that, difference of language….

When the-but before you knew how to speak, what language was it? And you could communicate with anybody. You were communicating with your mother; you were letting her know, "I'm hungry." You were letting her know, "Something is uncomfortable." So, you know, this, of course, it's very, very powerful, very beautiful stuff.

"I had an eye-opening"-and this is from a transitional center for women-"I had an eye-opening moment when Prem said 'Your potential is a seed that lies dormant.' I always thought peace was something to grow into. I didn't realize it already exists in me."

Another one, "I'm thriving, not just existing. Then my life can be really something." Absolutely.

"Prem talked about 'the dance of life.' Sometimes the least little things can make us wobble. I want to stay strong with inner strength. Then I can say 'I've got it.'"

Absolutely, that's, the inner strength is what it's all about, that you have-you have all those things already inside of you; you need to evoke them; you need to know how to get in touch with them. And that's what knowing yourself is all about.

"If I know who I am on the inside, then forgiveness and joy never have to leave me. Everything else changes except who I truly am." Absolutely. And especially in these circumstances, this is very true. "If I know who I am on the inside, then forgiveness and joy never have to leave me. Everything else changes except who truly I am." That's right.

Other things change, not you. And that's why the un-changing. That's why the un-changing.

"I would do anything for love. I looked for it everywhere but inside. Until we started looking within, we don't know who we are." Absolutely. Absolutely. You nailed that one.

"I grew up"-this is another one-"I grew up with horrible things happening to me, and I can't forget. But it is my choice to forgive and to find out who I really am. I'm growing every day." Yes, whatever happens.

Because this is what I talk about: "forgiveness." What is forgiveness about? Forgiveness is not "accepting the other person's actions"-or forgiving them. Forgiveness is you cutting the cords so that you can be free, so that you can go on. That's what forgiveness is.

"Forgiveness is important. I am not doing it for the other person; I'm doing it for me." Exactly; that's what forgiveness is. You're doing it for you, not for other people. So, it's not about, "Oh, I will look, you know, great to the other people." It's really to cut those strings so that you can be free.

This is from Greece, (of all places), a women's prison. "I was curious about the Peace Education Program and decided to check it out. At first, I could not understand. But with time, the program felt very necessary. And I learnt to love and understand myself. Because of this, I speak better and behave with respect toward other people around me."

See, this is what I talk about-what the society wants you to do, they give you indoctrination to do that, but it doesn't work out that way because if you don't know yourself, it's not going to work. But as soon as you start knowing yourself, you become much more whole; you become much more complete.

"Because of this I speak better and behave with respect toward other people around me. I have been positively influenced by this program and what I have learnt is now part of my everyday life." Wonderful.

Another person saying, "Entering the prison's doors a few days after losing my favorite family member, I said to myself, 'Everything is finished.' I wondered 'Why her and not me?' My peace was covered by the black veil of sadness and my soul was mourning. Something inside said, 'Do something, my girl.' That's when I registered for the Peace Program.

"One day, I heard Prem say, 'Humans live an average of 25,550 days.' This is our time on earth. Then I realized that I still have time. He said not to be influenced by the worries, as long as the gift of breath is moving back and forth inside of me. I will persist, knowing peace is inside. I dream of a better tomorrow and try to remember that today is my reality."

If you can know today-and know that today is your reality, tomorrow will be great, believe me. Because tomorrow, when that "tomorrow" comes, it'll come as today-and what will you be busy doing? Looking at that tomorrow as "today," in the reality that exists inside of you. That's the way to do it.

"I attended the Peace Education Program and it has influenced me to do many good things in my life. I found peace deep inside. It might be a small seed but it is so beneficial. I can express it as love or as a hug because this is the way that it makes me feel inside. Every day I feel full from all I have been taught in this program and wish everyone could be influenced by peace."

"Listening to Prem, I found peace inside of me. When I started to take care of the seed of peace, it started influencing my everyday life. I now wake up with joy and gratitude for everything. As I thirst for water, in the same way, I long for the feeling of peace." Well, you know, what can I say? That's, that's the way to live. That's the way to live.

This is from North Carolina, a women's correctional facility. "The peace class was such an eye-opener. I really like learning about inner wealth and being content, no matter what the circumstances. Thank you."

Another one, "Just listening to Prem gives me a sense of peace." Thank you. And, "I learned from the Peace Education Program that I have peace inside and the power to make my own destiny." Yes.

"Coming to the peace class is the best part of my day; it's wonderful. During this time that our facility is on lockdown from the outside world, it is becoming especially evident how meaningful your service is to the women. This program, classes that you provide, are greatly missed during this time." And that's from the Correctional Program Supervisor.

So, I thought, you know, "Why not talk about that today with you," because these expressions come and we don't always get a chance to share that. So, I thought, you know, "Today, take a few moments and share that with you."

These are people that, in a way, have been in lockdown, are in lockdown. And, you know, maybe soon this coronavirus thing will be over and we'll be out and about, moving-but these people will still be in lockdown. And how important it is for them to feel peace.

So, I hope you feel peace. I hope you feel well. So, be well; be safe-but most importantly, be. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 15

Prem Rawat reads from his new book "Hear Yourself," due to be released in English later this year.

All excerpts from this book are copyright protected by RawatCreations, LLC. Any unauthorized duplication or distribution of this content is prohibited.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 16

So, hello, everyone. I hope you're all well, feeling good. Weekend has come-and so we're going to be doing some question and answers.

"How can I find the beauty and peace when there is so much darkness in this world and in me? I can't seem to find a way to connect to this life inside of me. I know it exists, as I have felt it in your presence. I would like to chase away all the dark thoughts and the pain in me with love."

Well, it's very, very easy. There's this-it's uncanny but I just answered that same kind of question in Hindi, very, very similar.

So, it really is a matter of you understanding that "the darkness is there, but there is also the light." And it completely depends upon you, what you choose. The choice is yours. You can choose darkness-and the darkness will be there. You can choose light and the light will be there. Is it that easy? Is it that simple? Well, guess what; it is.

When we walk into that dark situation, most of the time we don't even realize we're walking into the darkness-but we're slowly, slowly but surely, walking towards that darkness. Conscious living goes out the window. We don't want to live consciously. That's too much trouble; that's too much. So, what do we start doing? Live unconsciously. We don't care!

"What happens here; what happens there; this is right; this wrong; this is this way; this is that way." And off we go. We're making these steps; we're taking these steps; we're going towards the darkness; we're going towards the darkness; we're going towards the darkness; we're going towards the darkness. We don't realize it.

You know, getting lost is not an abrupt condition. It's not an abrupt thing; it can happen very slowly. You think you're heading the right direction-and then all of a sudden, it's like, "Oh, we should be there by now. And we're not there." And then it's like, then the dawning of it can be very abrupt. Then the dawning of it can be, "How do I…? What happened? Where did I get lost?"

Wrong question: "How did I get lost?" The question should be, "How do I get back on track," not "How did I get lost?"

So, we go towards that darkness. Living our life unconsciously, this is-it's almost like you can call it: "That's what's going to happen."

But then, there is that possibility of living this life consciously-that I have a choice! Understanding that those things, the source of my light, is in me. The source of my understanding is in me. The source of my clarity is in me. And I don't have to go wandering, looking for it and wondering, "Where did it go?"

And a lot of people…. People say that. It's like, "Oh, that was such a nice time; then, where did it go?" Well, it didn't go anywhere. It's in you! It always was in you, always has been in you and always will be in you till your very last breath.

What happens is that our situation, whatever the situation may be, overwhelms us. It's got us. It's defeated us. It has taken over our free will, our choice, our understanding, our clarity-and it has to do that, because it can only get hold of you without those things.

And what you have to do is do exactly the opposite. You have to hang on to your clarity; you have to hang on to your hope; you have to hang on to your joy; you have to hang on to your understanding; you have to hang on to your peace. And then, just like a storm, the storm will be gone; the sun will shine again and all will be well.

So, this is what you have to understand, that this is how it works. And you have that beauty-and that beauty will always be within you.

Here's another question, "Many people are facing financial, job uncertainties. Would you have some words of strength for those facing the situation?" Yes. Again, the same thing. Whatever the outside situation, you have to have the strength to go forward, because you do.

Now, again, I'm just going to remind you of this example that I give quite often. When you came out of your mother's womb, when you were born, what you had to do was virtually impossible. At that point in your life, you were the most fragile. My God, you couldn't walk; you couldn't talk; you couldn't command people; you couldn't lift anything. You were extremely fragile.

And everything, literally, was stacked against you. You had to, at that point in time, change your world, literally-I mean, literally. All that sustenance that had been, up to that point, sustaining you was coming from the mother and now that was going to go away. You had to become independent.

The amount of force that you would have had to exert to be able to be born is nothing shy of a huge rocket accelerating away from earth. This was the situation. This was the situation.

You were, in the mother's womb, completely surrounded by water-and here you were going to come out in this world where you're going to breathe. And I'm just talking about "physical situation" and it was totally going to have to be totally, totally, totally different.

And so, what did you do? You looked at the enormity of the situation and obviously said, "No way," right? You wouldn't be born! You wouldn't be born. So, you took on that challenge. That urge was there and you took on that challenge. Of course, you didn't look at it as a challenge, you just found yourself in the midst of it-and that was it.

So, do you think any one of these challenges that you are thinking about facing is greater than that challenge that you already have been through? I can't imagine how they could be any bigger than what you have already been through.

I talk about "un-change." You know, people don't like the word "change," "I don't want to change." People say to themselves, "I don't want to change." So, I came up with this one: "un-change."

So that means that at one point in time in your life, you were incredibly strong; you were incredibly powerful. You were very clear about what your objectives were. You were very precise with them. And you had no hesitation whatsoever to accomplish them.

So, un-change. See, the change happened-and now, things are very different, so maybe you need to un-change and go back to that strength, go back to that clarity, go back to that understanding.

Not frailty, not sadness, not disappointment, not these arguments, "Oh, what's going to happen to me?" Take on any challenge that comes. And, believe me, this is, for a lot of people, just a long, long journey that has just begun. Isolation and everything else just is one part of it. After this, we will have to see what happens. Because I can tell you, it's not shaping up really well.

Some of the leaders that we have in this world, they are no leaders. And of course not, I'm not going to say who they are. But they're no leaders and you know it-and you can see them in action and they're like, out to lunch and never came back. And they're still having lunch for-I think, for the rest of their life, they're going to have lunch. They have no idea what's going on.

To them, death and numbers is a statistic; it's something to plot on a graph. And to me, one death that is unnecessary, that was not natural, is too much. We could have done something about it-yes, we could have done something about it.

Let's face it; we don't know how to say "help." We have forgotten how to say "help." We have forgotten to say "Let me help you." We have forgotten about humanity! Humanity has gone right out the window.

And so far humanity goes out the window, what do human beings have? Nothing. What can they rely on? Nothing. What can they keep on looking forward towards? Nothing. So, this is truly a very, very long journey.

So, here's another question that's very important, I think. "Dear Prem Rawat, I appreciate listening to you every morning. My ninety-five-year-old grandmother is in a home for old people. And the visit to the old people is forbidden. I'm scared she leaves this world without anybody holding her hand, and no possibility for us to say 'goodbye.'" (Oh, but actually it is a grandfather so, I'm sorry.)

"No possibility for us to say 'goodbye' or gather for the funeral. I know he had a long and good life but I find it sad to end like this. What could I write him to help him in this difficult situation?"

Only one thing-you love him. That's all you can say. "I love you. Please be. And please be well. And I love you and I will always love you. You are in my memories; you will dance in my memories; you will dance in my heart. And-I love you." What else can you-I mean, what else can you say? You know?

You have to accept the situation, sometimes, the way it is, not the way you have created your picture postcard. Accept it. There's nothing you can do about it. It is unfortunate; it is sad. And they don't want more of these transmissions to happen; that's why the isolation: "No, you can't go there."

I know you have your little picture postcard, but you're going to have to put that picture postcard to rest for a little while and look at the reality-and the reality is still beautiful. You love him; he loves you; that's the reality. Coronavirus or no coronavirus, you love him; he loves you. No walls, no great distances, not even those two walls can keep that love apart.

That's what love is. Love can go through the walls. Love can travel humongous distances. Love can reach down to the bottom of the ocean. Love can reach to the heavens above. Love is. And that's what makes love so special. It has no boundaries. It will never go away. So far you are alive, you can love him every single day of your life.

Now, how incredible is that? How wonderful is that? Accept the situation. And most importantly, accept the love that you have for your grandfather. That's how it should be.

Not trying to make our picture postcards that we create in our head, make them a reality-no, look at the reality that is. And maybe that will help you.

So, thank you very much-and that's all the time we have today. And we'll get back tomorrow for some more questions. Be safe; be well. Be.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 17

Hello, hello, everyone. I hope you're all well. And what I would like to just talk about today is very, very simple. Because that word "simplicity"-sometimes we forget what it really means, just to be simple.

Under the circumstances these days, being in isolation because of this coronavirus, that word seems so appropriate-because those people who really, truly understand the meaning of the word "simple" can adjust and adapt to this situation in the best possible way.

What is "simple?" Simple is that this breath comes into you, without any effort, without you having to think-and it brings you the gift of life. Simple is that you can look with your eyes, see the blue sky, see the clouds-and you can be content.

Simple is to be able to see your life and understand that you exist-and how profound that is, how beautiful it is; that is simple. Simple is that you have love in this heart-and that from this heart, you can love. And you carry the gift of this loving. Anybody-for anybody who can spark that love in you, you're willing to give.

Existence is so simple; life is so simple; being alive is so simple-and having a profound experience, even in the midst of all this, is really very simple.

Last night, I was trying to sleep-and a storm came by. And the winds were blowing; you could hear the rain. And we don't like storms; the metaphor of a storm is something not nice. But what is a storm?

Winds blow-well, we like wind-but not too much. You know, when the wind starts to ruffle our hair and starts to throw us around and throw around things, and we can't drive; we can't fly properly, then things get a little bit nasty.

Rain comes; we don't like rain. We don't like getting wet. Why don't we like getting wet? Well, when the evaporation happens-when we get wet the evaporation happens; it feels cold. We don't like to be cold. Our temperature margin is relatively very small.

Then it can be windy; it can be cold; it can be rainy; it can be snowy. It can just--storm. And yet, what can you do when a storm comes? And so, this is what I was thinking. So I'm lying there; it's like, "What can I do; what can one do when the storm comes?"

And in one sense, the storm is not under your control. That's not what you control. But what you do during that storm, how you react to that storm, that's under your control. You can do something about that.

This little leeway, this little passage that you have can make all the difference in the world. It may sound very trivial; it may sound very insignificant-but it is the most important thing. "I can't control the storm, but how can I just…?"

And, you know, though I was lying in my bed and I was very comfortable-and even though outside a storm is brewing, I'm comfortable-because that's where I am.

Similarly, when the storm brews between our ears, to find the place, to find the solace of the heart-and get comfortable, get warm. And all of a sudden, even though there is the storm, you have found a place that is so profound, that's so beautiful that is inside of you.

And in that place, in that place of the heart, you can be comfortable; you can enjoy-and you can hear and see the storm move by. And when the storm goes, the sun will shine again.

That metaphor--it's so important to understand-that yes, storms do come in life; situations do come in life. But we don't have to fall victim to the situation. We can actually still remember how important it is for us to know, to understand what the opportunity brings, what this opportunity is.

I mean, what is this opportunity? You know, and I was thinking about it. It's like, "Is there anything good about this?" Because I had so many plans; I was going to go to so many places, see so many people. I really miss doing events where I can see everyone's face. I really like looking into people's eyes-and be in front of them and do live talking.

I mean, this is okay-I mean, there are two black objects in front of me; that's what I'm looking at. And they have absolutely no emotion whatsoever; they do not concur with anything I say-they don't reject anything I say; they don't concur with anything I say. They're just there, these two dark holes which are the lenses.

And, yeah, I mean, I can just imagine people are watching and, you know, somebody's watching in their living room; somebody's watching somewhere, something, something, something, something.

But what is this opportunity-and I mean, it's a horrible situation. You know, world leaders lying to us, world leaders trying to now, all of a sudden, protect their position. If this is a train wreck, this was a long time coming.

I mean, there was so much leeway that was there for the whole world to prepare-and for the whole world to hunker down. And spectacular mistakes were made. And I'm sure that, you know, right now we're kind of getting in the midst of this. But later on, I hope that there are people who try to learn from this.

Because I was listening to this other documentary the other day and it was about the Spanish flu-and that happened quite a long time ago. And there were so many similarities between the Spanish flu and what's happening now.

I mean, people just disregarded-the world leaders just disregarded anything that was being said. It's like, nothing was learned. And when you look at everything that's happening today, compared to what was happening with Spanish flu, it's like not one iota of lesson was learned. Not one iota of lesson was learned.

And with all the information technology, with everything available, I mean, this horrible situation has been created. Because, for me, one death, one death that could have been prevented is too much-is too much.

So, in this horrible, horrible time, is there anything good? Is there anything good? I see one thing that can be good-and that is that you get to move a little closer to yourself, to understand your existence, to understand who you are all about, what you are all about-to understand the preciousness of your life. And to understand how powerful the noise between the ears is.

And when I talk about that noise, a lot of people are like, "Okay, you know, yeah, yeah, I guess so." But now it's like the amplifier has been cranked way, way, way, way up. And that noise is just so powerful, just comes knocking and "Bam, bam, bam!" day and night and day and night and day and night. It's there! How powerful it is? Huh, you know.

There are people who get into "This spiritual thing"; they get into that spiritual trip. They go, "It's like, you know, it's wonderful to do this kind of travel; You've got to try this thing; you've got to try that thing…." And people are trying everything.

But here you've got this noise that's driving you crazy-and just imagine this noise: twenty-four/seven it's on. And sometimes you don't actually hear it because you're distracted, but it's going on.

So you don't sit there and hear this noise because you're distracted with this; you're distracted with that-and sometimes I think people like to be distracted so that they don't have to sit there and hear that noise.

But now, the distractions have gone significantly down-and the noise is on. Now, what are you going to do? Now the volume is turned up, you have to now do the impossible-which is, you have to live with yourself. I know there are a lot of people who just can't do it; they can't stand it. They can't stand themselves.

Is that a tragedy? Hmm, I think so; I think that's a tragedy. If you cannot be by yourself, with yourself…. If you're not comfortable being you, then who are you comfortable being?

You know, a long time ago I'm sure it must have been very different-that you go out every day, most of the day-and you collect berries. And you collect berries; you collect whatever you can collect. Hunter-gatherers, that's who we were: "Collect, collect, collect"-and you eat, eat, eat.

And then in the evening, you lie down; you go to sleep-and hope no animal comes and eats you-but you go to sleep, wake up in the morning and start that cycle again. And I'm sure people must have been fed up with it: "We wish we had one place we could just go and we could eat."

From that time, we've actually created a system. And the system that we have created-the fact that you have to spend all day long doing it hasn't changed. So, now you don't go picking berries. Now, you go working so you can buy the berries; that's the change that we have made.

Before, we were just, we were not paying anybody; we were not trying to make money. We didn't have to make money; caves were free-and all you had to do was just go out all day long, pick berries, pick fruits, pick whatever came your way. Eat it-and that was it.

Now, one big problem, I can imagine, in those days would have been, "That can you guarantee food every single day?" So, there would be some days that you didn't have food and you were hungry.

In a way, now we have created a society in which we take pride in fasting. So, that's the same thing-but there it was happening naturally because you just couldn't find any food-and you had to keep moving. And now, you do it on purpose. You do it for some, you know, some reason.

And here you are-and you're working all day long; just like in the old days, you get up in the morning. And what do you do? You go out to work so you make some money-and you can buy the berries; you can buy all that food.

In the process of making sure that we always have food, we have created an overabundance of food. I mean, an unbelievable amount of food is grown-right down to the point where most of that food is wasted-that we can't even consume it. And when you look at all the animals that are raised for slaughter, it goes completely out of proportion.

So, when you look at this, we have created a system. But the problems, we have not been able to deal with-we've still got the problems.

So, we have overabundance of food. We don't have to go pick berries but we still have to pick something else, which is called "money"; you have to create money, make money-and that takes us all day long. And then we can use that money to buy the berries.

Well, I'm not going to be the judge to say whether that works or doesn't work; you can be the judge of that. But somehow it doesn't feel simple. And I'm talking about simplicity; I'm talking about that simplicity that is inside of you-the law of existence that is incredibly simple.

The needs that you have? Not the wants, the needs that you have? Air, water-a huge system to take that salty water and create fresh, distilled water with it, fresh water with it, make that water available-all the river systems, all the fountains, all the systems in the world…. Air, it's here; it's there, everywhere.

Simple, realistic, adorable: this is life. Simple fulfillment, simplest, simplest, simplest of needs for clarity, for understanding, to go forward, to be in joy, to enjoy every single day. And then one day everything packs up, circus is gone, everything is over. But till that day, every day, enjoying, enjoying, enjoying, not from here-but from here, the truest, most beautiful way.

Be well. Be safe. Be. I'll talk to you later. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 18

"We're all in the same boat. We have to realize that. And that would be an incredible turning point if we could realize what humanity means." - Prem Rawat

If you have questions you would like Prem to respond to, please send them to PremRawat.com (www.premrawat.com/engage/contact) Audio

Prem Rawat:

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all well and safe.

So, today I'd like to just talk a little bit about this opportunity, really-a chance to be, to be happy-a chance to enjoy, to be simple, to have an understanding that your relationship between the two walls is with you.

It's about you-it's about your existence; it's about your being here. It's not about the coronavirus; it's not about this world; it's not about the world economy; it's not about all of this stuff.

The reason why I say that is, all the stuff that we are always concerned about is human-made. All this economy, all this stuff, this is just a play of the human beings. Somebody came up with these ideas: "This is what we should do; this is what we should do; this is what we should do."

There are policies; there is, "This happens; that that happens. There is this bank that controls that; there is a group of people that controls that." And you, you don't feel like a puppet in it; you don't want to be a puppet in it, but that's exactly what you are, whether you like it or not. Hence you have a desire to be free.

And when the word is mentioned, "freedom," there is such a strong feeling, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I want to be free." But have you ever asked yourself, "What is it that enslaves you? Why do you want to feel free? Why don't you feel free?" And the reason why you don't feel free is because all this stuff that is on the outside is holding you back from being truly who you are and what you are.

You have this life. You have this existence. And for the most part, we know so little about it. We have not thoroughly explored it; we have not truly looked at it and said, "What does it mean; what does it mean to be alive; what does it mean to exist; what does it mean to be? What does it mean to have this?"

Is this an opportunity-or is this a kickback of some actions of a past lifetime and this and that-and you know, there's no shortage of people making it complicated. Oh, you just cannot believe how complicated people of this world have made existence to be.

"Oh, you are only here because you did something in your last lifetime; you did this; you did that," and on it goes. And those people who tell you all these things, they themselves have no idea what it all means. Why? Because it has all come from a book, not from them.

It's all about believing-believing, believing, believing, believing. And we are all happy to believe; we can just believe away our problems; we can just believe away all the complicated stuff. We can just believe away who the creator is. We can just believe away how we got here. We can just believe away all this, all this stuff.

I challenge the people to know! What can you know? To know, to understand, to have the awareness of the self. And that's what everything is about-to really feel what it means to be alive-and in this time.

So, what happened? Well, you heard some news; it was around December 2019, "Yeah, oh, there are some people who got sick in China." "Wow. Okay, hope they get better soon." Hmm, well, they may or may not get better soon-but they all started leaving. People realized that they had jumped.

And you see, when I say, "And this is all people's doing," it is. We human beings do these things. So, all of a sudden, we have airlines who are happily taking people away, wherever they want to go. And unbeknown to most people, they're carrying this virus. The next thing you know, all over the world….

Now, whoever came up with the idea of having unrestricted travel, it wasn't with a bad intention; it was like, "Yeah, that would be really good; people could go wherever they want to go."

There was a time that was not the case. When I was traveling a lot in the early seventies, 70, 71, it wasn't like that. It wasn't anything like what traveling is like now. People actually got dressed; it was an occasion. And you had to have a lot of money to be able to get on an airplane.

Then, it was around the Carter administration where they opened it all up. Before that, the major airlines had everything locked up. And they removed all those restrictions and now all competitive airlines could come-and all the airlines could come that wanted to come and start flying people around. And the quality, of course, disappeared, but yes, a lot of people were going all over the place.

And the next thing you know, something like this coronavirus, traveling, traveling, traveling-and there's quite a parallel to this, Spanish flu-that was all about traveling too. And that traveling made it possible for that stuff to spread.

So, anyways, besides the point that, yeah, whatever is going on…. That human beings have created for themselves, this issue-and it is human beings who have to try to figure out how to get out of it.

And there are people, I'm sure, it's like, "Oh, it's, but it's, this is complicated and that's complicated and this happened this way and that happened that way." It has nothing to do with it.

Don't ever forget what your business here between the two walls is. Please, don't be distracted by this stuff; this will go away. All you have to do-it's a pretty simple formula: "Isolate. Don't give it; don't get it. Wash your hands; maintain the distance"-fair enough.

They're working on viruses--the vaccines; they will have the vaccines, medication, whatever…. And then you can go on with your business of whatever that business was that you can't wait to get to, (which I can't imagine what that could be), fighting with each other? You know, all kinds of bizarre stuff, that's what we were doing.

Excuse me, that's what we were doing before-you could have picked up the newspaper and seen all that stuff that's going on. And now we have got coronavirus; that's got our undivided attention. And when this is over, I'm sure we're going to go back to the same old craziness.

But this is not why you're here. Neither you are here for coronavirus, nor you are here for that craziness that goes on every day. You're here for something else. You're here to be fulfilled.

Like many times, I give this example; it's like, you know, you bought a ticket and you won it. And the ticket is that, you know, for X amount of days, you're going to be in this most incredible shopping center.

And there are all kinds of shops in that shopping center, most magnificent shops in that shopping center. And you can have-you can go to any shop you want and get anything you want. There's only one caveat. And that one caveat is, you get to take nothing from that shopping center with you.

What is your strategy going to be? I know what my strategy will be. I will enjoy every minute of being in that shopping center. I may not be able to take anything with me, but one thing I can sneak away from there-I know I can-and that is my enjoyment.

So, that's my strategy; my strategy is to enjoy every minute of it that I can. And now, situations happen. People come up with ideas, situations, different things, "Oh, don't do this; don't do that, you know, I don't want you to do this and I don't want you to do that." And I'm like, "What? Why? What's your point?" But then you just like, understand, "Look. Fine, let it go."

It becomes very important-I can't control the situations, but I can control the way I react to them, for my sake-not for people's sake, for my sake. This is a big part of what the training that I am putting together for you is all about.

"What do you control?" You don't control the situation. Obviously, you want to control the situation-but you're not going to be able to control the situation all the time. But what you can control is how you react to that situation.

And if you can control that, not for other people's sake, not for the sake of looking good, but for yourself-whatever you do has to be for yourself first.

If you cannot be kind to yourself, you cannot be kind to other people. If you cannot be understanding of yourself, you cannot be understanding of other people. If you cannot be fulfilled, you cannot fulfill other people. If you cannot love you, you cannot love other people. If you cannot be clear, you cannot pass on clarity to the other people. First, it has to happen for you.

And if it can happen for you, then it's up to you, "What do you want to do with it?" It's up to you, how you want to unfold it. It's up to you, "What do you do with it?" Because you have just awakened and evoked those beautiful powers that reside inside of you, that are inside of you.

Will we never feel sad? Of course we will feel sad. Somebody asked me that question and I've been thinking about it-"You know, I've got my grandfather and I can't go and say goodbye to that person; I cannot take care of that person. What do I do?" And when I read that, you know, of course, I was sad too. This is not good. This is the sad part of it.

And what's going to happen with this virus thing; I mean, this thing has only begun. I mean, can you imagine all those poor people-the poor are the ones who are always going to get hit the hardest-really, really hard.

I mean, you know, most people have a house or have an apartment or have a place which has got proper walls and so on and so forth. Can you imagine how many people live in these shacks that are made out of those corrugated aluminum tins? That that's it, those aluminum sheets?

And the summer is upon them. You know, I mean, in California, of course, it's still cool outside-not a problem. But in places like India, places like Africa, I mean, the summer is here in the northern part. And my God, it just gets…. How do you quarantine yourself? Where do you quarantine yourself?

So, you know, give it a thought, of all that stuff. And yet, what did I come up with for that person who said, "You know, there's my grandfather…." It's like, "You can love. You can love that person."

Love is the only thing you've got that does not see walls, that does not see doors, that does not see time, that does not see situations, that does not see wealth, that does not see economy, that does not see anything. Love is! And it is one of the most powerful things you have.

Your love? Your love? Oh my God, it is the most powerful thing you have. It is more powerful than punching somebody with your fist in somebody's face.

Love! Love is one of those things, that when a person is touched by that, they will never forget. If you hurt somebody, they may, after the wounds healed and everything is good, they may forget it. But love will touch them in a place where they will never forget what it has been like.

You have that. You don't know how to use it; you don't know how to evoke it. Why, because you're always being shortchanged by these little picture postcards that this printer keeps putting out-what your vision of love is, what your vision, what your view of the perfect person is, who you should give this love to. This is what happens every single time.

These pictures, the more I think about them, how obnoxious are they? Every single time, they shortchange the people, my potential, my possibility of why I am here between those two walls, the time that I have….

And they get shortchanged by this printer that just keeps putting out more and more and more and more prints-and I keep looking at those prints and going, "Oh, how wonderful that is; yes, yes, yes, that's what I want."

For me, this journey has been quite a journey. I mean, I left Spain-and the lockdown hadn't quite begun yet. They were just getting some talk about it and I left-and I arrived in Brazil. And at that point, when I arrived in Brazil, it was fine to go to South America; it was fine to go to Argentina; it was fine to go to Montevideo.

But I was going to be there for a couple of days, three days I believe, and just then they said, "No, no, nobody's coming to Argentina." And I decided, "Well, you know that we really shouldn't be holding gatherings and getting people in one room; this would be very bad." So I said, "I don't want to do that."

And so then, the day I left Brazil, the next day they were announcing that they were going to go under lockdown; they were going to stop. And I'd looked around where I was, and people were so poor! Being isolated wasn't going to work for them. And they just, and that just-they didn't know how to be isolated.

But this is what poor people do; they congregate; they go to a tea shop; they go to a coffee shop; they go somewhere, just, and they congregate and this is where they, you know, have their interaction and this is where they get their little news and this is where it happens.

Because a lot of them are migrant workers and they're there; they have come from different villages. And their families are in their villages and they've come to the cities to do and make a little bit of money. And I was like, "Oh my God, poor people are just going to get slaughtered by this."

And it's so important that the governments and all of us as human beings, try to help as much as possible. And I have some good news in that regard.

So, I asked TPRF and I asked RVK India to send me a report of what TPRF is doing and what RVK is doing and I would like to share that with you at some point in time. But it's really wonderful to just see what little effort we make, and it has such a profound impact.

And so, I know, whatever the difficult situation may be, have a heart and give a thought for everyone else. Because they're in the same boat; you're all in the same boat; we're all in the same boat. The boat isn't any different. Somebody may be by the bow; somebody may be by the stern; somebody may be starboard; somebody may be port-but it's the same boat.

So, somebody might say, "Yes, I am in the bow; I'll get there sooner." And then, you know, somebody might say, "Well, I'm in the stern and I might get there later," and somebody might say, "This is the port side; I'm going to dock first," and then somebody says, "And the starboard side; I'm going to dock…." And whatever. But it's the same boat. We have to realize that.

And that would be an incredible turning point if we could realize what humanity means-in these times, what humanity means. That, let this not be another repeat of the Spanish flu. And a world with all the technology, with all that information, forgot what that was all about.

So, I hope you stay well. Please, be safe; be well. And most importantly, be. Thank you very much.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 19

Hello, hello, hello, everyone. I hope you're all well. And, you know, under the circumstances, I hope you're taking this in stride, one day at a time. That's all you can do-one step at a time, one day at a time, one moment at a time. That's such a befitting pattern to life, to take things one step at a time.

Yes, we have the capacity to plan for tomorrow. Yes, we have the capacity to remember yesterday. But we also have a capacity to understand what today is all about. We also have the fantastic capacity to understand what now is all about.

And unless we bring that into play, that capacity that we have to understand what now is all about, what today is all about, the planning for tomorrow is going to be fairly pointless. And the yesterdays would have gone and will be gone.

But today, this moment carries a message for you. And that message is very profound; this message is very simple. And that message is very clear. And that message is all about "Be. Exist. Enjoy."

And not the enjoyment of this world, not the enjoyment that people usually talk about, "Yeah, let's go to the beach," or "let's go do this," or "let's go do that," but enjoyment that comes from within you-the enjoyment that is all about your existence, the enjoyment that is all about you being alive, the enjoyment that comes from understanding what it is that this moment brings to you.

Is this life, is this existence a gift? It's only a gift if you realize that it is a gift. If you realize, if you're willing to accept this gift, if you're willing to take this gift, if you're willing to open this gift, then it's a gift.

Otherwise, it means nothing. I mean, so many people before you and so many people after you would have come in this world and would have gone. And what difference would it make? Another person….

You know, these days everything is about statistics. And every morning that I wake up, I go to this one website and it's called "Worldometers." And I go to that website and it's just got all these numbers. It's got numbers for all the people that are born, all the people that are dying, all the people, everything. And then it's got all the information about coronavirus.

And I look at those numbers and it's like, "Yes, those numbers represent all these human lives. But are they truly representative of what really is going on, lives that are at stake?"

You know, you say, "Oh, yeah, so many people died and they, you know, they were above this age and they died." That's really sad. It is sad. Because there will be a whole generation that'll grow up without that wisdom and that knowledge that the grandparents impart to their children.

I mean, that's so valuable; that is so important, somebody to be there to tell them, "That's the way it is." That "It's okay." It's okay when something happens that they didn't plan on happening; it wasn't part of their little plan.

You know, a lot of times, the parents, they don't have the time. But the grandparents do have the time. And that wisdom gets passed on, generation to generation to generation to generation.

And this is the value-not the numbers, but the value of each person who is around, the life. Because one of those numbers, (maybe it's in thousands), but it represents a human being. It represents you; it represents me. It represents, truly, the meaning that this breath comes into that person-that they are given an opportunity to exist, they're given an opportunity to thrive.

And I'm saying all these things to you because I think, once in a while, we have got to get our head out of the sand, (like an ostrich), and look around us and look at the reality that exists, look at the beauty that exists.

Because, yeah-yeah, there are terrible things happening. Some world leaders really missed the boat. They really missed the boat; they saw the storm coming and they did nothing about it till it was too late. And terrible penalty, terrible chaos, terrible fiasco…. But even in that fiasco, you've got to pull your head out of the sand and look at what's real. What is real? What is beautiful; what is good.

Because you have those two wolves in you, a good wolf and the bad wolf, and they fight. Which wolf is going to win? It's obvious-the one you feed. If in this situation, you are feeding the bad wolf, the bad wolf is going to win. And believe me, when the bad wolf wins, it's going to make your life miserable. And that would be a tragedy on top of a tragedy.

But if you feed the good wolf…. What does the good wolf live on? The good wolf lives on kindness. The good wolf lives on clarity. The good wolf lives on joy, a fulfillment. And if these are the things that are fed to that wolf, it'll become strong. And then it wouldn't be a tragedy on top of a tragedy. It'll be something good. Something would have been learned; something would have been understood.

There's a saying, you know, "When you're down, pick something up. You're so close to it; pick something up." And I agree with that. When you're down, pick something up. Understand.

It's always been a case of, "When there's the time of the bad, you must have prepared for that bad time when the times are good." To prepare for the bad times, you must prepare for them when the times are good. And the question becomes, "Did you? Did you prepare when the times were good?"

Or were you just out there going, "Yes, you know, everything is great; nothing bad will ever happen. Look at our…." This is what happens so many times in civilizations. And this wouldn't be the first time that, at the apex of the civilization, at the crescendo…. And people lost. People got into, "H'oh my God, we are so powerful; we are this; we are that; I mean, nothing bad can happen…."

Everybody, about virtual reality. Well, try virtual reality now-I wish you could. Because this reality is not very good; some virtual reality might be good.

How is that going to help the human condition? That's why I keep pointing out to people; people always kept telling me, you know, "What about this; what about that?" And I'm like, "Wait-wait-wait-wait, wait-wait-wait-wait, wait, wait, you are a human being."

You know, relatively speaking, we haven't really, as this "modern man," this modern human being-we haven't been around for that long. We haven't even sorted things out yet. We're still living in a very antique world.

We-I mean, we may think we are living in this "modern," you know, at 2020 and all of these technologies and all that. But the reality of it is that women still don't, in our society, have equal space. And that's unimaginable.

Not so long ago, just a few years ago-and I know that there are countries like India which I'm sure that this is going on there right now, that they don't want mixed marriages. It has nothing to do with love-but it's like, "No, no, that person can't get married to that…." Even though the society has changed dramatically, but it has such a long way to change.

There are people of LGBT community-that are having to fend off so much hate. And we're not accepting them as who they are, as human beings.

And the society still remains dramatically divided-dramatically divided. I know there are shows on television where they show people hoarding things. And they've got so much, so many things; I mean, you can't walk into their living room and they've been hoarding and hoarding and hoarding and hoarding.

But what do you think some of these corporations have been doing? And when they hoard, (they hoard money), they're tapped on the back, "Oh, you are doing really good." But all they're doing is hoarding money.

When, "But, oh, look, look how that person became so successful." Maybe that person, what they have, they took from somebody. You know, when there's corruption, this is what happens. That it is taken away from some poor person's mouth; the food is taken. We produce so much and waste even more. This is the society that we have created for ourselves.

It is time, truly, to reflect on this; to understand, "What do we want? Do we want to be divided up or do we want to be united as human beings on the face of this earth? Do we want to have a world which feels safer and safer and safer or do we want a world that feels more dangerous and more dangerous and more dangerous?"

The answers to these questions, my friends, lie in your heart and the heart of all human beings. These are not some exceptional ideas that have come up in 2020; these are the ideas that have been around for a very, very long time-in fact, as long as there have been societies in this world. A desire to be free, a desire to move forward, a desire to be progressive and a desire to be united.

And working for the betterment of all mankind. The world we create today is the world which will reflect upon tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and the day after that. Whether you like it or not, you are the architects of tomorrow.

But believe me, you will never be able to understand what tomorrow is all about if you have no idea what today is all about. You will not be able to understand the value of yesterday if you don't understand the value of today. Tomorrow will remain a mystery if today is a mystery to you.

And so this is the time; this is the time to take a step, to look inside. Not to ponder about the uncertainty, but to ponder about the certainty that we can bring. It is time to unite like we have never united before. And more importantly than the rest of the whole world, we need to be united with ourselves.

We cannot be two; we cannot be three; we cannot be four-we need to be one within ourselves, too. We need to know who we are. We need to understand who we are, so that we can move forward and make this world a better place for everyone-that we understand, we understand the meaning of "man kind, man kind," kindness for all human beings across the world.

So, thank you very much; I'll talk to you later. I hope you give this some thought. And most importantly, be safe; be well. And be

Lockdown Broadcast Day 20

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all doing well, safe, and feeling well. What I'd like to talk to you today about, again, is very simple. Because that's what we have to, in our lives, really come down to. Whatever the situation may be, simplicity will see you through it. Look at the simplicity of life; look at the simplicity of existence and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

In our lives, we sometimes don't understand how important it is to have harmony in our existence, to be harmonious with everything that is around us, to be harmonious with this nature, to be harmonious with the people that we are around.

And most importantly, to be in harmony with ourselves, the harmony of our existence, the harmony of this breath coming in, filling us with life-the simple things, the beautifully simple things in life-you, your existence. Your want, put aside-but look at your needs, the simple needs to be fulfilled, to be in peace, to be in joy, to understand.

To question, but then to have the answer, too. To understand that all those answers, the ocean of answers, is within you. To query, "What is this," but then to find the answer to what this is.

That understanding can only be if there is the profoundness of simplicity in your life, if you understand the rhythm of this joy, of this existence-that it comes, that you exist, that you want to thrive-you want to go beyond surviving; you want to thrive. That what it's going to take is just that simple thing of simply being. To be, to exist, to see the harmony, to see it in the simplest of ways.

Not the complicated. We like the complicated-oh, we love the complicated. Because when it's complicated, we feel challenged of, "What can we say; what can be the profound thing?"

You know, and one time I saw somebody who was talking about somebody's past lifetime, "Oh, you were an elephant. Oh, you were a this; oh, you were a that." Why are you going there? This is the life you have. Not that. That you had. This is the life you have. And what can you do in this life? What can you be in this life? Can you be simple? Can you see it with the eyes of a child?

What is that? And that is simply to see, to accept something without wondering, "What is it; what is it called? What is its function; what is its purpose?" That's going to happen later-but there is that one stage where the child merely looks at something and accepts.

Many times I have seen this. You show the child the moon. You bring them out. You show; the night is there; they look up; they see the moon-they don't know it's called "the moon." That's the parents who go, "Moon"-they give it the name.

But without giving it the name, without anything else, the child is looking at it and appreciating its beauty, appreciating what it is, without having to know "How far it is, what the diameter of the moon is, what the circumference of this thing is, what is a moon; where did it come from"-all that happens later.

But the issue is, "Fine, it happens all later; later we get into all this stuff"-but what about that simplicity? I always ask that one question, "What happened to that child?" You were once that child-that child that was incredibly simple.

And for a lot of people, you know, they don't see the profoundness of that. I do. To be able to see something for what it is, without having known its name, without having known its characteristics, without giving it a purpose, without giving it a this….

I mean, why does the moon look beautiful? Is it beautiful? Well, when it's shining up in the sky, it does look beautiful. Why does it look beautiful? It doesn't matter, so far it is.

Can that be me too? Do I have to give ten thousand different meanings to everything that happens in my life-or can I simply, simply accept, "I am. I exist"?

And can I accept my needs? I want to be in peace. I want to feel good. I want to be in joy. I want to be fulfilled. And a lot of people go, "You know, what is it that we're going to get fulfilled by?" Somebody just recently asked me a question, you know, "What is peace…? What is peace?" Somebody-actually, many times people have asked me, "What is peace?"

Wow. Really, you want to know what peace is? You don't want to feel it; you want to know what it is? What is sugar? What is chili; what is salt!? You know, you can give it a name: "Yes, it's this; it's this; it's this." Taste, taste it!

There is that story where there was this king-and he was sitting in his court and an ambassador came. And the ambassador said, "My king has sent you, as a gift, this fruit that comes from his kingdom." And so the king that was sitting there going, "What is it?" He goes, "It's a mango."

Now, it just so happened that in their kingdom, they didn't have this fruit. So he goes, "Well, what is a mango?" And somebody said, "Okay, let me go take a look at it." So they went and looked at a mango. And they said, "Oh, sire, it's this fruit and it looks like this," you know, "and that's what a mango is." "But I don't understand," the king said, "what a mango is."

So, then their man went and touched it and he goes, "Well, it feels like, you know, gooey-gooey." And the king said, "I still don't understand what a mango is." Then somebody took a bite of it and said, "Oh, it's really delicious; it's sweet; it's got this beautiful aroma," and the king said, "I still don't understand what a mango is."

And finally, this kept going on and on and on and on and everybody was getting sick and tired of it-and then one courtier got up; he took a slice of that mango, put it on a plate, brought to the king and said, "Sire, taste it." As soon as the king put it in his mouth, he said, "Now I know what the mango is. Thank you." That's the power of knowing.

And the power of believing? "More, more, more, believe in this; believe in this; believe in this; believe in this," because it's not knowing; it's "believe, believe, believe." Somebody is going to go out there and figure it out for you-and then put it in a pill and give it to you. And you're going to take that pill and say, "Now, I think I know it now."

But you don't know. "And I just believe; I believe more of this; I believe more of this; I believe more of this, but I believe more of this," and the belief goes on and on and on. And then there have to be people who will interpret that belief for you. And so there's no shortage of interpreters.

And what do they do? They get up and they, you know, open the books. And they, it's like, "Okay, let me tell you this as in this book, and it's true because it's written in this book and it's not true because it's written in that book, and it's true in this…." And it's like, on and on and on it goes.

But that's what belief is all about; what is the power of knowing? What do you want in your life, beliefs or knowing? You want to know. And that is being in harmony with the self-not at odds, but being in the harmony with the self, the true harmony, to be in that rhythm.

Otherwise, what is life like? And I can tell you this; it's like a band playing and one player is playing off beat. He's completely somewhere else, playing off-key and off beat. Does that sound like your life sometimes, where the music isn't making sense because somebody's playing something else? It's not in the same beat; it's not in the same harmony.

This life needs to be in that harmony every single day. Every moment that you can be, you need to be in that harmony. With the times right now, that is challenging.

Because this is going, "What's going to happen?" This is going, "What's going to happen; when is this going to end? What is this; what is this; what is this; what is this?" And the heart is more interested in what happens every day: "You're alive," your life, your existence.

Understand what it means to be in that harmony. Understand how important it is for you to be in that harmony. Harmonize with this existence, for the time you have-for the time you have. And when this is gone, you won't be able to harmonize. Will you want to? Yes, but would you be able to? No.

This is your chance; this is your opportunity to feel, to experience. And how beautiful that is, that you can do that; you can feel; you can feel peace; you can feel joy. You can feel the goodness of being alive, the goodness of who you are, the harmony, the understanding. And you know, that's what it has to be. Not the complicated, but the simple.

And when you understand what that simplicity is-and how precious that simplicity is, then everything begins to change. Everything takes on a new meaning: "Wow. How do I capture today? Just be me"-and you will capture it. This is what you want. It's always a good time, always a beautiful time because you understand what that means.

Not analytical, not through analysis, "Oh, there's…." We need analysis; I'm not saying we don't need analysis. We need analysis. And in this world, there are many things that need analysis.

But your existence is afoot. No point in analyzing "what this means, what that means." Accept. Accept and understand-that you need to be in that simple harmony, in the simplest synchronicity with your existence, with this breath. As simple is it is, you need to become that simple; you need to become that real.

What is real? Not some philosophy that bounces between these two ears. No, no, no, no, no. What is simple; what is real-to you? It's the coming and going of your breath, your existence. Your…. What is real is your desire for peace, your need for peace. What is real is your need to be fulfilled. What is real is your need to be in that simplicity.

What is real is to have that harmony in your life, your need to have that harmony in your life. To once again, see the world and to see yourself with the eyes of the child. I always say this, you know, "What happened to that child, do you think?" That child is still here. Each one of you, once upon a time, was a child. That child never died. That child is still there.

Get in touch with that child; get in touch with that simplicity; get in touch with that harmony; get in touch with that joy. And the reward for all that is fulfillment, is peace, is the beautiful stuff in life.

Be safe; be well. Be. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 21

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all well.

So, last night I was thinking about, again, the training and the Peace Education Program-and I came across something in my head, and what I came across was a question-and actually, it turned out to be two questions. And the question is, "Are you, as a human being, comfortable with yourself?" It's a pretty important question, I think.

Because if we are not comfortable with who we are-again, that's a perceived point; that's a perceived thing. In reality, who you are, that's totally different; that's something to be realized; that's something to be discovered; that's something to be understood.

But in your perception of yourself, are you comfortable being you? Because if you are comfortable with being you, then this whole lockdown thing is not an issue. Because you're comfortable being you.

But if you're not comfortable with yourself, then this definitely becomes a very valid issue, because you now don't know who you are. And because you don't know who you are, you are with a stranger. Literally, you are with a stranger.

And there are people in this world who go through a whole lifetime living with a stranger, somebody you don't know-and they're there; they're there every day. And all there is is just expectations, expectations, expectations, expectations.

And you expect a lot from that stranger. What you actually expect from that stranger is what people have expected of you. The world puts a huge amount of expectations on you. You pass that on to this stranger that you live with.

So, what does that mean? It just means, very simply, "If you got to understand who you are, if you understood who you are, then you wouldn't be a stranger to the self." And if you're not a stranger to the self, then you can very easily say, "Yes, this is what I want in my life; this is how I want to be in my life. This is what is comfortable for me-and this is what is not comfortable for me."

Because, any stage of the game…. You know, when you were going to school, you started with kindergarten; then you went on to first grade. When did you go to second grade? After you had finished the first grade.

Now, it may seem pointless to go to the second grade because, by the time you're finished with first grade, you are so comfortable with the first grade. But then you have to stop-and you're ready to take on the next step.

It's just like climbing a ladder. You climb the first rung; you bring your feet up to it. Then, once you are there, then you take and you put your foot on the second rung-and the third rung and the fourth rung-and this is how you climb.

So, before you start to put expectations on yourself, (whether they are your expectations or whether they are expectations that are created by this world), you have to be very, very clear that "Yes, I'm comfortable at this level. Then I can go on to the second level."

The second level? A little bit more understanding of myself. Third level, a little bit more understanding of myself-and it's a discovery; it's a process of discovery for the rest of your life.

Because you are not static. You are constantly evolving; you're constantly changing. You want to be stationary; you want to not change. And that's what Socrates said, that if you get everything, (I'm paraphrasing here), if you get everything you want, you're not going to be happy. If you don't get what you want, you're not going to be happy.

And even if you get what you want you're not going to be happy because it's going to change. And change is the fact of life. You don't like that. You want to be stationary; you want everything to stop-and you can look at it that way; you can look at it being stationary. You want to appreciate everything from that way of being stationary.

So now, here comes this whole issue of reality. What is reality like? And I remember a question that somebody asked me and it was in Portugal. And they said, "If I were to find out who I am," (because this is what I was talking about to them), "that if I found out who I am and I didn't like who I am, then what would I do?"

And I gave an answer, whatever the answer was; I went back to my hotel-and I started thinking. It's like, "Wow, I have not considered somebody ever knowing themselves…."

And it's not anywhere. You know, you listen to Kabir or you read what so many other people had to say; nobody talks about, "Hey, you'd better be careful knowing yourself because if you got to know yourself…. And what if you didn't like what you saw?"

Pretty fascinating. It's amazing; it's like, "Wait a minute. That possibility may exist in this person's mind, in this person's head. But that possibility has not even, ever been brought up." Because it is a foregone conclusion that when you know yourself, you will like what you see.

And that's pretty fascinating. It is fascinating to understand that what is there, what is truly you, is beautiful-exceptionally.

Now, you know, it's like you have a wall-and there's a big gate. And the person says, "Okay, follow me." And that person steps through that gate and they're looking at something and it's absolutely spectacular. And they're telling you, "Don't be afraid; come on in!"

But they're not telling you what they're seeing. All they're saying is, "Come on in; it's okay. It's fine." And they're encouraging you to come in, but the encouragement isn't by, "I see this; I see this; I see this; I see this," so, I wonder why that is.

And in fact, one of the couplets that I had come across is "That when you talk about this experience, when you talk about that feeling of knowing yourself, that it is a bit like a person who is mute, who cannot speak, eating candy. They can taste it-and they are definitely enjoying it. But they cannot tell you how much they're enjoying it and what the taste is. All they can tell you is 'Umm, it's great; it's wonderful.'"

And this is what it boils down to. That the reality, by its very nature, is beautiful. This existence, by its very nature, is beautiful. (Now, pay attention here.) This existence, by its very nature, is beautiful. This reality, by its very nature, is beautiful. Your life, by its very nature, is beautiful. Your heart, by its very nature, is very beautiful.

So then, why are all these other issues hovering around you? Ah-hah, here is that point. Take that first question I asked, and that question is, "Are you comfortable with yourself?" Because if you're not, perhaps you're carrying a huge burden on your shoulders of the expectations that others have of you.

But it's time to understand who you are, not everything else. Your whole life has been spent, up to this point, understanding everything around you-all the things that go on, this is what we learn and learn and learn and learn and learn and learn.

And I'm not saying that that's wrong; it's not a question of right and wrong. And there are many things in this world that we learn-by their very nature they are bad. But the reality, by its very nature, is good. You, you, as a human being, by your very nature you are good.

And so there is this incredibly learnt behavior, incredibly heavy-duty learnt behavior that other people have, that you have, that is causing all the friction-causes all the friction, causes all the friction, causes all the friction in this world. Not the reality, not the sweet reality of who you are, that that breath comes into you, that you are alive, that you exist.

You exist for a very finite amount of time, but you exist. And in that, you bloom-you bloom. In that, you find that which you didn't pay attention to.

"Why is this reality hidden? Why is this beauty hidden?" Excuse me, it's not hidden. Not by any stretch of the imagination is this beauty hidden, is this joy hidden, is this clarity hidden, is this peace hidden. You just never did pay attention to it. You never thought it's there. Nobody told you it's there. Nobody said, "This-a-way, in here lies the most amazing thing that you are."

And so, is it that simple, is it that easy, that all we have to do is pay attention to it? And it will begin to manifest itself; we will begin to see it. And the idea is exactly that: "Get out of the way."

A lot of people say to me, "You know, I'm searching for peace." It's like, "Well, good luck. You're not going to find it that way." "Why not? Why shouldn't I be searching for peace?" Because you already have it. That's why you shouldn't be searching for it; you should be enjoying it; you should be paying attention to it; you already have it; it's there.

It's like somebody going, "Where are my glasses; where are my"-you know, a lot of people put up their glasses on top of their head. And it's like, "Where are my glasses; where are my glasses?" Obviously, your eyes can't see it because it's at the top of your head.

And, you know, somebody seeing you with the glasses on top of your head-and they're like, "Kkh, kkh, kkh, over there, you know, on top of your head are your glasses. Why are you searching for them; why are you looking for them when they're there?" And it's the same thing, that that beauty is inside of you.

Now, the second question that I'm going to ask you…. I hope the first question clarified itself for you somehow. But the second question is-so, right now we are in the middle of this lockdown. Not a nice situation. But it's not the situation, but how we react to it, right?

So, here is my question. "Pretty soon-relatively speaking, pretty soon this will be over. What would you have learnt?"

When I began, it was all about "resetting." What would you have reset? When you come out of this, will you be the same? Are you just waiting? Are you just waiting every day for this to be over-I mean, every single day? Are you scared of this thing? When I have told you that being scared doesn't do anybody any good? Absolutely not, it's, that never helps anybody.

But you have to do something. And that takes exceptional courage sometimes. And to say that it takes exceptional courage-would be pointless to say that if you didn't have it. You have that courage. You can take that step in your life; you can move forward.

And grab this challenge and say, "Okay. This isn't going to be a waste of my time. Because my goodness, if this is a waste of time, this is a real waste of time, times many, many, many, many times." This sounds weird but, yeah, "This is a waste of time times many, many times over."

But it can't be. It can't be. As a human race, mankind, human beings on the face of this earth, we're making history. We got faced by something that we weren't prepared for-and in a matter of a very short period of time, it has brought the whole world, "world" to its knees.

It is a thing you can't even see with your eyes, naked eyes; you'd need a microscope or something…. And here we are. And what are we doing?

The governments are talking about extending the lockdown, doing this, doing that. There'll be some countries that would have gone through it, some islands that would have gone through it and they would be releasing, saying, "Okay, it's clear-but don't come here." You know, the world isn't going to be the same for a long time.

But here is your opportunity. What do you see-the difference that you are going to make in your life, in this period of time? How will it be better for you, when you come out of this whole thing? (Ideally, everything being perfect-and they find a vaccine; you get inoculated and, you know, now you are resistant to it and you can go on and all's well, all's good.) Will you be the same?

Because if we'll be the same, with no change to the human beings that live on the face of this earth, who share this earth with everybody…. This is obvious! This is obvious, that we share this world with everybody. That we make a difference. We all make a difference.

There are those people who truly are in lockdown and not going out and contaminating people. Yes! You are playing your part; you're playing your role. You-you are not just one anymore.

When you stay in lockdown, you stop that contamination going from four, five people from you directly, and then four or five people for each one that you would have infected, and so on and so on and so on and so on. You're not one.

So, give it a thought, of how powerful this is. That what we are having to live through, what we are going through, how powerful this is-and that we can make a difference.

And every, every person that is making a difference, those people who are at the forefront of this, in the hospitals, who are making a difference, the nursing staff that's making a difference, the doctors that are making the difference, the people that are making the difference.

If we can make that big of a difference, imagine when I say-and you know, people used to always laugh at me; I'm sure that people laugh at me today when I say "Peace is possible." They're like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah…."

But here is an example. Peace is possible. We are more powerful than we realize. And come together, united? We can do some amazing things.

But I have always said that it is every individual; it is the strength of every individual that is ultimately going to make the difference. That it isn't a question of a big light bulb, but it is the little light bulbs that make the difference. A lot of little lamps that are lit can make the difference. You are actually seeing that whole understanding about the lit lamps in action. You're seeing it in action.

I'm just, pretty soon, in a day or so, I'm going to have a little report that TPRF, what they're doing-and what RVK is doing in India and what one of the Premsagar Foundations is doing-and people that are making that effort. And it's a fascinating report at this time of coronavirus, what is happening; I'll have that report for you shortly.

So, this is your opportunity to transform from a very deep place inside of you. And that's why I said, "Are you comfortable with yourself"-from a very deep place inside of you, to transform forever. Not just for this period of time, but to transform forever. And if you could transform forever, you could transform your world around you.

So, fascinating two questions, give it a thought. Give it a thought. Thank you very much.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 22

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all well. And so much is still happening around the world-but again, I would just like to focus on the simplicity of your existence, of you, me, us, being on the face of this earth.

And what does it mean? Well, it is. Is it a gift-of course. Because none of us put a quarter or a dime or money in a vending machine and said, "Okay, this is what I want," pushed a button and here we are. And how magnificent, because only through appreciation can you begin to understand what this is all about.

Now, whether you call it "enlightenment," whether you call it "know-it-all," whether you call it whatever people call it-but just a very simple appreciation, appreciation for existence, appreciation for life, appreciation for clarity, appreciation for joy….

Appreciation for being included in this beautiful, beautiful creation-of millions and millions and millions and millions of years of experimenting, from one species to another species to another species to another species, evolving. And every one of those species contributing something towards, ultimately, to what we are today as a human being.

So, this has allowed so much to happen. Just recently, not too long ago, they found that there were perhaps, other species, very much-Homo erectus, but other species living with us.

And that's mind-boggling, from that to where we have come today, all those changes over millions of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years, changing, changing, changing, striving for something better, striving for something better, striving for something better. And in that striving for something better, today we find ourselves at this crossroad.

And in this crossroad, there is an amazing amount of peril. One thing is obvious; we are incredibly fragile. And this is very obvious-as the lockdown happens: "Can't go here; can't go there," people getting very irritated. All of these things happening. And people, scared-human beings, scared what's going to happen to them.

So, all that that we have created around us does not guarantee anything. All of a sudden, here we are at two thousand twenty, twenty-twenty.

When you think of 20/20 as "vision," that's perfect vision, great vision. And in the midst of 2020, so much confusion, so much fear, so much misinformation, so much doubt-that you really have to wonder; it's like, "Wait a minute; did we, as a species, as human beings-did we actually make a difference? Did we evolve in any way?"

And yet, haven't we evolved-only if we can accept what that simple and beautiful reality is-that we do exist. And maybe on the outside, we try to create a perfect world. (Maybe we will; maybe we won't.)

You know, one of the things about this coronavirus-in no way does it seem like a blessing. But let me tell you, that's what it took to clean up the air. That's what it took to give a break to the whole nature.

All of a sudden, everything that was just clogged freeways, fumes, factories producing pollution, pollution, pollution, pollution, pollution, pollution, contamination, contamination, contamination, all of a sudden came to a grinding halt.

In our pursuit of the perfect world, we have actually ended up creating an incredibly imperfect world. Will we ever agree to that? Probably not. Because that takes a lot of guts; that takes a lot of strength; that takes a tremendous amount of courage to say, "Yes, maybe we were not on the right path for this perfect world." Because it's all about greed.

And yet, when you hunker down and start looking at some of the writings-of Kabir, for instance, of Nanak, of so many people who really took to heart that "being on the face of this earth was more than just the fulfillment of outer greed."

Then they start to turn inwards in such a beautiful way, to say "No, indeed, there is-if you want to be greedy, then be greedy for that clarity. If you want to be greedy, then be greedy for that fulfillment. If you want to be greedy, then be greedy for peace."

And you know, it really is a different mindset; it's a very different way of thinking, that "Inside of me I carry the most profound. I look for it on the outside; I try to create it on the outside."

Because when people talk to me about peace, they're not thinking about an internal peace; they're thinking about an external peace. "Can there be peace on the outside?" I don't know. Can there be peace on the inside; yes, I do know. And that peace that is inside of me is what makes me. That's what defines me: my peace. Not the peace outside.

If I went into a room and it was really, really quiet, will there be noise inside of me? Because that quietness of that room doesn't define me. What defines me is the peace that I carry inside of me. I could be in the most beautiful place-and yet I could be angry inside of me. What will define me, the beauty of the place I am in-or the anger that I carry inside of me?

Someway, I can't help but think that the time for all of us exists to really take in hand this idea of living consciously. That every day that we are in this situation of lockdown is a day to practice conscious living. To practice, to be conscious of "What is happening inside of me?" Of "Where am I at?"

You know, when anger comes-and I know when anger comes, it comes all too quickly. Before you can put the brakes on, it's already there-and it's already done the damage. How can I stop that? Well, you know, to get to that point where the anger can so quickly take over took a lot of practice, in little bits and little chunks and little chunks and little chunks and little chunks.

The time has come, perhaps, to really take this opportunity and practice something else, practice living consciously. To see, to know, "What is it-what is it that I want to accomplish? How will I use the tools that I have today? In this day that I have, how will I use the tools that are already inside of me? How will I summon peace inside of me?"

Because it's too easy to just, you know, put it on somebody else, "They are the ones who are disturbing my peace; they are the ones who need to be in peace." But it's not about them; it's about you. Living consciously is all about you, not about other people.

And that takes practice, just like everything else takes practice. If somebody is out of shape and they want to get in shape, one day is not enough. And that's not going to do…. If they went on an exercise bicycle and they went on a treadmill-and then they jogged, you know, tried to jog-well, the reality of it is, if they're not in shape, they're not even going to be able to do too much of that.

But everybody knows that every day, repetition, practice, practice, practice, repetition, practice, practice, practice, is what's going to, one day, take them to that level, to that threshold where they can accomplish some amazing things.

But it's going to take that patience; it's going to take that effort; it's going to take that want; it is going to take that conscious living every day-to say, "Okay, I want to summon peace in me; I want to feel peace in me today. How will I contribute to my peace today? How will I react to everything that happens today, from inside of me?" More importantly, in here.

Very, very simple, if we can look at it one little bit at a time. There is such a concept for peace; there's such a concept for being good that it can happen at an instant flash. It doesn't happen at an instant flash. Because even being bad takes training. Even being bad took time. Even being bad had to have a lot of practice behind it. The good is going to require at least that much amount of practice.

Is it possible? Yes, it's possible. But it's incumbent upon you. Can you summon those things that are inside of you? At one of these talks, I already talked about "You feeling comfortable with yourself." Do you feel comfortable with yourself?

Because if you're not in comfort with yourself, if you're not okay with yourself…. If you want to be somebody else, you see yourself as somebody else-if that is your goal, (not you as you, but you as somebody else), then there's a problem. Because you cannot be somebody else. You are you. And you have to be comfortable being you.

Not with your mistakes or this or that, but just in the most fundamental, most simplest way you can imagine, being comfortable with you. And that's what it takes. That's the kind of understanding you are going to have to garner.

You know, I really see that, of course, this is not a pleasant time for anybody-to be in lockdown, to be in this situation; it's like, you know, Groundhog Day, (which is, of course, a movie where the same day keeps repeating itself again and again and again in the…)

In this movie, actually, that day keeps repeating itself again and again-and he's so bored with that day. And he wished he could have another day. He tries bad things.

All of a sudden, then finally it starts to dawn on him that, "Okay," maybe it's going to be the same day again and again but he can make a difference. He can make a difference for himself. And when he starts to do that, he comes out of that "again, same day; again, same day; again, same day," and something wonderful transforms him in this movie, the Groundhog Day.

And sometimes, you know, when I-that's one of my favorite movies, so I watch it quite a bit. Because sometimes we get stuck-and then it's like, "Oh, yeah, it's the same day again and again and again and again and again."

But when you turn inside and you take on the challenge of transformation, you are willing to live your life consciously, you're willing to practice living that life consciously, then something amazing is going to happen; something amazing is going to transform, transform you, that peace will be so much more closer to you than you have ever realized.

The joy will dance at your door, will knock at your door. Your life will be pleasant-pleasant, rewarding. You will then understand why so many have said, "Life is a gift." You will understand their enthusiasm for that peace, for that joy, for that fulfillment of life, because you understand and finally you would have seen life like it is meant to be seen.

Not weighed against all your list of problems and list of desires and list of wants and list of failures and list of what you consider to be "success"-but against something else, a comparison against what it really, really is.

To see life through the eyes of life itself. To see this world that you live in, that world that has the sun, that has the moon, that has the oceans, that has the stars-to see all of them through the eyes of the creation itself.

To admire. To admire each day that you are alive. To admire each moment that you're alive. What if you were obsessed, obsessed with that admiration, that you were obsessed with that joy, that you were obsessed with that gratitude? What would it be like if you were obsessed with peace that resides and dances in your heart? Well, it would be a very different world for you, for me, for all of us.

Thank you. Be safe-be well. Be.

Lockdown broadcast Day 23

Hello, everyone. I hope all of you are well. Today I thought we would do something a little bit different. And what we're going to try to do today is just, I'd like to inform you about what TPRF has been doing since this coronavirus thing started.

A tremendous amount of help has been going out. And there is a little presentation I'd like to run by, that would give you some indication of what TPRF has been doing. I mean, of course, we partner with a lot of different organizations that are at the forefront of fighting this coronavirus.

You know, sometimes everything turns to become political-and we get caught in the drama, trauma, news, everything. And it is very easy to lose sight of just the basic human beings that are trying to make a difference.

And TPRF, of course, has always held a very special place. Because we don't try to look for publicity; we don't try to look for-you know, I mean, of course, publicity is nice and it's nice for people to know that such an organization exists.

But one of the things we try to do is get to the core issues, where people are really, really helped by whatever partnerships we forge with different organizations. I mean, when you look at it, there are just so many charities out there, so many organizations. But a lot of times, the help that's supposed to arrive doesn't arrive! Because something gets lost somewhere in translation.

And with TPRF, I have particularly made this point over and over again, that we really have to make sure that whatever our efforts are, they really are well-executed-and people do, at the end of the day, end up receiving the help that we set out for them to have.

So, here is the presentation. "The Prem Rawat Foundation, advancing dignity, peace, and prosperity."

Onscreen text:

The Prem Rawat Foundation

Advancing dignity, peace, and prosperity by addressing

the fundamental human needs of food, water, and peace.

Prem Rawat:

"Keeping in Touch. TPRF is providing regular social media posts, website articles, and emails with the latest updates on all activities and how people can participate.

"TPRF is introducing the 'Lockdown' videos to new audiences, reaching over 2.3 million people so far," and this was a few days ago. And these are some of the comments from people.

"'Thank you for your love and support and daily messages. Hugs!' 'I'm loving these broadcasts, thank you so much.' Another one, 'Thank you so much for showing us your wisdom, clarity and love in this trying time.'" So, TPRF is making sure that this message is reaching out to people.

"Humanitarian Aid. TPRF is giving initial grants of over $200,000 to provide care, medical supplies and food in areas that are overwhelmed with the coronavirus. $100,000 is going to Doctors Without Borders and International Medical Corps to help people in South Africa, France, Spain, Mexico, the U.S. and various other countries.

"'TPRF's support will help our medical teams launch a global response to the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences.'" This is a direct quote. "'-Thomas Kurmann, Director of Development, Doctors Without Borders,' the USA division.

"$50,000 for CESVI to help people in Northern Italy with care and supplies." And this is one of the responses. It's quite a long letter I received, but this is a little quote from the letter.

"'Thank you on behalf of everyone at the CESVI for your generous donation. It has given us the strength to move forward in this difficult situation. I would like to congratulate you on the aims pursued by TPRF. Roberto Vignola, CESVI, Deputy CEO.'" And we particularly wanted to help Italy because Italy has been hit very hard with this coronavirus.

"$5,000 for Street Peace and Respect, a group of former gang members who were inspired by the Peace Education Program to contribute positively to their community by bringing food to elderly neighbors in need in Alpachaca, Ecuador.

"$25,000 is going to Family Promise to provide shelter and meals to homeless families in the U.S." A lot of this stuff gets overlooked, and at TPRF we really don't want that to happen.

"$25,000 is going to the World Central Kitchen to provide fresh packaged meals to thousands of U.S. children, families and seniors in the most vulnerable communities.

"An initial grant of $25,000 is going to help people in Fiji recover from Cyclone Harold, which left people without shelter, food or medical care." The thing in Fiji is, people are very poor. There is one island, one main island where there are Suva and Nadi. And then there is the big island and a lot of other little islands.

And when natural calamities happen, (and this is a double hit for them, not only the threat of coronavirus but also this cyclone), it's really, really hard. It's hard enough on an everyday basis. And then when something like this happens it actually makes it really, really hard.

And I have been to Fiji many times. People are beautiful; people are very simple. And it really is a community effort in Fiji. "The severe tropical cyclone hit as the area was already struggling to treat patients and stem the spread of the coronavirus," like I said.

"Supporters have donated over $60,000 for coronavirus relief effort. TPRF will continue to provide aid to those in need. And you can contribute to the coronavirus relief effort at TPRF.org." Every bit helps, always-every bit helps.

"In 2019, over 36,000 people participated in the Peace Education Program worldwide. In 2020, there have been over 5,000 participants"-and that's the Peace Education Program initiative that TPRF heads.

"Most Peace Education Program courses have been temporarily paused to avoid spreading the virus. People in the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, and other countries are starting to facilitate the course virtually"-that's a community effort that TPRF supports and it's a wonderful, wonderful thing that's happening.

And of course, we're looking forward to having the Peace Education Program virtually for us too, all of us who are not going through that particular program. I'm trying to still work on it and make a lightweight version of that.

"In Brazil," which is again-you know, I was just there and when you come out in the rural Brazil area, people are very, very poor. And wherever people are poor, they're going to get hit really, really hard.

"In Brazil, people from thirteen states are participating virtually. After only one week of conducting these courses from São Paulo, there are fifty participants per day. The participants keep inviting more people. 'This is the best part of my day, and I am learning a lot about myself.'" That's a quote.

This is another quote, "'Listening to Prem Rawat has been really helping me understand my life.' - Pisa Professor. Universities in Bogotá, Colombia and Pisa, Italy, have offered the program virtually." Again, that's a wonderful effort.

"In Colombia, the Secretary of Education invited teachers who had been implementing the program to watch 'the personal messages to humanity' in the 'Lockdown series,' encouraging them to take good care of themselves, and stay at home."

I mean, I've been to Colombia. And again, you know, the country just has been through so much, with the whole, drugs and the revolts and the this and the that. And there is a lot to be said about the power of the people, about the motivation that people have to move forward, to try to make a difference.

Because a lot of things just come and go-but people are there. And they need to bind together; they need to come together to truly make a change. And so it's really wonderful that the people take this one step further.

"Participants in prisons have been receiving written materials to continue their learning. 'We are very grateful and find the support very helpful.' This is from the Prison Director in Colombia."

Again, you know, in the middle of all this fiasco that is a fiasco to most of us, there are some people who have already gone through the fiasco and are in the midst of that fiasco, and they are the homeless.

"At a homeless shelter and two drug rehabilitation centers where the program has been flourishing, staff are learning to facilitate the program virtually." I mean, this is like a double hit for those people who are homeless. You know, they have to squeeze into tight spaces-that they cannot afford to have that distancing, the social distancing. I mean, what social distancing?

They're not part of the mainstream society; they're just there at the fringe, you know, because whatever bad things have happened to them, they've been shoved that way. And it's very, very thoughtful that the Foundation, TPRF is doing something about them and that they are included-that everybody is included, that everybody gets help. So, it's wonderful to see that.

"TPRF is providing support for those who want to learn virtual facilitation of the program." And if you want to get in touch about that, that's "Email to learn more." And that's the Peace Education Program effort.

"As regular Food for People," effort is concerned, "services are paused by government regulations; TPRF is exploring other ways of providing food and aid to people in dire need, including home delivery. Food for People has served over 3 million meals since 2006." And that's really wonderful.

And the amazing thing is that there is a sister organization in India that is going ahead and working with the police and with the local officials to provide food to the people, (which is called the Premsagar Foundation). And RVK has been helping in that and has been very, very effective of making sure the food distribution happens.

In fact, I have a presentation by those organizations exactly like this one-except that one is in Hindi, so I will have to have it translated into English. But that's really wonderful to hear that over three million meals since 2006, have been served.

Onscreen text:

Thank You

to all of the TPRF volunteers and supporters who are making a positive impact.

Learn more at tprf.org

Prem Rawat:

And the Prem Rawat Foundation again thanks everyone: "To all the TPRF volunteers and supporters who are making a positive impact." Because this is a positive impact for our society and the world that we all live in. So, it's really wonderful to see that TPRF is really shining at this moment in time.

So, thank you. Stay well; stay healthy. Be well. Be. I'll talk to you later.

Lockdown broadcast Day 24

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all well. And the days are slipping by, slowly and slowly. And I, of course, was thinking of, "What can I tell you that will, (well, I guess), enhance or make it easier somehow for you to be able to look at this time and take the most of this time?"

Because whatever the facts may be, certainly with this coronavirus, this period of time that we have with this, there's no rewind button on it. It is time-and it is just as precious when we're doing something else. It's just as precious when we were born; it is just as precious as it was a decade ago, a year ago. And indeed, now that we're in the midst of all this, it's still precious.

So my thinking is, "How can we make the most of it?"-not in terms of accomplishing something on the outside, not in terms of fulfilling some objective, but for ourselves, that we feel, we who are caught in this, we feel that we're making the most of it. That it's not just time that is being just dwindled away in some idea, some concept, some, (against our wishes), lockdown and so on and so forth.

So, you know, one side consequence of this coronavirus lockdown, globally, around the world, has been spectacular for nature. Even in the big parks in the United States and the beautiful parks like Yosemite, the creatures living there, the animals living there are taking over-because people aren't there-and they have the whole place to themselves.

The other day I was watching this beautiful documentary, (or a little segment), and it was showing how beautiful Delhi is. And certainly, I remember in Dehradun, the sky used to be a dark pitch blue sky that apparently, you can't see that anymore.

But due to this coronavirus, even in Delhi you can see a dark pitch blue sky, clear sky. And it's a boon for all the animals. And it's really a boon for all those things that we hold so special in our lives, a beautiful day, a sunny day, a warm day….

In fact, I sometimes wonder-you see me wearing a sweater-and it's like, you know, "Where am I?" Well, here I am in California, and in Southern California it's cold. It's not even-yeah, the temperature sometimes hovers around sixty-five, sixty-seven. So it's quite cold-and when the wind blows, it's really quite cold.

But anyways, getting back to the point, so it's been quite a boon-quite a boon. And somebody just sent me a picture from France, from Paris, where the river is just spectacular because there are no boats on it. It's just still, very still-and you can see the reflection of the clouds. And of course, he's a professional photographer and sent me this picture and it's beautiful. And it's something unique.

So, what's my point? Well, my point is this-that when we, as human beings, do what we do, what are whatever we consider our "natural, everyday activities," (and I'm not talking about going to the bathroom.)

But you've got to get transportation and get to your job, and then go to your job, find a parking spot. Then reverse the whole thing, come back home. And, you know, this whole shunt. And it's, "Go for lunch somewhere, go for this, go for that," all this stuff that we have to do.

And when you take a break from it, everything becomes very quiet; everything becomes very still. And as a consequence of that, (and maybe we don't even realize that), every day, all the things that we do have such a profound impact on the nature around us. But it does.

So if you look at this nature as the ecosystem-and look at us as this newcomer, relatively newcomer that's driving everything insane, that's disrupting everything-then that would be a fairly good assessment of what really is going on.

Because something is being disrupted. So, how does that relate to what I want to talk about? Well, this is how it relates to it-that in our life, in our existence, there's also a beautiful nature that wants to be, that wants to really come forth.

And whatever, up here, we have decided that we have to do, all our little routines, all our little understandings, all our little things that we think are important are nothing but this obnoxious noise….

That when that is quietened, something beautiful happens; something beautiful comes forth; something beautiful emerges; the birds come out; the creatures that are always so shy and so afraid, they start to come out. And you see the vibrance; you see what it really is like, that it's beautiful!

That, when I saw those pictures of Delhi, I was shocked. Because I haven't seen Delhi like that in years-actually, I've never seen Delhi like that.

And being a pilot, I've flown in India. And my goodness, you know, the visibilities are always horrible, whether you're coming in by airplane, whether you're flying with a helicopter. Unless you get way out of Delhi, you know, go east, way out of Delhi, then the visibilities start to come up a little bit.

But in the heart of Delhi, to see this beauty, that, "Wow, it is really beautiful. It is something that we do that is making it not so beautiful." And so, from a practical standpoint, from a very practical standpoint, so much disruption is caused by this. All the pollution in Delhi, you know, makes people die young and affects children seriously.

And if we were to take that and apply to us, that all these things that we are doing without thinking, without thinking of what the effect of these things is on our lives…. That, off we go-"And we'll do this and we will have this little thought and we will have that little thought, and we will have this little relief; we will have that little relief…."

But what are the consequences? What are the consequences for us of not knowing ourselves? It is like polluting this existence, polluting the purity of what can be, of what should be. And that understanding gets very confused, gets very twisted.

Because right now, because of this coronavirus, it is not a "do or die" symptom; it's like, no, you can't-you've got to stay in isolation, otherwise you're going to get sick. And all those explanations, "Oh, what about your job? What about going to your job; what…?" It's like, "Hey, no! No-no-no-no, no," you don't go to your job. Cool it. This is more important, for you to be alive.

And what can I add to that? I can add to it that it is more important for you to be healthy-not only physically, but mentally, within you, not be polluted by all this pollution that we create. But have the clarity of understanding, of knowing, of joy, of fulfillment.

So, sometimes we wonder, "Why is it like this; why is it like that; why, why is this happening to me; why is that happening to me?" But we never look that we have created such a pollutive environment for ourselves, inside of us-we have polluted ourselves with so many concepts.

You know, the concept could be very, very small. The idea could be very, very small. It's like that girl in Cambodia, (and it was quite a few years ago; she's probably a lady by now), but that girl, at that point she was going to school-and she's devastated because she lost her phone.

That's the kind of pollution I'm talking about. That's pollution. She didn't need to be devastated. She could have gone on. But the pollution of it, just contamination from all the different ideas. It's because "it's so important…." From her understanding, it is so important to have that channel of communications with her friends.

Where did that come from? Certainly, it didn't come from when she was born. She could care less about those friends; she didn't know about those friends.

But as we grow old, we allow all these things to come in. And they create an immense amount of pollution, but we are not aware of that, because every day we justify how "we need these things." Every day we justify "how this is important for us"-when what is really important for us is to be in that clarity, to be in that purity of being a human being.

You know, we live in a society-and believe me, I'm not trying to put down society; I know there are wonderful things that have been done in the society. I mean, after all, so many diseases have been overcome; so many technical marvels have been created; so many things have been done. I mean, you know, we could be, on a hundred-degree day, out in the desert and be cool inside.

I mean, all those things, I appreciate that. But alongside of it, we have allowed other things to come in which are actually harming us, which are actually hurting us. And we don't give that a thought, that "How are these things hurting us; how are these things actually affecting us?"

As a society, yes, we have accomplished these things, but we also have jails full of people-full of, not just people we found on Mars, not just people we found on the moon, but human beings from this earth. What is it?

There is a story about Solomon. One time a thief was brought in front of the king. And the king asked, "What is his offense?" He said, "He was stealing bread." The king turned to the man, to the thief and said, "Why were you stealing bread?" He says, "Well, I didn't have anything to eat. I was hungry-and I saw the bread and I couldn't resist it."

So the king said, "What you did was absolutely wrong. You have to be punished by being whipped a hundred times, a hundred whips." The man started crying. He said, "Don't cry; it's okay," Solomon said. "That whipping is not for you. That whipping is for those people in the society that allowed you to be hungry."

That's why Solomon is known to be the wise king-that whatever happens in our little world, we are part of it. And at no time…. At this point in time, you can see what the importance of just even one person is.

If one person in a household…. Say, if you have fifty people in a household, and everybody is in isolation and one person decides to break that isolation and go out there-and he could be contaminated-he could be; you don't know. He could be contaminated-everybody will be scared of that one person: "the power of one."

I tried to make that abundantly clear to people, but I think I have miserably failed to make the power of one-but this coronavirus has done that for me. The power of one is now very clearly understood.

And this is how it goes. Does it have to take tragedies like this for us to awaken? It shouldn't be-it shouldn't be that it takes tragedy for us to awaken, that it takes tragedy for us to learn; it takes tragedy for us to say, "Whoa, I take on the responsibility; I am responsible. And there is something that I can do." Yes, there is. There's always been something you can do.

I mean, you know, you look at this coronavirus thing and, you know, this is just a side observation. A long time ago I was in Lucknow-a long time ago; I was a little boy then. And I went to see this palace, and it was the palace of the landlord of Lucknow. And so I was told a story-and apparently, it's a true story.

So, the Nizam was watching in his palace; he was watching a dance-and all the music was playing and he was watching these girls dance…. And his security guys came and said, "Nizam, you know, you'd better get out of here-but we can see the British army is on the horizon; we can see the dust and everything else, so you'd better get out of here." He said, "Naah, don't worry about it. It's okay."

A few minutes later they said to Nizam, "You'd better get out of here. The British army is at your front door-of the city!" And he goes, "Ahh, don't worry about it. Not a problem. You know, it'll go away; everything will be fine."

A few minutes later they came and they said, "You'd better get out of here. They are at your front gate, at your palace's front gate." And he goes, "Ahh, don't worry about it." A few minutes later they said, "They're about to enter this room!" And that's when Nizam turned to his servant. And he called out to his servant and he says, "Bring me my shoes."

Well, the servant had fled-so there was no servant. So the Nizam started running. And the British caught up to him, arrested him. And he said to the British; he said, "If only I had my shoes, you would have never caught me." Apparently, this is a true story. This is how arrogant, arrogant, arrogant he was.

This thing, this coronavirus was a long time coming. Nobody paid attention. It starts up in China; nobody pays attention. You know, it's not like this is the first one; there has been SARS; there has been the MERS, (which is amongst the camels); there has been the swine flu; there has been the bird flu. So, you know, a long time, "something, something like this can come."

There is the Ebola outbreak; you know, that has to be taken care of. So the possibility of this happening, there were ample, ample, ample warning signs that something like this could happen.

But in our arrogance, what do we do? We don't care. What do we care about? We care about going on every day, making two lousy bucks, two more lousy bucks that we're, none of us are going to take with us. Absolutely not. You think all this wealth that we are accumulating, we're going to take with us? Nobody can take anything with them.

Consequence? Consequence is we are losing so many people. It is absolutely astounding how many people have died needlessly, needlessly-needlessly, that those deaths could have been avoided. But it's the arrogance that does not allow you to see the obvious.

And that same arrogance that doesn't allow you to see something obvious on the outside, does not allow you to see something obvious on the inside. It does not allow you to see that 36,500 days is all you have, even if you live to be a hundred. It doesn't allow you to see that.

It doesn't allow you to see that you are vulnerable; you are fragile. That you're not, you know, made out of iron or steel. Indeed, you are a human being. And so far you are on the face of this earth, you will always be a human being.

It doesn't matter what you have in your hands, whether you have a machine gun, whether you have a bow and arrow, whether you have any-it doesn't matter. You are a human being and there should be no amount of arrogance that does not allow you to see your humanity, your frailty, your, you, as you truly are.

I hope, you know-I mean, it's something to think about. Because it's nothing like you have to go out and do and press a button. You know, there isn't a button, like, across the street that you have to go push. No, it's just some awakening; that's what awakenings are-they're little things that happen inside of us; the puzzle starts to fall in place.

There is a picture. And that picture is all divided up into little puzzles. What is it, you can't tell, not by looking at little pieces. You start to put pieces together; some pieces go together very easily; some pieces don't go together very easily.

There is a picture. When all this puzzle is put together properly, (not forced, properly), there is a picture. And you will see that picture and perhaps you will even enjoy that picture.

It's the little awakenings that need to happen for us to be fulfilled. That's what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about, you know, pain and torture; I'm talking about joy; I'm talking about fulfillment.

As a human being, all the things that we are trying to accomplish, we will not be able to accomplish. Look, in history, we will be chastised for our arrogance. We had so much going for us-and at the end of the day, what happened was this pandemic. Is that what we want? Is that how we want to be remembered in history?

Or do we want to be celebrated: "That these human beings were wonderful. They came together; they had made good preparations." It is in the time of plenty-it is in the time of plenty that you prepare for the times of the bad, of scarcity, of the famine, of the drought. It is in the time of plenty that you prepare for it.

But when the whole humanity is sunk in greed-and not looking at the obvious, then unfortunately it's going to be, "If I only had my shoes, you would have never caught me." I mean, I remember that story and it was like, "Is that guy for real," you know? But he was. That's the way people used to be; they were incredibly arrogant.

This arrogance isn't going to take us anywhere. This arrogance is-you know, this little, invisible little virus is rubbing our nose into it; it's like, "Yeah, well, what are you going to do about it?"

And, you know, we are at its mercy, of all the doctors and everything else out there-to the breaking point. The medical staff, to the breaking point. I mean, they're working so hard, to the breaking point. And all those resources that we were always proud of, to the breaking point-to the breaking point.

Is this what we have created, ultimately? Well, if this is what we have created, then let me tell you that there is another possibility. And that possibility is about being fulfilled, about kindly being looked down in history.

And said, "No, those human beings had learned something. They stood for something, something that was good. They understood their humanity. They understood themselves. They lived their lives consciously. And they had a heart full of gratitude." Maybe that's a possibility. Maybe that is a possibility.

Be well; be safe. Be. I'll talk to you later. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 25

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all well, feeling well-and you know, somehow putting up with this coronavirus thing. Whether it's good times, bad times, that's completely dependent on you; it has nothing to do with the coronavirus.

You know, for the rest of nature, it's quite a boon to have everybody locked up in their homes-and nature is having a field day with it; it's like a vacation for nature.

So, last night I was thinking and I came across this word in my ideas, in my thoughts, that actually, I haven't used too much of. And the word is "purity."

So, when you look at the definition of purity, it's "something that is without contamination." Now, you know, of course, the definition goes on and on and on, but "something which is uncontaminated, something which is without anything else except for what it is."

So then I started thinking; it's like, "Hmm, that's very intriguing; 'something that is without contamination.'" Something that is what it is-and in its purest form.

So, when you start to think about that, so many things come to mind; it's like, "Whoa, is life pure? The way I experience my existence every day, is that pure? Or is that contaminated, contaminated from everybody's ideas, everybody's concepts and everything else?"

Somebody from Mumbai actually wrote me a question-and I came across that; I've got a lot of questions. So I'm getting ready to start answering them one by one, but-I usually reserve those for the weekend. But the question that came up was, "You know, why do people believe in the caste system?"

In the world, a lot of apartheid, in one way or the other way, is exercised-you know, like just even after people found out that this coronavirus came from China (or, you know, it came from where it came from; I don't think that, you know, China particularly needs a label on it).

But a lot of Americans of Chinese descent who were probably living here, born here, started buying guns! I mean, it's like they were threatened. Because there are people out there who, it's like, "Oh, you know, you're the one responsible for this." But this is completely crazy, of course.

But we segregate and we, you know, we look at the differences; we don't look at the similarity; we say, "Okay, that person is from China; that person is from Africa; that person is from India; this person is from, you know, this place, this place," and on it goes.

And so the question was, "Where does this come from?" And I was with a few people in the room, (my staff, basically), and we were talking. And I say, "Well, how would you answer that question," I said to them. And they said-nothing, actually. And I said, "Look, it's very simple. It's a learned behavior. We're not born that way; we learned this."

It's like, you can take two babies that are, you know, two-years-olds and put them in a room and they're not going to say "What's your caste" or "Which country do you come from," or "What is your origin," or "Are you Chinese or are you African or are you American; are you Australian?"

They will simply just play with each other. To them, you're a human being; you're a being. You're another person, "very similar to how I am."

So we learned these things. So, when, in our thoughts, these kinds of things come, is our thought at that point pure? And the answer is, "No, it's been contaminated by something."

Now, contamination is contamination, whether it is a positive contamination or it's a negative contamination; it is a contamination. It is no longer the pure thought, the pure understanding of being a human being. It is not the purity of how you can view your existence.

All these other filters are coming in: "This is important; that's important. I have to do this; I have to do that; I have this relationship with that person. I have that relationship with that person. That person is there; that person is there." And it gets contaminated.

Now, you can say "positive contamination" or "negative contamination." It doesn't really matter. It's a contamination; it's no longer that word, no longer what that word represents, which is purity.

So, purity of what? Well, purity of life. Purity of existence. Purity of thought. Purity of feeling. Purity of understanding. Purity of expression. Purity of enjoyment. Purity of fulfillment. Purity of clarity. Purity of you, as a human being.

So, what do all these things mean? That we feel. But do we really feel what the feeling is-how it should be felt? Should I give you an example? "Feeling of being alive."

And you know, when a tragedy happens it's like, "Oh my God, I'm so glad, you know, it didn't happen to me." Or, you know, it sets us back and we go, "Oh my God, I'm so fragile; I'm this; I'm that…."

Ten minutes later, we've forgotten it. We have forgotten it because we came across something more important: "We've got to do this; we've got to do this; we've got to do this; we've got to do this."

So, "feeling of being alive," feeling. Feeling of being alive. Do we keep feeling that feeling, consistently? Or does that get contaminated? How many things in our life actually get contaminated? When it comes to even, Knowledge of the self, it gets contaminated by other people's ideas.

So really, even understanding the word "purity," just, just for the sake of it, you know, not getting too deep into it and going, "Oh my God, you know, ahh…."

No, just for what it's worth. Yeah, I guess, understanding purity, purely purity, just purely. Not trying to give it meaning, not trying to give it twists, not trying to give it all these other things, but just, "What is it about, your existence, you being alive, you being able to feel? You being able to feel the reality? In a very pure way, the purity of it?" Your connection to your creator-pure.

And see, this is where it gets very, very tricky. Because for you to have that connection with your creator be pure, you have to have a very pure understanding of your creator. For you to be able to understand what is that pure feeling, you have to know what it is that you are feeling.

What does pure love look like?-that is not because of a reason, that doesn't have a season attached to it, that doesn't have circumstances attached to it-but something that is purely love? And that you can feel, without inhibition, without having conditions attached to it, circumstances attached to it: "I love you because…."

You know, and it's very funny because when children love, it's love; they love. And children are not the ones who carry a grudge too far. You know, pretty soon they forget and they go on. And of course, the older they get, they can carry that grudge much, much further.

But when they're really, really young and they want to punish you-they want to punish you as parents or they want to punish you; they want to say something nasty to you…. And you know, of course, they don't know all the nasty words and this and that, (well, these days I don't know), but usually, they don't know the nasty words.

So, one of the things they say is, "I don't love you anymore." And it is the cutest thing. It's like, this is like the worst possible punishment that this child can throw at you, that their love has been taken away. What must be their definition of what love is? That it is unconditional, because even after having said, "I don't love you anymore," two minutes later, ten minutes later, everything is fine.

And I remember that one day when my grandchild said to me, "This is the worst possible birthday I have ever had." And I mean, you know, he wasn't that old-so it wasn't like a long list of birthdays that he had been through; he wasn't like a big veteran that had fought many, many wars.

And then he got the good presents that he kind of wanted; his expectations were fulfilled. And everything was fine; it was the best birthday he had ever had.

So, you know, we go around in this world and every interaction we have, it really is about our expectations being fulfilled. If a loved one fulfills our expectations, "Oh, you're wonderful. I love you." But if that person does not fulfill your expectations; they do something really stupid or really weird, you no longer-you will question your love. This is strange; this is not pure love.

So, you know, can there be pure love in relationships? I don't know. I don't know. Should there be pure love in relationships? I don't know. That's up to you to decide.

My job here is just to point out the purity of love-that there must be some form of love that is absolutely pure. And that had better be used on you as well-and whatever else you want to use it on is one thing, but it had better be also used on you. That you have that love for you that is unconditional.

Because you're going to need that love. People start to sometimes hate themselves. They don't know the purpose of their life anymore. They question everything in a very weird way.

And yet, to have that purity of love for the self-and purity of understanding who you are, and purity of that self-Knowledge-for you. Not contaminated by somebody. And it doesn't matter who they were, you know, what title they wore; contamination is contamination; pure is pure.

So, having an understanding of your life, of your circumstances, the time you are in-and understanding it in a very pure way. Not "this is happening and that's happening and that's happening and that could happen and that could happen…."

Because believe me, when those things start to strike you, the possibilities-and especially the negative possibilities, when they start to strike you, they can eat you alive. And there is no cure for it; there's no pill you can take for it. There's no cure for it-and just, it can get worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse. And this has a physical effect.

So, there is thought that has been contaminated by circumstances. So what is the pure thought like? What is that purity truly, truly like? And only the heart, I feel, can verify to the purity-not by definitions that "this is pure"-but the acid test, sort of to say, would truly be the heart-to say "Yes, I understand the purity of it."

And look, in this world, if things are contaminated, they're contaminated. You know, so, you get on with it.

A lot of people go to restaurants-and sometimes I go to restaurants. And I always wonder if that food is pure. You know, you don't know if whatever you have ordered, you know, your carrot halvah or carrot cake could have fallen on the ground and then the chef picked it up and put it on the plate; you don't know that. But, fine, you sit there and you eat it anyway, right?

But the heart, the purity of those things that matter to me, that are important to me, that carry a significance in my life-that the stronger, the more pure that is, my understanding is, my feeling is, my love is, my clarity is, that without an exception if I have the purity of these, that then I truly stand on mighty ground.

And I have the power of purity. I have the power of that light that shines in my heart, that shines-that repels the darkness of all that that affects me negatively. That that purity is real; that that purity is good-and I feel it. That's how it has to be, that I feel it.

If I don't feel that purity, then I have nothing. So, I have to, now, conjure up the definitions of purity in my head. And then I have to go around asking people, "Is this pure; is this pure; is this pure; is this pure; is this pure?" And then I hope somebody tells me, "Yeah, that's pure."

And then I have to-and then, I have to believe them. I don't have a choice. I have to believe them; I have to believe them. My goodness, if I don't believe them my boat is sunk.

But that's when you have to know to turn to your own heart. Not somebody else, but to your own heart-because that heart is where that divine is. And by that very definition, the purity resides there; the purity is there; the purity is in you. To be able to look and understand what that is, to be able to weed out all the contaminants to have something that is pure.

In India, they have these trays. And they put the wheat or rice that they're cleaning and they go like this. And because of that, they-and it's, I have done it-and the motion is not only up but slightly out, outward. And the rocks have a higher gravity or a higher density, so they go further by when you do this. And so they're weeded out-and what is good, (the rice, which is lighter), stays.

And they can do it very fast, "Chou, chou, chou, chou, chou, chou!" And the next thing you know, that rice is clean.

And of course, you know, when the chef cooks the rice, he also takes a look at it; he pours in a plate, whatever he's going to cook. And then he just goes through it very quickly and it's very easy to see if there's something dark, (because rice is white); if there's something dark, you take it and you throw it out; you pick it out.

The purity. We like purity. We don't like impure water; we like pure water. We like pure food. You know, we like that little label, "Pure olive oil." You know, "Pure coconut oil," pure this, pure that.

Anyways, give it a thought, about that purity, how it relates to your existence, to your life. So, be

Lockdown Broadcast Day 26

Hello, everybody. I hope you're all doing well, keeping safe, keeping well. And in the midst of all of this coronavirus fiasco and disaster and whatever is going on, I'm really here to tell you about something that's beautiful in life, that's beautiful in this existence.

There are many ways to put the same thing. But if we can have an understanding of who we are and what this life is all about-and it isn't just a question of this time; it isn't just a question of the gravity of the situation. And like I have said many times before, that, you know, being scared doesn't help anybody; it doesn't accomplish anything.

In fact, when a problem comes, whatever the source of the problem is, we disconnect from that source-and whatever the pain is, we connect to the pain. So we like….

You know, whatever the source of the problem is, okay, fine. And that it's creating this other thing; it's called "the pain, the sorrow, the suffering." And we like to bury our heads into that sorrow, into that suffering. And you know, not to make a heavy point of this by any stretch of the imagination….

But let me tell you a joke today. Because I think-I believe this is the twenty-sixth broadcast and it's about time we lighten up a little bit and look at the world from a lighter side of things.

So, there was a guy and he was sitting at the bar. And he was there, just very somber, very serious-and he was sitting there, about ready to have his drink when this most unfortunate bully, a big burly guy walks into the bar, grabs the little guy's drink and drinks it all down.

And at that point, the guy who was sitting at the bar just lost it. And he just started crying; he just started bawling. And the guy who had had his drink, he was, you know, like, "Okay, okay, okay, I'll buy you another one; don't worry, you know, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was so serious…."

And he goes, "No, no, you don't understand." He goes, "What-what-what are you talking about?" He says, "Look, today is possibly the worst day of my life. This morning I got up-and my wife walked out on me. I went after her, pleading and pleading and pleading, 'And please, you know, come back,'" don't leave him, everything-but she left anyway.

"Meanwhile," he said, "I realized that I was really late for my office. In fact, you know, I was like two hours late. And I had put some toast in the toaster for breakfast and the toaster had caught fire, so by the time I got home from pleading with my wife, you know, chasing her down the road, my house was on fire.

"Somehow I got to my office and my boss was so upset with me that he fired me. So I finally came to this bar, ordered this drink-and I poisoned it. I put poison in it so I could kill myself. And along you came and denied me even that possibility by you drinking all that poison."

When I came across this joke, it's a funny twist of fate. Because that guy who felt he had had enough, he got saved. Somebody did something really stupid by grabbing his drink and drinking it and now, that guy, that bully guy is about to have the worst day of his life, because he's going to die because he just drank a whole bunch of poison.

Sometimes it is like that-it is a comedy of errors; it's a comedy of situations that we bring upon ourselves. So, whatever the problem is, then come the consequences of that problem; we bury our head in the consequences of the problem and now we cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel. It gets dark; it gets severe; it gets dangerous and it's just like, "Oh my God, what am I going to do?"

But what was the problem to begin with? And nobody's looking at the problem. And when you, you know, detach yourself from that suffering, from that pain, and look at the problem, the problem is going to look like, "I can get around this; I can take care of this. I mean, it may be difficult; I might have to work extra hard; I might have to do something like that. But I can get over it."

And we forget that this life, its preciousness, the understanding that we should have of going forward, being that warrior that can move and move and move and move…. In fact, like I've said many times, it's not about the battles. Some battles you need to win; some battles you can lose, not a problem. It is the war that you should win; you have to win the war.

Battles come and go. Some you win, great, wonderful. Some you have to win; fine. But some you are going to lose-and no regrets, none whatsoever. Just to move forward, to take those steps that are necessary, that are important.

And to navigate, to navigate those situations that come in life by looking inside, by having a complete perspective, by knowing that it isn't just one, you know, fixation on one little issue-but you have to always remember the full scope of what existence means.

That yes, this breath is coming and going. Yes, you are alive. Yes, you exist. No judgment is being passed upon you by your breath; no judgment is being passed upon you by your life, by your existence. And that inside of you, still there is a want to be fulfilled, to be content. That there is an ocean of answers within you.

You know, you get a million questions. And if you don't get an answer to those million questions, (or even one), it can drive you crazy. That's not what life is about. There is an ocean of answers. You don't have to tie every answer that you have inside of you to a question. You don't. Let it be. Let the questions be. But understand that within you is an ocean of answers.

To know. To know that beautiful that is inside of you. And then to look at the beauty that is outside of you-and you can draw a frame; you can draw a reference. Because that's what it's all about.

That breath comes into us, brings us life. There is this whole universe, expanding, contracting. The waves that come on the beach, that motion of life is everywhere-is everywhere. It's bringing existence to everything. You happen to be a part of it.

You are alive, just like there are all these ants that are alive. And they're so focused; they're so incredibly focused. They may not be the brightest, you know, bulb on the Christmas tree-but they are focused.

Maybe they can't figure out what, you know, an algebraic expression is. Maybe they cannot work out a complicated formula. But they have worked out one little formula-their purpose of life in their existence. They stick to it.

They don't just go wandering off like, "Oh, yeah, let me take a look at this, and let me take a look at"-no, they're focused. They go; they go; they go; they go. And look at their endurance; it's fascinating.

Do I want to be like an ant-no, I don't want to be like an ant; I don't want to be like a fly; I don't want to be like a lion; I don't want to be like a tiger; I don't want to be like a whale. I don't want to be like a porpoise. I want to be me. I want to be a human being.

I am in awe of a whale. I am in awe of so many creatures on this planet Earth. And ultimately, I also need to turn within inside of me and be in awe of my existence, of my being on the face of this earth. That there is a respect that I need to give myself, an understanding that I need to have of myself.

Because I've been chasing "the outside, the outside, the outside," the focus of the outside, "what is that; what is that; what is that?" And someday I have to take that question of "what is that" and look at me and go, "Who am I?"

And when that transformation happens and the process of "Know thyself" begins, that is profound-when you're on your way to that one part of that realization of "Who am I?" And how is that going to ever be?

You know, the path to discovery of the self is not trying to discover yourself; it's all the other things that are between you and really, who you are-all those ideas that you have of "what it means to know yourself."

You know, when you learn how to draw, it's fascinating. Because, you know, people have drawn-and so it's like, "Oh, yeah, I'm going to go and somebody's going to teach me how to do this perfectly and do this perfectly and do this perfectly."

And lo and behold, that's not what they teach you. They're teaching you about what a perspective means, a line across a horizon, line this way, line that way, and the references and the lines that, you know, go back. And you have to learn all of that, because that perspective is involved.

In the same way, learning-and the only way you will be able to learn those things is if you can have the ability, the luxury of unlearning, of dropping, of letting go of all of those ideas that are just wrong, that are not how it works. And then when the bucket is empty, then you can begin to fill.

Once a man came to a teacher-and this is a Zen story, so a Zen Master-and he said, "I want to have, you know, questions with you; I want to ask you questions. I want to learn from you." And the Zen Master said, "Of course; come on in. Let's sit down and, you know, let me get you some tea."

So, he made a sign towards the guy who was standing there, his servant, and he said, "Bring some tea." He brought some tea and he took the tea and he started pouring it in his pot. And he kept pouring and he kept pouring and he kept pouring and he kept pouring and the cup filled and filled over and started overflowing and tea started getting everywhere….

And the Master is just very intentioned; he just keeps pouring in, pouring in, pouring in, pouring in. Finally, the guy just couldn't stand it anymore-and he looked at him and he said, "What are you doing? Don't you see that the cup is full? And no more tea will fit in there?" That's the Zen story.

And the Master, of course, turned to the person and said, "Well, same thing; your cup is really full. And don't you see, you want to learn from me but nothing will fit because your cup is already full; your bucket is already full."

There's another story, the Indian version of it, which is very interesting-which is one day, a man came to this Master and said, "Master, I want to learn from you."

The Master said, "Fine. I'd love to teach you. But this is what you have to do-is, I'm going to go draw some water from the well. And while I'm drawing that water, please don't say a word. It's going to take me a few tries to get the water, but don't you dare say a word. And if you can hold to that contract that you won't say a thing, I will be happy to teach you."

The guy was like, "Hey, that's easy; I can do that. That's really easy." So he walked out there with the Master and the Master took the rope, bucket tied to the rope, put it in the well, pulled it out-and he sees that the bucket comes out with water, but it's just got holes in it and all the water is just pouring out of the holes. By the time he gets the bucket in his hand, there's hardly any water left in it.

So, seeing this for the first time, he said, "Oh, well, this is strange-but all I have to do is be quiet. So, I'll just stay; I'll be quiet."

The Master takes that bucket, throws it back into the well, draws it, pulls it up-same thing. The man says, "This is really strange-and he's done this twice. I'm sure that he can see this; that this bucket is so full of holes that not a drop of water is going to be saved-and he won't be able to draw any. But my job is to just be quiet; I'll be quiet."

The Master throws the bucket in the third time-same thing. And by now the guy's going, "I don't know. You know, maybe this Master is not so sane; yeah, maybe he's crazy. But-maybe all I have to do is be quiet." So he stays quiet.

The fourth time, he throws the bucket in. Now the guy can't stand it. And he goes, "Excuse me, sir. Don't you see that this bucket is full of holes? This can't hold a drop of water in it."

And the Master said, "Listen, I had only asked you to observe, not to say a word. But you couldn't. Your bucket is truly full of holes. You have come to me to learn, but how are you going to learn if you are so full of holes?"

Same thing-we have so many preconceived ideas about "who you are." And I always say those three things now, "Know yourself; live your life consciously, and have your heart full of gratitude." In knowing yourself, what do you understand? What do you see?

Do you see only your ideas? Or do you see a question mark, "I don't know who I am"? Because for a lot of people it's like, "Oh, yeah, I know who I am." But who are you? Do you know it by definition-or do you know it by feeling? If you know it by definition, you don't know yourself. If you know it by feeling, then you know yourself. Because knowing yourself is not a defined point; it is a feeling.

How does that feeling go? When you are in love with someone-and you see their face, is it a definition, "Oh, there goes my lover," or is it a feeling? It's a feeling.

Is love a definition or is love a feeling? When the mother sees her baby first thing in the morning, is it like, "Oh, there is my offspring." Or is it a feeling?

Love is not a definition; love is a feeling. Knowing yourself is not a definition; it's a feeling. And unless you have that feeling, you truly don't know yourself.

So anyways, I hope you had a good laugh on that joke. If you didn't, at least you have something to think about with the rest of what I said.

Know yourself; be well; be safe. Be. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 27

Hello, everyone. I hope, again, you're doing well. And, you know, I know that the announcements are coming; the lockdown will be delayed-but that's nothing to lose heart over or to get concerned about, a few more days. After all, the objective is to be safe, to be well. And take the opportunity to learn something, to understand something, something that is very, very important.

Because time is time; not a question of what's happening in that time, but time is time; that's one way to look at it. And you can either waste it-and that has nothing to do with coronavirus; that has nothing to do with any of the global events-or you can do something that will truly help you in this course of life.

Now, there are two things that I want to talk about. And one thing is, (which I mentioned earlier in one of these broadcasts), you know, we're so busy solving the problem; we've got our head shoved into this sand-and I want to just explain that a little bit.

So, you have two things. And one thing is essentially, your actions. You did something; (you did something unconsciously or you did something deliberately, it doesn't matter). But whatever you do in this world, it's going to have consequences. So you have the action and you have the reaction, the consequence.

Now, when I say "live your life consciously," I mean that you would take those actions that will have a very positive consequence. The result will be something you would like, something you would enjoy-that has something to do with peace, has something to do with fulfillment, has something to do with understanding, with clarity.

But what happens, (and this is what I've been thinking about), is that we get so obsessed with the consequence that we actually forget about the action. And therefore, if that action repeats itself, it's going to bear the same consequence again and again and again and again.

Now, how far does this stretch out-my goodness, in every realm you can possibly imagine. You can imagine this in family situations, in problems that families have, in domestic violence, (which is a huge thing), bullying, (that's a huge thing).

And so many more, murders, crimes, petty crimes to severe crimes, to everything. It's, again, you have the action and then you have the consequence. And everybody is so busy negating the consequences-the negative consequences-that they actually forget about the action.

Unless you change that action, repeatedly it's going to produce the same result again and again and again and again and again. And you're going to wonder, "Why in my life am I being punished? What have I done wrong?"

It's not that you did something wrong in your last lifetime or you're going to do something wrong or that you are cursed or somebody gave you the evil eye or this happened or that happened, you know, ten million excuses-or you happened to go under a ladder or whatever. But what are you doing? Whatever you do unconsciously, whatever you do….

Let me put it this way, whatever you do will produce a result. No question about it. Every action will produce a reaction. And of course, if it is unpleasant, you want to negate it; you want to get out of it; you want to…. You know, it's like the person who gets locked up and then, the only thing they're thinking about is "How do I get out of this? How do I get out of this consequence?"

If there is a person who is going to school and they get, the child gets really bad marks-and he's like, "Oh my God, you know, what do I do now; do I show this report card to my parents? Don't I? What excuse do I make? Oh…."

Instead of working on the action, which is, "I need to study-and I can do that. I need to study harder." To fundamentally look at what is causing me to repeat my actions-because I am not paying attention to those actions. And it is those actions which are causing the problem.

So it's very, very interesting. And we, in our lives, we live our lives; we go about our business all day long-and we're only paying attention to the consequences; we're not paying attention to what is causing this problem.

You know, it's like when you were young; you kept getting tickets. (I know what that's like. I know what that's like.) And why was I getting tickets? And I have told this story before; it's like, one day I was pulled over-and I realized that it was humiliating; it was not fun. And at that moment, whatever, you know, great time I was having driving fast, getting pulled over had negated all of that.

And of course, I didn't want to lie to the police officer; I was speeding. And so, right then and there I decided, "No more. I'm not going to speed."

So I drive with my cruise control wherever I can. And I set it, you know, three, four miles an hour over the speed limit. And it maintains it-and not that it's going to get me there quicker. It doesn't. I would have to drive like, insane.

And, you know, but you can always take a flight, if that's what the importance of getting there really quick is. But, give yourself enough time so you don't have to.

So, the whole thing is, yeah, when you're getting pulled over and it's like, "Oh my God, this is terrible," and, yeah, you know, ears turn red; your face turns red; your blood pressure goes up. You know, you're embarrassed and everybody's looking at you on the freeway….

And you want to get out of it. "Oh, ah, yes, officer, you know, I'm sorry; I won't do this again," and all that. But you're not paying attention to your actions. What you need to do in life is start paying attention to your actions, not just the reactions. Because reactions will just follow suit of whatever those actions are.

If you're not spending any time to sow the seeds of peace in your life-and then you will wonder, "Why don't I have peace," well, that's because you never did sow any seeds of peace. You never did anything to bring peace about. You just ran into this world, you know, like a dodo, just running and running and running and running and running and running and running.

You know, it's just like, I saw this quote in a newspaper once and it was very interesting. And the way the quote went is like, "You earn all this money-and then you work so hard for it. And then at the end of the day, what happens is you get old, get sick, and you take all that money that you have earned and you hand it over to a hospital," because you are now sick-instead of taking some of that time and doing something positive.

And this is-you know, again, I'm not trying to make any excuse for anybody; I'm not trying to, you know, point fingers at anybody or anything like that. It's very straightforward; there are leaders who are doing their job who are doing a great job.

And then there are the leaders that shouldn't-yeah, the "l" shouldn't even be a part of their, you know, title anywhere concerned. I mean, just, they have lost it; they have truly, truly lost it. And, okay, that's enough said.

But what about you? You are the leader of this domain of your life. How are you running the show? Forget about the world leaders; forget about the big organizations; forget about all that-how are you running your show? Are you being conscious? Are you trying to make an effort to understand yourself? Is your heart full of gratitude?

Or are you just pulling your hair out: "When is this, you know, lockdown going to be over? When is this going to be over; when, that's going to be, why is this happening; you know, I had plans; I had ideas of how I was going to spend, you know…?"

I'm sure there are people who had booked cruises, to go cruising. Not a smart idea at this point in time. What do you do? If you don't know who you are, what do you do?

And everywhere I turn, (and you watch this channel or you watch that channel), these are the issues. And there are some, you know, "fun-hearted" people, I would call them, with a good sense of humor, and they're trying to make something happen that may be funny or something like that.

Great, fine. But it's not just a question of something that will occupy your time. You should be occupying your time. Thoughts that matter to you are the ones you should be entertaining.

Do those things at this point in time that will bring about happiness and joy for you-this is what's important. This is what's important; not that you have to find a way to occupy your time. No, you are the one who should occupy your time, not something else and not somebody else-but you should occupy your time.

So that's one thing that I was thinking about. And the second thing is, you know, I keep saying that "This is the printer and it keeps printing these pictures." So, there's a story and I've told this story before.

So, there was a terrible flood-and this lady had this house and the floodwaters started coming and next thing you know, she moved a little bit higher. She was standing on her kitchen table-and floodwaters started coming to that point. So she went up the staircase and the floodwaters just kept following her; the waters just kept rising and rising and rising.

This kept on happening till she found herself on the roof. Now there's no place higher to go. And the floodwaters were rising. So, earnestly, she prayed to God. And she said, "God, come down and help me. I've been-I followed you; I have loved you. I think you're the greatest. And I am in trouble-and I would certainly appreciate if you could come down and help me."

So, the next thing you know, a boat comes by. And they're the rescue workers and they say, "Lady, come on; you know, the floodwaters are rising; we'd better get you out of here." And she goes, "No. No, I am waiting for my God to come and save me."

Well, the waters rose a little bit more. Now her feet are wet and she can't get any higher and she prays again and says, "Lord, save me. You know, I'm your greatest fan; I love you. I have prayed to you; I have been faithful to you-and I'm in trouble. And please come and save me."

A few minutes later, another boat comes by-the rescue workers, "Lady, come on; you know, it's time to go! It's, really, this is not a joke; come on." And she goes, "No. My God is going to save me."

A few minutes later, same thing again. Now the water is quite full; it's come up to, you know, her chest. And she prays again and says, "Lord, you know, this is the last chance. I mean, please, save me, you know, help me." Another boat zings by.

They say, "Come on, lady, this is it! This is it; this is it. You're not going to be able to stay here much longer." She goes, "No. My God is going to come and he's going to save me."

The next thing you know, the water rises high enough and she's swept away. She dies; she is in heaven. Peter is there; St. Peter is there to welcome her and she is furious. And she goes, "I want to talk to God."

And St. Peter says, "Well, can I help you in any way?" And she goes, "Help me? I want to talk to God!" St. Peter goes to God and says, "You know, there's somebody who's just come in who is really angry with you and wants to talk to you." And he says, "Okay, call her in."

She comes in and she says, "What kind of God are you? You know, three times I prayed to you. And-to save me, and not once did you come down and save me." And God said, "Lady, give me a break. I sent three boats to save you. And not once did you take one of those boats."

Printer-printed a picture of what she thought, how she would be saved. But that's not what was going to happen. Three boats did come-but she didn't take a single one and she ended up drowning.

Hmm! Well, it's a funny story-but it does deserve some attention about this printer. Because we follow this printer very closely. And it sits there all day long and prints more pictures and more pictures and more pictures.

Living your life consciously would definitely mean you really have to yank yourself away, pull yourself away when you find yourself chasing one of those pictures. You should be chasing your heart; you should be chasing that thirst in your life to be fulfilled, to be clear, to be in that serenity. That's what the thirst of your heart is.

Not the quest of the mind that just goes, "I want this; I want this; I want this." I mean, okay, you know, it's no big deal, you follow it once in a while. But if you're following it all the time and not following the heart all the time, that's going to be a little bit problematic.

So, be well. Be safe. Most importantly, be. Enjoy yourself; make the most of this time. I'll talk to you later. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 28

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all doing well, safe and well.

So, today I get to answer some questions-and the first one is from Carme Montlleo. The question is, "You started talking about the authentic nature of the human being. You interrupted the explanation"-I probably got carried away and got into something else. "Since then, the longing in my heart remains to know what you would tell us. Would you tell us about it?"

So, the authentic nature of the human being-it's a very interesting question because, you know, we come across so much of what we consider, what we would consider "the nature" to be-mean, selfish, anger, you know, and all these things that taint what, how you see a human being.

But what if all that was to be removed and the only thing that remained was truly what the nature of a human being is? Now, am I talking in terms of "hypothetical" or "realistic?"

So, what is the possibility here; let's first understand that. Well, yes, there is anger-but then there is the opposite of anger. And does that reside in a human being? Compassion, love, understanding-and the answer to that is "yes, that resides in a human being too." And then, so what about fear? Well, the opposite of that also resides in the human being-which is courage.

And seeing-when you see a baby, a child that is uncontaminated, that hasn't learnt all these other behaviors, then that child is very much focused and very much in that beautiful space of wanting to be happy, of wanting to be content. And it only cries out when something isn't right. And when something is right, the child stops.

When the child wants to explore, when they come to that age where they will be exploring, they explore. And they show their delight in a tremendous amount of energy that they have to expend to try to grab something, to try to hold onto something. But yet, a joy in having accomplished it.

So, to me, when we start to look at those traits that naturally would be-then the behavior, you know, the nature, the authentic nature of a human being would very much be those things.

That a human being would strive, every moment that the human being could, to be fulfilled, to be in that simple place. To see, to admire everything. Because when you admire something, it gives you something in return.

When you sit down on a beach and you watch those waves rhythmically coming, going, coming, going…. the sets of them, too, and then it's kind of taking a break and then the next set comes. And then the dance of the sandpipers, that as they just come along, run with the wave, the timing of everything that exists….

And every time I get an opportunity to see this, I find it extremely hypnotic. Because it's like, "Wow, everything understands everything else's timing and yields to it." So then, this would be the human nature, yielding to what it cannot conquer. What it doesn't want to conquer, it yields, gives, lets it be-and it's fine.

You see the huge waves coming-especially in Northern California, huge sets of these waves come-and they're unimpeded; they've been traveling unimpeded and they slam across these sheer cliffs. And you're flying, you know, sometimes, two, three hundred feet high-and those waves want to touch you.

And it's like, wow, this incredible force-one unrelenting, very, very much so-and the water, the force of the water. And both just having a tussle. Eventually, the water will win. And we can see that in many places. But till it's there, it is there.

So, the authentic nature of a human being would be kindness, would be the search for joy. For a human being to recognize the beauty and the timing of everything else and yield to that which it cannot change. To know when to bend, and yet, know when to stay stiff-just like a tree.

It is there. But it also knows that when the wind starts to blow, it must yield to that wind if it is to stay there, if it wants to be there.

And this becomes an art; this becomes a real art in all of nature-in all of nature. Nothing overpowers anything.

You know, it goes back, this whole idea of conservation goes back-and even at the time of Mahabharat, where Arjun has a dream and all the creatures of the jungle come to say, "Listen, you're too good of a, you know, a hunter and you're wiping us out-please leave. Go somewhere else."

And this whole idea that "Yeah, human beings could wipe something out…." That's not in our nature; that wouldn't benefit us. What would benefit us is to take care of those things and make sure that those things keep on perpetuating.

So, basically, the authentic nature of a human being would be, one, very natural, full of kindness, full of understanding. And full of helping all that that could use the help-and yielding to that that doesn't need any help.

So I hope, (I have tried to put it as briefly as I can), I hope that helps. That that's the way I see the nature of a human being. Yes, I'm not, by any stretch of the imagination, not acknowledging the bad nature of the human being; that's there too. But what I am doing is, while I acknowledge the bad nature, I also acknowledge the good nature of a human being. And that is there.

And that needs to be accepted and that is the one that needs to be perpetuated, not the bad one. We know how to perpetuate the bad one. We're masters at it. We've been doing it for so many years, we've actually become very, very efficient and very, very good at taking the bad and perpetuating the bad. And we sometimes forget about the good.

And how is that good brought forth? It's really simple, you know-but how do you bring something good out in a child? Let that child participate with you in the process of discovery, rather than sitting there and trying to tell the child what it is that they should or should not be doing. Let them come up with the solutions; let them come up with the answers.

If you give them enough trust-it takes a little time-but once they understand that you do trust them, that their input is valuable, then they come up with valuable input for you, for themselves, a clearer understanding. So I hope-I hope that helps you.

Another question from Kala in New Zealand-and this is, "How do I stay in the present in my day-to-day activities? Is it something I have to work at or does it come naturally?" Well, here is the beauty of it.

If you would have made living consciously-and exercised it a long time ago, it would be coming to you naturally. But instead, what we have worked on-and maybe, maybe our world is such that we don't have a choice-but what we have actually worked on is to live unconsciously. And what comes as second nature is to live unconsciously.

If we want to live consciously, then we have to make it our second nature by practice, practice, practice, practice, and practice. It took us a long time, years and years of practice, of exercising unconsciousness. It's going to take some practice to live life consciously.

But obviously, to live life consciously there is a reward. And, you know, this is what it means. It's not like…. Every, every day, I think everybody has this target thing of, it's like, "I want to hit that level; I want to hit that threshold."

But there are certain things in life that don't have that threshold. You practice living consciously every day of your life, little, by little, by little and by little. You accept the success and you accept the failure. That is living consciously. It's not just about all success and no failure; it is about accepting both success and failure. And then that conscious living makes sense.

If somebody is trying to achieve this, you know, the "printer" thing, printing a picture saying, "Yeah, okay, you know, one day you will be perfect." No, you understand that you are perfect. And it is not some definition of perfectness that has been painted by somebody else that makes you perfect.

What makes you perfect is, with your shortcomings and with your fundamental desire to want to do good, to want to be happy, to want to be in peace, this is what makes you complete; this is what makes you perfect-with your imperfection. Not without your imperfection, but with your imperfection. And so, I hope that that helps, because that's just how it is in my experience.

Another one from Ana Rosales, "How to keep the peace within us if we are seeing how a few benefit from the destruction of others-we are the united ones that are destroyed."

Well, that's an interesting question-because it is true. A system has been created in which few have the power over many. This did not happen overnight; this happened slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly-we let people be empowered; we gave them that empowerment.

We gave officials that power. Then they used that power to want to get reelected again, so whoever could get them, could help them get reelected-a little more powerful than them, see?

So, there are those ones who are powerful because they are in the government; then there are those who are more powerful than them-and they help those people who want to come into power and they help those who want to be more powerful.

And so, all of a sudden, it's just like a race-and in that, you know, you have all these contestants who will be dropped out. And the only ones remaining at the very end are the ones that can help each other out. The rest of the population, forget it; they get dropped.

But-why not look at it, "How did it get to be that way?" Very easy. How did it get to be that way? Because we relinquished-we relinquished that power that we had and we gave it to them.

We said, "Run with it. I don't want to be bothered; I want to have my little life-I am too busy. I'm too busy, you know, taking care of my little family, taking care of my little situation; I don't want to be bothered with it-so you run with it; you go with it; you do whatever you want to do with it." Well, all that backfires. And when it backfires, you see what happens. Here is the world.

There are-you know, there are shows-and they show people; they become hoarders; they hoard. They just collect; they collect, collect, and it gets to be to the point where you can't even walk into their house, because it's just, they have collected so much junk and never got rid of it, just collected it and collected and collected and collected and collected.

Well, this is what some of the people do, except they do it with money; they hoard it. Every time there is graft, there is bribery, what is that bribery doing? That is taking money from a poor person's purse, (mouth), and giving it to somebody who doesn't need it, who doesn't even probably appreciate it.

So, what we see in this world…. You know, you cannot-I mean, especially now, if you look around in your city and you see clear blue skies and you see everything wonderful…. And next time, when things kind of go back to being normal, (if they ever do), and the sky is full of pollution, don't blame God for it. Okay, it's our doing. It's absolutely our doing.

You think that the earth produces too little food? No, the earth produces more than enough food to feed every person on the face of this earth. If anybody goes hungry, you know whose fault it is? It is our fault. I'm-and mind you, I'm saying "our." It is not their fault or their fault or their fault; it is our fault.

So, yes, what you're talking about is absolutely accurate. And we allowed this to happen. We allowed this to happen.

So, next time an opportunity raises itself, brings itself forward, think about it; think twice. How do we relinquish this? We sit down like idiots in front of a television-and consuming everything…. And I call them "brain diggers." So, they're brain diggers; they dig into your brain every single day-and they try to tell you, "This is this way; this is this way; this is this way; this is this way."

A long time ago there used to be one channel-and it was a channel that was used by news agencies and they were just transmitting over it-and there were no comments. And you just saw the drama, whatever the drama was. And it was the most boring thing you could watch.

The next thing you know, you're watching the same footage; it has been edited; it has been changed; it has been polished; it's been editorialized….

You know, every morning they sit down and they actually decide what's, what they consider to be news and what they don't consider to be news. If it has an element of tragedy, that will get you. So all of a sudden, you're sitting there and what are you being bombarded by-tragedy, tragedy, tragedy, tragedy.

Somebody actually sent me a link to somebody who has started a channel on YouTube or somewhere, where it's just all positive news. Well, positive news or negative news-I mean, you know, there are going to be tragedies. (That's because we make them.)

So you want true, honest opinion; you want to know the truth-and you look to a television and you say, "That's the truth." Well, that's a sad day. You're not going to get truth out of the tube. You're not going to get truth on some piece of paper that you are holding in front of you. It's been highly polished; it's been highly opinionized.

And more opinion there is and more digging there is and more, you know, taking the screws and doing things with it-makes for a better story, makes for better listening, makes for better watching.

And face it, you know, all that that is there is there to make money. That is their first criteria. And they do; they make money.

So, you know, again, it just really comes down to that the world that we live in, if you don't like something about it, it's not like it was handed to you. We have created that situation; we have created that situation. So, I hope that helps. (I don't know how), but, yeah, and I'm just telling you how I see it, so….

Here is one from Shubham, India, from Delhi, "Sometimes due to this lockdown, I get irritated and furious in small things. How should I manage it?"

I wonder if you get irritated when there wasn't a lockdown-because I have a sneaky suspicion that this irritation has been going on for a long time-now you're noticing it more, that you're in the lockdown because you're in the same situation again and again and again.

And managing irritation-you can be irritated. And this is living consciously; this is what that's all about-yes, you can be very irritated. And there are things that can irritate you. Except, what you have to ask yourself is, "Do you, do you want to be irritated?"

So if the things are irritating you, the things are in control, not you. You are not in control; the things are in control. If you don't want to be irritated, then you will have to be in control, not the things. So, you're going to have to take control of your life. And that's what it's going to take-take control of your life.

So, I hope you all will be safe, be healthy, be well-and most importantly, be. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 29

Hello, everyone; I hope you're all well, healthy-and trying to enjoy yourself under these situations of the lockdown.

So again, continuing with the questions, "I can see where my children are in their lives; my 'picture' has been ripped apart by them." (Hmm.) "I have responsibility as their father to ensure they're on good tracks. How do I do this? Mukesh."

All right, interesting question. You are with your children in this lockdown and you're seeing that they're not what you thought you were raising. Okay, so let me just try to answer this question. Are your children a product of you telling them how they should be-or do you include them in the decisions that you make for them?

Do you solicit their help by posing what it is that should happen-and explaining to them why that should happen? And asking them for their solutions, for their help to accomplish it. And not only ask them for their solutions, but help them accomplish this; take their advice in stride; accept their advice.

So, so with your children, you tell them what to do-and you expect them to do it. With your friends, however, you do exactly what I told you before, which is you sit down with them; you explain your problem-and then ask them for advice of how you could possibly do it. And then you listen to them-of course, you listen to them, especially if it's good advice.

Now, it's going to take a little time. Your children are not going to come up with perfect answers the first day-because they don't know. They have to trust you. But do not underestimate your children. Don't think of them as idiots, because you are the father.

So, give them the respect-and they will give you the respect. It takes to give respect to get respect. It takes two to come to the same conclusion for something to move forward.

So, ask them for their advice: "How would this happen; how could this happen?" That's exactly what you do when you go to the hospital. You go to the doctor and you say, "Doctor, my arm is hurting. What could I do to help it?" And then the doctor gives you the advice and you accept the advice.

If the doctor tells you, "I'm going to cut off your arm," and you go, "Well, no, it's just a little scratch. And you know, why do you want to cut off my arm?" And he goes, "Well, I like cutting arms off; thank you," you would say, "No, I don't like you as a doctor; I'm going to go find somebody else."

It takes that trust that you have to form with your family, with your wife, with your children. You want to be the dictator of your family. But believe me, your empire is going to backfire.

You, right now, (I don't know how old your children are), but if you're talking about just ripping down the pictures, listen, your entire empire is going to get ripped apart-if you don't do things in a way where they're included in coming up with the solution….

I have seen kids come up with solutions, that cannot even talk properly yet, that young. You just have to ask them, "So, what do you think; how do you think we should do it?" And they will come up with it, you know, "What can we do."

Even if the child is not doing well in school, it's like, "Well, you know, what would it take to start helping you get better at school?" And take their advisement; they'll think about it. Are they not capable of thinking? They are absolutely capable of thinking-and believe me, you'll be surprised; you will be very, very surprised.

So, please, first of all, give some respect to your children-if you want some respect from them-and include them in your decision-making process.

You know, don't become like this, you know-not all politicians are bad but some politicians, you know, they show up-they'll bend over backwards when they want your vote. And then after that, they'll slap you (for I don't know, for whatever the reason is). So, don't become that; don't become that. Be a father. That's what a father means, fathering.

You're a father; you're not a dictator; you're not a slave-owner. You're not there to produce slaves for yourself. You're a father-and fathering means to help your children understand the process of decision-making, of all those things that it takes to be.

And I just see that so many people have created, you know, an impossible task in front of them-because they don't want to, you know, "include, include"-because when you do, then you have a team. When your family-not only then you have a family, but you have a family team.

And when you have that team, then you have teamwork that's going on. And it is wonderful; it's just great. And that teamwork can be so lovely, can be so beautiful. So, that's what you have to work on. So I hope this makes sense.

Here is one from Raffaele, "I would like nothing more than 'being there' in every moment of my life. Can we not exercise our roles by remaining with that love, even during the most banal daily actions of our existence? Is it possible to make them live together constantly, self-action and experience? Is it within our reach to become so capable?"

Yes, we can exercise our roles-but it all has to come with consciousness, not just…. You know, first of all, let me ask you one question: "Do you have a picture of this in your mind, of what this looks like?" Because if you do, you're setting yourself up; you're setting yourself up for failure.

Many people have that, you know, just like, "Well, but this is what's going to happen, you know, and everybody will be liberated and this and that," and there are plenty in this world that create these pictures. But these pictures are what trips us and makes these very simple, very simple things virtually impossible.

So, you know, please, first, get rid of that picture. And then, then whatever happens will happen, in that sense….

So, another question, "I came into this life with or learned to have a high level of anxiety," this is from Celeste; "I wonder if I can change my nature and leave it behind." Yes, you don't need to become anxious. I think the more you are in control of your life and what happens in this life, the more there would be less of a reason to be anxious.

You know, and of course, sometimes getting overanxious is a very physical thing and for that, you need to see a doctor or you need to see a psychologist who can help you. But definitely, more you are in control of your life, the less reason there is to be anxious. So, I hope that helps.

"Have you any words of inspiration"-this is from Victoria-"Have you any words of inspiration to help me take control of my day please?" Yes. Be confident. Understand what this control is.

It's not like, all of a sudden, you will become that Mickey Mouse, you know, wizard that just waves his finger and the broom comes out of the closet and starts washing the floor, and the bucket starts pouring water and all of that stuff; that's not what it's about.

It's you, you being full, you being-understanding of yourself, of saying, "Okay, if this doesn't work, I'm fine with it. I am fine. I am fine." Not, "If this doesn't work, that's it for me." No. "If this doesn't work, I'm still fine. I will be okay. I will be okay."

If you're boiling your beans; it's a disaster; the beans are all over the place-you know, don't freak; order a pizza. After all, what you need is food. It doesn't have to be beans that day; maybe you can cook beans the next day. Take what you have learned and apply it and make better beans the next day, not making it a disaster.

Sometimes it is as simple as that. Sometimes, of course, it's not as simple as that-but each day, understand its preciousness-and what you have control over. You must know what you have control over and what you don't have control over.

And a lot of people don't know what they don't have control over and they try to gain control over those things; it's going to be a disaster. You know, it is going to be a disaster.

What do you have control over? How you feel. It's not the situation; it is how you react to it. This is abundantly clear. So, in your life, each day, make that effort, be conscious and move forward.

"I realized recently that I'm stuck in my life, not because of COVID virus-because I work in the middle of it; I had the virus and I'm cured-a few symptoms left, but nothing serious. My trouble is I can't seem to digest what is happening.

"Courage I do have. That's why I wake up and go to work. But the old people dying alone and not given a fighting chance, being refused intensive care just because of a freaking number, their age-honestly, I know some people who are fresher at eighty-six or ninety-two years old than some fifty-year-olds.

"Plus, being a doctor, it's my responsibility to give the news, not only to the sick, but also to the family. It's really horrible. How do I deal with the guilt? I know it's out of my hands; but then why the guilt?"

No, you don't need to feel guilty. You do not need to feel guilty. You are in this precarious position, very much so.

Arjun says, in the middle of the battlefield-this is exactly what Arjun says; he says, "I'm not fighting. I know these people. You know, I don't want to be the one responsible for killing them. You know, that would be too much, so I'm not going to do it."

Krishna says, "Do-do what you have to do; do your duty. Don't worry about the consequences; do your duty." This is…. And this is a big thing in India-and the Gita opens up this whole chapter of "Duty, do it; don't worry about the consequences."

You're a doctor; you can help people. You have helped so many people. You can continue to help the people. Guilt does not need to come.

What is happening? Bad decisions. Maybe history will reflect itself, reflect on this, bad decisions that are being taken by some leaders, weird things, weird conclusions. And I think this is going to play out for a really, really, really long time.

Because people didn't have the resources to be able to express their anger or express their fear or express whatever they express-but now they do. And so I think this is going to play out for a really, really long time.

But I would encourage you not to feel guilty; you don't need to feel guilty. What you need to feel is the courage to move forward-and take that courage, shake it off; that's what I call it, "shake it off." This guilt is coming from here. It's not coming from the heart; it's coming from here. It's coming from reasonings.

But in the middle of this fire, it is not the right time to figure out how the fire got started; the best thing is to fight the fire. So, my, what I can say to you-you're a doctor-is, "Don't feel guilty; shake it off; move forward and help people, help people like you can. Give them the love; give them the care; give them that-give them that care that you alone can give." So, good luck to you.

This is from Malaysia, from Yashotha, "My question is, people who get this virus land up in a hospital ward and if they're bad they're moved to ICU. If they don't make it, they die. No family is allowed to visit or be with them.

"Is it really the case of you come alone and you die alone and are sent off or buried by the hospital staff? So sad, I feel for the patient; they want to see their loved ones before they go but are unable to. What is your take on this? If the heart is full, then they won't feel sad?"

Well, let me put this in some context. I'm not the one who came up with this rule, that they shouldn't see each other-but I know one thing; that love knows no boundaries; love knows no walls; love knows no distance; love knows no height; love knows no depth. There's nothing impossible for love. Love knows no barriers. You can love those who you love and you will always love them.

What happens-you are left here to feel the sadness of their loss. At least, they, who have moved on, they're not feeling the sadness. They don't know; they're gone. This is what "gone" means; they have left. They have left that brain behind that made all the reasonings, the eyes that recognized you, the eyes that saw you, the ears that heard you….

And so it's a different world, in that regard, in that sense. And you need to love them; this is your hope of what their legacy is going to be about. They live in you. Your parents, your grandparents, they live in you.

And yes, it is a terrible, terrible tragedy. But that is the nature of this beast. And the best thing is to love. What you can do-you always have to remember this: "In any situation, what is it that I can do?" Not, "What is it that I cannot do." That is a waste of time.

But in this situation, every day that this is happening, you must remember what you can do. What you can do is to love: love, love, and love.

So, be safe; be well. Be.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 30

Hello, everyone; I hope you're all well, feeling well and doing well.

So, I was reading a question that had come up to me from a very close friend of mine-and one of the things that he wanted to know is like, "What would be the most appropriate story that would relate to this coronavirus thing, these current circumstances?"

So I started thinking about that, and one of the things that became very obvious to me, at least, was that we can make a big thing out of this and-we do. We…. You know, it's not like I'm trying to make this trivial; it's, I'm not. It's historic; it's huge; it's….

When you see some of the animations of how this spread and everything else, it's just this race, you know; it's like a train wreck-and you could see the train coming for a mile, you know.

But, nonetheless, you have to focus on what your needs are. And you have to understand what you are all about, because that hasn't changed. The circumstances have changed; the external circumstances have changed, but who you are and what you need hasn't changed by any stretch of the imagination.

And of course, it is our nature that when we are deprived of something, when something is taken away from us, we miss it more; we like it more; we want it more.

And so, you know, the fact that there are a lot of people I know that would rather sit in their living room and watch television-or, you know, play a video game or listen to music or read a book…. But now that you can't go outside, it's like we all want to go outside; we all want to be out on the beach; we all want to be doing these kinds of things. So, that's very, very interesting.

So, coming back to it, the main thing hasn't changed-which is your needs, your want, your day-to exist, to survive, to live. And that hasn't changed.

So, what would be the most appropriate story? Well, after giving it quite a bit of thought, this is a-you know, and I had to pull this one out of the hat, pretty deep. But it's a story that I used to tell a really long time ago. And I haven't told this story in a long, long time.

But the story is very short; it's very brief. And there was a king and one day he got drunk-and he got on top of his drunk elephant. And they were both going-wherever he wanted to go, wherever the elephant wanted to take him-and the elephant wanted to go wherever he wanted to go.

And they were in pretty bad shape; they were drunk and nobody was in control; nobody was really in charge, sort of to say; nobody knew what to do. And as they were going, the elephant tripped on something and the king, who was sitting on the back of the elephant, (on top of the elephant), fell from the elephant into a well.

And as he is falling, you know, for a moment he gets sober and he grabs this vine, this very strong vine-he grabs it-and he's alive; he's okay. And so, you know, in that moment, he definitely is thinking about "What's going on here" and he's getting-he's getting sober real quick. And all of a sudden, he wants to assess his situation.

So he's in the middle of this well; he holding on with this vine. And he looks up-and he sees two rats, (one is a black rat; one is a white rat), and they're very busy cutting this vine. And so he looks down to see what's there, and down below are all these snakes and scorpions hissing, deadly poisonous things-and it's not a pretty picture.

So, here he is; he's holding onto this vine; he is in this well. He looks up-and there are two rats that are just going at it, trying to cut the vine down, cut the vine off. He looks down, of where he's obviously going to fall when the vine is cut, and it's nothing but poisonous snakes and scorpions and dangerous things.

So, let's just stop there for a minute-and pretty much, the story ends right there. Because this is something to get you to reflect on, for you to think about. So, you are the king, obviously; you are the king-and everything you ride on, your little world, is the elephant. And the elephant is drunk-and so are you.

What are you drunk on? Well, unconsciousness. You're living-but you're not in charge of anything. Except you have no problem complaining about things, looking at things, going "Oh, I wonder why this is like that," blaming God, blaming this person, blaming that person. I mean, on and on and on and on and on it goes.

So, it's very-it's very metaphoric. The metaphor here really would be that, in this story, you're the king. Unconsciousness is what you are inebriated on.

We live every day-and we want to make it the same, pretty much: "I go; I get up at this time…." I mean, you know, how many people in the United States do you think have got their alarm clocks set to a particular time and that's where it stays? And the status is that on Saturday and Sunday, (if that's the day that they have off), they just turn it off, the alarm-but then starting Monday, same routine.

Some people have their coffee set up with the timer-because they know they have to get up every single day, the same time.

So, here we are; we're living in this pattern-and I'm not trying to be judgmental of whether that's right or whether that's wrong; I'm just presenting it parallel to the story-so, try to make some sense of it.

And then our little world that we have created-and that's got a lot of unconsciousness. It's not our decisions; the world presents us these pretty phones, these pretty things-and we look at those and we go, "Yeah, yeah, I want one of those; I want one of those; I want one of those."

We're driving along and we see, you know, a beautiful house on a billboard for sale or something like that-and it's like, "Yeah, I want that too." And we see a car and that's just really, really nice and it's like, "Yeah, I want that too…."

And so it's like this whole world that's just pushing us, pushing us, pushing us every day, "Want, want, want, want, want, you want this; you want this; you want this, want this."

Though again, a tremendous amount of unconsciousness on our part. Because those people, you know, they sit down in board rooms-believe me, and they sit down and they work out "How can we crack the code, that people will go for this? That what we're going to tell them…?"

I mean, they literally have to sit down and say, "Okay, we're going to tell them that this is the greatest car." It doesn't matter if the car is good. Right? It doesn't matter if "this soft drink that we're going to advertise to them is good." Even it could be harmful to them, but that's not the point of it.

The point of it is, "How can we crack the code? How can we get inside their head"-brain diggers-"How can we get inside their head and plant this idea that they really want this?" Not need-"want this?"

So, again, a tremendous amount of unconsciousness on our part, that we accept this and we say, "Oh, yeah, right, that's what I want."

So, we've got the elephant that's drunk; we've got the king that's sitting on the back of the elephant that's drunk. And nobody knows where they're going, very inebriated in unconsciousness, both of them. The elephant couldn't care less and the king could care less.

And the next thing you know, something happens, something takes place and the elephant trips; (coronavirus, COVID-19 happens) and the elephant trips. And all of a sudden, the king finds himself being de-seated from the elephant and going into the well, (the well of this world that we live in).

And hanging on. And there is a vine-and we hang onto that vine. We-he looks up and he sees two rats, (night and day; that's the black and the white rat), they're busy cutting that vine. What's underneath on the floor of that well? Snakes, (consequences of our decisions that we have made).

It goes on and on and on and on. And there he is in limbo. If he does nothing, he's going to fall because those two rats are definitely going to cut through that vine. If he does nothing, that is his fate; he is going to fall and he will succumb to the consequences, to the result of the consequences of his unconsciousness, his or her unconsciousness throughout their lives.

Because what's at the bottom of the well isn't one day's consequences; it is the consequences of every single day of living this life unconsciously, unconsciously, unconsciously, unconsciously, unconsciously, unconsciously. Bizarre scene.

The only hope really is if somebody can throw a rope-and you can switch. Because the game is set. Those rats are busy; they could care less. Day and night, the time is passing, (that's what the symbology there is). The symbology is of the time that is just nonstop, day and night….

You know, you buy a watch-you buy a watch to tell what? Well, to figure out "when I'm going to do this; when I'm going to do this; when I'm going to do this." But you haven't really sat down and looked at that watch and go, "Oh my God, this thing is telling me that I have this much less time to exist on the face of this earth."

So now, it's not a question of, you know, I'm painting a doomsday scenario. Because there is a possibility, at any given time, we realize that "Here I am; that I am so busy wanting to take care of not having the consequences that I have forgotten what it is that caused me to have these consequences in my life."

And I think there is another question from a person who could be, (I don't know), but who could be an inmate in prison. And basically what he's saying is that "Look, I did what I did, but I'm suffering the consequences every single day."

And what I would like to say to you is, "Right, you are suffering the consequences every day. But what is it that is making it so bad? Is it everybody else? Or is it you?"

How you perceive it? Because you can change that. You can look at this as another opportunity in your life to really make a transformation from deep within. So, not only do you take the best, wonderful advantage of that situation….

And see, this is the point-I deal with a lot of inmates and I go and I frequently visit prison. And prison is this thing-it's a lockdown. You know, you-"You're not going there; you're not going there; you're going to be in these confines and that's it."

Well, that's what coronavirus is doing, you know, with all this lockdown; that's what happening: "You can't go here; can't go there; can't go do this; can't do this." Your liberties are being taken away.

And so, because of that…. You know, and yesterday I saw people who were protesting against the lockdown. And I realized that a lot of those people, (not all of them), but a lot of those people, they just don't want to be told what to do. It's not what it is that they do or don't do-they just don't want to be told what not to do.

And so somebody comes along and tells them, "Oh, you have to stay in this room"-they hate that. They don't want to do that.

But in reality, to use a little bit of common sense and say, "Okay, according to the circumstances, it is really good not to give…." Until when? Well, you know, you hear a lot of things; you hear, "Oh, it might take two years to develop a vaccine; it might take twelve months to develop a vaccine." They're working on it.

They are working on it and let's hope that they can come up with a vaccine or some kind of a medication. It's not like people are sitting, you know, and doing absolutely nothing. There's a tremendous amount of very good people working on finding a cure for this thing, or some kind of a relief from this thing. Because economically it's a huge toll-but this is how it is.

So, getting back to the story, the only way out for this king really is for somebody to come along and rescue by providing another means of him being able to get out-and to understand the value of every single day that the king has.

And to understand that those consequences are going to be waiting for him unless he actually changes his ways-and one of the ways he has to change is not to become unconscious, not to become inebriated in the first place. And to make sure that his elephant also is not inebriated.

So, I think that I'm trying to put this thing together-and it is really all about how we are perceiving this. And what we need to see is the reality. The reality is simple-and the reality is beautiful. Because that's the nature, that's the nature of that reality.

It may seem like it's cruel; it may seem like it's odd; it may "seem like it, seem like it"-but in reality, it is beautiful. You are alive. The breath is coming into you. You exist. Listen to your needs. Your needs are to be fulfilled, to be in peace, very, very simple. And when you can be in sync with that, you will have a different life. And what I am talking about will make a lot more sense then.

Because, you know, what we consider to be normal-and yeah, just do all those things and waste our time. That's the only thing we cannot afford to waste, is time. Because that is one commodity that's not coming back. Girlfriends, you can get a new one. Wives, you can get a new one; children, well, you could try. But time, no way.

One job, two jobs, you could try this job; you could try that job. If this doesn't work out, you could try that. But time, nothing you can do about it. No rewind button, no stop button.

So, anyway, I hope that it puts it in some context for you. And the most important thing is to have a sense of relief, have a sense of comfort: "You're okay; you're okay." Go inside; understand who you are. See with your eyes yourself, not with the world's eyes-but see from your eyes what this is all about. And I think you'll find a pleasant surprise.

So, be safe; be well. Be. Thank you; I'll talk to you later.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 31

Well, hello, everyone. I hope you're doing well under the circumstances-and keeping well, keeping safe. So, today I'd like to talk to you a little bit about just this one thing that came to me. A long time ago I had come across this statement, (or quote or whatever you want to call it), and it went something like, "Question everything."

And so I started thinking like, "Well, that's very interesting: 'Question everything.' And do I agree with that?" And I do-I do agree that we should question. But at the same time, we do need the answers-because it would be pointless to keep on questioning without receiving any answer. And in which field, in which spectrum would you question?

So, here's the gist of it for me-that yes, we question everything. Now, even for some questions, even if I do get an answer, do I care? I mean, I may look up; I might see an airplane flying across the skies. And it is, it would be quite normal to say, "I wonder where that airplane is going?"

Somebody comes up to me and says, "Oh, that's, that airplane is going to Singapore." Well, it's like, "Okay, you know, what's the big deal? I mean"-yeah, or it's going to Delhi: "What's the big deal?"-or it's going to Mumbai; it's, "What's the big deal?"

But then there are those questions that, obviously, we need to ask, and need to get answers for-those questions: "Why am I here? Who am I? What am I?" I'm a human being. I need that answer; I need that answer again and again and again in my life: "I'm a human being."

What do I want? I have needs. My needs are very basic; my needs are very fundamental. "And what about this world?" I need to question everything in this world.

And the amazing thing is that most of the time we don't question the world; we question ourselves. We don't get any answer from the world; we don't even question it, but we don't even get any answer from the world. We have assumptions: "This is what this is for; this is what this is for; this is what this is for."

And all of a sudden, there is this disparity; there is this imbalance-of where the questions are being asked…. And is it good to ask questions; I think it's wonderful to ask questions. But you have to ask those questions so you can get an answer, especially when those questions relate to you, to your existence, to your fundamental being here on this earth.

I was born; I came out of one wall. I exist in this world; I exist in this time. I do not understand how little that time is. I don't understand my possibilities, how great those possibilities are for me.

One day I do know that I have to go-but I don't understand what that means, "go." Go where? Where am I going? Because that's already presupposed. "If you have been a good person, you're going to go to heaven." And it, you know, it completely depends on the religion that you are following.

The thing about religion is that a lot of times you're born into a religion. You don't choose a religion; you're born into a religion. And once you are born into a religion, off you go. What may seem different to somebody else will seem completely normal to you.

When a Christian looks at somebody following the rites of the Hindu religion, that looks very different to them. But for a Hindu, that's completely normal; it's completely correct; it's completely right.

And this is how it is. And they see the Christians following their religion-and it's like, "This is odd; this is odd; this is odd." But to a Christian who's been born in that, who has seen it from a very young age, everything seems normal.

So, off we go in our beliefs, in our ideas, in our thoughts-but we're truly not questioning.

And I'm not talking about questioning religion; I'm not talking about questioning those things. I'm talking about questioning, "Who am I? Why am I here? What are my needs? What is my understanding? What do I want in my life? What is important to me-today? What is the value of today for me? What is the value of tomorrow for me; what is the value of yesterday for me?"

Because if the value of tomorrow is greater than the value of today, then I truly don't understand what today, tomorrow and yesterday are all about. If the value of yesterday is greater than the value of today for me, then I really don't understand these three things, which are "today, yesterday and tomorrow." I don't get it; I don't understand the value of it.

Today is the most important for me-because I can do something today. Today is where my actions take place. Yesterday is memory, thinking thoughts. Tomorrow is contemplations, thoughts, ideas-but no action can actually take place in tomorrow, or no action can take place in yesterday. For the actions to happen-for the actions to happen it has to be today.

So, are my actions that I take the culmination of a well-processed thought? Or they're at random? (Some days are good; some days are not; some hours are good; some hours are not. Some minutes are good; some minutes are not.) Because if I haven't thought out what it is that I should do….

And I say the word "clarity"-but that's what clarity takes. Clarity takes to completely understand all ins and outs of what it means.

When I was flying from Recife to Miami, there was an area, (and it was indicated on the charts), of some thunderstorms. Of course, you realize, when you fly an airplane you have all this information-and you have your radar-but most importantly, you have your eyes.

So, you have your radar; you're looking at your radar. You're looking at the satellite picture on your instruments. On your display, you're looking at the satellite picture and it's, you're looking at how current it is. Of course, I had my iPad too, and I'm looking at that-and that's giving me a more current picture.

But then I have my eyes. And if, you know, everything says, "Oh, no, don't worry about it; everything is clear," and I am looking out the window and I'm heading into something that I know is a thunderstorm, that's it. That takes precedence.

So I made a deviation-and I deviated and I deviated quite a bit. But I didn't want to get into it, into those thunderstorms. And we had a nice smooth ride; got back. The whole thing, the deviation, probably didn't take more than twenty, twenty-five minutes-and we were back on route. And by the way, some of the directs we got, we made up some time as well.

So, when you fly, you look at all aspects of things; it's not just, you get in the airplane, crank the engines and go. No, you take a look at "Where am I going to be when this happens; where am I going to be when this happens? If I was to lose an engine, where am I going to be and where am I going to go? How much fuel will I have; will I make it? How much reserves will I have?"

So, you take a look at all of that information. And so the information is taken; it is processed. A picture is derived. And then it becomes a plan that you concur with. Whatever information has been sent, "Okay, yes, we can do this. This is the amount of fuel we need."

And I, when I order my fuel, I always look at the route-and if there are too many thunderstorms, a lot of deviation or turbulence or whatever and we may have to go lower, you order a little bit extra. It's always good to have a little bit extra. And of course, the rule of thumb in aviation is that "Runway behind you, fuel in the truck and the altitude above you, don't do you any good"-in an emergency.

You need as much altitude as you can have. You need that fuel that you left in the truck and you would rather have it in your wings. And the runway, the more you have, the better it is for whatever it is that you're doing.

So, does that not apply in life? Well, it should. Those principles are sound-that "Yes, be ready for any eventuality, any possibility."

But at the same time, we don't do that. Off we go. Off we go. We are launching, even before the rocket has taken off its pedestal. We are going. The idea is already there; you get up in the morning and "Off I go."

So, off you go-and you're waiting for the bus; you have left your house; you're doing this-and it's just like you're caught up in this storm. And you don't know what to do.

Now, why am I saying all this to you? It's because this is a grand time; this is a great time to start questioning some of those things-and most importantly, some of those important questions that you need to ask yourself, get the answers to them. Not just take somebody's word for it.

If people just asked those questions and have an answer that is satisfactory-not the answer that "Oh, yeah, God just works in mysterious ways and I accept that." No, no, "What's going on here?" Because here I am; this is my life! I am the one who has been given options, either to do or not to do.

I am that warrior that was at that great war in India, Mahabharat. And a choice has been made-and Krishna is saying, "Look, you have to look at everything-and then and then only should you make that choice." And when Arjun finally sees the whole side of it, he is then ready to fight.

So, you know, at first, I would have to say that there was one point in time in my life, I absolutely agreed with Arjun's choice: "I am not going to fight; I know all these people…. I ain't fighting." It's like, "Hey, that's a good choice; don't fight."

But look at the whole thing. Look at what the reasons are-that these people have taken upon themselves to go against what is correct, what is right.

Anyway, that was Mahabharat; that's yesterday. Tomorrow will be what will be. But today is what you have to work with, work with. This is where your actions will take place.

And because today is where the actions will take place, "now" is where the actions will take place, that's the importance of now. Two minutes before, only thoughts can take place. That's as far as you can go with your thoughts. But for actions, you're locked in the position of now.

So if you're locked in the position of now, shouldn't all your thinking be focused or take part and understand what now is all about-because that's where you're going to act. And the consequences of what you do in the now, (where you act), you will have to face in the future-and that will become your past. And more and more and more this process keeps happening, the more "today" is going to get muddled.

So, question everything; absolutely; no problem. Some questions you will never get answers to; who cares about those questions; maybe they're too trivial. But then there are those important questions that you must ask of yourself-and you must receive the answers. It's not a question of options; you must receive those answers.

And those answers have to be clear, have to be succinct, have to be correct. And it has to feel right, from your heart, accepting the answer to those questions.

Because inside of you there is an ocean, an ocean of answers. This is what I say: "Inside of you is an ocean of answers." And that answer that's going to feel right to you is going to come from that ocean that is within you.

So, I hope that, you know, things keep improving for you. Take it one day at a time. Don't look at, you know, "What's going to happen down the road; what's going to happen up the road," whatever the road is. But one day at a time, feel good. Be well; be safe. Understand the importance of now. That has not changed.

Coronavirus or not, lockdown or not, that doesn't mean anything in regards to that day that you were born and that day that you're going to go. In regards to that, this means nothing. That is still valid. And every moment that this breath comes into you is a celebration for you that you need to start celebrating every single day.

So, be well; be safe. And most importantly, be. Thank you-and I'll talk to you later.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 32

Hello, everyone; I hope you're all doing well, keeping fit, keeping healthy. I'd just like to take a little, few minutes and welcome everybody who is listening to these broadcasts and has been listening to these broadcasts.

There are 173 countries that are listening to these broadcasts-so, India and United States, Spain, United Kingdom, France, Argentina, Italy, Canada, Australia, Colombia. Germany, Brazil, Nepal, Switzerland, South Africa, Malaysia. Chile, Portugal, Greece, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru.

Uruguay, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, Ecuador, Austria, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Venezuela, Israel, (shalom), Japan, Slovenia, Côte d'Ivoire, Belgium, Finland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Morocco, Benin, Trinidad and Tobago, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Bolivia, Thailand, Ghana, Nicaragua.

South Korea, Réunion, Croatia, Indonesia, Cameroon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Ukraine, Guatemala, Philippines, Fiji, Poland, French Polynesia, Jersey, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon.

Panama, Vietnam, Cyprus, Laos, Madagascar, Guadalupe, Russia, Lithuania, Qatar, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Turkey, Kuwait, Oman, Uganda, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Senegal, El Salvador, Nigeria, Tunisia, China, Hungary, Kenya.

Cambodia, Romania, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Bahamas, Egypt, Montenegro, Malta, Niger, Togo, Andorra, Congo, Kinshasa, Jordan, Angola, Luxembourg, Bahrain, Iraq, Cook Islands, Gabon, Zambia, Barbados, Mali, Burkina Faso.

Cuba, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Malawi, Tanzania, New Caledonia, Cape Verde, Faroe Islands, San Marino, Kosovo, Zimbabwe, Armenia, Bhutan, Algeria, Honduras, Iran, Cayman Islands, Moldova, Martinique, Albania, Grenada, Gambia-a lot of countries.

North Macedonia, Slovakia, Timor-Leste, Aruba, Belarus, Curaçao, Georgia, French Guiana, Guernsey, Guinea, Sint Maarten, Maldives, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Palestine, Seychelles, Somalia, Syria, Samoa.

Saint Barthélemy, Belize, Congo, Brazil, Ethiopia, Guam. And Guyana, Kazakhstan, St. Kitts and Nevis, Liberia, Myanmar, Namibia, Rwanda and Sudan.

So, like to welcome-and South Sudan-and like to welcome all of you to these broadcasts. I hope you have been enjoying them as we continue forward in this situation of coronavirus, where I think a lot of the people are just, you know-it's too much for them.

And it's one thing, you know, somebody says "You're in lockdown"-and you actually feel locked down. So, that's, I think, the big disparity here-and just because somebody says it's a lockdown, do you feel locked down? Somebody says, you know, "We are unfortunate," and so do you feel unfortunate? And that's the main thing.

Because, you know, I know a lot of doctors and I talk to them. And I say, "You know, there's an obviousness. Somebody comes to you-and they're not sick; they don't feel sick; they are not sick…."

And I said, "You know, I know your job is to find out if there is anything wrong with them." But you have to look at the obviousness of the person, too. If they are sick, tell them they are sick. But if they're not sick, at least, begin from there. And vice-versa; if somebody comes to you and you think they're not sick but they are sick, then you have to begin from that point.

And sometimes we just forget the obviousness of something. The obvious thing is that we are alive; that whatever is very fortunate about being here on this face of this earth, every single day that this breath comes, it's beautiful. And it's important to accept that, to understand that. That every day, to make a little effort to be conscious.

Because, you know, when you look at this world…. And I've been working on the training, (which I hope I'll be able to, soon, delve into). Yeah, and it is-it is a bit of a watered-down, you know, Peace Education Program, is what I'll be bringing forth.

And because we have our limitations and, you know, one of the things that it requires in the Peace Education Program is that those people who are going to participate, send in their learnings, (what they have learnt or what they have understood), so we can share that….

I mean, I don't have to-you know, if you don't want, I won't say the name; you don't have to write the name-but at least, what it is that you have learnt. Because that is what then provides other people, so like, "Oh! That person got this out of this," or "this person got this out of this," and it's like, "Oh, maybe I should, I should try that; I should adapt that," so it really provides a wonderful pool.

But one of the main things is that we-we are trying to get away from the consequences. You know, whether the consequences are made by, from the actions that we do or from somebody else's actions, but we want-but we don't like consequences that are bad. We like consequences that are good.

So, everything-and so when bad comes, when terrible times come, when sad times come, we look at everything and we go, "Well, who's doing this, you know; why is this happening to me?" And I know a lot of people really feel that way; it's like they've been singled out.

And, you know, you haven't been singled out; nobody's trying to punish you. But what you have to realize is that other people's actions and the consequences of that are not in your control-but certainly, those actions that you take, you have to be in control. And those consequences, you can do something to mitigate.

And this is what it's all about. Living life to the fullest truly is living life consciously, being aware of what it is that you do. Because it is very action-oriented, whatever it is you do-not what you think.

See, thinking is different. And of course, we're going to, I'm going to talk about this in one of the trainings, (I don't know which one it's going to be). But it is, you know, it's an epiphany that I had which is like, "What is the importance of now?"

Because so many people talk about "now," you know: "This is important; that's important; now is important." But "today," the importance of today is, today is a carrier for a bunch of "nows," a whole bunch of nows. And what is the importance of now?

Now is the time when you act, when you do something. As soon as you do something, as soon as there is an action taken, it is out of the realm of thoughts. Thoughts, you can have as many as you want. With thoughts, you can visit tomorrow. With thoughts, you can visit yesterday. But with actions you cannot visit tomorrow-and with actions you cannot visit yesterday.

So, the importance of now really is that this is where your actions will take place-and that what you do will be directly responsible, which will create the consequences. And they can be negative consequences, (which you are not going to like; you're going to suffer). I'm not talking about karma; I'm not going there, you know-I'm talking about actions that we do now.

What kind of actions and how complex is that-it's huge! It's how you even look at somebody. You could look at your wife the wrong way-or your wife could look at you the wrong way, at the wrong time. And, you know, it's over. It's just like, it's no good.

So, you are responsible for your actions. Now you're responsible for your actions bringing good for you, good consequences-as well as bad consequences. You want, as much as possible, to do those things that would ultimately, (not at the expense of other people), bring you good consequences, bring you fulfillment, bring you joy, bring you understanding.

I mean, I see a lot of people-and some people I don't know; I see them on television, maybe it's an interview; maybe they're talking or whatever. And then you read about them, you know, "They're so-and-so and they are, you know, somebody very important and way up there."

But one thing that is uncanny is, some of these people, they're not very happy. I mean, certainly, there's one person who, people see a lot of this person on television-and he's a very powerful person, yeah, because he's, you know, associated with a very powerful country.

But he-he is not a happy camper. I mean, whenever you see him, he's just not a happy camper-even though, status-wise, he is on the top of the top of the top of the top of the top.

So, it has nothing to do with the formula that some people draw up, "That, you know, if you have this; if you have this; if you have this, then you're automatically happy-you're content; you're successful."

No, success is something that is felt. Somebody can't come and tell you you are successful if you are not feeling successful. Somebody cannot come along and tell you you are happy if you are not feeling happy. ("Oh, no, no, you are happy; you're happy.") So, these things are subjective; they're up to you! Not objective.

When society takes something that is very subjective and tries to turn it into something very objective, a whole bunch of stuff happens that is no good whatsoever.

So, this whole learning of the formula begins: "Oh, yeah, you have to learn this formula; you have to learn this formula; you know, this is what this is about. And this is what this is about. And if you want to be successful you have to do this, this, this, and this, and then you will be successful."

Well, in the United States, people have to take out a loan to finish college, to finish a certain school that they can then try to make money from. And right there, they haven't even yet started and they're already in debt. And for the rest of their life, they're going to stay in debt, and stay in debt, and stay in debt.

And the whole economy is based so that you can be in debt-so far you just keep working like a slave, just working like a slave and try to pay off that. And the thing is, you're never going to be able to pay it off because it just keeps getting more compounded and more compounded and more compounded. And this is what happens.

So, you're trying to take something that's very subjective, make it very objective-"And do this, this, this, this and this."

People come to me-and they want peace in their life; they want harmony; they want fulfillment; they want clarity; they want hope; they want all of this stuff. But they think that's objective: "That we will turn on a button; we will push a button and it'll happen." No, it's subjective. It's totally what you feel.

If you don't feel that joy in your life, you don't have that joy. That's it. You have to feel it; you have to understand it. That's what peace is. Peace is something you have to feel-not something you have to think about, "Do I have peace now? I have this; I have this; I have this; do I have peace now?"

And, you know, Kabir's sayings are full of this, that, you know, somebody tells you "This is it," and you just go, "Yeah, this is it; this is it; this is it; this is it"-that's not it. Unless you have that true realization, unless you have that true understanding in your life, nothing is going to make any difference. You're going to try-but it's not going to make any difference.

So, this is-the three things that I always talk about, you know, "Know yourself; live your life consciously." Because that is the only barrier you have-consciousness-between your actions and those consequences that you don't want.

To mitigate those actions, those consequences, the only way you can do it is if you start practicing consciousness, to be aware of what is happening: "What are you about to do; what are you about to say; what is going to be"-to give it a little thought, "What is going to be?"

"What is going to be the consequence of you telling your child 'You are late'?" Fine, this is what happened to you; that's how you got it. You see, you actually got it because that's exactly what happened to you; "You're late; you're late; you're late; you're late; you're late; you're late."

At some point in time, you have to ask yourself the question, "Who's in charge here?" Your parents might have gone; they may not be on this planet Earth-but they have certainly left a legacy in you. And you are just sitting there and perpetuating this. And people think that that's perfectly okay-because there's nothing wrong in that.

Well, think about it: "Is that what you want to do? Is that what you want to do?" What do you want to do? You know, and there are-it's true-there are the actions you have taken, and you may be, you know, going through the bad consequences of those actions.

But what do you want to do now? Do you want to change or do you want to keep repeating that? And repeating the sadness of those negative consequences? So, it's up to you. It's up to you-and it always will be up to you. And it is very subjective of what you feel, of what you understand in your life.

So, continue to be safe. Feel well; be well. And most importantly, be.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 33

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all well-and, you know, I know that the time is going on and it's, you know, it can become a little bit like, you know, you're dragging your feet and it's just trying to just slowly, slowly, slowly go somewhere….

Of course, you hear so much indecision from the leaders, (so-called "leaders"), and here, there, everywhere. But then it always has to come back to what's important, important to you, as it relates to your life, to your existence.

Because, you know, there have been things, you know, it's like, "This is bad. We have to go back to work; we have to do this; we have to do that." And there are, you know, there are many different thoughts about that; you know, "If there is no economy; what is that going to be like?" They're already talking about "If, you know, all the people who would not have food, the people who would go hungry, what would that be like?"

And you know, we can talk about all these things all day long. There's a lot of speculation-and of course, we don't need to go hungry in this world; there's plenty of food. And, you know, it has to be managed. You cannot have hoarders. You cannot have people who are just saying, "I want it; I want it; I want it."

And we saw that-we saw that with toilet paper. And people were hoarding toilet paper, toilet paper rolls. (Why would you want to hoard toilet paper roll, I don't know.) And I just recently did a podcast interview. And, you know, the Indians have definitely got the whole world beat on that issue. Because a lot of them don't use toilet paper; they don't need to use toilet paper.

So, what is the reality, at this point where you've got so much noise that's going on, and everywhere? Well, the reality is still inside of you. And it's just as beautiful. Regardless of the picture being painted, regardless of the picture being what it is, there is a reality that is very simple and that is very beautiful. And that reality is that you are.

You weren't-there was a time you weren't in this world. Now you are. And there will be a time that you won't be. And the reality says, "But right now you are. Do you know who you are; do you know why you are here; do you know what is going on with you?" Because, whatever happens outside in this world, if you can hang on; if you can be….

And I remember, it was quite a few years ago, (unfortunately), but there was a wonderful gentleman and he used to do survival training-in fact, he had done the survival training for the first crew that went to the moon.

And his whole thing was that "Somehow, you, you as a human being, ultimately have to keep it together. And then if you can, if you can be in that good shape, you can look around you and you can try to make sense of whatever there is around you."

And one of the examples that he used to give, quite a bit, was that there was a girl-and she was on an airplane along with a whole bunch of people. And the plane crashed-and she's the only one who made it out, out of the forest. Everybody else tried or whatever, but-you know, and a lot of people perished during the crash. But she survived-somehow she survived.

And this becomes the focus of our life; this has to be the focus of our life, understanding and working with those elements that we are all about, that truly define us.

Yes, they may be hard times-because of this coronavirus. You know, and that would be because of the way we have set it up. It wouldn't be the way nature has set it up; it is the way we have set it up. We want certain things to be a certain way; we are not willing to change.

And this is one of those things; you know, are we going to go back to being our old selves, you know, polluting everything and doing it the wrong way? And the answer to that is, unfortunately, yes, because we don't like to be different. We like to do the "same old, same old, same old, same old, same old, same old."

You know, when cars came, there were a lot of people who couldn't relate to the cars, who couldn't relate to what that was all about-and they were predicting that "This wouldn't last very long; that this is really bad. But, and you know, it makes horrible noises; it's, and, you know, but it's awkward. Horses are so much better," and so on.

So, you always have had this tussle between people who are the, you know, "Everything is going to be bad and, you know, we're all going to die and everything is going to be terrible"-and then, those people who can realistically take a look at it.

Because one of the things you have-what you have going for you is the human ingenuity to persevere, to persevere through the bad times.

We have been through World War I; many, many people, many millions of people got killed in it. Word War II, even more got killed in it. We have the Spanish flu, 1918, a lot of people got killed in it. And there are so many similarities between that story and what's unfolding with coronavirus now.

But what about you as a human being? What about your understanding? What are you bringing to the table; what are you bringing, first of all, to yourself? What are you offering to your being?

In the midst of all this, you know, when I finally got from Recife to Florida, and then-Florida was nice and warm-but when I got to Los Angeles, it was cold. And it has been cold; every day it has been cold. Some days it's been rainy, but even those days when the sun is shining, it's, the wind is very, very cold.

And just now, that "warm" is starting-and the temperatures are starting to inch up towards seventy-four, seventy-five, eighty, so on-and the spring is here. And there are all these little birds that are making their nests; they're singing.

There are all these flowers; there are all these plants; there's the greenery-and here, especially in this part of the country, where not too long ago, there was a horrible, horrible fire. And somehow nature is coming back and trying to erase every evidence of that fire, that that fire ever was.

And it's doing a really good job. Because when, after the fire, when I saw it, it was pretty desolate. It was, there was nothing there. And now it's just so much green, so much green that's just flourishing.

So, when I look around me and I see these birds-you know, and these birds that-but they don't, you know, they don't have a lot of education; their education is what their mom and dad have taught them and whatever little experience they have in their life-but they're going on. They're not caught up in these stupid debates; they're not caught up in these really, really weird ways of looking at things.

I mean, "Should there be debates," yes, there should be debates-but they should be of valid debates, they should be of valid reasons and valid things. Not somebody's fear. They shouldn't be based upon somebody's very dark way of looking at something-but realistic. Realistic is good.

And when you don't know, you don't know. And so maybe you put your best foot forward and it is not something that is a popular decision. I mean, coronavirus is not a popular virus; let's face it-and what it is doing is not very popular either. And so, the decisions that have to be taken to curtail it, (I am not surprised), are not very popular either.

But we have to do, collectively, all the people around the world, because this-it is, for the first time, that we are all tied together. Whether we are rich, whether we are poor, this coronavirus doesn't look at it. You know, whether we are educated, whether we are uneducated, it doesn't look at it. Whether we are powerful, whether we are weak, it doesn't look at it. You know, it, anybody….

And we're all one; all of a sudden, we're all one. And but all we want to do is divide and divide and divide and divide. And we have been dividing. We have taken land that had no boundaries-and we have drawn arbitrary boundaries and say, "That's mine. And that's yours. And that you are there, and you're this and you're that."

And when you fly, you know, there are no boundaries; it is the way it is. You fly from one area to another area-birds do it all the time. They don't go through, you know, "But here is my passport; can I come in; I'm going to be coming in for two months, three months, four months," no.

So, at some point in time, we have to take a look at "What are we up to?" Polluting the planet, abusing the planet, abusing the resources-and not leaving anything for the next generation. Because everything is "hoard, hoard, hoard, hoard"-everything is "mine, mine, mine, mine"-and nobody's looking at what the consequences of that, that's going to be.

And you as a human being have something really wonderful to offer, not only to yourself but to the whole mankind. And those things are kindness, your generosity-these things, your clarity, your hope, not only for yourself but for the whole mankind. You can give that; you can be that.

This is a gift; only when you have enough of it can you share. When that kindness is in your heart, then you can share that kindness with other people. And when you do, it doesn't deplete any kindness from you. It multiplies it; it gets more and more.

Hope, not only for yourself, but for all those who are around you. Understanding, understanding and empathizing with the world that is around you, so you can be a part of this world, so you can be a part of this, to contribute something to this world, not just take, take, take, take, take. Because that's what people do, is they just take; they take; they take; they take.

But to give. To give because you have enough of it, because it is overflowing from you. And then this can be a wonderful-this can be a wonderful place. We would have created a heaven, each one of us, not only for ourselves but for all mankind, regardless of their beliefs, regardless of what they think, regardless of how they think.

Create a little heaven for all of us, for as long as we are on this beautiful earth, that we have created a heaven, not only for us but for all the creatures, for all, all that are here.

And I don't know; maybe it's time to think like that. And the reason why-because this is a big reset. And how is it that we're going to be when we go back to being normal, to be in that normal situation? Because this is the time to ponder those things, time to think again. Not just because we were there does that make them right.

No, it is a great time to put the house back in order. It is a great time to come home and say, "Okay, let's do this right. Now we know how to do it wrong-now let's see if we can do this right."

I know that's asking a lot. I know that's asking a lot of this world. I know there are some people who will agree with me, some people who will disagree: "No, no, it's going to be this; it's going to be that."

But you know, after all, (and I have given this example many times), that when that challenge came-(and this was the country, America), that they had to go to the moon; they wanted to go to the moon-there were a lot of people who said, "It cannot be done. It cannot be done."

Did those missions-were they successful going to the moon because of those people who said "It cannot be done"-or were they successful because of those few people who said, "Yes, it can be done"?

If history has something to teach us, this world belongs to those who have the courage, who have the understanding, to make it go forward in a beautiful way, in a way that fulfills your heart-that truly, nobody is being, you know, taken advantage of.

But truly, to let everybody feel themselves, to feel what this life is all about, to feel the gratitude, to know yourself, to live this life consciously-and to have a heart full of gratitude. To go forward with those most powerful tools of understanding-and see what happens.

I mean, just to see what happens, even if it's-you know, maybe everybody just wants to see this world just totally unhealthy and destroyed and whatever. But to see how it can be, how beautiful it can be-that we respect each other because we know how to respect ourselves.

And it is not about "I," because you do share this planet with all those creatures and all those people. It really is about "we"-but as, only a strong "I" that can respect "we." A weak "I" cannot understand the concept of "we." And when we don't, it shows our weakness to ourselves.

So, I hope that, you know, you stay well and you stay healthy. And be. Be enjoying this life that you have. A lot of different things are being worked on-and at some point, I think we're going to need to regroup.

Because when I came to, through Florida, I just started making the first, (you know, using my iPhone), started making the first broadcasts. And I'd upload them to a person who is in Florida who does all the editing. And so nothing is set up.

And now we need to set up for the training, especially with the PEP, which I think is going to be very exciting, to-if we go that way, a lot of feedback has to come. And it's kind of like, I don't know what final shape it'll take.

But if you get the training one day, then you have the second day for reflection and writing to me, what you're thinking, what your reflections are. And then I take some of those reflections, (not all of them), some of those reflections that I think are important and share them with you.

So it's like, one day training-and then one day for the reflections to come in, and then one day to share those reflections. And then, again, the training-and then one day off to get all those materials. And so we'll have to set up virtually, all these places where, when the responses come, when the feedback comes, when the reflections come, they can be processed and sent virtually to me.

So, it's something that, you know, we haven't done in the past, but I think it could be a fun challenge to have. And training is-I think PEP training is just really wonderful. So, I'm looking forward to that, when that comes through. And it's going to take a few days to set it up, but we'll see when that time comes.

So, thank you very much and I'll see you soon.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 34

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all well. What I'd like to talk about today is a little bit different-because it has a lot to do with you, as in regards to everything else that happens in this world.

So, you know, from a very early age, we are told what to do and what not to do. Now, please, don't take this the wrong way; I'm not trying to say that that's right or wrong. I'm just saying there comes a point in one's life where you have to look at that, just look at it for whatever it's worth.

So, we go along and, you know, when we are very, very young we are told, "No, you can't do this; don't do that; that's not good"-and maybe we're taking our toy and ramming it against the wall and the parents say, "Don't do that"-and so we stop.

And in this whole process, it is important to listen to what people are telling us. And so, pretty soon, there is, of course, a want, a desire to do something-but then there is the outside influence which is saying whether you can or cannot do it. Now, this goes on. And every step of the phase of your life, things like that happen.

So you get a little bit older and you start going to school-and then a whole myriad of responsibilities are introduced to you. And you're told what you can do and you cannot do-again, this is what you're told. Then you get a little bit older; you also start getting a lot of friends-and it's the same thing; you're now again being told by a different group of people what it is that you can and cannot do.

Then you get older-and you get different kinds of friends. But again, there are rules; there are limitations; there's discipline. And whether that's good or bad, I'm not making that judgment at all. You know, some of it we do need because just how it is.

Then we keep on going-and maybe we get a job. Now we have a different group of people-and we have bosses; we have colleagues. And they tell us "what it is that I can do, or we can do or not do." And it keeps on going like that.

And the point of all this is that "Okay, why look at it"-because maybe at some point in time in that whole stretch that we have that we call "existence," we have to make some important decisions. I have been trying to please the world; we try to do that-and whatever the world says, "Yes, we'll do this; we will do this; we will do this; we will do this."

But there comes a time when I need to look at me as me and this existence as mine. Not somebody else's, not somebody else's idea of who I should be, but my idea of who I should be. I have to dig in and I have to understand what my reality is; who, who am I? What am I? What are my needs? These are the things that I want to flourish.

So, it's as though I have been this perfect little soldier-and the world has commanded me to "march, march, march, march," and I have marched. They've told me, "Go, do this; go, do that; think this way; think that way…."

But you know, before this life passes you by-and it's gone-and for you, never to have it again, it would be nice if you, the one who has this life, was to take a little time and look at you, not as the world, but look at you and look at your world. Look at what your needs are, look at what your heart is telling you. What that fundamental "you" really is.

Now, I know that there are people who are afraid; they're afraid to acknowledge themselves that way. Because what if they look at themselves and they find something ugly?

But you know how many chances you take; you take an awful lot of chances in this world. You get in your car and you head out; you go to a freeway. You're driving on a freeway-and you're taking a chance-that somebody isn't going to come and slam into you. Sometimes that happens.

You're taking a chance that those tires that you are riding on, those four tires will stay intact. You're taking a chance that your brakes won't fail.

If you go flying, you're taking a chance that somebody who was putting together the wing, you know, didn't try to beat the rivet into shape, because the rivet was being a little bit unruly-and beat it so hard that, you know, now the plane is unsafe and one thing happens and the plane just comes apart.

It's not like that would be the first time that that would have happened-no, it has happened before. Somebody maybe got a little bit too excited about, you know, that hammer in that engine and, you know, that engine starts to fall apart. That-that has happened.

So, we take chances. And we take a chance on everybody. We take a chance on our friends, that they're good. We take a chance on our job that that is good; we take a chance on our boss that he's good.

But we never take a chance on ourselves. And I think, sooner or later, that time is going to come when you have to take a chance on yourself. You're going to have to say, "Okay, I want to know; I want to experience my life as it is meant to be experienced." Not by people's definition of how it should be experienced, but how it really, really, really, really must be experienced.

That simplicity-the simplicity of life, the simplicity of existence, what is that simplicity really like? What is it like to awaken and have a longing and a thirst in your heart to be fulfilled?

And not to put that away, not to say, "Okay, I'll go do something and I'll cure this"-but to sit with it and feel, feel that thirst-of how beautiful and how important it is that that thirst exists as the great motivator, to motivate us to find that peace, to find that fulfillment in our lives.

To totally transform-from being just this little soldier, this wooden soldier that just marches and marches and marches-to sitting down and accepting that sea of serenity that exists inside of every single human being.

And what is it like to see you through your eyes? Not somebody else's eyes, not through somebody else's interpretation, but through your eyes? What is it like to welcome you from your heart, your existence, not judging it, not judging how it is, not judging "this is right and that's wrong."

And not splitting your world into just "right and wrong and right and wrong and right and wrong," even though that's the mantra that you've been taught. And that's the mantra you have been reciting since you were very, very young: "Right, wrong, right, wrong, right, wrong…."

But there is something beyond this right and wrong-and it is good, and it's beautiful, and it's simple-and it is your existence. It's about you. It's not about your fantasies, but it's about you, your fulfillment, not the fulfillment of other people's expectations.

Because, you know, you see a sign for a soft drink and it's like, "Yeah, oh, we should have this." Because-and they're telling you that "If you have this, you will be satisfied." The reality is, not you; it is the company that will be satisfied if you were to buy their soft drink.

And this is how it has been. You do certain things…. But before this life passes you by-because it is; it's passing by very, very quickly-and pretty soon, before you realize it, it'll be gone.

And I'm not talking about coronavirus or this situation today. But I'm talking about just how it is! It's all too short a period of time. And for you to realize that you came-and you maybe were not understood by this whole world-but you were understood by you. That you sought to be fulfilled amongst the vast emptiness of this, crazy thoughts that we have had.

It wasn't that long ago that human beings embarked on a very distinct path of existence-and it was with farming. Because with farming came this whole idea of protection-you had to be protected because you would work so hard; it takes time; it is up to nature that your crop comes up-and then somebody comes and steals it.

And all that food that had to be transported back and forth-the idea of roads, the idea of soldiers; the ideas of a king; the ideas of what the current society is, are very relatively starting from that time of when farming began. (Now, I could be wrong-but this is what I have read.)

Before that, we were different; we lived differently. We didn't exist for a particular thing; we weren't tied down to anywhere-because we could just go wherever we could go, find food-we lived for food. And whatever food we could find, we would bring it back….

But the farming gave us this opportunity to, you know-one person creates all the food-and then a whole bunch of us don't have to be occupied with that occupation; we can sit at home, do whatever we want to do and we'll get our food.

We have been trying to make the "land of milk and honey" everywhere, every household. But that's not the case. The case is, "Okay, you've been trying to do all this." And maybe someday we will succeed. So far, the track record is that we have not succeeded and there is no indication whatsoever that we will in the near future.

Because the drama that it would require for us to un-click out of that is incredible. It takes something like this coronavirus to bring home a point about us being human. This is what that coronavirus is telling us.

I mean, I know it's not-it can't speak; it's-but this is what has happened. There has been a stark reality; there has been the brakes that have been applied to this bus that was just going off a cliff somewhere.

And the brakes have been applied and people are like-the only thing, there are a certain group of people, the only thing they're interested in, "Get that bus going; get that bus going; get that bus going," even if it means the bus is going off the deep end-but they just want to get the bus going.

Whilst there needs to be an understanding of "What is this all about? How do we want to be? How do we want to live?" And I'm not-you know, I'm no doctor for society-but I am an advocate for understanding every individual that is on the face of this earth.

That I see that potential-that when every human being, (as many as possible), can be strong, then that strength will make us all strong-to go forward, to take those tough decisions that we have to take, make a better life for all of us. For all of us.

But it begins with truly looking at yourself as a human being. All the chances that we take with the world, to take a chance with us. To take a chance with this heart, to take a chance with the need that exists inside of you to be fulfilled.

You know, too many people, when you mention the word "peace," it all falls apart and people start to-you know, there are the yeasayers and there are the naysayers. And unequivocally, everywhere you go, anywhere around in the world you go, there are the naysayers and there are the yeasayers. "Yes, that's a great idea"-"No, that's never going to happen."

But to go beyond that-and say, "Why do I have a need in me for peace? Why, why is it that I want freedom?" I mean, after all, whenever the word "freedom" is said, it sounds so good. But what's binding you? I mean, unless you're incarcerated-but you're not, maybe not-what's binding you? Why do you like the idea of freedom?

Because maybe you don't physically see that you're incarcerated, but you are incarcerated from that true freedom, from that true feeling that you want to have in your heart, in yourself.

Now, you know, people say, "Well, where is the heart? I mean, is it here; is it here; is it here?" Well, what difference does it make? You know, is it that a person should be at a particular address-or wherever that person happens to be, that is what is of importance, not the address itself.

If that person is not at his house-you want to meet a person who is not at his house but he is at the corner post office, so be it! And you will meet him at the corner post office.

Because it is the connection with the person? Or is it the connection with the address? A lot of people want the connection with the address; they don't care about the person. They will never meet that person; they will never understand who you are.

Because you have to say, "It's not a question of where-but I do have a heart." There is one part of me that aspires to find peace, that aspires me to find joy, that aspires me to be happy, that aspires me to know, that aspires me towards clarity, that aspires me towards fulfillment-I call that the heart. By the way, that's what I call the heart.

That which inspires me to do strange things, weird things sometimes, that's another part of me. But there is a part of me that I welcome, that I want to know, that I want to understand more and more and more and as much as I can. Of course, before this life passes me by, to welcome it, to understand it, to find my strength in that part, because it's real.

I need to be real; you need to be real; the world needs to be real. And we need to be real to ourselves. We need to take a chance in us being alive, being fulfilled.

So, be well; be healthy; be safe; be-and I'll talk to you later. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 35

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all doing well under the circumstances-and today, again, we're going to be going through some questions that you have written in. Now, these aren't all of the questions.

But one of the questions from Emmanuel is, "What solutions would you like to see for all humanity and this world within your lifetime?"-so, I see in my lifetime….

Well, I don't really have a long list. My list is rather simple; I would like to see a little bit less greed. I would like to see a little bit more kindness; I would like to see a little bit more generosity. I would like to see people first-then everything else.

I would like to see the hunger eliminated. There's no reason for it unless the person wants to be hungry. Now, of course, you know, eliminating hunger doesn't mean that you force-feed everybody. If somebody really wants to be hungry, fine; that's fine.

But, you know, those things that are just unnecessary-and are because of our bad behavior on the face of this earth. And if we can eliminate that, have a little more kindness all around, have a little bit better understanding of ourselves-which will help us understand other people, because they are just like us.

And less of these differences that people have, you know, "You're Chinese; you're this, you're that," but no, just look at the human beings as human beings. And the variety that we have, welcome it; welcome the differences.

You know, and people just pointing down at other groups that are different-to stop that. You know, that just to treat human beings as human beings, whatever their preferences might be, however they want to live, however they want to exist, however they want to be-to have a society that is tolerant of that-not intolerant, but tolerant of that.

And so, you know, that's, I guess, a pretty long list, but that's what I'd like to see, just a little bit less of that greed, you know, a little bit less of that anger, a little bit less of that macho, bully-on-the-block that every country wants to be. Just a little bit less-I think that would make a huge difference.

And sensitivity to the nature, the environment, to make things right with the environment, to make right things with all the creatures on the face of this earth, rather than seeing ourselves as the custodian of them and then doing nothing.

If we are going to see ourselves as the custodian, if we are going to see ourselves as the crown of creation, then we'd better act like one, like the crown of creation-and help all those creatures, rather than, you know, all that means is you have ownership of it. But that doesn't mean anything if you don't take care of it. So, that's what I'd like to see.

And then there is another question from Rita, "Thank you for, again for sharing beautiful and interesting insights into this lockdown period. I'm so happy you will be doing trainings with us"-and these are the PEP trainings. And that, yes, they will be for everybody, because they'll come out just like this. So, whoever wants to go through it….

Oh yeah, and talking about PEP-it was brought to my attention that a lot of people watching don't actually have any idea what PEP is. So, what is PEP? Well, PEP stands for Peace Education Program.

I have some statistics here. The Prem Rawat Foundation, (which is TPRF), started the program worldwide in 2012-and in 2013, began collecting meaningful statistics. The Peace Education Program is eight years old; it's working in six continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Australia, (Oceania area).

There have been more than eighty-five countries since 2012-currently active in thirty-nine countries, translated into thirty-five languages, presented in 600 correctional facilities globally-and total attendees since inception is nearing 94,000. (So, that was as of March first, so some of that has changed, I'm sure.)

And in different areas, in South America, Australia/Oceania area, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa-so, adult learning center, (the type of facility), there have been forty of these PEP trainings, twenty-nine in the Australia/Oceania area, twenty-two in North America-and Europe, fifty; Asia, seven; Africa, nine.

Business organizations: sixty-four in South America and nothing in Oceania, nothing in North America. Europe, four; Asia, two; Africa, four. Civic and government: fifty-four of these trainings have happened in South America; eight in Oceania; twenty-three in North America; thirty-six in Europe; forty in Asia and ten in Africa.

So, it goes on like this-and you know, corporations and foundations: forty in South America; two in Australia; sixteen in North America-Europe is twenty-two; Asia is thirty; in Africa is fourteen. Educational: 355 in South America; Australia, twenty-three; North America, seventy-seven; Europe, 132.

Anyway, the grand total-so it covers veterans, special groups, senior centers, police and law enforcement, non-profit and NGOs, health and wellness, educational, correction and prison, corporations and foundations, community centers, libraries, civic and government, business organizations and adult learning centers….

All put together, 843 of these trainings have happened in South America; 244 in Pacific/Oceania area; 985 in North America; 910 in Europe; 360 in Asia; 722 in Africa. That's just a little introduction to PEP. It's a really, really, really simple program. Because of its simplicity; it's successful.

And so, it is a series of lectures that are given by me in different environments-some are direct to camera; some are at different events that I did-and then the participants are just simply asked to reflect on what they have heard and pay attention.

And I guess it's just that "paying attention" business that makes all the difference. That if you could just closely look at what is being said and then give it some thought, that that's what makes a big difference. Anyways, so that's what PEP is and yes, it'll be open to everyone.

The question, the next one, (no name), but, "Whenever I do any work with full concentration, I do it once, twice, but after that, I lose my concentration and continuity. I easily forget to do right works, but not the wrong ones."

You know, I don't know what exactly your situation is. But wandering off, losing focus, losing concentration, that happens to a lot of people, so first of all, you're not alone. But secondly, most importantly, a little discipline goes a long ways into keeping you focused.

Because, you know, we become so easily adapted to, "Am I enjoying this or not?" Sometimes the enjoyment comes a little bit later-and you have to have patience for that. You know, not everything is instantly rewarding all the time. And in life, that's a lesson you have to learn.

So, a little bit of discipline, a little bit of patience, a little bit of those powers that you have-will go a long ways in helping you out in your situation.

"I have been to a lot of teachers"-somebody who's been searching. And the question is, "How will I know I've found the real one? How would I know?"

Well, it's not a question of real one or a fake one-but something that your heart will tell you. Somebody who touches your heart-that's what teaching about life, a teacher about life needs to be, that, somebody who touches your heart.

Not just your mind; not just engage your mind-but somebody that touches your heart, that has that encompassing feeling and sees you as a human being, not somebody who is searching for truth but just as a human being. And keeps looking at you as a human being for the rest of your life. That what that teacher offers is something from their heart to your heart. So, I hope that helps.

"Dear Prem, in your Lockdown talks about 'consequences from actions'"-I knew I was going to get something on that-"you say that it's in that moment called now…." And that, yeah, the moment called "now" is where all actions take place. That's it; that's the bottom end of that.

"Please help me understand, how can I make my life more successful and simpler by just choosing the right action and avoiding the wrong ones?" Look, your life is simple. This is how it is. Now, you have brought in all the little bits and pieces that make it complicated. The process of making this happen is taking away, is a process of subtraction, not addition.

What am I talking about? All right, so you've got a white shirt. You've got a white shirt-you realize it's dirty. How do you clean the white shirt? Do you go out and buy "cleanliness" in a bottle and pour it over the white shirt? No. You go and you buy detergent which removes the dirt.

The cleanliness is already there-but it is being masked by the dirt. When you take away the dirt, the cleanliness comes right back.

That's how it is in life, too. We make things very complicated; we like it. You know, "This is how it is; this is how it is; this is how it is." And the next thing you know, there is so much noise between the ears that you can't even hear yourself.

So the process of making life more enjoyable, making life more simple is a process of subtraction, not addition. It's not-but we're so used to adding things, you know; we're so used to adding things that we are like, "Okay, I have to add enjoyment to my life now." No, life is actually very enjoyable just as it is.

And if you don't find it enjoyable, it is because you have brought in all this dirt called "complication," all these ideas, all these pictures that you have in your little camera that are just pumping away, picture after picture after picture after picture. Take all that away-and there you have it.

How do you clean a window? You-it gets to a point where you can't see out the window-how do you clean a window? Whatever is making that window dirty, you take that away; you wash it away-and all of a sudden you can see.

And that's how it is. So, the "right thing, wrong thing"-give yourself a break; you know, give yourself a break. Do that, please. Take it easy. One step at a time: life, one day at a time.

Tackle life exactly as it comes to you-meaning "one day at a time." Keep things simple. Keep things fluid. Be that tree that knows how to sway in the wind and not break in the wind-and you will have a great time, believe me.

"My question is, 'How do you feel about lifting the lockdown regulations now or later?'" Well, I hope it happens. And it would be nice for it to happen, but it should happen when it is safe for it to happen.

Because there's a-look, you know, what I want? Yeah, I want it to be lifted right now. But that is not a wise thing. If, because of my stupidity-if I perpetuate this and end up giving it to people who had nothing to do with it, who may be a little bit older than me, who would certainly have a terrible time of it if they got it, why should I do that?

I mean, yeah, you know, taken for granted, there are problems with the lockdown-whatever. But my actions are not limited to just myself; my actions can affect other people too.

You know, this-I realized this when I was going to go to Argentina-and then after Argentina, I was supposed to go to Uruguay. So, I've already flown for almost seven hours, forty minutes from Spain to Brazil and I am supposed to go to Argentina. And this, you know, the lockdown happens.

So, naturally, the idea comes, "Well, let's just go to Uruguay. At least we will get something done there"-that Uruguay wasn't going into lockdown. But then I thought about it. And it's like, "Wow, you know, I could call all these people in a hall and get them all sick? I'm not going to do that."

So, if my actions have-you know, me, I can be responsible for me. But how can I be responsible for other people? And how can I give them something because of my stupidity?

And so that, to me, is the main issue here. And that it's not-it's not that lockdown is nice; it's not nice. It's not that it's wonderful; it's not wonderful. And, you know, as more and more days click on, it does get under your nail-understood. But at the same time, you have to look at the entire picture.

I don't know; you know, I fly a lot-and you're forced to take a look at the entire picture. You know, here we are-you're flying across the Atlantic, but you're looking at St. John's weather; you know, you're looking at Ireland's weather; you're looking at-and it depends where you're going, of course.

But you're looking at all these places-and it's like, "Okay," but you know, a lot of times I'll fly into Spain-and I'm looking at the weather, you know, across those, Santa Maria and Portugal. And it's like, you know, why we are doing that-it's just the whole picture. So, "In case there was a problem, where do we go?"

So this, it's an intelligent decision. And that's what it needs to be, it really, really needs to be. (Yeah, I mean, we'd like to all get out of here, but….)

And this is a very long one-"I just finished listening to Lockdown 33 and felt disturbed"-this is about Krishna and Mahabharat. And he is saying, you know, (and rightfully), he's saying that "Terrible things were done to a lot of the leaders like Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X-towards the end of his life he started talking about peace….

"And I remember a march in Alabama where hundreds of African-Americans were beaten and some trampled by horses. And," (yeah), "they walked and talked of peace as did Gandhi, Yudhishthira and Vidura in Mahabharat, all trying to help guide the blind king, Dhritrashtra and his son Duryodhan from destruction.

"My African-American heroes were murdered in society, of sufficient numbers that would have stopped the violence by coming together in peace. We, as a society, haven't stood in agreement for peace. We have stood for greed and greed destroys dharma.

"Krishna begged the blind king and his foolish son to give the Pandavas back what was taken through deception, so as to avoid war. They were never listened to, Krishna, 'the black one'-it never happened because destruction had come, the invitation of their own actions." But he-so he is talking about the story and relating it to the injustices.

And, you know, you can take Mahabharat many different ways. It's a huge epic. But remember one thing of how, why Krishna, (who is Vishnu, and in the Hindu religion, the "boss-man" of the whole world across), why, why does he incarnate and come to earth?

Because the earth takes the form of a cow-and that's why, folks, you know, "holy cow," that's where it comes from. And so the Indians or the Hindus believe the cow is sacred.

Because she takes the form of a cow and goes to Vishnu and says, "Help me. I am-my udders have been milked so hard that they no longer give milk; they are bleeding. I am frail; I'm not given the food that I need and people are abusing me."

And so the symbology here is really that, injustice is being done to this earth-that greed is taking over at a huge pace. And Vishnu says, "Okay, I will come to put matters right. The injustice will be taken out."

And yes, these incredible injustices have been done on the face of this earth. And so far we understand that the biggest, biggest transformation we can bring about is to get rid of this weird thing that people have in their heads when they look at somebody, that they look at the color, that they look at the height, that they look at the shape, that they look at all these things and judge people by that.

They need to judge people by who they are as a human being-that in you runs the red blood; in me runs the red blood. I am not any different.

You know, there's a documentary I watched-and this lady, she had been brought up in a household where they absolutely hated, you know, everybody who wasn't of their type. And she ended up in prison. And when she ended up in prison, it was only these two ladies who were willing to help her. Of course, they happened to be those that she had been raised to hate.

But she slowly started working with them and realizing that there was no hate to be had. And she-and they were the only ones that would, that befriended her. And it's, to me that was like, "Yes!" You know, "Yes, you understood; you saw; you broke through."

That's what has to happen; that breakthrough needs to happen, so we can collectively all live in a harmonious, progressive, productive, full of peace, society, and go forward. We need to go forward.

We have a huge agenda. There has been years and years of disrespect, neglect of cultures, of people on the face of this earth, of the nature on the face of this earth. And there's so much homework to be done to put it back together the right way.

There are a whole bunch of people who are just racing off: "More, more, more, more, more," but they don't know "more of what." They keep inventing new things; they keep on bringing new things-but they're doing nothing-no technology is being utilized properly to bring people together.

When people are brought together, what is brought together sometimes is the worst form of those people, not the best. And we need to have stuff that brings the best of us together to move forward, to move progressively. And, you know, that is what is needed.

So, anyways, I mean, I'm not a politician by any stretch of the imagination, so I'm not even going to get into that. There are quite a few more questions….

But don't forget why Vishnu came to the earth in the first place was to make that "right," you know, truly right-the wrong that had been done to earth, to put it right; this is why Vishnu had come.

So, anyways, be safe; be well. And I'll talk to you later.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 36

Hello, everyone; I hope you're all well. Another Sunday today-and I'm going to be reading some questions and trying to answer them.

I hope that, you know, as things progress, (definitely in the United States, it's a little bit different) but I hope everything, at the end of the day, works out.

One other thing that I'd like to just talk a little bit about, one of the questions yesterday, I believe-and it was, you know, "Do you want to see a change in this world?" And then I was thinking about that.

And somebody had asked me that same question before; I believe it was in South Africa. And my answer was, "Yeah, I want to change me." And so I would like to reiterate that. Yeah, I have a list, you know, but really, the only thing I can really change is me-as is, for you, you. You can change yourself.

And that's what's going to make the difference. Because it's very easy to get caught up in that question, you know, "What would you like to see different?" It's like, "Well, yeah, I'd like to see this; I'd like to see this; I'd like to see this." And then, you know, that whole conversation.

Because, and see, look, I've been involved in answering people's questions and these kinds of questions when I was nine years old. And so that's a really long time.

And, been through it-and then a lot of people will put those questions forward, you know, "Well, but do you really think world peace is possible; do you want world peace to happen; do you think these things will work," so on and so forth.

And all throughout that period, one thing that I have seen is that we don't take the responsibility for ourselves; we don't take it upon ourselves that "I have to change." It's somehow, in the whole equation, in the whole chain of things, people are missing-one person, each person who's asking that question is missing.

So, how is the chain ever going to be-if that person, you know…? It's like a Three Stooges joke, you know; it's like, "Say, oh, how many of us are here? Well, there are only two of us and one is missing." And there's all three of them there, but and one goes, "One, two"-and never counts himself.

It's as comical as that. You know, we're counting everybody else; we're really hoping that everybody else is going to change-but not us: "We don't need to change."

And, you know, one person-I was watching a little bit of the news and he was saying that, you know, "We have to stop this; we have to stop this lockdown because our economy is going to be destroyed."

Well, the thing is, (well, I don't know if I should get into this, but), because I think it's a very, very strong question. And the point isn't economy; the point is, "You need food; you have some needs. And those needs can be met. The world will have to pool together."

And definitely, what the American lifestyle is and the country I was born in are completely different. What a person in America would spend for food on one day, just one day-and I'm not talking about big hotels or big restaurants or big this or that-just very simple, you know, all you can eat for five dollars. Well, somebody in India can eat for a whole week for that.

There are a lot of imbalances in this world. And, you know, again, the main issue really is, not economy, but life. Life is more important than the economy.

We have existed on the face of this earth without, quote-unquote, "modern economy" for hundreds of thousands of years. But we knew, at that point, what was important; we needed to live; we needed to sustain ourselves. Have those things completely changed? I don't think so. Those elements are still there.

Especially in the United States-and I think it's true for any country, the resilience of people is there to re-create, rebuild that country to something that is absolutely amazing. I have seen that. I mean, look at Japan. Japan, after World War II, was basically destroyed. But they had the resilience to rebuild that country to what it is today.

We have the resilience. We, we, if we came together-not fractioned-but if we came together, we can make anything happen that we want. I believe that; I have seen that.

But taking these very small focuses-of where you're not looking at the entire picture; you're just looking at one little picture-those are the things that have really made disharmonies in societies over thousands of years.

Oh, and you can look at the history, you know-it's there; it's telling you. If you don't know how to read the history, maybe somebody can read it to you, but that's, it's all historic-anyways, that's a lot of, you know, battling. But let me get to these questions.

Somebody asks-Jose-he says he's seventy-four years old. And what is the purpose of his life; "Do I have a goal to meet? Many times the thought comes to me if my life has had any meaning. Can you help me and give me some advice?"

Your life always has had meaning. Whether you concurred with it, whether you read it, whether you saw it, whether you felt it or not, that's an entirely different question-but your life has always had a meaning.

You write here that you have "the gift of writing." Write! If you have a gift of writing, write! Write about what? Whatever you feel like. Absolutely, whatever you feel like.

Next question, you're seventy-four years old-are you too old to write? Absolutely not. Write whatever you want to write. Another person expressing themselves can be a beautiful thing.

And so, "What is the purpose of your life," you asking that question-and then you asked the second part of that question which is very interesting, "Do I have a goal to meet?" Not from my side. The world will tell you you have a goal, "Have you achieved this; have you achieved this; have you achieved this?"

You know, there is this Egyptian, old thing of, when you die, what happens? And so you go through this whole journey-and in this journey, you have to, you know, be able to get through many, many, many obstacles. And finally, having gone through all those obstacles, you arrive at this gate where there is a guard-and that guard asks you a question before they can let you in.

And it's like, "Have you found peace? And if you've found peace, did you help others find peace?" And if you say "yes" to both those questions, then you can come in; otherwise, you can't come in.

So, do you have a goal to meet? Not from my end. But do you have a goal? And is that goal your goal, or is that goal a goal that the world has put inside your head, that "That's your goal"? Somebody making up a list?

Maybe your goal in life is as simple as finding the peace in yourself. Maybe the goal in your life is as simple as enjoying the true meaning of being alive. And I think it's worth thinking about.

"I still have doubts," this is another question, Nadir-"I still have doubts about the meaning of knowing myself, about how that includes some aspects of my personality or to get in contact with that peace and love inside of me."

No, knowing yourself is not about knowing your personality; it's not knowing all those things. It really is about knowing the self, the true self that you really, really are.

Too many times, you know, there is-it's like the cage. There's a cage and inside the cage is the bird. Without the bird, that cage has no meaning. That cage will go into storage; that cage has no purpose. But with that bird inside, that will definitely give that cage everything that cage is supposed to be.

This, on the outside, is the cage. That life inside of you is the bird. When that bird flies away, this cage has no longer any meaning and it's put in storage, (which is like, you know, buried or, you know, burnt or whatever it may be).

So, your value is that bird. The question is, do you know anything about that bird? Have you felt that bird? Have you experienced that bird? Have you understood that bird? Or has it-your whole lifelong attempt, has it only been about the cage?

Because if it is only about the cage, then you missed the point. The point isn't the cage; the point is the bird in the cage. That's what you should be attracted to. If you're attracted to the cage-and not the bird inside the cage, you don't get it; you don't get the relationship of the cage and the bird.

The cage is there so the bird can be in that cage-I know it's a terrible example, in that sense. But I think it gets to that point of that relationship of-you know, and the other way I put it is, you get a little diamond ring-and it comes in a little box.

Well, so far that diamond ring is in that box, that box is just as important as the diamond ring. Because if you lose the box, you will be just as stunned like, "Oh my God; where is that box; where is that box?"-so far that ring is in that box.

Once that ring has been taken out of that box, that box is only worth whatever it is worth, one dollar or two dollars, five dollars or whatever it is. The value is of the ring. And that value of the ring also then passes onto that box, so far that ring is in that box. Once that ring is taken away, that box means nothing.

Same thing. So, it's not about your personalities; it's not about your idiosyncrasies; it's not about the way you look at things-but it is about that bird, knowing that bird, understanding that bird, feeling that bird.

That's what I talk about: "How do you know that there is a bird?" Well, so far this breath comes into you, there is a bird in you. And if the breath doesn't come into you, it's, there's nothing there.

So, to me, it's really a question of being aware of what really is happening. We only see what is happening out there: "This is what's happening"-because this is what we see.

So it's like, you see a huge photograph-and it's, you know, a hundred people. Well, you know, but there is another person there. And that person is the photographer who's shooting that picture-but he's not in that picture. But he's shooting that picture.

And it's the same thing. That there is something else going on. The life, your existence on the face of this earth isn't about all this; it isn't about a rocket going to the moon. It isn't about a space station. It isn't about all the accomplishments that we technologically have been able to achieve.

There's something else going on. There's something else going on that perhaps we did not create-but it's here. And do we accept it? Do we understand it?

I enjoy the ocean. I like the ocean; I like looking at the ocean. Did I create the ocean? No, I didn't create the ocean. I like the beach. Do I like the beach-yes, I like the beach; I like to be on the beach. Did I create the beach? No, I did not create the beach.

I like mango quite a bit. A sweet mango is wonderful. Did I create that mango-no, I did not create that mango. Did I create the mango tree-I did not create the mango tree.

I know that they are there. I like them; I enjoy them and I want to be in touch with them, even though I had nothing…. It's not like, "Oh, I can't go to the beach; I didn't create that beach." No, I'll enjoy that beach, absolutely.

Same thing-there's something to be understood about you, about your existence, about your life. Not what happens in your life. What happens in your life is up to you; you can change things around; you can move things around.

You know, if somebody finds themselves, they're doing something they don't like, they can stop doing that. Something has changed. Maybe you like chilies and one day you decide you don't want to eat chilies anymore. Fine, you have changed that.

So there are things that happen in your life because you're alive-and then there is the issue of life itself-and I'm talking about the issue of existence itself, not what happens in the existence.

So, I hope-I mean, I don't know, but I hope that helps, (umm-hmm). Sometimes it does.

Here is a good one; this is from Cecile. It says, "Please can you tell us what it means to be in love with someone?" And this gets very interesting-"I am in love and I suffer from that-because the other person is not in love as much as me. He loves me, but is not ready in any way." (For what?)

"I'm trying to love without expectations"-absolutely not. You are not-you say you are-but you're not. "But every time I send a message and there is no reply, I get in that suffering again." There you go; you are expecting an answer. You're expecting that person to respond to you.

So, you know, please forgive me, but-I think that's hilarious to get…. Because, right, if you would have read your own question, you would have seen that you are expecting something from this person. You're comparing this person, "I love this person more than he loves me. I am expecting him-I send him a message and I'm expecting an answer and he doesn't send me an answer and I start suffering."

Let me tell you, how do you get a bird to come and sit on your hand? A lot of people would think the way to do that is to go grab a bird and get it to sit on your hand, you know, nail its claws, its feet to your hand. That's not the way to get a bird to sit on your hand.

Be still-be very, very still. Don't for a minute think it'll work. Just so, be still. Don't assume it's going to work; be still. Put some food there. And be very still.

And maybe when the bird feels not threatened by you-that's the key, "not threatened by you," because so far the bird feels threatened by you, it will maintain its distance. But when the bird feels not threatened by you, that bird will come and sit on your hands. When the bird comes and sits on your hands, don't flinch. Because if you do, the bird will fly away. Be still; be very, very still.

That's how you love. Be still. Not get wrapped up in your imagination, not get wrapped up in your expectations.

Love because you enjoy loving, not to make yourself suffer. That's not love; that's induced suffering. You don't want induced suffering; you want love. That's how you love.

You love because you want to love. Whether the other person responds that same way or not, it has nothing to do with it. You love-and not to hurt them, not to hurt yourself.

Love is a wonderful thing. Love is, again, one of those things that you have to experience; you have to feel-and not because of your expectations, not because of the grand printer that keeps printing pictures, seeing, "Oh, yes, I can imagine myself with this person. And we're holding hands and we're doing this and we're doing that."

Hey, it has-love has nothing to do with that. Love is. And you have to understand that love just is. It isn't something you create; it isn't something you shape; it isn't something you blend; it isn't something you beat. Love is.

Find that love-and then that other person will be attracted to you-because they don't feel threatened by you. They feel loved by you, because you're loving them-not loving them into a particular position, not loving them into a particular slot in a particular way.

So, I hope that helps. Thank you.

Well, that was a short time but anyways, that's how long we have. We have more questions, obviously-so we'll continue with those. Until then, be safe; be well. Most importantly, be-and enjoy yourself. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 37

Hello, everyone; I hope you're all well. Sleeping well, I hope, and resting well, taking care of yourselves, being safe, being healthy. And then, of course, health isn't just about your muscles being good or your, you know, lungs being good or heart or kidney or liver or whatever-but there is this big thing that sits right on top and that needs to be well too.

It influences your whole body-and when it becomes scared, confused, (or it's not, you know, in top shape), it can stress your whole body out. And a lot of people have been expressing that-not a lot; I mean, a very small amount-but comparatively to all the expressions that have been coming in, where people have been making just, some comments about how much they are enjoying this….

And I certainly hope you're enjoying it-and that it's bringing you some clarity to go on in your life day to day, to see some clarity. Because that's what's important in life.

In life, you know, we think we are an arbitrator between our existence and all of this whole world-"And so we have to negotiate this and we have to negotiate this and we have to negotiate this."

But you really have to see the world from the eyes of the world. It's not really interested in you. It's interested in itself going on, perpetuating…. You're just one step in this huge ladder-and you will just get stepped on, and that's about it. And, you know, like so many before you, you will be forgotten too.

But when you look at it from your eyes, it's a little different story. You want this to be a meaningful time. You want this to be a time in which you prosper, not only externally but internally-that you are happy, that you are fulfilled.

And, you know, again, happiness isn't a bunch of little check-boxes-and at the bottom of it, says, "Yeah, if you marked, you know, more than five of those, you're happy-by the way." That's not happiness.

Success is one thing-and feeling success is another thing. There are a lot of people who have reached the very apex of what one would consider "success," but do they feel successful? People tell them that they are successful but do they feel, from inside-do they feel successful?

There are a lot of people, you know, who have finally got to a point where they have somebody that they love and everything else-but they just cannot make it work; they cannot make their marriage work; they cannot make it happen.

Because they are looking at it from the wrong set of eyes; they're not looking at it from the eyes of that simplicity, that "here is another human being." And all they're looking at is their expectations of that human being, but they're not looking at that human being.

So many questions that have come directly relate to that. People know what they want of themselves-but they do not know who they are, as they are. How they should be, they know. How they are, they don't know. And that's a big discrepancy. And so, how do we resolve this? How do we get rid of this?

So, you know, I have to begin from scratch-and this is what I say: "Relax. Take it easy. Understand one thing. Don't be in this, you know, 'rattling of the window' mode of things. Relax; you have everything you need.

"Inside of you, there is an ocean of answers. Do you need questions for them? Not necessarily. Answers will do fine. Inside of you, you have a huge ocean of serenity. You have understanding; you have kindness; you have forgiveness; you have the power to go forward.

"So, relax! You've got everything, everything that you need to truly be successful, to truly be fulfilled, to truly be in peace, to truly be happy in this world as long as you are alive. So, take a deep breath-clear your head. Understand-everything you need, you have.

"All you have to do is feel it, recognize it-not believe it, but actually know it. You have that. You have felt that before in your life. Maybe it was for a fleeting moment-but that's enough. That's enough to say, 'Yes, there is something there. Yes, there is something very powerful there.'"

Now, have I ever worked on inviting those things, evoking, (not provoking), evoking those things in my life? Anger is provoked. Uncertainty is provoked. Doubt is provoked. Clarity is evoked. Big difference between the two.

It's not something you can do with force that will trigger this; it has to be in the very simple way that really comes from understanding-and that really comes from thirst, thirst for clarity in your life, thirst for understanding in your life, thirst for peace in your life.

You know, everybody wants to be a better person. But I will ask a question, "Why, why do you want to be better? For other people-or for you?" For other people or for you? Now, you have to answer that properly-and more dishonestly you answer that, the worse the whole thing is going to get.

You have to be honest. If it is-look, you know, again, just relax. Understand one thing. It is not about getting lost; it's about getting found. So how many times should you get lost? It doesn't matter; so far you get found, so far you come back to your track, good. If you don't come back to the track and you keep getting lost, that's the worst thing you can possibly do.

So, why do you want clarity in your life; why do you want understanding in your life; why do you want these things in your life? Because of you? Because you feel thirst in you for these things? Or do you feel your indoctrination kicking in? And how you have to deal with this world-"You have to do this; you have to do this; you have to do this…."

It's just like, you know, so many times I stay at hotels. And so many times you come and the guy opens your door-and he says, "Good morning; welcome," and you smile at him. Now, the amount of interaction you're going to have with him is maybe, (if you're lucky), ten seconds, five seconds, something like that, and you just say "Good morning" and you walk through.

Why are you doing it? Do you do that to somebody you love? In the morning when you wake up and you see your wife or you see your husband or you see your child, do you say "Good morning" to them? "How are you? Welcome?" No. It's just like, "You're this. You're that." Because all this is sitting heavily on your head.

Remember my example of the young man who had, you know, gotten all his education; he was walking back home and he was going to get a job and everything-and he went up to the old man and he said, "Do you know, I'm going to start life; I'm going to be doing all these things. Tell me, what is it like; what should I do?"

And the old man took that load and put it down-stood up straight. Then took the load back on his shoulders again, on his neck again and bent over and kept walking.

So, and here is a question for you. "All those things you do in your life, do you do it with a burden of all those things that are on top of your head, all those? That burden you begin with, early in the morning?"

You know the burden I'm talking about: "Oh my God, I've got to do this. Oh my God, I've got to do this-and I've got to do this and I've got to do this and I've got to do this and I've got to do this." And then, "I've got to do this too. And I've got to do this too, and this too and this too and this too. And I forgot about this and I've got to remember this and ah-dah-dah…."

So, you begin your day with a horrendous, horrendous deficit of clarity, with a horrendous deficit of understanding, of a horrendous deficit of just, lightness, just lightness, you know, when that huge weight is taken off and there is a lightness.

So, you're beginning your day; you're beginning everything-and then you go on all day long with that weight. And it pushes on you. It pushes on you and your vision, which should be like this, starts to get narrower and narrower and narrower and narrower-and why, because of fear. That's what fear does.

So now you're afraid of everything; you're afraid of your future. You are actually afraid of your future, even though the future hasn't come yet-because when the future comes, it comes as today. You have no idea what's going on in today. "Now" means nothing to you. Yesterday? A bunch of memories.

And if this is the condition you are in, (already starting with a huge deficit, under pressure), then I am sure that those memories that I'm talking about are not pleasant.

So, you've got a nice pickle going on-no idea about today, bad memories of yesterday-and then, everything is banking on tomorrow-and tomorrow is never coming. So, this is wonderful. This is like, the perfect little setup. Everything is banking on tomorrow and tomorrow is never coming; today is all you get. Today is how it's going to come.

Today, you have no idea what this is all about, what "now" is all about. And you've got some nasty little memories tucked away called, you know, "yesterday." "This happened; this happened; this happened; this happened" and it can't be good.

So, the only way you can get out of this is, shake it, shake it off! This is what I tell people; I say, "Just shake it off!" (It works, believe me; it works.) Just shake it off. Whatever the situation is, whatever this fear you've got, whatever this may-it may be very real. It may be all those things.

But you as a human being, you have to go on, regardless of what happens. And the only way you will be able to go on-is if you shake it off, start fresh, just like today did. Everything went dark, stayed dark, stayed dark-we call it "night." Then in the dawn, a beautiful light came-and slowly that light became brighter and brighter and brighter.

And it began in such a humble way spreading across the horizon. And slowly, as that light came and became brighter and brighter and brighter, the whole world began to stir around that light. The birds started to chirp.

And then finally, the sun, the bringer of that light broke the line of the horizon and rose-and filled the world around you with the most magnificent light. And now you could see, and now you could feel the warmth of that sun.

There is a sun waiting for you to acknowledge it, for you to understand it, for you to welcome it in your life, so it can bring you that warmth, so that it can bring you that light, that beauty-so you can see; you can see that those obstacles that you're so afraid of are not that big as you had made them out to be.

That there is a life, and this life can go on. That happiness, your heart will still desire it, regardless of your circumstances on the outside.

And people get just fast and furious with it, you know, it's like, "Oh my God, this is terrible; this is terrible in my life; this is terrible in my life; this is terrible in my life."

There are a lot of people, you know, it's like, "My family-I don't get along with my family." Well, welcome to the world of family. A lot of people-you would not be the first one that doesn't get along.

But you can make amends-and you can get along with your family. That's what's really nice about a family-nobody has to be your enemy. You can; you can talk to them; you can make amends. They can tell you what they don't like; you can tell them what you don't like; you can communicate.

You know, then there is this like, "Oh, my family is falling apart." The husband needs to be understood and so does the wife. The husband comes; he's been banging his head against the table all day long. It is not easy for him.

Nobody who has their job-I mean, okay, there are some people who love their job, fine. But they are an extreme minority, not majority.

So, a lot of people are there-there they are; they're in an office situation or whatever. They're working, working, working, working, working; they get a short break, a lunch break-and working, working, working, working; they come home-and here is the perfect storm.

So, you think this guy's job is hard? You think it's easy to stay home? It's not like that the wife is staying home…. (Or, and sometimes it's the husband), and the situation is crossed where the wife works and the husband stays home.

But he has to clean. He has to cook; he has to clean the laundry; he has to clean the house; he has to vacuum the house…. There is a lot to be done; the bills come; this happens; that happens. You think it's easy? To make a household livable? It is an extremely difficult task. And it takes a lot.

So you've got two people-so in that first example, the husband comes home; the wife's been brewing on this all day long, "Wait till he comes home. I'm going to let him have a piece of my mind"-or the other way around. Unfair. Unfair.

Both of you, both of you need a break. Both of you need to chill out. Both of you need to sit down, not talk about your problems, but talk about each other. "How was your day?" "Oh, it wasn't so good. Glad to be home though."

That's exactly what you have to work on. The real-home isn't a physical place. So, you know, when somebody says, "Okay, stay home and lockdown," home isn't a physical place; home is a place inside of you. That's your true home.

This is your true home; this is the one you take when you go traveling. And when you can be here, when you can be comfortable with yourself, then, yeah, then you're at home. Because there are people who are in that physical place but they don't feel like they're home. They don't feel like, good about being there.

So, this is something to think about, anyways. And the reason why I'm saying these things is, in a way, getting ready for the PEP. So I already mentioned what PEP is, how many people have already taken it.

Now, here is what the whole thing is about. It's really, really simple. When I look at the PEP, what astonishes me every time is how simple it is. Most trainings that I have gone to, most trainings that I have conducted have been very complex and very complicated.

One of the things about PEP is it is not complicated; it is very, very simple. It is the message, my message that I give. The only thing is, instead of just listening and maybe passing it through, you know, letting it come through one ear and passing it through the other, you have to pay attention.

Because then you write down what you got out of it-not your questions, but what you got out of it. And that paying the attention to that message makes all the difference in the world.

So, is it for everybody? No, you have to want to do this PEP Education, Peace Education Program. If you don't want to, that's fine. If you want to, that's fine. But it is a serious thing. It's not like…. And the reason why I say it's serious is because you can get so much out of it. Everybody has been getting so much out of it and I know you can get so much out of it.

There have been people who have actually been released from the prison whilst they were in the middle of the Peace Education Program; they have approached the warden and said, "Can I stay an extra few days so I can finish the Peace Education Program?" And it wasn't just one instance; it was many instances.

I mean, you have got the guerrillas from Colombia, to, you know, the Sri Lankan Tigers; everybody going, "If I knew this before, I would not be in the pickle that I am in today."

Very powerful program-but who makes it powerful? You make it powerful; your desire, your want is what's going to make it powerful. And it's very simple; you just listen-and then after that, whatever you have listened, you reflect on it. You will send that reflection to me-and I will, somebody will collate that, all those reflections and then I will go through a few.

And by sharing that, we are taking care of what usually…. In an environment of five, ten people, they would share what they got-but we will share it with many, many, many thousands more.

So, it's perfectly okay if you want to stand on the side and just watch what happens-or if you are willing to take a chance, take a chance and try the Peace Education Program.

It's fun. You know, and look, this is all about fun. Why should you be fulfilled in this life-so you can have fun. Why do you need clarity-so you can have fun. Why should you be away from sadness, so you can have fun.

We want-all of us, we want to have fun. And you know, trying to have fun in the middle of this coronavirus thing, it's not easy-but is it possible? And the answer to that is "Yes." Yes, it is possible. So, thank you very much, and I am looking forward to, soon, do the PEP with you.

Thank you; take care of yourself. Be safe; be well. And most importantly, be.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 38

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all doing well. I'd like to tell you a story today, and maybe some of the things that are happening in the world may be reflected in this story.

So, obviously, this story is from India and so, it wasn't uncommon for a teacher who would lecture whoever wanted to hear him. And his follower, his student, they would go from village to village, from city to city and set up a place where they would, yeah, at least, the teacher would talk about what he wanted to talk about and people would come and listen to him.

So, one day, as this tour was going on, as they were traveling from town to town, city to city, they came across this fairly large-sized city-and they were at the outer skirts of the city and the teacher said, "You know, I think, let's set up shop here and you go and check out what this city is like and let me know-and then I'll make up my mind whether I want to stay here or I want to move on."

So, the student was delighted and he went into the city. And to his great delight, everything cost the same. So he could get dinner-and the dinner cost the same as a banana or one grape-or a kilo or, you know, twenty pounds of grapes cost the same as one grape.

You could buy a car for the same price as one grape. You could buy a house for the price of one banana or grape-and everything costs the same, exactly the same.

So, the student, he just couldn't get back to his teacher fast enough and he said, "We have hit the motherlode. This is the place to be; this is the place to stay; this is just the most wonderful place-everything costs the same as like, one banana, one grape." And the teacher asked, "How much is that?" He said, "Just one cent. Everything just costs one cent."

And so the teacher was like, "Hey, let's get out of here. That we-this is not a good sign; this is not a good place to be." And the student said, "No, no, this is the perfect place. I have very little money and for this little money, I can live here for as long as I want; I mean, this is just incredible."

So, the teacher said, "Look. I've got to-I can't stay here; I've got to move on. But if you ever get into a situation that is difficult for you to get out of; you get in a pickle; you get into trouble, just remember me-and I'll come and try to save you."

So, the student was ecstatic; I mean, it's like, "Great." The teacher left; he moved onto the next town-and the student was there and he was just like, "This is the way to go."

Well, he'd been there for about four or five days-and one Sunday morning, the town was pretty deserted and he's walking down the street early in the morning-and as he's walking down the street, he's arrested. And he goes, "Why have I been arrested?" And so they started to explain to him why he had been arrested.

And they said, "Look, what happened was there was this man and he was taking his goats for grazing-and as he was taking them along the street, this balcony fell and killed one of the goats." And so the goat keeper wanted to make sure that he got compensated for it.

So, this went to the king-and the king immediately instructed the owner of the house, whose balcony had fallen down, to give him money and make amends with him. But the owner of the house said, "Sire, it's not my fault; I didn't build the balcony. I paid for it; it's my balcony, but I didn't build the balcony. It's obviously the fault of the guy who built the balcony."

So, the king said, "Call him!" The mason was called-and he said, "You-either you give…." And by this time the king is getting pretty upset; he says, "Either you give this guy the money or we're going to kill you."

And the guy says, "But I can't! I don't have that kind of money. But then again, it's not my fault that the balcony fell. It is the fault of the guy who put too much water in the cement-and-water mixture. When I was telling him to put water in there, he accidentally put too much water in." So the king said, "Okay, call him."

So, he was brought in and he, the guy says-the king says to him; he says, "Okay, you have to be killed." He says, "Why do I have to be killed?"

He says, "Well, you put too much water in the mixture, which then made the balcony weak. The balcony fell on the goat and it killed the goat. And so, somehow that, you know, this person has to be taken care of. So, you-we're going to punish you and we're going to kill you."

And the guy said, "Well, it's not my fault. It is the fault of the guy who sold me too big of a goat. And from the skin of that goat, I have had the musk made," (which is how they used to carry water-and it was made out of skin), and he said, "It was too big-and that's what happened. So it's not my fault." "So, yeah, call that guy who sold you the goat."

They called that guy who sold him the goat and he says, "Well, you know, you have to be killed." He says, "Why do I have to be killed?" "So, well, you gave, you sold him too big of a goat, which ended up making too much water in the mixture, which made the balcony weak and the balcony fell on this guy's goat and killed his goat, so we are, we're making him right."

He says, "Well, it's not my fault. It's the fault of your general. Because the guy, this guy had picked out the goat he wanted, which was the right size. And then all of a sudden, your general came on his horse-and all the goats just started going all over the place and I ended up picking the wrong one. So, you should go ahead and, you know, kill your general; hang him."

So they call the general; the king called the general and said, "Well, you have to be hung." He says, "Sire, well, but I haven't done anything wrong."

He says, "Yeah, you have. You were riding your horse that day and, you know, you got all the goats all confused. And this guy ended up picking the wrong goat, which made too big of a musk, which put too much water in the mixture, which made the balcony weak. The balcony fell on this guy's goat, killed the goat, and so we're making him right."

So, the general looked at the king and he says, "But sire, but I'm your general. You can't kill me." "So what should we do?" He says, "Well, go out in the morning, on Sunday morning, and whoever you find, the first person walking down the street, kill him." Well, it happened to be the student.

The student was brought before the king, of course, and this whole story was explained to him and then he realized what his teacher has been, had been telling him-he says, "This is not a good place." And that's, you know, hindsight's twenty-twenty. So he, of course, at that point, had complete clarity. Before that, he didn't.

So, he had remembered to remember his teacher-so he did. He said, "Please, please, please," he prayed to him; he said, "Please help me. I am in a pickle; I am in trouble." So, somehow, his teacher came. And his teacher looked at him-and he said, "Just follow my cue. Don't disagree with me; just follow my cue and watch what I do."

So, they're getting ready; they have the whole bench ready where they're going to hang him. The stage is all set. Everybody is there; lots of-a big crowd is there; the king is there. And they are almost ready to take the student up to hang him when the teacher, who's there, he says, "I want to be hung. Hang me! Not, don't hang him; hang me!" And the king hears this commotion-and he can't believe his ears. He goes, "Are you-are you sane? I mean, you want to be hung instead of him?"

And the teacher said, "Right now, the gates to heaven are completely open. All the gates going to heaven are open. It happens to be the most auspicious time-and so if you hang me, I'll go straight to heaven."

The king said, "Really?" And the teacher said, "Oh, absolutely." The king looked at the hangman and he said, "Hang me! I want to go to heaven." And the king was hanged.

So, the point of this story is that, you know, when we live in an environment where the people are trying to take something totally out of context…. And you look at the craziness of it, where all these people, all these ideas of "How this should happen; how that should happen…."

I mean, just, the United States is number one-and inching towards a million people. I mean, outpaced just about everybody. And you wonder, "What is happening?" You wonder what's going on.

But the most important thing is, for any changes to be brought, those changes will have to be from you-from each one of us, each one of us on the face of this earth. Many times when I talk, I talk about the value of each person. And a lot of people I know just look at me like, "What are you talking about, 'value of each person'?"

Well, now that we have this coronavirus, you know what the value of each person is. One person can contaminate so many; one person isn't so innocent anymore; one person isn't so frail anymore; one person isn't so weak anymore. One person has a lot to do.

Well, if it can be in a negative way, it can also be in a positive way-of what a person can do. That, one person bringing out their clarity, one person bringing out their understanding, one person wanting to be in peace can have a huge effect on a lot of people.

And each one of those people then wanting that, there really can be a difference. And maybe this is the time to really look at that-that, you know, "What kind of a world do we want," to reflect on that.

And this is kind of like, you know, a lead-up to the Peace Education Program-but the Peace Education Program, it really is about you; "You can make a difference. You can, at least, make a difference in your life; you can make a difference in your existence"-which, believe you me, it's going to make a difference in a lot of people's life, more than you ever realize.

And it begins with you-as simple and as profound as that may sound; it begins with you. You understanding, you going forward, you taking that step in your life, you taking responsibility for your peace, for your clarity, for your appreciation of life-for you to understand your existence, you taking that-and it's an adventure. It's an adventure-but it's an adventure to go within.

The least-explored space that there is, is not out there; it's in here. We don't really know who we are, what is our potential, what is our possibility-and it's such a shame.

Because most of us walk around being just, you know, knocked over by all the problems and the issues, and this is all we want to deal with. I mean, it's just, if it comes to politics, of course-politics, the talks about politics and it's just, you pick up a newspaper in the morning and it's like, "This is happening and that's happening and that's happening and that's happening."

And nothing good. All just, you know, "Okay, that thing took a turn for the worse; that person took a turn for the worse. That person is saying this stupid thing; that person is saying that stupid thing." And it's enough to just go, you know, it's like, "Why am I reading this? You know, what has this got to do with me?"

I live in this world. I need to be informed-I agree with all that. But at the same time, do I understand how it affects me? Should it be that I don't care-of what happens in my world? Or should I care what happens in my world-my world? But my world doesn't begin with the newspaper; my world begins with me!

If I care what happens in my world, it has to be my world, me, understanding who I am, living my life consciously, and having this heart full of gratitude. This is what it has to be-otherwise we're going to be in this world that we would have created, in which it's like, "Oh, yes!"

You know, and it's almost like that. You know, you can go all day long; you can go shopping and not have spent one cent, one dime, one dollar, one pound-and it's all done on a credit card. So it's like, all you have to do is just sign-and you can buy, (pretty much), whatever you want, what the credit card will approve.

We almost live in that society. We live in this kind of time. I mean, it's like, okay, so, you know, in the old days, you started off-and you started off with ten dollars or twenty dollars in your wallet. And this is what you were going to spend and no more.

That's-that's sanity; that's sane. So, you go out there-and when you run out of your ten dollars, you run out of your five dollars, you run out of your twenty dollars, you're done. You're done; no more spending.

Now, you have no idea what you're spending it on. And away you "sign off, sign off, sign off"-and then what happens when those bills arrive? They give you a heartache; they give you a headache; they give you an "everything-ache."

Why? Because you did not, in that one moment-you just said, "Okay, I think I'll cover it somehow." And you just "sign it away, sign it away, sign it away, sign it away."

So, the craziness goes on. You know, and here, we are being given an opportunity to think-if nothing else, to think, think deeply, think with a clear head, think without the pressure, think without all those obligations, just think very clearly: "How do you want to be?"

Yes, there are economic issues. Yes, "What is going to happen to this?" Yes, "What is going to happen to that?" We already saw what happened-you know, the government releases a whole bunch of funds-and who does it end up with? All those people who don't need it. And all those people who need it? Financial institutions already taking all that, "No, you don't get it."

But excuse me, is this what it's all about? Is the bottom line not people anymore? What happened? What happened? It is human beings who started that system. And all of a sudden, the system has gone beyond the realm of human beings-and it says "Human beings don't mean anything to me anymore?" How can that be?

This is truly a-every single evidence here, every single finger is pointing that human beings have lost themselves, that they have lost what that humanity means. Because if that humanity was there, nobody should have to wonder….

And well, just hunker down-and somehow, the food-there's just plenty of it, plenty of it. And there are people who are willing to deliver it, that the food will be delivered.

There are billions and billions and billions earmarked to blow people off planet Earth-well, can some of that money be spent to save the people on this planet Earth, not looking at the boundaries, but looking at all of us as we are?

Things to think about. I'm not going one way or the other way with it-but some things to think about. Because what benefits, ultimately, those other people will ultimately benefit us too. When everybody is taken care of, we will be taken care of. This is how it should be: "Human beings first." In our systems, in our institutions: "Human beings first."

But you know, like I have said to many, many people, it's just like, organizations recognize organizations. They work very well with organizations; they don't work very well with people. Organizations work well with organizations.

And so, you know, when you make an organization to help people, it becomes an organization just like every other organization and people are shoved aside. When you think about billions and billions and billions and trillions of dollars that are earmarked to help people on the face of this earth, you wonder where it disappears to.

So, it's very, very important that we at least, think, think about the world we want, think about our world starting, truly, from us.

So, be well; be safe. And most importantly, be. I'll talk to you later. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 39

Hello, everyone. I hope that you're all well-and taking it one step at a time, staying fluid. And basically, you know, the motto still is, "Don't give it to anyone and don't get it from anyone." And if you can do that, (figure out a way), then that's good.

So, today, what I want to talk about maybe is most appropriate, beginning with this story. But this is no ordinary story. And many of you might think this is not a story. Well, that's fine too.

But it is the impossible story; it is an impossible thing that has happened. And what is that? That is, defying all logic, and maybe even defying the laws of physics, something has happened; something has taken place.

And that is that the infinite, the most amazing, the endless, what cannot be created and what cannot be destroyed, has come and is residing inside of the very finite thing. So, the infinite has come to reside inside the finite. Wow. If that doesn't break every single rule, I don't know what does.

First of all, two things occupying the same space at the same time? Absolutely, absolutely. And then, the infinite that has no limit, that has no beginning and has no end, that was never created, will never be destroyed, that was, is and will be, is residing inside that that wasn't, is, and won't be. That's what's going on; that's the little story.

And that happened. And if you don't believe me that it happened, then look at yourself. You're the evidence that it happened, that it took place. And so far this breath comes into you, this is happening.

One day, it won't be like this. The two will separate. Infinite will be-and finite will drop out, go back to being the elements it came from-will not be able to talk, will not be able to love, will not be able to celebrate, will not be able to laugh, will not be able to be. Everything will stop.

So, this is what you could do-you could laugh; you could smile; you could be in peace; you could live your life consciously. You could know yourself. You could have a heart full of gratitude. You could have kindness; you could love; you could forgive; you could understand.

These are the things you can do. Each one of these, incredibly noble, incredibly noble, incredibly beautiful, not only enrichens your life but whoever you touch with this. This is the possibility that has come together in this little story, where the infinite-and the impossible finite, have come together, joined forces to make you. This is what's going on.

Now, I know you have your problems and sometimes you get buried in your problems; you have your issues; you have this; you have that; you know, you worry about things…. But please take a look at this possibility. Please take a look at what this is, the coming together of the two most impossible things, the infinite and the finite.

And while this happens, none lose their nature. The finite stays finite-and the infinite stays infinite. They don't lose their personalities; they don't lose who they are. They don't lose their meaningfulness; they stay intact-but they come together and they merge.

And one possibility that definitely opens up when this happens, when this takes place-and this possibility is that you can experience that infinite. What is that experience like-and obviously, this is a very inappropriate question-but what is that experience like? (And of course it's inappropriate but let's ask it anyways, right?)

And, of course, I'm not the first one saying this-but it is the experience of joy; it is the experience of bliss; it is the experience that is fulfilling; it is the experience, in fact, of peace. That's what it is about.

So, it really starts to now come down to, this impossible story has to be weaved-because this has happened, but now it has to be weaved. And it has to be weaved into something good-and that will be your story.

I'm not saying that people will remember that story-but you will. You will know that story. You know your story, up till now-whatever and however you have survived, however you have lived your life. What you worry about, what frightens you, you know those things. What wipes that smile off your face, what do you think about other people, what do you think about you, you know those things.

And how do you want the story to be woven? Do you want the story to be about joy; do you want the story to be about victory?

Or do you want the story to be about the lost war? Not the lost battle, lost war-the war against the darkness, the war against all those other things that distract me. You're fighting a war every day against those elements that distract you from what the possibility is.

And we sit here-and we try to legitimize those things. We try to legitimize our concern, our worrying, our sorrow, our pain, all those things. And for-I don't know for how long we have been doing it.

And, you know, people always say, "Well, let's be practical." Well, let's be practical. Would you use your car as a shovel? No, a car would make a terrible shovel. A car is meant to be a car, a thing that can transport you from point A to point B. That's what it was constructed for. That's what it was made for.

If you try to use an airplane as a car, it would make a terrible car-it does. It's awkward. A lot of airplanes, and you know, the tricycle configuration-ridiculously hard to taxi. And huge wings-you would be always clipping something. Visibility isn't all that great. And the engine, very unresponsive because, you know, it has to produce thrust, and that's the only way it's going to go forward.

But as a plane…? A car cannot be a plane-and a plane cannot be a car. (Even though they try to, you know-these days they make these airplanes that can kind of function), but they're awkward; they still are awkward.

So, what do you want this story to be? You have to give it some thought-"What do you want this story to be? What do you want the possibility to be? Do you want appreciation in your life? Do you want joy in your life; do you want peace in your life; do you want understanding in your life? Do you want these rich elements in your life that truly make anyone's life a pleasure, a joy?"

Or do you want all the things that you worry about every day-not that it does anything-but of course, you sit there and worry.

Because in this physical world that you live in, your actions count. And that's the only thing that-and not what you sit there and think. That doesn't count.

I mean, if you're driving a car and all of a sudden you slam into the back of somebody-and the police officer asks you, "What happened?" And you say, "Well, I thought about braking"-it doesn't count. "You thought about braking," that doesn't count-"Did you brake or not?" That counts. And if you didn't, then, of course, you're at fault.

So the question isn't what you're thinking; the question is, "What are you going to do about it? What are the things that are available to you-that you know, that you can count on, that you know will work?"

You know, and when I say this-look, Socrates said it such a long time ago: "Know thyself." It wasn't in the context of, "Yeah, you know you may as well get to know yourself-you're trying to know everybody else."

No, it was in the context of, "It's very, very important that you know yourself. That in fact, that's a big piece of the puzzle and if you don't know yourself, you're missing the picture."

So, today, the story we have weaved, in our story, we know everybody else; we know this person; we know that person-but when it comes to us, we don't know. We don't know. We don't know who we are. We don't know what this possibility is.

And looking at it from-it has always helped me-looking at it from the perspective of, "Wow, there's the infinite inside of me. And here is the finite. And I have the possibility that I can relate to that infinite inside of me."

Now, "infinite" is a huge word. And so what is infinite? Well, "Felt-but not defined. Something I can feel. And something that brings me a happiness that's so different than happiness that I experience in this world."

Of course, you know, I'm happy to see my puppies. I'm happy to see my children; I am happy to see my grandchildren; I'm happy to see my family. I have, you know-but there's another happiness, another kind of happiness-knowing me, knowing and feeling that infinite that is inside of me.

That's the possibility. And whatever story I have weaved up till this point in my life-and sometimes I feel like my life has just gone by like in a flash. I mean, I remember very clearly, (and uh-huh)-I am one of those people who has been photographed very well over the period of years, and so I've got a lot of pictures of me, and throughout all the periods of my life.

And I-there's one picture of me where I'm a little baby and I remember that picture being taken. And, you know, here I am. And what is this all about?

And I'm so grateful that I have that contact, to be able to reach in and experience that infinite. That was the big game-changer for me-to understand the beauty of everything, "That, wow, part of all that that is so wonderful, that is so incredible has also touched me."

And that's what counts. You know, it's not like I don't have problems; it's not like nasty things don't happen to me; of course they do. But the good things are always happening too.

And which one do I want to latch onto in my life? This is a decision I have to make every single day. "What do I want to latch onto; what is important to me?" And that's what this story is all about-and it has to be. And that's what your story should be. Not the other one.

Because all those things that you think count in your story-you know, you have accomplished this and you have accomplished this and you have accomplished this-it doesn't, it doesn't count. It doesn't count.

But what counts is that joy that you carry in your heart, that appreciation that you carry in your heart, that clarity that you carry in your heart, that peace that you carry with you wherever you go. That's what counts; that's what's important.

You know, I mean, looking at this thing…. So, today, this morning, I was just gathering some numbers. The world has-the coronavirus cases are well in the 3 million, ninety-nine thousand three hundred and ninety-five. The deaths around the world, two hundred and thirteen thousand, six hundred and twenty-one-and they're going up all the time.

"People recovered" is nearing almost a million-nine hundred and forty-three thousand, nine hundred and forty recovered. The U.S.A. alone is over a million people-yeah, a million, one million, sixteen thousand six hundred and ninety-two total cases. Total deaths, 57,132. And totally recovered, U.S.A., 39,834-of course, these figures are changing.

But then there was the Spanish flu. I looked up Wikipedia and-"The Spanish flu, also known as the 1918 flu pandemic"-this was a very deadly virus; it killed a lot of people. So, estimated that it killed "anywhere from 17 to 50 million" people, "and . . . as high as 100 million, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in human history."

And India was hit very, very hard with it-in fact, in India, it was "12-17 million people," they figure, alone, that died. There wasn't any wood to cremate people in India. And in fact, it was one of the things that-the whole thing was mishandled by the then, colonial rule-that gave, you know, the impetus to a lot of people to get independence.

So, you know, these things-it's not like this hasn't happened before; it has actually happened, but in much worse of an environment-much, much worse. I am just shocked at some of the countries who are not taking any action. And this is what happened back then.

So, again, and the main-but the main point of all of this is, "Please, stay sane; stay healthy; be well-and be."

This is your life, your existence. You need to be in joy because that is still a possibility. That marriage, that coming together of the infinite and the finite is taking place still in your life, whatever the outside circumstances-maybe they're not pleasant. But there is something very pleasant inside of you. Focus on that; focus on the good. This is the time to focus on the good.

So, thank you very much-and I'll talk to you later.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 40

Hello, everyone; I hope you're all doing well. Very quickly approaching towards getting the Peace Education Program prepared, so we can go through it-and there are ten different chapters in the Peace Education Program and, of course, the first one is "Peace."

I think I've talked a lot about peace, but still, the understanding-because we live in a world that has defined so many things for us. And we take those definitions and we apply it to everything.

So, what does it mean when you see somebody on the street that is not from a certain place or a certain country? So, again, there are definitions that come in; there are ideas that come in; there are concepts that kick in. And you, when you look at that person, all those things are afoot; they are playing.

So, the same thing happens when it comes to "what is peace," what is "infinite," what is "clarity." Any one of these things actually triggers a whole plethora of ideas of what one is talking about.

But the peace that I'm talking about is not the peace that is created-or that is a consequence of something. (So, if two people have been fighting and all of a sudden they call it quits, you could say, "Well, they're in peace now; they're, 'cease-fire.'") That's not the peace I'm talking about.

So then, you know, you go to a nice place; it's wonderful, and a nice lake and the forest-and people go, and people go camping and so on and so forth, to these wonderful places.

And I know a lot of people step out and the first thing they say is, "Oh, how peaceful it is." But that's just absence of noise, the absence of all the noise that you heard when you were in the city. So, that's not the peace, what I'm talking about. So, what is that peace that I'm talking about?

Well, in you, you know, obviously, you know what your turmoil looks like-it's not fun. And you have been rattled by that turmoil at times. It has been severe.

I see it when things don't go your way-and you are tired, or you're, you know, something is already amiss-and then on top of that comes some kind of a bad news. And the feeling is, "Oh my God, this is too much to take, too much to handle, too much to have"-and off you go. Fair enough.

But then there is an opposite of that inside of you, something that is capable of looking at this whole world and its workings and everything else from a very disconnected way-and being able to observe it for what it is-not how it should be, but what it is.

Things happen-neither good nor bad. It's not a detached judgment. But it is just simply far enough away to see your existence, you being in this life, you being in this world, just the way it is-neither good nor bad.

Somebody actually wrote this to me; it's like, you know, "How come nature is so cruel? Today I saved, you know, some kind of a bug from the clutches of a spider-because of, you know, they were caught in a spider's nest." And I started thinking about that.

"And is it?" It is. It is. And I don't have to sit there and pass a judgment on it. It is what it is.

Bugs eat bugs; fish eat fish; animals eat animals. It happens. Is that good? Well, why do I have to bring my hat of "good" and "bad" to every party that I go to? Why is everything divided into that "good and bad"?

Because this is how I've been trained: "Either the things are good-or bad"-but I have lost the ability to admire something for what it is worth-for what it is. To look at the moon and admire it for what it is. Not what it isn't. Not what it could be. Not how it could have been-but just as it is. This is-not everybody has this ability.

To look at rain…. And we don't like rain; most of us don't like rain. We think that's, you know, a real bummer; "It's ruined your day," and da-da-da-da, da. But just to look at the rain for what it is.

It's a natural process; it has been happening on this planet Earth for a really long time. And thank God that it happens-and otherwise the distribution of that freshwater would not happen the way it should happen. To admire something the way it is.

Well, okay, so we have talked about, you know, fish and we've talked about animals and we've talked about spiderwebs.

But what happens when that "to just see something the way it is" comes to you? And you start to see, without judgment, a reality, a very simple reality? A reality that is about you, that, something that touches your heart, something that makes you feel fulfilled-makes you feel like, "Yes," that gratitude is touched, the thankfulness is touched.

That no more do you flounder between the answers and the questions-but you understand the answer, even if there isn't a question. That peace becomes, for you, a journey inside to that beautiful place where you are in that presence of the complete, of the whole, of the infinite.

That from thereon, it isn't "more" or "less"-but all that goes away. "Right and wrong," all that goes away-and it's not about time and it's not about your agendas and it's not about your definitions and it's not about that printer you carry here-but it is that you witness what is the true, beautiful reality.

Peace, then, is that one feeling which is not objective; it is subjective for every single person. It is what they feel. And when there is no need to want to describe it, when there is no need to say, "Hey, come here and look at this…."  It is beyond that threshold-that it is. And you accept.

You accept because it's so beautiful. You accept because it's within you. You accept because it is you. You accept because it is a gift that you have received. And no more dualities.

So, peace is that place, not full of definitions, but full of feeling. And that's what you have to understand about peace.

And of course, you know, this is discussed more in the Peace Education Program, but this time, it's not about words but you're going to have to pay attention. And that, that's the big difference. That's really the big difference. And all of this for appreciation, to be able to appreciate what it means that you're alive, that you have this life.

You know, we don't even understand what to appreciate. We think we should appreciate our dog; we should appreciate our cat; we should appreciate our donkey; we should appreciate…. (I'm not saying you shouldn't; of course you should.)

But in life, there are some deeper things that are inside of you that you should also appreciate. So, appreciate this breath that comes into you. Appreciate this existence that you have. Appreciate every day that you're alive.

Now, these may sound really, really simple things to you-but I tell you one thing; it's a real challenge to do so. It is a real challenge because our training is not for that. Our training is to appreciate, "Look outside."

From the very young age that we were babies, when the mother wanted to distract us because we were crying or something like that, a toy, something that made noise, or something-and it's like, "Lookey-lookey, look at this! Look at this! (Forget about what you're feeling; look at this.) Look at this. This is more important."

Has it stopped since then? Now we're not babies anymore, perhaps. We are adults; we do things-but, has that stopped? No, again-now it's not the mother bringing these things to us. But now we bring these things to us: distractions-from? Appreciation of what is.

This life is. And it is the most magnificent gift that you will ever have. Every breath is priceless. Every moment, every day, every today that you receive is priceless-and its value and its importance to you, now….

And as I explained, what is that "now"-now is where your actions are going to take place, which will then have consequences for you, either good consequences or bad consequences. This is what's going on. And if you have no appreciation for that, then you're missing out on a whole part of your existence-that you're just not even paying attention to it, because there is no appreciation of that.

So, appreciation, as simple as it sounds, it's not quite like drinking a milkshake-because you have to see those things. And those things are so hidden from us-not because they are-but we have hidden them from us because we have brought in other things that we are so used to looking at.

And now it's a question of refocusing and finding those things that we can truly appreciate in our lives, that mean something to us from within-not from a trained idea, not from a trained definition, not from a trained, you know, (again and again and again), "This is how you should be; this is how you should be…."

Not appreciation of that-but appreciation of those things that are simple, that are profound, and that are so yours that they're amazing.

So, anyways-and then, of course, we'll be talking about "inner strength"-and the inner strength, you know, the thing is, well, the only kind of strength we know is either the strength of thought-or muscles. And so it's like, "Yeah, that's, that's what I"-and people want to be powerful. And how do they want to be powerful? Power. "Power, power, power," and the world's gone crazy over power.

And so people think, "If you have money, you have power. If you have big muscles, you have power. If you have a big brain, you have power."

But what is your inner strength? Inner strength cannot be measured by muscles; it cannot be measured by thought. It cannot be measured by these things-but the inner strength is your strength of your clarity, of your understanding, of your feeling, of your joy, of you! Your strength, your true, true, true, true strength.

The strength that can take you forward, the strength and the courage that you need in your life to move forward when everything tells you, "No. No, it's over." You know, because the world will-will, and yeah, the world's very well defined when it comes to that: "You have done this-it's over."

But it takes an incredible amount of inner strength to say, "No, I'm going forward. I'm going to move forward regardless of all this that is coming my way to stop me."

So, these are the things that are going to be talked about. "Self-awareness," knowing who you are, becoming aware that you are not just this bubbling pot of ideas and thoughts in your head. But there is a lot more going on; you have a heart; you have feelings; you have understandings; you have thirsts; you have your needs that need to be fulfilled. And it really comes down to knowing yourself.

Other things that are going to be talked about are "clarity, understanding, dignity, choice, hope and contentment." And, you know, and briefly about hope-yeah, and but I'm not talking about the hope of "keep your fingers crossed," you know, "let's hope everything goes our way."

That's not hope. That's just "wishful thinking." That's like, you know, you buy a lottery ticket and then you sit there and you go, "I hope that lottery ticket comes; I hope that lottery ticket comes; I hope that lottery ticket comes." That's not the hope that I am talking about.

The hope that I am talking about is that those basic things that you need in your life, (which, of course, you need the recognition of), to have those things fulfilled. To have the hope to go forward. When everything isn't clear, when everything is a little bit foggy, when everything isn't there, something to come along and say, "Continue, continue-and you will feel your way to that reality."

So, I mean, anyways, I could talk about this more, but let's wait for the Peace Education Program. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. And that's coming closer and closer.

And I hope you continue to enjoy. And then, you know, of course, I've got to get ready for the PEP-so I just want to remind you again. And we have prepared some nice clips that'll be shown every day, so something will be shown every day up to the point that PEP comes back and I will return with PEP.

So, it's really a wonderful…. I, I don't know; for me, it's like, it's a little bit tiring, (actually, quite a bit tiring), but it's exciting; it's fun to be able to talk about this, to be able to just talk to you about these beautiful things that I always go and talk about.

But in these circumstances, we can go beyond these circumstances; we can go beyond the ugliness of coronavirus; we can go beyond the ugliness of these things and come to a beautiful place, which is really within us. You know, so, your journey goes all the way and then it comes back to you. And how beautiful it is that it comes back, comes back to you.

So, take care; be well; be safe-and most importantly, be. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 41

Hello, everyone; I hope you're all doing well. So, we already have gone through and done forty broadcasts-and I just want to take a little bit of time and try to explain to you what I'm planning on. Of course, you know, being, whatever the situation is, we have to be pretty fluid, whatever happens.

But the whole idea is this; that we're developing the Peace Education Program. Now, at the onset of these broadcasts, I had mentioned that that would be a really great thing to do-which I still believe that would be a really wonderful thing to do.

And so we're pulling together different materials to make this happen. And the reason for that is that it hasn't really happened this way. And so, the way I'm planning on, (and it could change at any time, so don't hold me to it), is basically, you will see-one day you will see the PEP.

And it's not all day long or anything like that; it's roughly half an hour, a little over, (it could be if my introduction gets in there)-and then there will be at least a couple of days for you to be able to write to us, the learnings that you have had. So, particularly paying attention to what the PEP would be, each one of the segments.

And then I will take all those and will select the pertinent ones-and I'm sure we're going to get a few that are not quite, you know, the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, type of situation, but just to be able to take the ones that will help everybody go forward.

And I'll read those-and we will discuss that, (or I'll discuss that). And then we will go on to the next episode of the Peace Education Program. So, this is the way it will keep happening-and we may increase the time in between; we may decrease the time in between, one way or the other way.

The broadcasts have served, I think, a wonderful purpose. Also, one of the other things that I am thinking about is to do events. Now, what kind of events? Well, under these circumstances, they would be "virtual events."

And these virtual events would take place, of course, wherever I am in the lockdown; that's where these events will happen from. And they will be made available to you to watch. They will, of course, be longer than the ones that, the broadcasts that you have been watching.

So, this is kind of the plan that I am working with or proceeding towards. There's also wonderful stuff out there-one of the ones is the new podcasts that have come out, called the "Life's Essentials" podcasts. They are available through Apple Podcast or through Spotify-and they're really good-and you may want to go and check them out.

So, in between, we are also going to have quite a few videos that we will be showing. So, all this isn't just going to go dark by any, yeah, stretch of the imagination; there'll be a lot of material that'll be pushed out. I mean, believe me, one thing we do have is a lot, and a lot, a lot of material.

Then, of course, I have been doing this parallel thing, which is the Hindi broadcast-for all the Hindi-speaking people around the world. And of course, they had that question, too, "Whether you're going to do PEP in Hindi?"

So then I found out that the PEP that we have currently, it's mostly the ones that are in English-but then they're translated and so on. So what I want to do is kind of, do something a little fresher for them.

We don't have the means-I don't have the means to create and edit all of the new PEP-but I can do whatever I can do. I do have the list of all the items that are in the PEP, so there's "Peace, appreciation, inner strength, self-awareness, clarity, understanding, dignity, choice, hope and contentment." These are the topics that are discussed in PEP.

So I can try to create something in Hindi-well, I'll have to see. The Hindi ones, they are on the thirty-seventh broadcast, so a few more to go for them-and then that'll give me enough time to then work on the Peace Education Program and get the Peace Education Program done.

Like I have said many times before, look-and this is true for everything in this universe-you're only going to get what you put into it. You know, what you don't put into it, you know, if-there are a lot of people who might be shy, who might be like, "I don't know what this is." It's all good stuff. It's all things to help you think, think about a whole different way of what it is to be human.

I mean, a viewpoint, a perspective being provided to you that is other than, "Do this, this, this, this, and this," all these formulas that have existed for years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years-(and add a few more), on the face of this earth-and have really done nobody any good.

And so, you know, the calamities keep happening. You know, there were kings that-a long, long time ago, there were kings that would be really mean, who were not good, who were not generous, who were not fair to the people-and then the revolts happened and they were thrown out; they were kicked out.

So, all of this drama that you and we all are, you know-the plagues have happened before…. Plagues happen in Africa; virtually every year, these locusts come and wipe out everything and people have to go hungry.

And so many diseases, somewhere this disease is rising; somewhere that disease is rising; we've already been through MERS and SARS and bird flu and Ebola and all of these, you know-and so, here comes coronavirus and, you know, we're like, "Aaaah."

Of course, we should be very concerned-and we should take all the precautions that are necessary, but at the same time, we need to use our intelligence and experience and courage. You know, not go around spreading bad rumors, false stories-and work together for a better conclusion to this, collectively around the world. But of course, that's too much to ask.

You know, it's like, "No-no-no, we don't want any help. We don't want this; we don't want that; we don't…." But it would have been wonderful to see cooperation by the world leaders-and some sanity by the world leaders, looking at those leaders who have been successful and in ways, emulating them. But, you know, of course, that's too much to ask. So, eh, because, and that can go on and on and on.

But to me, the whole idea is to just provide another perspective, a reality that deals with you. You know, instead of everything else that you can do, that deals with you. That's what the Peace Education Program is. These are the things, how you can achieve the peace, the appreciation, the appreciation for your life, the inner strength that you have.

These are things that are not created; you don't have to go out and try to create them. These are the things that already exist inside of you. And all you are doing is allowing them to come out, to manifest.

You know, you know of your anger-but did you know that you also have clarity inside of you, that you have appreciation inside of you-and these things can actually make your life incredibly beautiful if they're applied in the right way. And that's what they're there for. Everybody is born with them.

I mean, yes, we are born with our anger; we are born with our fear; we are born with all of this stuff. But we're also born with a tremendous amount of beauty-and that's what peace is. That's what appreciation is. And appreciation just takes that little bit of an eye-and says, "Look, there is other stuff you can appreciate; there's so much more that you can appreciate."

And then, the inner strength. The strength that you have-which will come in handy. When the world defeats you, what are you going to do? You know, and a lot of people sit there and feel devastated. But you don't have to feel devastated. You can move; you can march; you can go forward. That's what Peace Education is all about.

Self-awareness, being aware of who you are, what you are, what your positives are-this is so important in this life. And in everyday navigation, you need to know exactly where you are on that map-and in the map of life, being aware of yourself, which is incredibly, incredibly important.

Clarity, the power of clarity, to be able to see. Because when problems come, I can assure you, everybody, everybody, when they are inundated with the problems, everything goes foggy. It's not clear; it goes foggy.

In that moment, you have to have something that pierces that fog, and that's called "your clarity." This is what you need. You know, when…. And, for instance, I say this many times. When you turn on a light in a dark room, you don't create the objects that are in that room. You simply illuminate those objects that are in that room.

So, if you want to go from one end to the other end of the room-and maybe there are obstacles. You couldn't see those obstacles-and when it was dark, you, maybe you were tripping on those obstacles, getting hurt.

But if you turn on the light, now you can see those obstacles-and how does that help you? Now you can circumnavigate them; you can go around them and go to where you are going. That's so important in life. That's what that clarity is.

To have the understanding. Understanding, of course, the importance of every moment-but understanding "What's going on in this situation; what is really happening?" To have a view-but literally, to have a bird's-eye view of the situation.

It's like an understanding, to literally have a view that you are not caught emotionally in, but you can look at it-and say, "Ah, there is a problem; there is a problem; there is a problem."

You know, somebody, maybe, has a car and it's not running well. So, somebody can say, "Let's change the paint job." But if you have any understanding of that car, you'll say, "Well, the paint job isn't the problem."

You know, whatever the problem is, if the engine isn't starting, then there are certain things you can look to, why the engine isn't working. Maybe you're out of fuel; maybe the spark plugs are gone. If the vehicle isn't-when it's driving, it's not driving properly, maybe one of the tires is busted. Maybe the driveshaft fell off. These things can happen.

But it takes some kind of understanding. Same thing in life. It takes some kind of an understanding to say, "Look, I need to go forward, not be stuck in this place. I'm wasting my time being stuck."

So, understanding can be incredibly simple-but so profound. Even that little bit of understanding, "I don't want to be stuck; I want to go forward; I want to make the most of my life." So, that's your understanding.

Dignity! I mean, my God, the world works so hard to take a person's dignity away. You realize what I'm talking about here, the dignity that is so important, that every human being has that dignity in their life.

You-if you are just a normal, common human being, you are nobody. "Get in the line. Get in the back of the line." You're going to go-you're going to get no exceptions. You-if you are a normal human being, you will get no exceptions. Nothing. Nothing! A VIP, "Oh, yeah, cut in this line; do this; do this; do this; do this."

You know, dignity-people try to take your dignity away. But you have to hang onto your own dignity-to whatever you do in this world, that you do it from that place, not of…. I'm not talking about an egomaniac; I'm talking about dignity, that strength, that clarity, knowing-that, with that smile, knowing: "It's okay." That dignity.

The choice! The most important thing: choice. This is what makes everything valid in this crazy world; you have a choice. You always have a choice. This is your way out. This is how you can do what needs to get done, because you have a choice. You don't have to be the victim every single time. You have a choice-you can be making that choice in your life.

Hope. Not "hope" of the drama of the printer that keeps printing these pictures every fifteen minutes and saying "This is what you want; this is what you want; this is what you want."

But hope-"That, yes, things will get better; things will improve; that I can go forward." Hope that is actually built on a very solid foundation, not on a lot of beliefs-but is actually built on very, very solid foundations.

And then, contentment. Contentment, to be content inside, from inside. Instead of just constantly going, "I need this; I need this; I need this; I need this," no, understand your needs. Because you've got your needs so confused with your wants.

So many people in this world will never feel contentment in their life because they have got their wants and their needs all mixed up. You will be content if you understood what your needs are. And if your needs are taken care of, you will be content.

So, these are the topics of the Peace Education Program-and I look forward to joining you again with the Peace Education Program. If, in the meantime, I get some idea or some thought and I want to share with you, of course, I'm going to produce a broadcast and let you know what that is.

So, if you want to check out the "Life's Essentials" podcasts through Apple Podcasts or Spotify, they are available. And till then, keep enjoying; keep watching. There's so much to watch, just from these series alone-so many of them have been done. So, enjoy those-and all the new videos that'll be put up, enjoy those.

And till PEP is ready-I will see you then. Take care; be safe; be well. And most importantly, be-and enjoy yourself. Thank you.


Lockdown Broadcast Day 50

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all doing well-and prospering somehow, even in these quite difficult circumstances of coronavirus, and a lot of this craziness going on here and there….

But I just want to take this time and tell you what I have been doing. First, I was quite tired, so I needed to take a little time off-which I did-and that felt really good. And the second is, as you may be able to see, I have changed the whole setup-so that took a few days to change everything around.

And most importantly, I've been working on, you know, like I had said, PEP. And it's going through some transformations and we'll see where it all ends up, but I'm excited about it and I'm looking forward to it.

So, you know, while I'm at it, I may as well say a few things that might help you. And one thing that did come to mind is, it's very interesting. You could, you know, not have had water for two days, three days, but just a little bit of water can quench your thirst. You could be hungry for quite a few days, and a little bit of food could satisfy your hunger.

The good in you, it's not an issue of quantity; it is whether you are in touch with that goodness that is inside of you or not. If you are, that's what it takes.

So, yes, you know, it's easy enough to look at all the confusing things that are going on in this world-and people are very confused. Some people don't see life as priority; they see economics as priority-and, you know, that's, of course, up to them, how they want to look at it. And they're probably thinking that even if we were to live, and we had nothing to eat, what would it be like?

So, certainly, one thing that is true-that this is a time of uncertainty. And in this uncertainty, the best thing you can do is just become fluid. So, go with it; go with the flow.

It's like, if you are swimming in the ocean and you get caught in the rip current, don't fight it. Just let it take you out-and then you can come around. And it's the same thing. In this time of uncertainty, there are a lot of ideas going on; there's a lot of fake news going around; there is a lot of "This will do it; this will do it; this will do it."

And most importantly, this incredible desire, I think, of so many people-that everything will go back to being where it was. Because for some reason, "everything was fine." Well, if everything was fine, how did we end up in this pickle?

So, really, this is an opportunity to go beyond just "everything is fine," and get to a point which is truly looking at a perspective that will benefit the whole humanity.

Right now, one thing that I see that is really, really important-is that we need to break down these virtual walls that we have created, and we need to look at the whole world as one unit, as one entity.

We need to look at all the human beings that are on the face of this earth, truly, as our family-and to recognize that every single human being has something to contribute positively to this world.

Now, there are some people who definitely are not like that. To them, it's like, you know, "More, more, more. Give me more; give me more." But there is a lot of good.

And this is what I was talking about-it is not the quantity…. A lot of people think, "Well, you know, it's like, scales and you have to have enough of it." No. You don't have to have more clarity than the total sum of confusion that you have-you don't.

All you have to have is enough clarity so that you can see clearly regardless of the amount of confusion that you have. It has nothing to do with quantity. It has to do with simply it being there.

Because, it's not like if you have a huge room, you know, that's maybe-and the room is 500 feet by 500 foot room, that you need a huge flashlight to light it up. No, you don't. You can still have a very small flashlight-and that flashlight can definitely illuminate a small room, and it can also help illuminate a large room.

And the same way, in our lives, it's not that-a lot of people get into it, it's like, "Oh, yes, I have to have this thing, you know, and it has to be this way and it has to be that way." Maybe in the outside world, this is true-but on the inside world, it's a matter of just having that focus, having that clarity, having that understanding, having that thirst in your life to go forward.

You know, and we are not always in touch with the thirst that we have. We need to be in touch with that thirst that we have-that at the base of it, the basics of it, it really has a lot to do with what my, or our, fundamental needs are. Because if we don't take care of those fundamental needs, that the whole equation isn't going to work.

You know, it's, so, okay, an analogy: you packed a wonderful picnic-you wanted to go for a picnic and, you know, that sounds like a great idea, so you pack a wonderful picnic. You go out-and you find the most wonderful spot-and I mean, it's just incredible.

And you have quite a spread and wonderful sandwiches, snacks, this, that-and of course, you have wonderful drinks. But you forgot the bottle opener. And now, all those drinks that you brought that are just wonderful, you have no access to them.

So, one thing, which is a bottle opener, has so much to do with giving you access to that liquid that you would so thoroughly enjoy, even though you would never eat or drink the bottle opener-ever-but it gives you access to that.

Your heart, your understanding is like that. Understanding, understanding, understanding, understanding-moving forward, moving forward, moving forward, moving forward.

You know, it's like a stepladder. "Okay, I've taken that step; I've taken the next step; I've taken that step; I've taken that step"-and next thing you know, you're gaining height and you are getting closer and closer to that, whatever it is that you want to reach. That's what it takes. That's what it takes.

In our lives, life is simple; we are simple. We have become very, very good at thinking. There are two parts to us. One part is the thinker, very good at thinking. We have honed that skill for many, many, many, many, many a generation, books we have written, and we have inspired other people to think.

Then there is another part. And it's just as important, if not more important-because we are human beings. What is that other part of us? And that part of us is the part that feels. We need to feel-this is a human trait.

We can think-but that's it. Unless we take those thoughts and convert it into action, it doesn't make any sense. You know, you could be thinking whatever you're thinking-but it's not going to do anything.

If there's a glass of water sitting in front of you and you're thirsty-and you're going, (in your thoughts), "It would be really great if I could have that glass of water; it would be really wonderful if I could have that glass of water," but you haven't taken your hand and reached for that glass and have that drink, your thirst isn't going to be quenched.

Not with thought, you can't do it-and people try to do it, where it's like, "Oh, think this," and "Think positive" and "Think this" and "Think that." Well, you know, whatever it's worth, thinking positive isn't bad-but sooner or later, you have to come across the positive in your life to really feel the positive.

And the beautiful thing is that that positive that you need to feel is actually inside of you. It's all there-the peace that you need to feel is inside of you. The appreciation that you need to feel is inside of you. The understanding that you need to feel is inside of you-and we're talking about "feel" now, see, not "think."

And here is the crux of what I talk about. A lot of people will come and they will get you to think-well, me too. But at the end of that thinking, I want you to think, think, and think-and maybe I'll inspire you to think a certain way. And that way is that "Goodness, I also need to feel." And that you would possibly take some actions that will lead you to that feeling.

This is what it is all about, that you need to feel the peace, not just talk about the peace, not have a list that says, "I have accomplished this; I have accomplished this; I have accomplished this, so I must be in peace." No. You have to feel the peace.

You have to feel love. You cannot just say, "Okay, I've done this; I have done this; I have done this; I have done this."

You know, there are a lot of people and they wonder why they're not successful in relationships. Well, the reason why they're not successful in relationships is because they think their relationship, instead of feeling the love in that relationship. If you don't have that love, it's going to stop-everything is going to stop. You can't think it, you know? It doesn't work that way.

Right now, there are people, you know, who are in lockdown-and, you know, for some people, the situation is quite difficult-because they are with people that really don't get along together very well. Well, this is not about thinking; it's about feeling. And you have to let go for that understanding to develop to say, "Okay, I really love this person."

And look at the good! Look at the good that is in your relationship-not the bad that's in your relationship, but the good that is in your relationship, the good that is in you. And it's not the amount of quantity.

Then, people want the quantity; they want "equal measure of this, equal measure of that…." This is all fine in your thinking, but in reality, that's never going to be that way. It's never going to be that way.

You'd think that there are these people who have billions and billions and billions and billions of dollars-I mean, there are people in this world who can't even imagine having that much money.

And you think that these people are happy, now that they have this much money? No, they work every day; they want more; they want more; they want more; they want more; they want more. This is the nature of that: "I want more. I want more." And this is in the thinking.

In the feeling, it is quite the reverse. In the feeling: "I feel. I feel love. I feel-I feel happy. I feel content.” And it's not a question of "more." It's, "I'm fine." It doesn't even go there, you know; it doesn't even go to "more or less." It never does. You feel content, you feel content. And it isn't like, "More…."

You are in love, you are in love-and it's like, "I can't"-it's, you don't talk about "more, I want to be more in love." No, you are in love, you are in love.

And this is the way it has to be-because it is that way-and it is beautiful that it is that way. These are the traits of what you can feel in your life.

So, you know, thinking is good-but so is feeling. And you cannot just have one in your life, one thing-it's, that would be like, you know, having your one eye closed all the time; that would be like not using one ear all the time; that's like not using half of your mouth all the time.

You know, that's not like breathing with both nostrils all the time. It's like only walking with one leg, and not with the other leg, you know-if you had both legs working, of course.

So it's, you know, yes, you have two legs but it's not like one is spare; you need those two legs. You have two arms; you need those two arms. You have two eyes and you need the two eyes to give you the perception, the depth perception. You have two ears; you need those to give you the sense of the hearing, the direction that you need.

And this, in your life, translates into a very beautiful thing-and that thing really happens to be that you need to feel-not only think, but you need to feel. To feel the joy in your life, that one thing that it isn't a question of "more"; it is "I feel it. I feel it."

You know, when-and I see this many times going through airports. And you see people standing and they're waiting for their loved ones to come from the airplane to, you know, walk down the aisle-way. And they're waiting for them there.

And when they see that face of that loved one that they have been waiting for-and you know, sometimes these stories are, of course, dramatically touching. Because they've been waiting and waiting and waiting, you know, maybe for years to see this person, and finally, they see that person.

And when they see that person, it isn't like, "Oh, wait, wait, I'm going to wait-because I want more of this person." No, that immediately their smile opens up; their eyes are laughing; their body is saying it and sometimes, you know, they can't help themselves and tears are rolling down the eyes….

"More, less," the scales on the ruler have gone-the scales are just gone! It's just reality; it's just "I got it. I got it. I got it."

And that's the way it is, you know-and it's the same thing when you're first, you learn how to ride a bicycle. You try and you fall and you try and you fall and you-you keep going. I mean, you, you know, you've got to keep up with it; you've got to keep on going.

And then all of a sudden, you got it. And when you got it, you got it. It's not like "I got more of it; I got less of it." No, you, of course you're going to fall, still-but you got it. You got it.

So, that feeling-and particularly, feeling for the joy, feeling for what is in you-is this wonderful, wonderful thing.

So, I hope you think about that a little bit, and do convert it into reality of feeling-feel, feel the joy; feel the peace. Feel the thirst; feel the need-and feel good! And feel the goodness that is in you. And let those things be the things that drive you forward. Because that's a wonderful thing, like, if you can drive yourself forward with that, that's just powerful, very, very powerful.

So, I hope that helps. And I will periodically keep checking back and letting you know where things are at. So, yes, working on the Peace Education Program.

Most likely, though, it's not going to be called "Peace Education Program." It's going to be called something else. And there is a reason why I have to have it that way, but I've got my, you know, logic to my madness, (or whatever you want to call it), but that's what it's going to be, most likely.

And it's going to be modified, quite a bit modified. The essence is not in the training, believe me. The essence is in you. The training is there as a tool to help you accomplish some of those things that would be wonderful in your life.

But the main thing is in you; it's not in the training. I mean, like you have just, you have always heard this expression, "You know, you can drag a horse to water but you can't make him drink it."

So, not that you are a horse or anything. But, you know, the best training, if you don't have a want in you to have a new threshold in your life, to better the possibility of who you are-already who you are, to discover that, that joy that resides in your heart, the understanding of that-then, you know, if you don't want to, no training is going to help you.

But if you want to, then the training is there. And it's a very simple training; it's a very beautiful training. And that's what it's all about.

And, I mean, I'm just-in a way, I'm shocked of how simple it is. Because it's just a matter of paying attention. It's just a matter of paying attention. It's not, you know, over the moon or some mysterious thing; no, it's not. It's just paying attention.

That when somebody says, you know, "What you're looking for is inside of you," instead of going, "Umm, that's interesting," and that's the end of it-but paying attention to it.

And again I just want to reiterate that, one of the things you're going to have to do is-so, the training will happen one day, and it's not very long-and then you will be given a couple of days to think about it and get the feedback.

And then I will go over those feedbacks and, (not every one of them, but some of them), and have a discussion-it'll be a one-way kind of discussion but, have a discussion-and then we will proceed.

I've never done it like this, virtually, so I am as much in that experimental mode, but I'm excited about it-as you might be. So, let's have fun! Let's-I mean, that's the whole point of it; it's not the seriousness of it; it's just to have fun, and to enjoy ourselves.

Along with this little message that I have for you today, I just want to wish all of the mothers in this world a Happy Mother's Day! This is what is coming too, and wonderful to take this opportunity and to wish everyone who is a mother, Happy Mother's Day. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 61

It's been a while, but here I am again. And doing a lot of things, as you can see; this is all a new setup getting ready for the PEP. And, you know, taking care of things, and as slowly, things start opening up, the possibilities of starting off and going different places are looking better and better, whenever that happens….

The most important thing, of course, is to stay safe-for you, for me, for all of us. You know, and if it's two more weeks or four more weeks, or whatever it happens to be, it's okay. You know, just stay fluid like water. Remember that tree that knows how to bend, how to flex in the wind-and by that flexibility, it is actually assuring itself a long life-so that's really wonderful.

Anyways, so what inspired me to come out here and talk to you? Well, I was saving the questions-but there was one question that came up that got me thinking. And let me begin with a little story. So, I hope you're not bored with this, but this could be, you know, your mouth could start salivating-but let me talk to you about a samosa. And so, what is a samosa?

So, it's a thin dough-and it's whole wheat dough, but it's thin. And you make a filling. And one of the very popular fillings in India is potato. And you add, you know-everybody has their own version of samosa filling.

So, why am I talking about a samosa? Well, so it hit me that there was a time when I was a little boy-and I remember this particular day, because what happened was all my brothers and my mother and some other relatives, they all decided to go to the movies. And they weren't going to take me; I was too young, I guess.

So I stayed home-but I was devastated. I remember I was absolutely devastated that I wasn't going to get to go. And I was crying and it was terrible.

So, my father happened to be at home-which was rather rare, because he would always be traveling somewhere-but he happened to be home that day. And he was, you know, a little concerned that I was crying. And so he said, "Why are you crying?" And I said, "Well, you know, they didn't take me. So, I'm, I'm"-I was heartbroken. (I didn't tell him that, but I was.)

And he says, "Okay, you and I will go and have a good time." So I said, "All right." It wasn't going to be the good time that I had imagined-because it was a real suffering from my idea of how it should be-they didn't take me and I was, you know, I was devastated….

So, he took me, and we ended up going to this restaurant-and I was a little boy-and I remember this. And I remember he ordered-he looked at me and he says, "Would you like to eat something?" And I said "Yes," and he said, "Okay, how about a samosa?" And I said, "Oh, that sounds good." And I said, "I'm also going to have some ice cream."

So, believe me, I have had a lot of samosas and I do have ice cream-but that day, that particular day, that samosa and that ice cream, I remember.

Do I remember the filling of that samosa? Absolutely not. Do I remember what kind of ice cream was it that I had that day? Absolutely not. I don't know if it was vanilla, it was strawberry or it was chocolate. But, boy, I tell you, it was the best samosa and it was the best ice cream that I have ever had in my life.

Now, I had-another time I had samosa, and it was really delicious. And, you know, samosa having that thin dough and then it's deep-fried, the caramelization happens and it gets crispy. And it's just, the aroma, the-you know, it's just amazing. Umami is just amazing.

And this particular day, I was traveling-I was older-I was traveling. And the people where I was, where I had started from had forgotten to pack the lunch-they had packed the lunch but they had forgotten to give it to us.

So I was really, really hungry and so we pulled over, and there was a little place on the side of the road. And this samosa filling I remember-and it was this, just the simplest samosa filling-it was the potato, a little bit of black pepper, salt, little bit of chilies, (chopped green chilies and a little bit of red chilies), and coriander.

And so it was just, when you bit into it, that umami of the fried bread was there; the dough-and the potato, you could taste it, the coriander, the pepper-and the salt and the chilies. And all of these flavors and the smells were there. So, anyways, my mouth is watering; I don't know about yours…. But it was just something that really hit the spot.

So, now, why am I telling you about samosas? Well, you see, that other one, that other samosa I had that was the best samosa I've ever had-and the best ice cream I have ever had-had nothing to do with the flavor, had nothing to do with that particular stuffing. It had to do with the company that I had-and how much it meant to me.

And so, sometimes we don't understand what "good" is. So, anyways, now let me come back to what caused me to, you know, what-this question that I saw and it really got me going….

So, the question was, "What if the bad wolf ate the good wolf?" So for, (if some of you don't know this story), I'll just very quickly reiterate the story. A little boy traveling with the tribe came to the chief and said, "Chief, I have a question." Chief said, "What?" He goes, "Well, why is it that some people who are good sometimes are bad the other times?"

And the chief said, "Because there is a good wolf in us and there is a bad wolf in us, and they fight." And so the boy thought about it, and then a few minutes later he said to the chief; he says, "Which one wins?" And he said, "Well, the one you feed. So if you feed the bad wolf, it gets strong; if you feed the good wolf, it gets strong."

So, when I first read the question, I giggled-I mean, I'm sorry but I giggled, because it's like, well, you know, here I talk about these stories; I give these analogies-and here is somebody giving this analogy back to me, "What if the bad wolf ate the good wolf?" I mean, "Ate the good wolf?" And then I started thinking about it-"Is that even possible-the good and the bad?"

So, that's where the samosa example comes in-and by the way, samosa is not from India; it's from Persia, and it was developed at the court. A lot of people used to come and they would be standing all day long to hear the verdict of the king, you know, and in different cases, and so there was nothing for them to eat….

Somebody came up with the idea, "A little bit of bread, fry it; stuff it with something," and it became samosa. And of course, when-anything that makes it to India becomes Indian very quickly. And Indians have made it their own-and done a fabulous job of it.

So, good is much bigger than you realize. And the bad is much bigger than you realize-it is more than the sum of your life-it's huge; it's massive. This unsettled war of the good and the bad has played out on the face of this earth as far back as stories go-they are about the good and the bad. It is all about the good winning over the bad.

And how far does that go? (Not in terms of time), but how big is that good? Because if that good wasn't good-and that good wasn't big, then in this life, things become uncertain. If truly it was possible for the bad wolf to ever eat the good wolf, we're in trouble; we're in serious, serious trouble.

But then, if you remember what Krishna says, "That even in your darkest moment, I will not abandon you." There-that's about the good: "You will not be abandoned," even if it seemed to you that the bad wolf is eating the good wolf or has eaten the good wolf-as dark as it gets!

Because for me, that day when I didn't get to go with my family, (my brothers, my mother), I was devastated. You know, there wasn't the good wolf coming along and saying, "No, it's, you know, it's all right; you don't need to worry about it; you don't need to be bothered." I was very bothered; I was crying.

And it had such an impact on me, the bad-and then, going to the good, the most wonderful samosa and the most wonderful ice cream; I mean, my goodness, you know, that flavor…. That you've got that hot samosa, the crispy samosa, the salty samosa, and then you take a bite of that cold ice cream. I mean….

You know, and of course, the temperature of the ice cream has to be right. Because if it's too liquidy, it won't taste good. And if it's too cold and it's like a brick, it won't taste good-so, everything was just right. But more than that-it was the company.

So there is something that is good that goes beyond the scope of everyday activity that you're involved with. That everything that happens in your life, for whatever the period is, five years, six years, two years, one day, one minute, one second, whatever, there is a good that prevails. And it's much, much, much, much bigger than you realize.

Never underestimate the value of darkness; it's huge. It is very powerful; it's very potent. But for us human beings on the face of this earth, whatever our challenges may be, there is a good-and that good is more powerful, is backed up by more. There is a power behind it. There is a strength behind it. And this is the strength that we have to, in our lives, latch onto-the strength of the good.

To remember that even in my darkest hour, I am not abandoned. I may feel abandoned, but I'm not abandoned. Because I haven't latched on; I haven't made it my home, the goodness that is in me. I haven't made that good wolf my companion. Not just something that I feed, but that that goodness becomes my companion.

And that that other wolf is something that I stay away from. Not only is a question of feeding it, but I stay away from it-because that's something that I don't want a relationship…. I want my relationship with the good, with what is powerful. Because this is who I am.

You know, what is the difference between day and night? Not much. There are the stars; there is the planet Earth, still going around and round and round. But there is a huge difference. And that difference is that during that day, there is the light of the sun and I can see. And that seeing makes all the difference-that I can be, now, awake. It's not just that I can see, but I am awake too.

And that I have a fundamental need to sleep-and it works very well when the darkness comes because I need that darkness to be able to fall asleep in.

So, one great disadvantage is that when it is dark, I don't know what's out there. I need to know that. If somebody is challenged visually, they use a stick to figure out what's out there. But we need to know what is out there.

And the same thing about the good in our life. That is the beautiful, truly the beautiful, amazingly the beautiful that resides in the heart of every single person that is alive.

Now, you know, of course, there are people-I'm sure they're going off on this tangent of, "And this could have happened, and that could have happened and, you know, there are people out there that have done horrible things, that have done terrible things."

True. I'm not saying that that's not true. But as a human being, we always carry in us the possibility of a change-that we can go from darkness to light. That this war that we engage in can be won. That it isn't about winning every single battle, but it is about winning the war. And we can win that war. We can win.

I mean, I know that we're faced with this challenge-and, you know, seeing this, how governments are reacting to it-absolutely unbelievable.

I mean, here is a moment in which humanity needs to come first, not politics. Humanity needs to come first-that those people who are going off and harping on these politics and politics and making this a game and making this a terrible thing, really need in their lives to understand that they are, first of all, they are human beings.

And their decisions of how they handle things affect so many other human beings. So many people that die-and now, I read, so, and they want to manipulate the data! I mean, okay, they've been manipulating the data ever since, so it's not going to be a big shock to anybody.

Because, you know, one of the things is-and this is true, that not all politicians are like this-but I think they all take an oath, or most of them who are just, have got their head buried somewhere else, take an oath that-they take an oath of telling the truth all the time, that they will always lie. (And something like that.)

Because it seems to be so confusing, with "Do this and don't do this; do this; don't do this." And it's all about ego….

But here is a chance to do something good. And if-and here is my point of it. If they can't do it, you can-because you find the goodness in you. And you keep safe-and you keep your neighbors safe. And you keep the people around you safe-because the good is in you.

And what are you doing to do when this coronavirus is no more, and everything goes back to, quote-unquote, "being normal"? Are you going to remember this period? Are you going to bring out your best? Again, not measuring how much, but bringing out your best-because it is in you? Are you going to let that shine? Are you going to let that manifest?

Or are you going to be like, "Well, I don't have the time for it"-another excuse. You have time to make excuses-and as human beings, we are very good at excuses: "I don't have the time; I'm too busy; I'm this; I'm that." And yet, your life; you make the decision.

So, going back to my samosas and ice cream and everything else, just to remember how powerful this possibility is. And one thing that I have to say-and my father used to say this; I'm saying it-that the seed is never destroyed; the seed is always there.

So, yes, the seed of bad is never destroyed-but the seed of good is never destroyed. You can hold your head and go, "Oi, you know, it's all over," or "the seed of bad is never going be destroyed," but the good news here is not that-the good news here is that the seed of the good will never be destroyed. And you carry that good inside of you.

And it's much bigger. However long you're going to live, however, whatever is going on in your life, the seed and the cycle of the goodness is more, is bigger than you. It's huge; it's massive.

So, I don't know-I thought that there were so many questions being asked that are actually connected to this question. So, answering this particular question, (which, at first, I thought it was hilarious)-but then when I started thinking about it, I saw the depth of what it means.

This is the drama that's been playing out-again and again and again and again; this is what Mahabharat was all about; this is what Ramayan was all about-that the good won. The good was victorious.

And at the end of the day, we always, all of us, have to make that effort to make the good win in our lives every day. And if it can be boiled down to that, sure.

Now, when pain comes, when trouble comes, you know, that flattens us. It's like, pegged against the wall, "What are you going to do? Oh my God, oh, this is terrible; this is horrible."

But-there is something else too-and that "something else" is bigger than the sum of all the problems that are on the face of this earth. And there are a lot of problems on the face of this earth, a lot; I mean, from small problems to huge problems….

And just imagine what's happening in this world today. You know, whatever is happening in your little life is happening in your life, but imagine what is happening. Somebody was just born-just born. Another person was just born. Somebody just died. They're gone-they're gone forever. They're never going to come back.

Somebody just became really rich. Somebody just became really poor. Somebody just lost their way. Somebody just found their way. The dramas that are going on all the time out there, they're not trivial. They affect human beings deeply.

But the way that the good affects the human being is also very unique. And that goes back to "I don't remember the filling of the samosa but it was the most delicious samosa; I remember that. I don't know what kind of ice cream it was-but it was the most delicious ice cream I have ever had, bar none." And I have had some good ones, but nothing as delicious as that.

So, stay safe; be well. Stay fluid. This thing hasn't played out yet. You know, God knows-it's, what some of the politicians are doing just to make a name for themselves-they have no interest, human interest in sight. That it's just about their name, their fame, their two minutes of glory-at your expense. At your expense.

I don't want to talk about that so much-because I can talk about the good that is in you. And that is much bigger than all those trivial little things that still have to play out with this coronavirus thing-this coronavirus thing has got everybody-it's got everybody's attention like you wouldn't believe.

Now, if we give the attention to the good inside of us, we will have a different world, a beautiful world. So, again, be well; be safe. Take care of yourself. And I'll talk to you soon. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 75

Prem Rawat:

Hello, everyone. I hope you're doing well. I've been busy trying to get things ready. Pretty soon we should be announcing the Peace Education Program-and that, I'm looking forward to it.

But we are coming very close to chapter three of this coronavirus thing. It's, I figured the chapter one was when it all started-and most countries were just gobsmacked of what's going on; didn't do anything.

And the second chapter was, you know, when they all jumped on it and started to finally take notice of it. And chapter three, kind of is coming out of it-and that's, of course, been very, very interesting. And I do realize that that will open up the possibility for me to travel….

Of course, it's going to provide its own challenges. I'm not going to have meetings in any way, shape, or form, where this coronavirus, COVID-19 could spread. So, that's, you know, just looking at what can be done and how things can be done-but we'll figure it out.

The main thing is for you to be focused on what really is happening. And what really is happening, by the way, is not this COVID-19 thing; it's not this virus taking over. What's really happening-that's unique-it's been happening for a while but it's still unique…. And that is that you exist, that you're alive.

What are you doing to address that? That's the issue; that's the question. Because in addressing that, a lot of things get put right. ("Get put right," like what?) Like an immense amount of joy, immense amount of clarity, immense amount of understanding, immense amount of focus.

Because this existence, this "being alive" is more than just doing what the world has told you to do. You realize that you do what you do, not because you want to do it-but these are the customs, traditions, rules that you simply grew up with, and when you were a little child, you simply accepted them.

Your mother, father, told you "Do this, otherwise, go to your room." And you decided after a while, "Room is no fun; I'll cave in; I'll do what my mom and dad want me to do."

So, is that a bad thing? Is that a bad thing to cave into these rules and regulations? Of course not. We have to have some rules-we're going to have rules. Even if your rule is not to follow those rules, that's a rule. So, we're going to-well, you're going to end up with a rule anyways.

But there is another kind of rule that you need to pay attention to-and it's not a rule, but it's an opportunity. And the opportunity is that you're alive. And that that means something. That that's the unique thing. All this other stuff, it's happened before. Nineteen-eighteen, Spanish flu, virus, Ebola. Many things, bird flu.

So, will there be more? Of course. Of course. Were there more before, that people didn't, you know, get savvy to-of course. But what's unique is, you are alive. And when is this going to happen again? Nobody knows. No one knows.

When are you going to come back? No one knows-could be millions of years, could be billions of years. But right now, here you are. You exist. And this is how it is.

The other day I came out and I was headed downstairs. And I looked up-and then I could see the stars, and I could see the moon-there was still a little bit of light; the sun was setting. It was beautiful.

And it just gave me a pause, just to think, "These heavenly bodies, these stars, these-the moon, everything out there, they have existed and seen…." And I don't know if I can use the word, "seen." Because I don't think there is, you know, anybody out there looking at it and going, "Yeah, well, there it is," so maybe "seen" isn't the right word.

But they've been there as all these dramas played out. And geologically speaking, this is just that. Just that-just a second. Just a bat of an eye-and it'll be over.

And in this "bat of an eye," there you are. And in your life, in your existence, it isn't about a "bat of an eye." It is about you wanting, wanting something, wanting to be happy.

You know, I'm not going to go into what happiness is-but wanting to be happy, wanting to be content. And if we just remove the word "happiness" and just say, "Basically, you want to feel good." That you don't want to be worried-worried about tomorrow, about the consequences.

But you just want to feel alive, feel good. You want to be able to look at the moon, and admire its beauty and take it in. You want to look at that beautiful sunset, admire its beauty and take it in. And feel a part of it-because that same dirt that that moon is made from, that that sun is made from, you are made from.

And you want to be free; you want to be free from all the encumbrances you feel, all the weight that you feel on you. And if somehow, this life could be, not about tomorrow, but about today-about where I give action to my thoughts…. And when I take those thoughts and convert them into actions, now they become irreversible, unchangeable.

And I just want to feel good-that I lived for contentment, that I lived for happiness, for joy-that I lived for those reasons that are worth living! And I understood why I am here. That it wasn't a mystery; that I didn't live in this mystery, but I lived in clarity.

And it was obvious. Huh? "Obvious," yeah, that's the keyword, obvious. Not that somebody told me-and so I believed it: "I read it in a book, so I believe it." No, it became obvious-clear. And then, living this life is (taah) so simple-becomes full of joy.

So, is that the way it is for me every day? No. All of those other things, all of those things of this: "What's going to happen here; what's going to happen here; who said that, person said that; oh, well, what's this; what's that…?"

But when I am not in that, and I have that moment of clarity…. You see, clarity isn't about hours, and clarity isn't about minutes, but a moment will do-because its consequences are long; the effects of that clarity are long.

That I can feel that I am alive, that I live. And I regard that feeling of being alive as the most precious feeling. That it's important to me. That I understand that my little world revolves around that, of being alive. Then I know. Then I understand. Then it's okay. Now I don't have to look…. And I don't have to drown in the sea of "why."

"Why, why this; why that; why that; why that; why…." Because "why," it-hey, when I was little, maybe it started off as "Why, why, why do I have to do this; why do I have to do that; why is the moon there, why is the sun there; why is the earth round; why is this; why the…."

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, and then by the time I get older, it-all that changes to "Why, why am I sad; why…?" See, it gets-from wondering what moon is like-and "why the moon…?"

Because somebody asked that-that's, somebody asked that question. And it's like, "The universe doesn't care. Why am I here?" Why are you here; you don't know? Because obviously, there is a reason. This much you must understand.

The person actually wrote, it's like, you know, "The universe doesn't care." It's not about the universe, my friend. It's about you looking at the universe that matters. This is what has been made possible-not the universe looking at you, you looking at the universe.

This is what it's about. Me being alive; you being alive. Us understanding our existence. This is the beautifulness, the beauty, the joy! Every day, to wake up to this possibility. Every day, wake up-to wake up! Because everything else that we associate with, everything else that we give as a "meaning to our lives" with, that's not it. That's not it.

Somebody once brought a very expensive car. And I said, "Oh, what a nice car you have." (And I, I'm into cars; I like cars.) And that person said to me, "So, should I be driving one of these?" (It was a, rather an expensive car.) And I said, "You look good in it. Why not? Absolutely, if that's what you want to do, do it."

But it's not about that. That's not the reason why your life is important. Because you run a big business, that's not the reason…. Is there a problem running a big business? No. It's all about all of that that you do-but also do that that has become a possibility because you are alive on the face of this earth.

So, what is that? That is you, (not your kin, not your friend), but you filled with joy.

Yeah, somebody, it's like, "Oh, yeah, you know…?" But I see people-and sometimes they're devastated because they've lost everything they had. This one guy, a long time ago, came to me and he says, "Oh, I've got a problem." And I said, just said, "But yes, what's your problem?" And he said, you know, "I lost my business."

I said, "Umm, tell me something. You were born with this business?" And he goes, "No, no, no, I built it up." And I said, "I bet you learnt a lot, building it up, huh?" He goes, "Oh, yeah, I learnt a lot; I made a lot of mistakes." So I said, "Good. You learnt a lot-now do it again. Do it again-build your business up-and make sure you don't make the same mistakes; you will do it quicker."

So, he looked at me like, you know, "Okay." And I said, "But there's something else. You think you are here for this business? That your happiness is associated with this business? It's not.

"Your happiness has something to do with you, with your resources that are within you. And if you can find them-and you can find the joy that resides in you, then you can run your business-and you will not be looking for that one thing that your business can never give you. You will not be looking at this world for what this world can never give you."

And that is, my friends, that clarity, that joy, that fulfillment. This world, there's nothing…. I mean, the world can give you a lot of good things. Umm-umm, you know, ice cream is pretty good. Oh, and yeah, samosas, those are good. Pecan pie, that's great.

But there's something greater than all of that. And it is buried in every breath that you take, in your existence. When you look up to this universe with bewilderment, with fascination, with "Wow," that's what it's all about. When you can turn to the universe within-and go, "Wow," then you got it. Then you have it. Then that's what it is all about.

That's what true freedom is. Free-because you know the source of you, of your joy. Now you're free to choose. Ah, you're free to choose. And choose wisely, my friend. Choose that which you are made for.

Live your life in that joy that has been made possible because you are alive-just that, because you're alive. Be fulfilled because you're alive. See that clarity because you're alive. Know that beauty because you are alive. And be free from the slavery of ignorance. Ignorance-that you don't know what you have buried within you, not knowing all the treasures you carry within you.

Pretty soon the Peace Education Program is going to be ready, so that's going to be coming on. Again, looking at all the countries that are going to start opening up, looking at the possibility of traveling….

And I want to-I want to come and see you all. And I want to look into your eyes-and I want to see your smile; I want to see your smiling eyes…. And that would be wonderful. And this is what I am looking forward to.

Of course, I have to do it judiciously; I don't want anybody to get sick from this. And not, certainly, from my actions-I mean, still it is the same thing: "Don't give it to anyone and don't get it from anyone," just to exercise that caution.

And, you know, and it's not a big deal. We can do things if we know where to look for that joy inside of us. And that you could be busy being happy. How's that; how's that? In this life, in this world, you should always, always, always be busy being happy.

So, thank you very much. And I'll talk to you soon. Take care; be well; be safe. Most importantly, be.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 42

DJ Fresh:

With our show, every Wednesday we deal with conflict resolution-because that's what we believe everybody needs.

Onscreen text:

DJ Fresh

MetroFM Radio Presenter

DJ Fresh:

I don't think people enjoy being confrontational; I don't think people enjoy being violent. But generally, on the radio, we don't offer people solutions either. And you know, we don't say to people, "Here are tools that you can use to maybe fix the situation."

Onscreen text:

Metro FM broadcasts to over 10 million listeners

throughout Southern Africa.

DJ Somizi

Mpho Maboi

MetroFM Radio Presenter

Mpho Maboi:

I think Prem's message is not just pertinent to South Africa, but to the world as a whole-because we live in a very violent society.

So, when someone teaches you that, "You know what; peace is a part of your life; peace is not something that you can march towards or that you can look for externally-it's something that you find within you," I think a lot of people will actually-it will help a lot of people.

Onscreen text:

METRO FM LIVE RADIO

DJ FRESH + DJ SOMIZI

INTERVIEW PREM RAWAT

Johannesburg, South Africa

DJ Fresh:

This is Sands on MetroFM with Tigi. Six-forty, you're welcome to Fresh Breakfast. Every Wednesday we talk conflict resolution, in the hope that we will arm you with tools that'll enable you to deal with whatever conflict you may be dealing with.

And we'd like to welcome to Fresh Breakfast this morning, Prem Rawat. He was presented with the International BrandLaureate Lifetime Achievement Award, previously given to only three other people in the world, including uTata Madiba and Hillary Clinton.

Onscreen text:

Prem Rawat

Global Peace Ambassador

DJ Fresh:

The core of Prem Rawat's teaching is that the individual's need for fulfillment can be satisfied by turning within to contact a constant source of peace and joy. He has millions of followers throughout the world and he's in South Africa briefly. Good morning, sir.

Prem Rawat:

Good morning; it's great to be with you.

DJ Fresh:

May I call you "sir"-I don't know; what's protocol when it comes to you?

Prem Rawat:

You can call me Prem.

DJ Fresh:

How are you doing, sir?

Prem Rawat:

I'm good; how are you?

DJ Fresh:

We're good. Now, please, before we get into this, give us a brief history of the inspiration behind your teachings.

Prem Rawat:

Well, it's not really teachings; it's just, for fifty years I have been talking about peace and traveling the world. [DJ Fresh: Yes.]

And I see that people have such a power inside of them but they don't know how to tap it. They have so many solutions inside of them, but they're not aware of them. And as Socrates said a long time ago, "Know thyself." And that holds more value today than ever, because we are so distracted.

DJ Fresh:

Why do you think we're failing to know ourselves-and as a result, it impacts on how we deal with other people?

Prem Rawat:

Well, of course, we-because we don't know ourselves, we are focusing on the outside. We are focusing for those things that really need to be coming from inside of us-for instance, peace. We're looking at the outside world to find peace. You're not going to find it there. It's not there!

DJ Fresh:

Sure.

Prem Rawat:

You're going to find it inside of you. And unless you know how to turn inside-and unless you know how to get in touch with yourself…. And that's exactly what that is, "Know thyself; find yourself; be with yourself."

DJ Fresh:

From what age do you think we're able to start looking at our inner thoughts, ourselves in that way?

Prem Rawat:

Well, you know, it's like, that's like saying, "Monkey see; monkey do," type of thing.

DJ Fresh:

Sure, umm, sure….

Prem Rawat:

From a very young age, we start emulating our parents. And we start looking around our world and we start emulating it.

And when that world is all going gung-ho on the outside, we too start to think the same way. We start to think like, "Well, we're going outside; we're-well, that's where everything is. I want this; I want this; I want this; I want this."

And all of a sudden we see our parents, we see people we like, all caught up in greed. And so the greed comes to us too.

DJ Fresh:

Sure.

Prem Rawat:

But, at a very young age, this all begins, because the seed is being planted then. And it's very, very important to understand, to have that environment for our children where they can independently grow, not grow with the influences that are contaminating us.

And we, we don't like them; we don't like them. [DJ Fresh: Sure.] But we are doing nothing to turn to our younger generation and saying, "You know, you don't need to be involved in this."

DJ Fresh:

But, in a practical way, how do we break that cycle?

Prem Rawat:

From understanding ourselves. And truly, this is the most practical way. We know one thing: "If I have my eyes, I can see your face; I can see everybody's face. But if I want to see my face, these eyes are no good for it; I need a mirror."

And so that mirror becomes our understanding; that mirror becomes that knowledge. Not believing, not just thinking about things-but actually, the knowing of it is so powerful. It's so powerful in knowing-because we've become believers: "Believe in this; believe in this; believe in this."

We're all waiting for the angel to come, the heavens to part-and the angel to drop down. And I say to people, "The angel has come and you are the angel. And you are here to save yourself-save yourself," do the angel bit.

DJ Fresh:

"Take responsibility for yourself."

Prem Rawat:

Take responsibility for yourself; understand yourself; know yourself; be yourself.

DJ Fresh:

Is it as simple as you make it sound to be?

Prem Rawat:

Well, this all depends. "How long is the walk back home?" Well, how far have you been walking away from the home? And so, the further out we get, the longer that walk is going to be.

And of course it is simple, because it is a walk back home, home to you. You are your home; you will always be your home. And you need to know you!

You know, when you have a huge map in front of you, and there are all the writings on it-but you don't know where you are on that map, that map isn't going to help you. [DJ Fresh: Sure.] The first thing you need to know is, "Where are you on that map?"

DJ Fresh:

A five-year-old comes up to you and says, "Uncle Prem, Uncle Prem, who are you; what do you do?" How do you explain who you are and what you do-that a five-year-old would understand?

Prem Rawat:

Well, my daughter was asked that question once and she said, "Oh, he just travels around and he talks to people." But, the best way to explain that really would be that "I have this feeling, that I have this gift that I can talk about peace and I want to take that gift…."

DJ Fresh:

Yes.

Prem Rawat:

Because if you don't give a gift, it's not a gift anymore. [DJ Fresh: Ummm.] And so I want to take the gift of talking to people about peace-and causing them to think; that's all I need to do.

You know, I don't need to go there and hand-hold them or do anything like that. All I need to do is get them to start thinking about themselves, about the possibility of peace in their lives, and that is more than enough to start the tree.

DJ Somizi:

Let's get into your philosophy, especially looking at love. You know, people, (some people, most people) choose to fight for relationships, choose to physically fight if there's a conflict in that relationship.

Onscreen text:

DJ Somizi

MetroFM Radio Presenter

DJ Somizi:

Can you subscribe on how they should handle things? Does this inner peace play a huge role into maybe just walking away? And say, "You know what, I'm bigger than this"-and you are able, within that turmoil…?

Prem Rawat:

Well, yeah, peace always plays a beautiful role in everything, but let me just put it this way. Are you falling in love with another person, or are you falling in love with your expectations of that person? [DJ Somizi: Umm-hmm?]

Because if you're falling in love with that person, then you will be in love with that person and there will be no conflict. But if you're falling in love with the expectations that you have of that person, then surely, at some point in time, if that person is not capable of delivering what your expectations are, there is going to be the big C, the big conflict.

DJ Somizi:

Umm! Umm, umm.

DJ Fresh:

So, I'm that guy, let's say, who, you know, whether it's a low self-esteem or insecurity-or "You hurt me before, therefore I feel you might hurt me again"-that when I see my partner with someone else, or even just talking to someone else, maybe I lose it. [PR: Yes.] Or, I even, maybe, want to, you know, become violent.

How do I help myself-and applying what you've said to us?

Prem Rawat:

Well, very, very simple. It is called the "law of attraction." A flower does not do anything but offer the bee some nectar-and the bee comes from miles around, hovering on that flower.

And that's what you have to become-you have to become that flower. You have to be whole; you have to be complete; you have to be strong; you have to be who you truly are-and that's when you become attractive!

It is not the Porsche that's going to do it; it's not the ideas that are going to do it. It is not all the other things that are going to do it. I mean, Porsche is very nice, but [DJ Fresh: Yes.] you can be so much better. You can be that flower. And you will become attractive.

DJ Fresh:

But how do I start being that flower?

Prem Rawat:

First, by knowing yourself, who you are.

You see, in the forest, you look at the trees-and then you sometimes see a vine that is choking the very host it's riding on. [DJ Fresh: Yes.] And what's going to happen, the tree's going to die-and then the vine will die. And it's, nobody is the winner.

If you want to be the winner, be the flower that offers, from a solidity, from a power…. Come, not with expectations, but offer love-love, companionship, understanding to each other. Otherwise, when the expectations get in there, it's just grinding and grinding and grinding.

DJ Somizi:

Is like, for instance, some…. We're listening to you-I sometimes think that, "When does it get to a point where it's, you know, it's not realistic?" Because there are some things that really, you have to respond in a certain way-like you miss your flight? You can't just be going, "Oooh, oh…." [DJ Fresh: Yes.]

Like yesterday, there was load-shedding at my place-and because I'm so into this inner peace thing, I just switch on the candles and sat and waited. But I'm like, thinking, "Oh, when is it coming back now?" [DJ Fresh: Sure.] When are you…? Is it part-is being realistic to certain situations part of being peaceful inside?

DJ Fresh:

And my "add" to that, because for some people, peace to them is not necessarily a solution. "I feel better that I've lashed out." [DJ Somizi: Umm.] Or I feel better that "I've shown that guy that was courting my wife." It's like, what do you say to those people that feel that the lashing out is when they find the inner peace?

Prem Rawat:

Yes. I visit a lot of prisons-[DJ Fresh: Yes.] and I see a lot of people who did exactly that. And I talk to them-and they are about as sorry as you can imagine. Now, I haven't met anybody in those institutions where they exercised peace, [DJ Fresh: Yeah.] and then they are sorry about exercising peace.

See, there is a misconception about peace, a big misconception that you become a vegetable when you have peace. [DJ Fresh: Umm. Umm-hmm.] Peace is dynamic; peace is exciting; peace is wonderful! Peace is great.

I mean, some people think, "Oh, if I get peace, I mean, I'm just going be a vegetable sitting on some mountain looking at candles all day long." Well, that's not peace! That's just somebody's idea of a nice environment.

You know, we look at someplace where there's the ocean; the sun is setting; there's no wind; it's a beautiful day and we say, "Oh, how peaceful it is." That's not peaceful.

Because, given one second of moment, the wind can start blowing. A one second of moment, you look at that sun that is making that beautiful light-do you know how violent that sun is? Do you know how violent the ocean can be? I mean, it can chew down anything it feels like it.

Peace is inside of you. Peace is exciting; peace brings a smile. [DJ Fresh: Yes.] And when a human being is strong, that is the most attractive thing. When they're weak, they look for all…. To fulfill themselves, they start looking to other people: "You fulfill me; you fill this part in me; you fill this part in me." And when that person can't, problems happen.

DJ Fresh:

So, "Fill your own cup." [DJ Somizi: Umm.]

Prem Rawat:

First be full. [DJ Fresh: Yes.] First be full. And if you are full, then the relationship is going to be meaningful! Otherwise, it's not going to be one of….

DJ Fresh:

Because you're not looking for validation, umm-hmm.

Prem Rawat:

You're not looking for validation. [DJ Fresh: And, yes.] And this is so important-that is so important.

DJ Fresh:

Prem Rawat is in the country. Unfortunately, we are out of time-but maybe you can catch him somewhere else. Where are you going to be and why are you in town?

Prem Rawat:

I am going to be actually speaking in Cape Town-[DJ Fresh: Yes, sir?] on the twentieth, at the International Convention Center. And that particular talk, the topic on that is "Unlocking Hope." And that's so important.

And I just-I just, I love Africa; I love people here. Because there is a crisis. [DJ Fresh: Sure.] And they are going to overcome that crisis.

DJ Fresh:

What would you like to say to our leaders who think there isn't a crisis?

Prem Rawat:

Well, "Open your eyes. Open your eyes and look around." Ultimately, people need to start looking at themselves, not their leaders. The report card of all the leaders around the world pretty much would be, "failure, failure, failure," and maybe one passed here and one passed there, but mostly it has been "failure, failure, failure."

I say to people everywhere around the world, "Don't wait for the leaders; don't wait for that angel to come out of the skies. You are the angel. You become the leaders. You become the leaders in your life. You can make it happen. [DJ Fresh.: Sure.] You can make it happen and you can change the dynamics."

DJ Fresh:

Where do people find you online, sir?

Prem Rawat:

TimelessToday.com.

DJ Fresh:

TimelessToday.com. TimelessToday.com. Ladies and gentlemen, Prem Rawat is about to leave the building.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 43

LOCKDOWN

WITH PREM RAWAT

COUNTDOWN TO PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

43

Onscreen text:

Students of the Peace Education Program

At Taylor's University

Individual 1: [male]

Just recently I asked about, "What do I really want in my life?" And I always compare myself to others.

Individual 2: [female]

We are too busy in our life coping with assignments and we often forget these little important things.

Individual 3: [male]

During all his sessions, all Prem's sessions, there are a lot of questions that pop up in my brain-and then I will ask myself, "Why are we doing this? Why we did this; why we did that?" Everything-it makes me go thinking and thinking and thinking….

Individual 4: [female]

I think what he's trying to say is something that we all know-but it's not something that we are always mindful of. It's a very big reminder for all of us, especially for me, where he talks about appreciating life. And that is what I'm in lack of….

Individual 5: [female]

It's somewhat like-makes me think of what I have always ignored in my life. But I never figured out, like, peace actually is already in our heart.

Onscreen text:

Taylor's University

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Narrator:

Taylor's University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was the first institution in Malaysia to offer the Peace Education Program. Administrators have praised the program for helping the school fulfill its holistic mission of enriching students' "minds, hands, and hearts."

In October of 2016, Prem Rawat spoke at Taylor's University as part of their "Emotional Wellbeing" series, which is aimed at cultivating and empowering students and staff with emotional wellness and health.

Individual 6: [male]

You started speaking about peace-it says you were four years old. So, actually what inspired you, or what made you choose to speak in front of so many people when you were four and a half?

Prem Rawat:

Well, and to me, you know, it-in my life, at that moment in time, there wasn't any sorrow; there wasn't any problems; there wasn't any big dramas, you know, which could lead one to go to the extent of saying, "Okay, I'm going to renounce the world; I'm going to, you know, pursue peace."

Because one thing I understood-that peace wasn't absence of war. So, goodness, generosity, (for instance), is something. And then, to be greedy, all it is, is the lack of generosity.

So, a lot of people think that, you know, "There's war-and then there is peace." No. There is peace-and when this peace is lacking, when there is an absence of this peace, there is a war. What kind of war-the war can be in your mind; the war can be physical. The war can be in your thoughts. The war-it's the same thing-but it's a war.

And for me, none of this was there. But I understood that there is something called "peace." And that each human being on the face of this earth, regardless of their circumstances, is very fortunate.

And that's what I, in fact, said. I was actually reading my first speech, a few weeks back, and that's what it was about, "How fortunate we are, that we are alive-and that, peace lies inside of us."

Individual 1: [male]

After attending this program-and I feel that what I really want is within me, is in myself. And I don't really have to compare with others. I'm just who I am. And it really makes me, like, grow and really answer a few of my questions in my mind.

Individual 5: [female]

So, just that it's simple-and continue with the life and enjoy it. Yeah, that's what I think.

Individual 3: [male]

It's so wonderful, you know-it, the feeling of, after you're thinking, you get the answer-like, "Yeah. That's the thing that I want to do. Yeah, that's the things that motivate me since I was young."

Individual 4: [female]

Prem Rawat actually encourages us, all of us to see something that is within us, to see the gifts that we have. And it is a blessing to actually have this breath.

Onscreen text:

Video content courtesy of

The Prem Rawat Foundation

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Onscreen:

KIND MALAYSIA 2018

Connecting Corporates with Civil Society

Prem Rawat:

It doesn't take much to spark a revolution. Let's spark a revolution for peace. Let's spark a revolution for kindness. Let's spark a revolution that makes a difference in this world, not only in Malaysia.

Because if Malaysia can be a lit candle, guess what Malaysia can do? Why not every country; why not-why not you who are sitting here, the participants, be the makers, movers and shakers of that incredible, incredible possibility?

Onscreen text:

Making a Difference

Kind Malaysia

Prem Rawat:

I started speaking about peace when I was four years old. I started taking this responsibility of spreading the peace, first in my native India, when I was nine. I was around thirteen years old when I went to the West, to England, America, and brought this message to outside of India.

So, here I am, and I am sure there are a lot of people, "Oh, the Ambassador of Peace," and I'm an Ambassador, but well, what is "Ambassador of Peace" mean anyway? You're all Ambassadors of Peace; don't you know it? I'm not the only one. You're Ambassadors of Peace.

And it is your responsibility too, to make sure that the peace spreads in this world-because what other option do we have, by the way? What other option is there?

So, what is this law that I am talking about? This is what gives me heart-my effort that has been going on for such a long time, this is what gives me heart. And what is this law? Here is the law. "If you take two candles, (a lit candle and an unlit candle), and bring them together, guess what happens? The lit candle will light the unlit candle."

Not the other way around. That's the law of nature. A lit candle will light the unlit candle-not that the unlit candle will put out the lit candle. No-not even fifty-fifty. Every single time, the lit candle will light the unlit candle.

Take heart-in whatever little effort you make in your life to bring peace. Where does peace begin? People think it's going to begin with the world. It's not-it's not.

Yesterday I did four interviews. And of course, I was asked these questions, "You know, you talk about peace, and the world's going to," you know, "down the tubes." (I'm not going to say the word but, "down the tubes," it's the opposite of heaven.)

And I said, "Wait a minute. What is really happening? Are we doing anything about peace?" Because most people, you talk to them about peace and what do they think? About "utopia."

One day I looked up the word "utopia." What does utopia mean? And it's very interesting. It was around 1531 that this word was coined-it was in a novel-and you know what utopia actually means? It means "no place."

What is being said is, "Don't go there. There is no place like that. It's just in your imagination." Peace is not utopia; peace is real, on this earth, tactile. And how and where does it begin-it begins with you. It begins with your family. It begins with your friends. It begins with your neighbors.

Who are your neighbors, by the way? The house next door? The house next door is your neighbor only when you're in your house. Your neighbor actually is whoever is closest to you, wherever you happen to be-includes a parking lot, by the way.

And these are little things that we forget in our everyday life because we are busy with our agenda.

You have a mind-and you went to school for this mind to be sharpened. You have imagination; you went to college for this imagination to be honed. Oh, by the way, you also have a heart. What have you done to hone the skills of the heart? What have you done in your life? Just sat there and thought about heaven?

A lot of people say, "You know, how is it different, what you say, than religion?" And I say it's hugely different. And religion talks about heaven after death-I'm talking about a heaven before death, now, on this earth.

To understand the value of what we have been given-acknowledging, an acknowledgment of the simplest things in our existence: life, breath-and every day that you get.

You want miracles? Well, a miracle is happening right in front of you. Today you are alive; that is one of the most incredible miracles there is.

Do you know what it took to put you in that seat that you're sitting on? Do you know how many species went through evolution so you could be like you are? We all take it for granted, "Oh, here I am." But do you have any idea of how much evolution it took, how many experiments it took, so today you could sit in that chair?

What is the world that we live in? What is this world that we live in? Think about it-there is more food available today than there ever was.

There's no shortage of food, (by the way). If you don't believe me, go to a supermarket. If you don't believe me, go to the buffet of a hotel. From one end to the other end, food, food, food, food, food, food, food. You don't believe me? Start counting the restaurants on the road when you drive.

I was just in Japan. I couldn't believe it; it was like, "Restaurant. Restaurant. Restaurant. Restaurant"-I mean, it's like, "How…?" I mean, it was like, "Wait a minute, these Japanese are pretty skinny. How much do they eat?" But it's like one after another, after another, after another, after another.

One of my points that I'm trying to make-is, there was a time that people thought that "If we had enough food, we would have peace." Well, guess what? We have enough food-and we still don't have peace. Once upon a time, people thought that "If we would have enough wealth, we would have peace." Guess what; we do have more wealth now than we have ever had.

More diamonds have been dug up now than they ever were. More gold has been extracted from the earth than there ever was. More silver has been extracted from the earth than there ever was. There is more wealth in this world than there ever was-but there is no peace.

People said, "If people were educated there would be peace." There are more schools now than there ever were, and there's still no peace.

People said, "If we could communicate with each other, there would be peace." Boy, do we know how to communicate with each other. That's all we do: "Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da," and people, I mean, it's amazing.

The first time I came to Japan and I went on the train, I couldn't believe it-thousands of people making their way across in the subway and nobody touching each other-it was like a ballet; it was like a dance-and everybody just going, you know, as fast as they could.

And this time I was there, and there were people who had just come to a stop, going…. And it's like, bumping into each other.

So, we have more means of communication than we ever have, but do we know what to say-no. That's the problem. We have not caught up to technology. We don't understand what to do with this technology.

We don't know what transportation can do for us-we just know it's there-and we can go anywhere we want. We don't know why we're going there-but we're going there.

We have more food than we know what to do with, more recipes-more fusion food exists today than it ever has. Chinese-Indian-can you imagine Indian, (like, Indian-Indian, Eastern Indian), and Chinese food brought together? My goodness-but they have it. And it's very popular in India.

Indian pizza! The Italians would die. And they'd go, "Eh, oh my God…." But that's true. And we still don't have peace.

The only equation we haven't tried-is that "Peace begins with you." That the kindness needs to be surfaced. We need to have a society in which we are mindful of our kindness, we are mindful of our compassion, we are mindful of our capability to be able to help the ones around us-if they need help, and that help will begin by first helping our selves.

People just listen to this, and they go, "But that's selfish." No, if you have traveled on an airplane, the flight attendant, I'm sure, has told you, "Before you put the oxygen mask on somebody else, put it on yourself first." (Because if you're passed out, you can't help anybody else.)

Who are you? An incredible miracle? Yes. And you carry a desire for peace in you, only if you can understand that. These are your fundamental callings.

You know your routine every day-you get up, and what do you think about? Your responsibilities. Do you think about life? Do you think about life? You are alive till you are! This show that you put on is only good till this breath is coming in and out of you. That's it, folks! When the "the end" comes after the movie, it is "the end!"

And people go, "No-no-no-no, no, I'll, I, I…. I'll be somewhere else; I'll be, you know-that can't be." Well, yeah, we can talk about it all night long-and that's not going to change anything. Because once you're gone from here, you are gone from here.

It's not about death-it's about life. It's about life. You've got to do what you've got to do while you're still here.

A lot of people go, "I'm too old"-there's no such thing as that. So far you are a lit candle, how tall do you have to be to light another candle? (By the way, how tall does this lit candle have to be?) It can be that big-so far it is lit, it has, still, the capability to light an unlit candle. And that's your forte in life.

So, what I am trying to say is, "What is truly yours?" So, what is truly yours is compassion. What is truly yours is kindness. What is truly yours is clarity; what is truly yours is understanding; what is truly yours is the light you carry in your heart.

Oh, by the way, do things that will enrichen you in your kindness. Do things that will enrichen you in your clarity; do things that will enrichen you in your compassion; do things that will enrichen you in your understanding.

And that is the day, I guarantee you, you will really, really begin to feel rich, very, very rich. And from that richness will spring forth a desire to give. And you can give nobody a better gift than compassion. Yes, people need food-but people also need compassion. Yes, people need money, but they still need compassion.

And compassion isn't pity. What is empathy? What is empathy-look it up. What is empathy-it is "to understand, to see the similarity between you and the other person."

It is not to take pity-and I'm not talking about taking pity. That's not what this "kindness" is about. This kindness is about helping people, first of all, realize in themselves, their potential, their understanding. This is what the world needs.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 44

Annual Social Change Lecture

Prem Rawat spoke to

students enrolled in the

Peace Education Program

at TSiBA University,

in Cape Town, South Africa.

Prem Rawat:

What is a heart? What is a heart? We talk about heart, "Oh, I love you from the bottom of my heart." What is a heart? And I have been asking people this question: "Do you know what a heart is?"

I mean, yeah, obviously it's not this thing that goes, "Dohnk," and "dohnk, dohnk, dohnk, dohnk"-it's also called a heart. Because once it stops, you put electricity to it and crank it right back up-or if it's getting its tubes fouled up, you put stents in it, one after another, to open it up and get it going again. I mean, what is a heart?

So then, let me tell you what a heart is. (I'm not here preaching to you; this is from my experience.) Then, the heart in me is where my clarity resides. The heart in me is the place where the courage to know the reality exists, the courage to be in joy exists, the courage to be a human exists.

This is the place-in me-that my understanding resides. This is the place in me where I am me, rather than the reflection of people's wants and need.

So many people, especially when you become a father-you have your children. They look at you as a father; you think about their needs day and night. You become a mother, you look at your children; you think about their needs day and night. And all of a sudden you stop being you and you start being a father.

But a father who is not himself, a mother who is not herself, a wife who is not herself, a husband who is not himself-and pretty soon, you are a citizen of this world, but who is not himself or herself.

So, the value of it becomes the nest that is empty. Because once the birds fly away, that nest is nothing anymore. The wind will come, throw it out-all the effort that went into weaving that nest together will get dismantled-and then that's it.

In life-because this is everything. We hardly have an understanding of what it means to be alive.

This is a powerful number: even if you live to be a hundred years old, (and that's pretty good), do the math: 365. And do the math-it's only 36,500 days. That's all you have. That's if you make it to be a hundred years old.

Do you live your day like it lives in you? With precision! A second does not waste itself, does it? But you waste a second. An hour does not waste itself; an hour never goes missing, does it? A day, does it ever go missing? But you go missing from the day.

You have a watch but you don't know what time means. And so we try to live, but we don't know how to live. We try to love, but we don't know how to love. We try to be. But we don't know how to be.

We don't know that we have generosity.

To us, when we walk into a room and throw the lock, we are alone. We're alone-really? Really? Excuse me, your anger came with you in that room. It's right there. You may not be angry-but the anger is ever-ready. And it's right with you; you did not leave your anger in some other room.

Wherever you go…. Even when you fly and they say, "Are you flying alone today"-and you say, "Yes," you're lying. Because that's not true; you're flying with a lot of excess baggage called "anger," called "fear." Greed-always, wherever you go it's right there.

Ever feel lonely? You should never feel lonely. [Audience: Yeah.] You have lots of little friends that are right there. Think about it; you never leave home without these guys-you might leave home without the American Express credit card, but you never leave home without anger and fear and greed and lust.

And-you never leave home without understanding, without clarity. They're also there with you. The question becomes, "What have you been nurturing in your life?"

Two fields: what is the difference between a garden and an abandoned field? What is the difference? Soil is soil. And sometimes you see an abandoned field and a wall, and then a garden-so you know it's the same soil. But one is lush, green, has flowers growing in it; the other one is barren and has weeds growing in it. What is the difference?

Well, in one, somebody planted the seeds of the beautiful flowers and gives them water and nurtures them-and in the other one, nothing was planted and nobody nurtures it. And what grows is despicable, and what grows in the garden is beautiful.

In our understanding-and this is what it means. There is a really beautiful story I would like to tell you. And the story is called, "The Cracked Pot."

Once upon a time, a king relegated to a gardener, a field, and said, "I want you to have a garden here for me." And so the water-and this was quite high and the water was all the way down in the valley where there was a little river that used to flow.

And so the gardener would have to go every day-and go down to the river and fill his pots with water and carry them up, all the way to the garden and water all the plants and water all the grass and everything-and in due time, that garden started to look really beautiful.

And he had these two pots, big, big clay pots-and a bamboo, (one pot in the front, one pot in the back); he'd take them down.

One day, the pot in the back developed a hole in it-so the water would leak out. So, he'd go all the way down and he'd fill both the clay pots up; he'd bring them up and by the time he'd get up, one pot would be full; one pot would be empty.

This went on for a while. One day the pot from the front said to the pot in the back, "You're no good. You're useless. This gardener works so hard; he goes all the way down, fills them up, fills both of us up with water, but because you have a hole in you, by the time he comes up here, you are empty; I am full. And this garden that you see that is so beautiful is because of me."

This made the pot in the back very sad. One day when the gardener came out and looked at the pot in the back and said, "Why are you so sad?"-it's just a story. [Audience: Yeah.] But it's a beautiful story. [Individual: Yes, we get that.] He looked at the pot in the back; he said, "Why are you so sad?" He says, "Well, I've got a hole in me." He says, "I know that."

He said, "Every day you take us down there; you work so hard and you fill us both with water and that one in the front, which doesn't have a hole, because of him, this garden is green and it's beautiful. But because I have a hole in me, I am no good. By the time you bring me here, I'm empty."

So, the gardener looked at the pot with the hole-and said, "I want to tell you something. I know you have a hole in you. But I never stopped putting water in you. And let me tell you why.

"Because of the pot in the front, only this garden is green. But because of you-have you noticed?-all the way from the river to this garden, there are beautiful flowers growing, and it's all because of you. This garden is only enjoyed by the king-that path is enjoyed by so many who admire the flowers growing there."

Sometimes we don't understand. Because of our ideas and ideals that the world places upon us, we don't understand our own power; we don't understand our own potential.

There is no limit! Do you understand that there is no limit to understanding? There is no limit; there's no physical limit to understanding. There is no limit to joy! There is no limit to happiness. Do you understand the power of that?

When you are in pain, people go to churches, to temples, to mosques to pray to God saying, "God, please, get rid of the pain." Do you think anybody goes to a temple, a mosque, a church to pray to God and say, "Please get rid of my happiness?"

There's no limit. There is no limit-and people wonder why human beings don't come with a manual. Because maybe it's too obvious? Manual not required? Engineered to perfection?

That you can hold the happiness of the whole world and never gain an ounce-and enjoy all of it. But you have to understand what true happiness is.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 45

COUNTDOWN TO PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

45

SRI LANKA

MANOHARAN RAMANATHAN

PEP Facilitator in Sri Lanka

Manoharan Ramathan

The government of Sri Lanka had offered us to do this Peace Education for the ex-combatants. The government are interested in getting the reconciliation part of it done on a national level-and the UN is supporting them.

Onscreen text:

SELVANAYAKI SEBASTIAMPILLAL

Ex-Combatant - Sri Lanka

Selvanayaki Sebastiampillal: [female, translated]

This is very essential for our life. I realized instead of searching for peace here and there, that there is peace within me and there is a way to feel the peace.

Manoharan Ramathan:

We are also having these events in Jaffna University. Initially there was a question mark in the Jaffna University students. They thought, "Peace, it must be a boring subject," you know?

And once they completed, they became so happy about it-and they start telling the other students about this Peace Education. And the second batch, we had 285 who completed the ten classes of Peace Education.

Onscreen text:

SAPNA BANUN

Student - University of Jaffna

Sapna Banun:

Without looking outside to find who we are, we must find answers within ourselves. Then only we can be successful and that is the message given here. When we understand this properly, our self-confidence and peace can be found easily.

Onscreen text:

Video content courtesy of

The Prem Rawat Foundation

[End]

Onscreen text:

NEWS 1st Interview

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA

SONALI WANIGABADUGE

NEWS ANCHOR

Interviewer:

Good evening and welcome. Our guest today is a gentleman who has addressed over five million people in over fifty countries. I'm happy to introduce Mr. Prem Rawat, global Peace Ambassador-good evening and welcome. It's fantastic having you here in Sri Lanka.

Prem Rawat:

Thank you for having me here; it's a pleasure.

Interviewer:

Mr. Rawat, for our Sri Lankan audiences watching us right now, could you elaborate on this term, "global Peace Ambassador," since peace is really of the essence, especially in the current context in the world?

Onscreen text:

PREM RAWAT

GLOBAL PEACE AMBASSADOR

Prem Rawat:

Well, a lot of people, of course, refer to me as the "Peace Ambassador"; I refer to everybody else as a Peace Ambassador. Because, in this world, in these circumstances that we live in today, peace is incredibly important-and peace has always been important, but the necessity of peace is more and more being recognized by people around the world.

Because people don't want to be torn apart; people don't want to be in a situation where they're constantly worried about "how things are going to be tomorrow." But they want to be content; they want progress; they want to become successful. And peace is something that is within inside of them.

So, for me, the context of peace is not utopia, but something very practical, something very real for every human being on the face of this earth. One, we have to understand that peace is possible-and two, we have to understand that peace is within inside of us. We don't have to go and push buttons to try to create it.

Peace isn't the absence of war-but peace is the absence of war within inside of us. Peace isn't the end of conflict outside, but peace is the end of conflict on the inside. Because so far we have the conflict on the inside, it doesn't really matter-and sooner or later that conflict will manifest itself on the outside.

So that's what peace means to me-and being an ambassador, I think everybody is an ambassador because everybody carries peace inside of them.

Interviewer:

Across the world, we see, especially in the West, how xenophobia is raising its head once again-racism, hatred. How does one go about ensuring that peace prevails over all this negativity and toxicity?

Prem Rawat:

If you have a hole in the boat and you want to plug it up, isn't it important to know where that hole is? [Interviewer: Sure.]

So, let's understand, where does all this stuff come from? Does it come from the sky? Does it come from a tree? Does it come from a particular frog; does it come from a particular crab? Or does it come from inside of people-because of misunderstanding of who we are?

We're all human beings. We're all the same.

You see, the way I look at it-all of us have a little twang, a little silly thing which is that "I want to feel important. And if I can feel important, that's good."

It goes even to when you're parking your car. If you got there a second before the other person and you were able to park your car, that makes you feel good. If you're standing in a line waiting for a ticket for the movie theater-and all of a sudden you are allowed to go, "front," that makes you feel good. It's like, "This is cool; this is good."

When a person feels inferior, they want to feel superior. And this is at the root of racism: "I want to feel better than these people. I want to feel better than this person; I want to feel better…." This is where bullying comes from. This is where gangs get created; one gang has to be better than the other gang…. It's going on around-it, there's no limit to it.

But the problem is, we're all number one-and the tragedy is we don't know it. We're all number one. There is something so special about us that we don't understand.

Interviewer:

How does one go about tapping into this potential? Because across the world, we see racism; we see bullying; we see negativity. There is so much of negativity around us-and so little psychosocial care, for example. We see this in schools; we see this in universities; we see this at the workplace. We see this in parliaments across the world! [PR: Yes.]

How does one go about releasing one's potential, in your opinion?

Prem Rawat:

It's very simple. We have to go back a long ways, at the time of Socrates-and he said something very, very beautiful and very simple, very profound: "Know thy self." All of this is all happening-all the negative stuff that is happening is because we really don't know who we are.

What does it mean to be a human being? We don't know that. We think we are a robot: "We have to get up in the morning; we have to do this; we have to do this; we have to do this; we have to do this; we have to do this."

And we judge our day by how much we accomplished-and we judge our burdens on our shoulder by what we didn't accomplish. Because that bears down on us, "I have still, still to do this; I have to still do this…." We go to sleep at night-what do we dream about? We dream about all the terrible things we still have to do, all our responsibilities. That's not a human being.

A human being is somebody who carries in them, not the darkness, but light-who carries in them caring. Not, not caring; caring-who carries in them, joy, who carries in them, clarity, not doubt. But somehow, when we don't understand who we are, then this was what happens.

There was an experiment done by this photographer in Africa-and what he did is he put a big stainless steel mirror in the jungle. And this gorilla comes-and he does not know that's him. And so he assumes that's his enemy.

And he starts beating his chest and making bad faces and screaming at him; it's like, "Get away; go away; this is my territory…." He doesn't understand that's him. Chimpanzees do the same thing-after a little while, the chimpanzees get it, "That's me."

That's the trick. When you don't know who you are, you become your own enemy. (Because that gorilla was becoming his own enemy; he was thinking that's his enemy-but it was really him!)

We become our own enemy; we cannot get along together; we don't understand "who you are, that you are just like me. You are capable of suffering pain; I am capable of suffering pain," but most importantly, "you are capable of experiencing joy and I am capable of experiencing joy." And that the joy doesn't come from outside; it comes from within you.

These are the subtle understandings. When we start to see that we don't have to be reliant on others, that we need to be reliant on us, then we begin to understand what Socrates actually said when he said "Know thyself": you are the treasure.

You want wealth-you want wealth, but where is your wealth? Is your wealth buried in a cave? Or is your wealth buried inside of you?

Interviewer:

How does one go about seeking the guidance in this respect? Because people are so busy with their day-to-day lives-across the world we see it; people don't have time for themselves, Mr. Rawat. That's the reality….

Prem Rawat:

I know. I know; I, I know that; I know that. So we want tea; we push a button. On the tea kettle, we push a button. We want to do something; we push a button. We want to take a shower; we turn a knob. And this is what people think-that they, "Give me a quick way, push a button and I can have peace." No button for peace-because it's already inside of you.

So now, how do you go-the question is, "How do you go searching for something that you already have?" So, you can't use your hands-so you can't go, "Oh, where is it; where is it; where is it; where is it?" How do you go searching for something you already have?

So, you have eyes; you see. You see everybody's eyes; you see everybody's face; you see everybody's eyes-but do you know that your eyes can't see your own eyes, themselves-that your eyes cannot see your face? You see everybody else's face-but not yours.

Not until you have a mirror in front of you. To see you, you need a mirror. To see anybody else, you don't need a mirror.

So, how do you search for something you already have? The search isn't "search"-be ready to witness. Big difference. Be ready to witness who you are-when you look in that mirror, don't be surprised what you see, because it is you.

In the same way, we are in the mode, one, "Peace is not inside of us; we will find it somewhere else." So that's what we do. We go to different countries; we go to the holy places; we go to this temple; we go to that-"That's where peace is; that's where peace is." But peace is inside of us.

So, can you accept the fact that peace is inside of you? Not so easily. This…. Why not, first, that "Yes, peace is inside of me"? Understanding that is the first step.

"I do not need to search. It is already here" is the first step, the beginning step to peace.

Interviewer:

We see so many rich, successful individuals who are so unhappy-and this is not a phenomenon that is limited to a particular geographical location. So many successful individuals are so unhappy. What's the cause for this?

Prem Rawat:

Because they were handed a formula: "Make a lot of money-and you will be happy." Well, they made a lot of money-and they're still not happy-but nobody is doing the report card. Nobody is sitting down in their life ever and saying, "What works for me and what doesn't work for me?" Nobody does that. "Is this working?" No, people just go and go and go and go.

And yesterday, when I was coming-after I arrived at the airport, I was driving and I am seeing, everybody is trying to catch the bus to go home. And they're just running after the bus and-and they do this on Mondays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

And they know the routine; they know this is what they have to do, "This is what's going on; this is what's happening." But nobody says, "Is this what my life is all about?"

And when you do, the answer is very simple: "Take care of your responsibilities-but not as they will be the source of your happiness," no. The source of your happiness you have to find inside of you….

Taking care of your responsibilities so you can have a roof over your head, that you can be sheltered during the rain; you can be sheltered when it's cold; you can have some food to eat? Then it's fine. Then it's okay. But you have to understand, "What is the main drive?"

What drives you? I asked people-I was just in Malaysia-I asked people: "You're all here because you want to be happy. Let me ask you a question: 'Why? Why do you want to be happy? Have you asked yourself, why do you want to be happy? Why do you want to be content? Why? What is so outrageous about happiness-that you like?'"

I'm not saying that they shouldn't-but I'm just asking, "Did you ever wonder, 'Why do you want to be happy?'" You, of course, know why you don't want to be sad, because that makes you feel terrible. So, if happiness makes you feel good, what are you doing in your life to truly strive for that?

You know, you look at a crab; he goes around-he's not, he doesn't have GPS; he doesn't have technology. But he has enough of a technology, he needs to eat. He eats. That's, a little crab knows that. How come we have forgotten it?

You know, the crab knows there is no value in him wearing an expensive watch and this and this-and I'm not saying you shouldn't wear an expensive watch. I'm not saying you shouldn't have fancy cars; I'm not saying you shouldn't have fancy homes. But don't look at those as the source of your happiness. The source of your happiness is inside of you.

Interviewer:

We're speaking about peace and its capacity for development in an individual.

You've said "Know thyself" is what we all need to really go back to. However, peace seems to be, today, a theoretical construct. Practically, there are too many complex implications for the effective practicality. So, how do you suppose countries need to incorporate this theory of peace into practical implementation, in terms of methodology?

Prem Rawat:

Well, we have to first begin with understanding what peace is. Because most of the world, in my traveling, I have understood, has no idea what peace is. For most people, peace is a utopia. It's this world…. And yet they don't understand how utopia came to be, (the word "utopia").

There was a novel of the same name that was written-and the author, for the first time, introduced this word "utopia." So, basically, the word actually means "no place like this"-utopia. And yet, we have created in our imagination, this scene….

Oh, and what is utopia? It is the exact opposite of our problems. In utopia, we don't have to work. In utopia, everybody is happy. I mean, it is exactly a reverse of the world that we live in, that we don't like.

If peace takes on the manifestation of utopia, (understanding what utopia means, "no place"), it's never going to happen. It's too impractical. To try to create in this world, an exact opposite world would be impossible!

But if peace is understood to be something that is already inside of you-peace is the experience, is the experience of the joy that is inside of you. Peace is the experience of clarity that is inside of you. Peace is the experience of that beauty that is inside of you. Peace is the experience of the light that is inside of you.

Interviewer:

Your final words to the people watching us right now?

Prem Rawat:

You are very fortunate; you are alive. The greatest of gifts has been given to you, the coming and going of this breath. This life is the most amazing thing you have.

You were born one day; one day you have to go. There's no "and, ifs and buts" about it. What you have-is not the wall that you came through when you were born, or the wall you're going to go through when you die. But in between those is life.

Life is dancing; life is calling your name. Life is calling you for joy, for happiness. And that is the reason why you like to be happy. Do it! Understand yourself; see yourself. See and awaken within you.

Don't wait for other things to happen-what needs to happen for you has already taken place: you are alive. And there's no better news than that.

Interviewer:

Thank you very much; this was fantastic. Mr. Prem Rawat, global Peace Ambassador, speaking to News 1st. Thank you very much.

Prem Rawat:

Thank you. Pleasure.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 46

LOCKDOWN

WITH PREM RAWAT

COUNTDOWN TO PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

46

Road sign:

N17 (N1) Pretoria

N17 Soweto

Prem Rawat:

I'm here today in a free South Africa.

Inscription:

NELSON MANDELA

SQUARE

Prem Rawat:

But we have to make sure that the freedom is not only outside, but the freedom is also on the inside. Because without the freedom that is inside, freedom outside really doesn't matter.

Onscreen text:

Kabelo Padi

Peace Education Program Facilitator

Kabelo Moses Padi:

We see that people are thirsty for this kind of message to come to them.

Onscreen, banner:

UDF - OUR STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION

IS A STRUGGLE FOR PEACE

Kabelo Moses Padi:

Because especially here in Soweto-Soweto, it's a township in which most of the apartheid activities have occurred. And I think the message will really educate our local communities to say, "Peace begins with you-your inner peace."

Onscreen text:

Ernest Leketi

Youth Development Coordinator

City of Joburg Department of Social Development

Ernest Leketi:

Before and after I attended the Peace Education Program, it's different. Because before, I never had a clear understanding of peace-but it was only the general peace, which is the social peace. After I got the message which was shared by His Excellency Prem Rawat, I got the understanding of inner peace.

Onscreen text:

PEP

Peace Education

Blossoming in South Africa

Narrator:

PEP continues to blossom in South Africa, as a growing number of NGOs, schools and training centers have integrated the workshops into their programs. Ernest Leketi and the passionate team of volunteers in Soweto have played a key role in expanding the reach of programs in that historic township and beyond.

Ernest Leketi:

When we engage communities, you find young people who lost hope. But once they're introduced to the Peace Education Program, they now start to respect themselves to take themselves very seriously.

Onscreen text:

HITTENDRA NAGIN

PEP Support Team South Africa

Hittendra Nagin:

It doesn't point to their problems; it points to them as a source of hope, as a source of energy to take things forward.

Onscreen text:

MATSHIDISO MAIBIBA

PEP Participant

Matshidiso Maibiba:

It taught me to love, not to have grudges and to forgive people who have hurt me.

Tholoana Chalatse:

I was a person full of anger-even a simple thing, I would snap. But through the program, it taught me to be chilled, not to take things abruptly or act in a manner which I might be ashamed of tomorrow. So, there was transformation because I've got to learn new things, new techniques on how to avoid situations which might lead me into trouble.

PEP Participant: [female]

For me, this whole program has just, it basically introduced me to me. And it showed me that, in order to be good with other people, I'd have to start with me first.

[End]

Onscreen text:

A Formula for Peace

Prem Rawat in Soweto, South Africa

Prem Rawat:

You have to remember one thing-and one thing that you have to remember is, you are not your problems.

Whatever the problems may be, whatever the problems may come and go, you are not your problem. You are a human being; you have a certain power; you have a certain strength. And problems are like clouds-they come; they go; sometimes they are big; sometimes they're small; sometimes they're not there-and sometimes they're there, everywhere!

But the mountain that sits on the ground does not move with the clouds, doesn't become bigger or smaller with the clouds. You are the mountain; clouds are your problems. So, here is the story.

One day, there was a man who had never seen elephants-he had never seen an elephant. So he decided that he wanted to go see an elephant, so he inquired-and he was told that there is a village in Africa where they have big elephants. So the man made his journey to Africa-he went and he saw very big elephants. And never having seen the elephants, he was really surprised.

And then he looked and he saw that the elephants were tied with a very small thin rope around their feet-and that was it. So, he was surprised: "Such a big elephant, only being held in place by a small little rope?"

So he went to the chief-and he said, "Chief, these elephants, they're strong, aren't they?" And the chief goes, "Oh, yes, they're very, very strong." He said, "Chief, I have a question. How can such a big animal, so strong, so powerful, be held back with just this tiny little rope?"

And the chief said, "Oh-ho, let me explain. When they were babies, we used to tie them with this rope. And they tried to move but they couldn't move. And we kept them like that.

"And now that they have grown big and strong, they stopped trying. And they think that this tiny rope can still hold them in place. Of course, if they tried, this rope cannot hold back such a powerful animal-but the elephants have given up trying."

So, why did I tell this story-because in a way, this is what is happening. Who we are, who you are is much bigger than the sum of your problems. But these problems come and they're holding you back-and you do not realize your own power. You don't realize your own strength-that as a human being you have the strength in you to go beyond these barriers.

If you dream of a clear day, it is possible. If you dream of a country that gives you opportunity and hope, it is possible. And who is going to do it-you have to do it.

We, the people of this planet Earth, are the people responsible for its destiny. We look towards leaders to solve our problems. These so-called "leaders" have been failing us year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year-and we just sit there; go, "Yes, fix it." How?!

Our reliance needs to be on us! Not on the leaders-us. Us, bringing hope to each other; us, lighting the way for each other.

One thing that, before I came here, I was having a meeting with some of the people. And I said to them that "Even when you have your problems, even when you have situations that are not good, the good is always there." The good is always there.

If one morning you wake up and you open your door-and it's foggy, very hard fog, very dense fog. Does that mean everything has disappeared? It's still there-you cannot see it, but it is still there. And when the fog lifts, it will come back.

This requires patience. This requires patience. But if you only have patience and you are doing nothing else, it's not going to work. You cannot just sit there and go, "Okay, okay, what can I do; what can I do; what can I do; what can I do?"

Do whatever it takes. Do whatever it takes-and people will say, "Well, what can you do about the fog?" Move! Move to a place where they don't have fog. You don't like fog; move to a place where you don't have fog.

But people sit there and go, "Oh, yeah, I've got terrible problems. I have got…." Because we like to complain. We love to complain.

If we had nothing to complain-and two people met each other on the street, I don't know what they would say to each other. They would be like…. "I don't know what to say."

But we love to complain; we love to complain about God: "Look what…." And just recently I saw an article where somebody said, "Oh, God is terrible; God is this; God is this." Why are you complaining? God made you; you made your problems-why are you blaming God? God made you-and you are the god of your problems. You created your problems.

And are you more important in your world-are you more important than your problems? No. Problems come to eat you and you go, "Here, which hand would you like to eat first? Would you like my leg first; would you like my head first? What?"

This is not strength. This is weakness. This is not clarity. This is doubt. This is not your life; this is not who you are. You are that powerful elephant-who has forgotten who he is, who she is.

So, four things: I will give you a formula to be in peace, to be happy-and here it is, four things. (It's really good. It's easy.) One: (And I'm writing a book on this.) One: "Know yourself." You don't know yourself? You're going to be a ping-pong, just bouncing off this wall, bouncing off that wall, bouncing off that wall…. This is what you're going to be.

Two-"Have gratitude in your life. Be thankful." Because gratitude will bring you appreciation-and appreciation will bring you gratitude. Appreciate what you have.

The problem of greed in this world? One thing a greedy person cannot do, and you know what that is? Appreciate. As soon as a greedy person starts appreciating, greed stops. That's what they cannot do.

There are people in this world who, every day, want to make "more money, more money, more money, more money, more money." If they started appreciating the money they have, they would stop making it. So, they want to make more money-and so they don't appreciate what they have; they just want more and more and more. So, the second thing is gratitude.

Third thing-very important for you; pay attention-third thing. (All these are very important.) Third thing: "If you fail-if you fail, don't accept failure. Separate failing and failure."

What do you think? Do you understand what I'm saying? (Fail and failure?) Let me give you an example. And here is the example-you have all done this. You have all experienced in your life that you failed but you did not accept failure. Do you know that?

When you were a tiny baby and you were learning how to walk, you failed. You got up-and you went, "Yeah-aaaah, bonk!" You failed! Right? But you did not accept failure. You got up again-and you went…. And you failed again! But you did not accept failure. You got up again.

Today, when you fail, what happens? What happens to you when you fail today? Finished: depression, "Oh my God, what's going to happen to me; I failed?"

You think the little baby does that? "I'm depressed. I failed…." And this failing can go on a whole day, two days, three days, four days, five days, six days, seven days, eight days, nine days, ten days. But because the baby failed but never accepted failure, the baby succeeds. But you fail and immediately accept failure.

So, remember now, "Know yourself"-this will bring you peace. Knowing yourself will bring you peace. "Gratitude, appreciation" will bring you happiness. "Failing but never accepting failure" will bring you hope. Because now, you will look at the whole world a different way. If you fail? "Ha-ha, no problem; try again." Hope! That's what hope is.

When you see no door, when you see no path, when you see no road, that is the end of hope. That's the end of hope. You see no other chance. But if you see another door, another road, another way, another path, hope: "I'll go that way. I'll go that way." And that's what it is.

And the fourth thing. Ah-ha-ha-hah, I know the fourth thing is going to be shocking to you-because of your culture; I understand your culture. Indian culture is very similar-and it's because of that. But now, we're talking about being in peace-and having a happy life, right?

So, the last thing, very important: "Don't care about what other people think of you." Don't. So, you're sitting there going, "Oh, yeah, I wonder what he's thinking, and I'm, and I bet he thinks I am crazy and-and, I think he's thinking that, you know, I'm no good and I, neh-neh, naah…."

As soon as you stop caring about what other people think of you-you empower yourself to be strong. So, I know this is difficult-but here are the four things. If you can take these four things and really take them to heart in your life, I guarantee you a change.

Because these are the things that put us in a box-and we forget who we are, that we are the powerful elephant, and these things that we call "problems," they can't keep us. But we have forgotten, and we think these ropes are much stronger than they actually are.

So, I wanted to tell you that-and I hope you think about it. That's all I want you to do, at least, think about it.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 47

Saya Pierce-Jones:

When we found out that Prem was going to be in Cape Town, I mean, he's world-famous for promoting this idea of peace-and specifically in Cape Town and South Africa as well, we're dealing with quite a few issues at the moment.

Onscreen text:

Saya Pierce-Jones

Smile 90.4FM Radio Presenter

Saya Pierce-Jones:

And having someone like Prem here to talk about peace and what peace really means from a global perspective is something that I think all of us need to hear and need to listen to, in terms of starting to deal with the problems that we're facing here at home.

[From her interview with Prem Rawat]

Obviously, you know, our nation is a very, very young one at the moment-and post '94, that was our initial idea of, "What is peace now?" And at the moment, we are seeing kind of an upsurging of different tensions among different-whether it's racial groups, whether it's income groups….

That idea of peace that we had post '94 doesn't seem to be the same one that we have now. Is that something that interests you as well?

Onscreen text:

Prem Rawat

Global Peace Ambassador

Prem Rawat:

Yes, very much so-because I think, anywhere you go on the face of this earth, people have their formulas of what peace is going to be: "Well, yeah, make me economically more viable, and I'll be happy for the rest of my life."

But in reality, peace or happiness is subjective, not objective. And people forget that, that they can't just follow a list and say, "Yeah, I'm happy now, because I have this and I have this and I have this!"

But first of all, we have to understand ourselves: "Are we the source of our joy and peace or not?" Because if we're not in the equation, then it doesn't matter what happens around us; we are never going to be able to enjoy it or feel it.

So it becomes very, very important that we begin with ourselves. It is all about you; you are the one; you have to say, "Yes, I feel peace" or "No, I don't feel peace," because whatever the list is and how many things are marked on it has nothing to do with it. Because peace and happiness really are, very much so, subjective, not objective.

And I started speaking about peace to people when I was four years old. When I talk to people-and this is what I keep praying every day-that all I see is people. Not the color, not their suits, not their ties, not their hairdo, not their lipstick, not their faces, but I see people.

And I can look at every person…. And this is something that I really have to hone in on-that I am not looking at people from South Africa; I'm looking at human beings. And when I look at human beings, I see hope. I see a joy; I see a need that is unfulfilled.

We are human beings on this face of this earth; we all began our-mankind started from this continent, Africa. And I always say, "How incredible it would be, that this was the birthplace of mankind-and it would be incredible if this was also the birthplace of peace and hope for mankind."

Saya Pierce-Jones:

That's fantastic.

Onscreen text:

In 1950, the apartheid government of

South Africa introduced the Group Areas Act.

As a result, people of color were forcefully

moved to areas known as townships,

historically associated with gangsterism,

desperate poverty, and horrendous abuse.

Prem Rawat visited a school in one

of these most deprived townships-a

place stricken with gang warfare

and drug-addicted poverty, with little

hope for the future.

Prem spoke to children ages

seven to thirteen, many of whom

have suffered unthinkable abuse.

School sign:

Die Duine

Primary School

Onscreen text:

Anthea Adriaanse

Die Duine Primary School Principal

Anthea Adriaanse:

I think you see it as you travel to the school-you sort of look at the housing, and you can see immediately that it's basically your underdeveloped, lots of poverty….

Onscreen text:

Prem Rawat

Global Peace Ambassador

Prem Rawat:

No matter how ugly the situation becomes, you are not ugly-because in you, there is a profound beautiful beauty. Know and understand that.

Onscreen text:

The Hero

In You

Die Duine Primary School

Anthea Adriaanse:

The challenges we face are absent parents, lack of a value system in our homes of learners, single parents, drug abuse by parents and sometimes learners, as well as gangsterism and violence. All of this has a negative impact on the learners-and then ultimately, on the teaching.

Prem Rawat:

That even in the middle of the chaos, you find your strength. That even in the middle of all the things that are wrong-and when there is no light, and when there is darkness, and when there is confusion, that there is a light in your heart.

Ben Caesar: [rap song]

I see you; well, what's up?

I see you; I see you; I see you; I see you, hey!

Right in front of me, I'm looking at the future of this country,

It's looking lovely. Oh, yes, yes, give me an up; what's up with you?

I see you; I see you; I see you….

Prem Rawat:

I would like to talk to you a little bit about something very, very special. And what I want to talk to you about is the Superman in you. You know about Superman? [Audience: Yes, I do.] And he's strong. Even when things on the outside are not good, he's still strong.

And the same way, I want to talk to you about your strength. I know that there are problems-there are problems everywhere-but you have a strength. And you need to tap into that strength, because not all days are going to be good. But even when the days are good and even when the days are bad, you have a strength in you.

*** Lions don't live in the jungle. In India, lions live in the Gir Forest, a dry deciduous forest. In Africa they live on the savanna plains. ***

Let me tell you a story about knowing your self. Would you like to hear a story? [Audience: Yes!] So, one day, there was a lion, and he was in the jungle-and people were afraid to go into that jungle because they knew there was a big, big lion.

But there was also this farmer and he had some sheep, and he would take them grazing. And sometimes they would get a little close, too close to the jungle, and they would hear the roar of the lion and all the sheep would go running.

One day the farmer came across a little baby lion lying on the side of the road. And the lion was almost dead, very weak. So he picked up the baby lion and he took him home-and he put him under a nice blanket, and he gave him some warm milk and he took care of him. In a few days, the baby lion recovered.

And he started bouncing everywhere-you know, the little baby lion is going here, going there, "Aaa-whaa, ah-whaah, ah-whaah, ah-whaah." So, he thought that the baby lion would tear up his whole house, so he took the baby lion and he put it with the sheep, where all the sheep stayed.

And the baby lion wanted to play with the sheep, and-at first, the sheep were afraid of the baby lion. But then they saw that it was just a baby; that it couldn't really hurt anybody-so they became friends.

And every day, the farmer would let the sheep out, and the baby lion would go out-and he saw the sheep grazing and so he started grazing. And when the sheep would go, "Baah-hah-hah-hah," he tried to go, "Baa-hah-hah-hah," but he couldn't. And day after day after day, being with the sheep, he too thought that he was a sheep. That's all he knew.

One day that big lion from the jungle gave a big roar, and stepped out of the jungle towards the farm. And all the sheep, upon hearing this big, ferocious roar, got very afraid. And all the sheep ran to hide. And some went and hid under the barn, and some went and hid behind that tree, and some went and hid behind the bush….

And the baby lion, too-because what did he think he was? [Audience: A sheep.] Because he thought he was a sheep, also went and hid in the trunk of a tree-there was a big hollow and he went, and he's shaking. All the sheep are shaking; he's shaking. He's afraid.

And the big lion comes into the farm…. And he sees all the sheep are afraid of him-but then he saw something really curious. He saw this lion-and he was afraid of the lion. And he sees this lion is shaking.

So, the big lion said, "I can understand why all the sheep are afraid, but why are you afraid?" And the little baby lion said, "Oh, please, please don't eat me."

"Eat you? Don't you know you are a lion?" "Oh, yes, anything, anything you say, anything you say, but don't eat me."

"So, what's wrong with you? Don't you know who you are?" He said, "Oh, I'm just a poor little sheep. I'm just a poor little sheep. Don't eat me." And the big lion said, "No, you're not. Come with me; I'll show you who you are."

So he took him by the lake, (still shaking), took him by the lake-and he said, "Look, look at your reflection-and see who you are." And both the big lion and the little lion looked in the lake-and the little lion saw, he was not a sheep; he was a lion!

And at this, he looked up, looked up at the lion-and without fear, he too gave out a big roar. Not, "Eh-heh-heh-heh," but a roar. And the big lion roared and the little lion roared. And he said, "Come with me. Come to the jungle, where you can be the king." So, that's the story.

We look at our problems; we look at this world; we look at what is going on-and we start to feel a part of it. But in reality, we are not a part of it. We are something else.

First of all, no matter what happens around us, we need to be our own island; we need to be our own strength; we need to be our own understanding.

If you look at this world-and if it was a map, on this map you will see many, many roads, many, many, many, many, many roads-but not all those roads take you to a nice place; not all those roads take you to a good place.

There is one road that does. And you have to go on that road; you have to be on that road. Because knowing yourself is also understanding who you are, what is your nature. Your nature is not anger; your nature is to love. Your nature-your nature is to be in peace. This is who you are.

And this is what makes you that Superman-that even in the middle of the chaos, you find your strength. That even in the middle of all the things that are wrong-and when there is no light, and when there is darkness, and when there is confusion, that there is a light in your heart-and you let that light shine. And there is a hope. When everything is hopeless, there is a hope.

Do you know, when I say Superman, I really mean it. And this is-I'm going to give you another example. Do you know you did something really incredible? You've all done something really incredible, but you don't think about it.

Today-today, if you fail at something, do you become sad? Yes? And sometimes so sad that you give up? But do you know that you have done something where you failed-but you never accepted failure? That's what Superman does. He fails-many times he fails, but he never accepts failure-and he tries again.

So, all of you, (you're quite young), but when you even were younger, and you were learning how to walk…. I don't think you remember that, do you? You do? [Child: Yes, we know this.] Have you seen other babies learning how to walk, maybe your brother, maybe your sister?

And so they get up-right? And they go, "Eeuuhh-ah-ahh…." And then they fall down. Right? Do they get sad? Do they accept failure? [Audience: No.] No, they get right back up.

And you did the same thing; you did exactly the same thing. You failed-but you never accepted failure-and you got up. You got up. Do you remember that? Have you seen that? That is wisdom! That's genius. That's Superman in action.

Learning how to walk: failing, but getting up. And one day, because that kept happening again and again and again and again, the baby finally took the steps and did not fall down. And the baby learned to walk.

You know how to walk, right? [Child: Right.] You know who taught you how to walk? Do you remember who taught you how to walk? [Audience: Yes.] Who? You! You taught yourself how to walk-because at that age, nobody could give you a lecture.

And that required courage; that required understanding; that required patience-and most importantly, that required never to accept failure.

Know who you are, because when you do know who you are, you will learn your powers; you will learn your strength; you will learn who you want to be. This will bring you happiness, even when the situation is sad. This will bring you joy. This can make your life, every day of your life a Christmas.

Do you know that every day you are given presents, every day you are given gifts-do you know that? And the most important gift that you are given is the gift of life. Every day, you are given a gift of life. Yours to do with, what you want to do. If you accept it, accept it.

You have something to do; you have a mission-Superman, you have a mission. And your mission is to shape yourself to face the world; be educated, so that you can go out in this world and accomplish what you want to accomplish.

Focus. Practice peace-and you will become good at it. So, if you just remember who you are-you're not the problem. You're not the problem. Remember that you have the strength in you. And remember that you are that lion, not the sheep. Also, remember, whatever you do the most, you will become good at it. And that's how simple it is.

Because, if you understand, think-this is also one of the gifts you have. Know yourself; understand yourself-and with strength, go out into this world. Be the strength; be that power. And that's what I wanted to come and tell you today.

No matter how ugly the situation becomes, you are not ugly-because in you, there is a profound beautiful beauty. Know and understand that.

So, that's what I wanted to come and tell you today-it's great to see you, great to meet you-and I really hope that you take what I have said to heart, so that you can have a beautiful, bright future. You don't have to be a part of all that is wrong; you can be a part of all that is good, all that is right.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 48

Courage in Peace

Narrator:

For more than twenty-five years, the small South Asian island of Sri Lanka was devastated by civil war. According to the United Nations, an estimated 80 to 100,000 people were killed and millions more were traumatized.

Since 2009, the nation has embarked on a challenging process of reconciliation-and in recent years, that process has included the Peace Education Program, embraced by the Bureau of Rehabilitation to help former fighters and civilians alike heal and build a culture of peace.

Prem Rawat, founder of the Peace Education Program, was invited by government officials to meet with ex-combatants and rehabilitation officers.

Individual: [male, translated onscreen]

I'm very happy to have seen you. In 1983 I was involved in the war, and I am now rehabilitated. Had I learnt the Peace Education Program before, I would not have got involved. But now I understand the truth inside, and we learnt it through your message.

In my life, even for my children or my grandchildren, if all those millions of people could only learn this. The Peace Education Program, we should learn it from an early age.

When you look at Sri Lanka now…. Thirty years ago there was war. After the war, now there's no war in our country, but there are so many people affected by the war. This peace, when we see your video, it must go to everybody. Not only the people who have been involved in the war, it must go to everybody! It must reach everybody.

Prem Rawat:

Umm, yeah, well, we are trying; we are trying. And so many schools now, we are starting the Peace Education Program, so people can have an understanding.

You are right: war punishes the innocent. And the first casualty of war is truth.

So, whatever has happened, and what can happen? The most amazing miracle is that the breath is still coming into you-and so far this breath keeps coming into you, you still have an agenda-and the agenda is life. Live it; understand it; feel the joy in your life; feel the clarity in your life. Grow. Be who you are. Understand what is inside of you. And be fulfilled.

Individual: [male, translated onscreen]

Good morning to everybody. I am an officer of the army. I am somebody who is very deeply involved in the rehabilitation process. And after this program, this peace, the peace between people, between races, to develop these, this program became a great resource.

And we are very happy; we have to be happy-that we are able to engage and connect on this occasion. And we wish that the peace in Sri Lanka, peace in the world, and the peace in the universe, to make it happen. We pray that you will have the strength and the courage to make it happen, now and in the future.

Prem Rawat:

Thank you; thank you.

Onscreen text:

What is

Peace?

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Prem Rawat:

As I travel the world and I say to people, "peace"-and people have no idea what peace is, no idea. For most people, escaping from their problems is peace.

You see, let me ask you a question, "Why do you want peace? Why? Why do you want peace?" [Individual: We want peace-because we are human.] Well, so what? You want dahl too. No? Do you like rice? [Individual: Yes, definitely.] Do you like rice? [Individual: Certainly.] So, you like rice too!

But that doesn't say "rice is possible"; that says, "Peace is Possible." Why do you want peace? [Individual: To be happy.] Ah, to be happy! Oh, how many of you want peace because it makes you happy? Raise your hand.

So, next question, "Why do you want to be happy?" [Individual: Because it feels good.] It feels good? And that's why you want to be happy, because it feels good? [Audience: Yes, because it feels good.]

Why do you want to feel good? [Individual: Yeah…. It's our nature.] Well, you have many natures. You have a nature to itch when it itches-but your parents have told, "Don't stick your finger up your nose." And sometimes your nose itches, but it's not nice, so you resist, right?

You want to resist peace? [Audience: No.] You want to resist feeling good? [Audience: No.] You want to resist being happy? [Individuals: No, that's what it's for.]

So the question again becomes, "Why do you want to feel good? Why do you want to be happy? Why do you want peace?"

So, is your happiness not always there? Does happiness fall from the sky? Does happiness grow in the field? What is your happiness? I am asking these questions because I want to engage you. I want you to think! I want you to understand that peace isn't running away from your problems. Peace isn't about your problems. Peace isn't about the good and bad; peace isn't about the confusion. What is peace?

As human beings-as human beings, we have two parts to us. Why? It's just a physical rule; you cannot have a one-sided coin. Every coin has two sides; even if you split the coin to get rid of one side, you will still have two sides. Just the law of nature, right?

So, every time you are confused, guess what the other side of that is-clarity, that far away. When you find yourself in darkness, light is that far away. When you find yourself in sorrow-happiness, joy is that far away. That-I'm just being, so you can see. It's less distance than that, believe me.

And you have two natures in you. You have kindness; you have clarity; this is your nature too. Kindness, clarity, compassion, joy, light is your nature too-and confusion, anger, frustration is also your nature.

So, don't get, you know, like, "Oh, yeah, yeah. I like that. I like, 'Light is my nature.'"-no, darkness is your nature too. Darkness is your nature too-but so is light. So is light.

So there is a place in you, the place where that light is, where that joy is, where that clarity is, where that understanding is. And that, experiencing that place will bring you peace. That's what peace is. That's what peace is. If you want to call that "the Divine," feel free. (It doesn't matter, not to the Divine; it matters to you, not to the Divine. Never has; never will.)

What I tell you today is so that you can benefit in your life-that this life that you have is the most precious thing there is. Nothing will be more precious than this life that you have.

The tragedy-the tragedy is to have this life and not know it, to have the wealth and not recognize it, to have the Divine and never find it. That's a tragedy. That's a tragedy. Looking for what you always had and you never found it-because you didn't need to look; you needed to discover.

This relationship of absence and presence-we don't understand the presence; the presence is real. Absence is nothing.

What is the presence? The presence is, this breath just came into you; this is the presence. And we forget. We forget-we forget because we are playing the wrong game, not of the presence, but of the absence. And so far we keep this, this is the game, my friends, of ignorance. And what you are looking for-that word "peace" indicates knowledge, not ignorance.

And the world is trying to figure out, in the world of ignorance, "what knowledge means." "Impossible." I say, "Impossible. Impossible." It'll never figure it out-that's why the world doesn't know what peace is. Because we're playing a game of ignorance with ourselves-and wars that we hate are a result, not of knowledge, but of ignorance.

So, which world do you want to live in? Which world do you want to live in? The world of presence? Or the world of absence?

If you want to live in the world of presence-not beliefs, but knowledge…. That's what happens; when you live in the world of absence, you have to have beliefs because there's nothing present. So, belief: "Believe it's there; believe that's there. Believe this there; believe this there; believe this there; believe this; gods live just slightly above the clouds…."

I'm a pilot-and I, when I travel around the world, I fly myself. And don't you think, also being born in India, I keep a lookout? So, you're climbing above the clouds and you're going, "Hmm, anybody there; anybody there?"

Because you don't want to hit a god…. And that will be messy. (Some of those gods go around in their own vessels, you know, and you don't want-that would be messy.) There's nothing there. Just clouds, more clouds, more clouds, more clouds, more clouds.

But, you live in the world of beliefs: "They are there." You live in the world of "present," in the world of knowledge…. "Where, where, where?" Then the answer is, "Here, here, here, here."

Look within; turn within-it's the most beautiful journey, most incredible journey. That's the world of knowledge; that's the world of peace; that's the world of understanding that we are human beings, that we can all make a difference. And this is the possibility. This is the possibility.

In your life, goodness awaits-the Divine, for you, awaits to be discovered-joy, treasures! Hey, listen, you have no limit for joy. Pain, you do. After a little while, it's too much; "Aaaah, I want out." Joy, no limit.

You can be joyful every day for the rest of your life-not a problem. Not a problem. Not a problem. Sadness every day? Ugh, uh-huh, and you will find a big cliff somewhere-"Whsht." And that's what people do.

A lot of people think they're insignificant. Right? "I'm nothing…." Ah! But this is where the Divine lives. This is where the light lives; this is where the goodness lives; this is where compassion lives; this is where kindness lives. What are you talking about, "insignificant"?

The only reason why you would want to pretend to be insignificant is so you can offload your responsibilities. "I'm nothing; I can't do anything."

And what is God? Presence or absence? Who are you, presence or absence? Are you beliefs? Because if you do not know yourself, you're just beliefs-absence, not presence. When there is the possibility to know, you don't stay in beliefs; you come to knowledge. And Knowledge of the self is the most beautiful knowledge there is.

Socrates said, "Know thyself. Know thyself." Aristotle said, "To know others is wisdom; to know the self is Knowledge." Then everything changes. Now you're not taking a bucket-and trying to fill it with darkness and throw it out the window.

When sadness comes, you go, "Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa, wait-wait-wait-wait, wait-wait-wait-wait, wait-wait, wait." Sadness comes; you go, "Wait-wait-wait-wait and where is the joy?" It's like, "Oh, yeah, let me get rid of the sadness here." No, bring the joy.

Welcome in your life, every day, the Divine-that is not only outside but also inside of you. Find the treasures within; live this life.

When everything is right in your life, there is something that happens-and let me tell you, (this is, again, sixty years talking), something happens-and you know everything is right…. You know how you know everything is right?

When your heart is full of gratitude, then you know-then you know. Not "gratitude to whom," not "gratitude for what?" No, no, no, no, none of that; just when your heart is full of gratitude, then you know all is well. All is well. Life is blessed.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 49

The Road To

PEACE

Colombia has been in an undeclared civil war for

over five decades with victims on both sides.

In recent years, the urgency for finding a path to

peace has become evident.

Is Peace

Possible?

Medellin, Colombia

Individual 1: [female, translated onscreen]

I'd say, yes, so long as people are more tolerant

regarding certain things and situations.

Individual 2: [male, translated onscreen]

Yes, of course. We just have to do our part

and maintain responsibility for our actions

in everything we do and I think

everyone can have their own peace.

Definitely.

Individual 3: [male, translated onscreen]

Yes, it's possible.

Individual 4: [female]

I don't, no.

Because there are lots of problems in society

and every time it's worse, every time

ambitions are worse and

that's something I see as difficult.

Do I think it can be controlled?

Perhaps. But to achieve it

one hundred percent? No.

Individual 3: [male]

I think it's possible if we all coordinate

as a community, independently.

That will make all the difference.

Onscreen text:

The Colombian government is currently involved in one of the

largest peace efforts in history. As part of the 2016 treaty,

they will give amnesty to fighters who leave the conflict

and complete a reincorporation program.

Prem Rawat:

What an opportunity this is, at least, for me, to be able to come to Colombia. And to be able to talk about this beautiful chance, as Colombia tries to rebuild itself to a point where there can be peace.

Onscreen text:

In 2017, Prem Rawat visited Medellin, Colombia to meet

one-on-one with program participants and to give the

keynote address at a Peace Forum.

Onscreen text:

Yenifer Quintero

Victim/Student, Institución Educativa Pedro Nel Ospina

Ituango

Yenifer Quintero: [translated]

I wanted to talk to you. I had a chance to do the Peace Education Program. And that helped me a lot, to see you and to hear you. I want to learn a lot of beautiful things. Because I was a direct victim of violence.

And so, over there where I'm from, you see that a lot more. And this has helped me so much in my own personal effort to overcome what I had been subject to. And it's such a great opportunity to be able to meet you.

Onscreen text:

COLOMBIA

Martha Elena Pineda

PEP Contact for Colombia

Martha Elena Pineda:

Prem Rawat came to Medellín. There he met with the Secretary of Education of the government of Antioquia and signed this agreement to bring PEP to 500 schools of the small towns that surround the big city of Medellín.

The visit from Prem Rawat really helped us spread the PEP program, because when other governors and other Secretaries of Education found out what we did in Antioquia, they wanted to do the same.

Now there are two, one of them is Huila, and the other is Atlántico.

Onscreen text:

ANA ZAPATA

Secretariat of Education - Atlántico, Colombia

Ana Zapata:

This is a very important program. It would have an effect from now on and onwards on the future of our children and adolescents in Colombia.

Onscreen text:

SEBASTIÁN RODRIGUEZ

Student - Atlántico, Colombia

Sebastián Rodriguez:

In order for us to have peace in the world we all need to start with ourselves. I would like to thank Mr. Prem Rawat and all the other people that are behind this program. You all have changed our lives with this program; it has helped us become better people every day.

Onscreen text:

ARIANDI MIRANDA MONQUER

Student - Atlántico, Colombia

Ariandi Miranda Monquer:

This program has shown me that I'm an important human being, and that I'm a valuable person. I want to say to all of you out there that you are all valuable people, that you should look for your inner peace, beauty, and the light from within, so it can reflect outward.

Onscreen text:

Silvia Gonzalez

Teacher - Atlántico, Colombia

Silvia Gonzalez:

Students who have had the opportunity to attend the Peace Education Program have a positive attitude change. Now we share more, we dialogue more. The school climate has changed remarkably in the institution.

Onscreen text:

VALENTINA MENDOZA

Student - Atlántico, Colombia

Valentina Mendoza:

It's very inspiring and it's really useful as it helps us find inner peace, and helping others to do so, too.

Class in unison:

Thank you, Prem Rawat, we are connected with peace!

Onscreen text:

On Finding

Fulfillment

Medellin, Colombia

Prem Rawat:

Today, you have come here to listen about peace. People come to me, "Yes, we want peace. How do we find peace?" So I say to them, "You don't need to find peace."

"You don't need to find peace?"

You came here for peace, right-to hear about peace? Because you're interested in peace? Would you like to have peace? [Audience: Yes.] Would you like to-would you like me to tell you an easy formula to have peace every day? [Individuals: Please! Yes. I'd like that.] Would you like that? [Audience: Yes. We'd like to have this, please.]

A formula that doesn't require any exercise, no dieting, no going places, easy to remember-yes? Quick? Yes? [Audience: Yes!] Don't worry, I can do that. I can do that. It's very simple. The peace you are looking for is in you.

My friends, the thirsty one is walking the desert and dying of thirst, the one who has in him and her, an ocean of the sweetest, most beautiful water within. The question is, "Will this traveler die of thirst?" And the answer is, "It's up to him. It's up to her." Why?

Somebody said, "That there is a drop in the ocean-there is a drop in the ocean, everyone knows." Right? "But, 'There is an ocean in the drop,' very few understand."

You are the drop. You are the drop in which there is an ocean. And this ocean is of the sweetest water-not salty water-sweetest water. And when this person is going to die of thirst, what should I tell him or her? What should I say? What should I say? What should I say? What should I say?!

What should I say? "Goodbye; hope your death is not too painful"? Or should I ask him or her, "What are you doing? Why are you not drinking the water that is within you, and satisfying and quenching your thirst?"

You have a thousand questions; I have a few. You have a thousand questions, but I have a few-and my few questions can answer your thousand questions.

Because my question to you is very simple: "When an ocean of joy exists within you, why are you sad? When an ocean of clarity exists within you, why are you confused? When the lamp is lit inside of you, why do you live in darkness? Why? When there is an ocean of hope in you, why do you live in despair? When there is unlimited wealth inside of you, why do you feel poor? Why? Why?"

That's my question to you. That's my question to you. Answer me-and you will answer your own questions. Because this existence is a blessing. It's a blessing! It's a blessing-the ultimate blessing. It's the ultimate gift. And it's been given to you!

So let me ask you, (again, one of my questions), "Are you something?-or nothing?" You answer my question-and you will answer your thousand questions. Because, the answer, you know. You know that so far life comes in you….

And what is this thing called life? What is this thing that keeps you alive-have you ever thought of it? The same thing that has created the universe, and universes. You cannot even begin to fathom…. You cannot even begin to fathom what that Divine is-but that Divine is what keeps everything going, including you.

So, how much is this worth? As much as what's within it. What is within it? The infinite is within it. This is the drop that has, what in it? The ocean.

The laws of physics are broken. "Something big can hold something small; something small cannot hold something bigger than it." But here it does. In the confines of this is the ocean of hope-because of that beauty that resides in your heart.

So, people say, "What is a heart? Where is it? Where is it?" So, the place where courage in you resides is called "the heart"-the courage. The place where clarity in you resides is called the heart. And the place where hope in you resides is called the heart-and the place where the Divine in you resides is called the heart. That's your heart. Where is it? In you.

So, when I say you are blessed, I mean it. If you haven't found the Divine in you, what is the point in pointing up? If you cannot see the Divine that resides in your heart, how will you see the Divine that resides in the universe-how?

If you cannot understand what your heart knows, how are you going to be able to understand? By trying to search, by trying to go places, by trying to find what is within you, what is inside, how will you find it out there if you haven't found it in here?

So, let's see. We were talking about peace, right? And I said, "There's a simple answer to finding peace," did I not? See? "In you. In you. In you. In you. In you."

So far you are here, your heaven is here; your hell is here. What is heaven? Heaven is that place where you are fulfilled. What is hell? When you are not in heaven. Simple. What does heaven feel like? It feels heavenly. And when you are not feeling fulfilled, quenched, in that hope, in that joy? You're in hell.

Simple as that. So, it's in you; it's in you; it's in you; it's in you.

Onscreen text:

© TimelessToday. All Rights Reserved.

Video content courtesy of

The Prem Rawat Foundation

Creative Commons

Attribution

International Crisis Group

Notimex TV

Lockdown Broadcast Day 51

Journey to

the Self

Prem Rawat:

What is "journey to the self"? Who is the self? What is the self? And why a journey to the self? I mean, aren't you with you all the time? So, what do you mean, "journey to the self"?

And in here lies a lot of little issues that we deal with every single day. Because whoever we may be, we don't like confusion. We just don't-and it's fairly universal, right across the board.

And we don't like anger-well, we don't actually know when we're getting angry, because it's a surprise-but then what happens afterwards, we don't like it. We don't like to be sad. We don't like to be in fear. Pain is really-we're just not very well suited to take on pain. (Joy, we don't have a problem with.)

So, what is the self, and why the journey? Because "journey" here, (verb), implies travel.

And here is the issue. Because when you look around you in this world, the situation of this world…. And I may say that I may have a fairly unique perspective on this-because, one, I have been doing this for fifty years-some of you weren't even born then; some of you weren't even a twinkle in your mom and dad's eye.

And when I started-actually, when I started speaking about peace to large gatherings, I was four, as you might have heard in that documentary-and then I started taking this message out when I was nine. So, I've seen the world; I travel the world quite a bit. And I see something-and what I see is that people have moved away from themselves.

You hear Socrates saying "Know thyself"-very common. But do you know that Socrates also said, "You won't be happy"-this is paraphrasing-"you won't be happy if you don't get what you want." (Because we're not.)

So, here you are-you're alive-and here is the situation, and this is an analogy. One day you receive this lottery ticket. And you have won. And the ticket allows you, entitles you to go to this shopping mall.

And there are beautiful shops in this shopping mall; there is a grocery store in this shopping mall; there is clothing in the shopping mall; there is everything you could possibly imagine in this shopping mall.

And you are excited: "Wow, I get to go there?" And not only do you get to go there; you can have anything you desire. If Bentley is your thing, they have them. If Rolls Royce is your thing, they have them; if Mercedes is your thing, they have them-and you get to have it!

And you flip the ticket over; there's a caveat. And the caveat is, "You can have anything you want-but when you leave the shopping center, you cannot take anything with you."

"Wow, aaagh!" Would you be disappointed? I see some people shaking their heads. I mean, my God, beautiful things, incredible things…. And you can have them-all yours! But you, when you leave the shopping center, (which you must; there's a time); you must leave the shopping center and when you do, you don't get to take anything with you.

What am I talking about? Ta-dah, here you are-in this most amazing, incredible shopping center. There are the oceans, the mountains. And you can have anything. And one day, you have to leave the shopping center-but when you do, you don't get to take anything with you.

Now, the issue is strategy, simply that. "What are you going to do? What is your strategy going to be?" Are you going to stay home-and get angry at this ticket? "How stupid; how weird. I get to go; I can have everything I want but I don't get to take it out with me? I mean, that's really stupid!" Or are you going to say, "This is the divine joke, (hah-hah-hah)"?

What is your strategy? What do you do? And it is precisely the strategy that you must have; you must have a plan-and you must not only have a plan but you must execute it perfectly-perfectly.

And in this plan, it is not about lamenting, and it not about "I wish it was this way; I wish it was that way." No, it is afoot: here is your ticket; there is the shopping center…. This is the time you get in-and this is the time you get out-and there are no "ands, ands, buts" about it. That is it.

So, I'm not here to preach to you. I'm not here to tell you I am better than you. I'm not here to tell you, "I have a plan; copy my plan." I'm not here to sell you a plan.

But I am here to share with you, fifty-plus years of experience-and that's it. Because I have seen plenty of people who go, "This is stupid. This is weird. This is strange. Why me?! This is a torture." And I am here to say, "But, look-one, you have no limit for enjoyment…."

Right, just simple stuff, right? Simple stuff? You have no limit. Because nobody has temples or churches or any of the holy places where you go to say, "Dear Lord, please remove some of this happiness; I can't stand it." It's always about sadness: "Please remove the sadness," but happiness, that was like, "Bring it on!"

Some of us, we are here: "Is it afoot? Do I want to be a part of it? Don't I want to be a part of it? What is it all about; where do I go; where did I come from?" But that's not what it's about, folks. You got a ticket-and the ticket says "that's the shopping center," and you are in the shopping center now, by the way-by the way, you're in the shopping center.

And it's an opportunity of a lifetime-and you have no strategy, no plan. And so I say, "Keep it simple. You're in. This is what's been given; this is the opportunity you've been given. Have a blast."

Why not? Why not? You feel hungry? Go to the supermarket-and eat! Feel thirsty? Go to the supermarket, drink. Feel like sleeping? Go to the bed section, find a comfortable bed and rest well. Feel like exercising? Go to where all the cardio equipment is, find a treadmill and go at it. Because you get to do it all.

No, never lose the self-so you don't have to go look at those signs that say "You are here." Always be in touch with who you are. Why? Because when you know yourself, you are your best friend. And when you are not with yourself, you are your worst enemy; you don't need enemies.

You will never have a friend like you-and you won't have an enemy like you, enemy that is completely capable of destroying you-you. And friend who's completely capable of being there for you in thick or thin, in the most wonderful moments and in the most darkest moments.

This is the opportunity-and may I say, an opportunity of a lifetime, because this is the possibility that exists. And who holds the ticket? The self. It was the self who was given the ticket to come. Not your ideas. Your ideas weren't given a ticket to go enjoy; you were given the ticket.

You look at the condition of the world, where the world is destroying itself, war after war after war after war after war after war? Mini-war, mega-war, big war, little war…. Somebody asked me that: "Well, how come there are so many wars? We seem not to be close to peace at all." It's true.

My strategy is very simple-and my strategy isn't to have world peace. (I said it. "Ehaaagh," pin-drop silence.) Because that's not possible. But this is what's possible: "You be, first, in peace with yourself."

It's just you. Nobody else is involved. You be in peace with yourself-and how can you be in peace with yourself? One, (and that's why we are here tonight), "journey to the self"-you must know yourself. And once you know yourself, you then must gain victory over the self.

Not victory over your neighbor, not victory over that person and that person and that person and that person, but victory over the self. And when you are victorious over yourself, then you can be in peace with yourself. And when you are in peace with yourself, then you make peace with the world.

And when enough, enough people make peace with the world, (because they have made peace with themselves), then, vaguely, the idea of world peace starts to come into view.

When every war happens and the innocent die-the same way, when you are at war with yourself, the innocent moments of your life are being slaughtered. Because they're innocent. They can be anything.

Never have I seen more innocence than in a moment of existence. It's totally, as it comes to you, it's innocent-just brings you possibility, anything you want. Like a baby, like a baby…. You can mold it; you can fold it; you can destroy it; you can create a monster out of it if you wish.

Or you can have it as the most tender-est, gentle time, the time with you, listening to that feeling which fills this heart and causes the gratitude to emerge.

The journey to the self, then, is truly a journey to you. It's called, "Come home. Come home." Come home-and you will see the world change, for you. Because, remember, you have to make peace with the world; the world isn't going to make peace with you. You have to make peace with the world.

And when you understand that, you understand, "nothing is wrong; nothing is wrong. You journeyed away from home-and you need to come back home." Because there, your thirst will be quenched, hunger satisfied, tiredness removed-and a sense of familiarity in life, not alienation, but a sense of familiarity will be restored where you can rest.

The answers you look for in this world, they're not there-they're not there. The answers are in you. Come home to your self. Journey to the self.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 52

Feeling of Belonging

Prem Rawat:

We are here-and an incredible subject matter to talk about. Because when it comes to belonging, this is amazingly important for us as human beings.

When we are in this world, even when we are children, we have a need to belong to the family that we are in, that we are with. Because without feeling that we belong, all the little skirmishes that might happen with the rest of the family members will never make sense.

But then when we grow up and we have a bigger circle, perhaps a circle of our friends, we still need that feeling of belonging-because if we don't, we feel alienated. Then if we get a job, we need to feel like we belong, we belong in that environment, we belong with the circle of our colleagues.

So, what exactly is this belonging? Why do we have a need to belong? And as a human being, what should we really belong to-that will help us be who we are? What would that environment look like?

Yesterday, I had just arrived from the mainland-and I immediately looked at my phone; I got this call-"There are ten questions, you know, this reporter wants to ask you-and do you want to answer them?"

And I looked at the questions-and the questions dealt with the symptoms: "Why is it this is this way? Why is it this is this way? What's going to happen with this; what might happen with this?" And I answered them, but then I started thinking about them-and it's like, "Why is it that we look at what has happened but not 'Why did it happen?'"

We look at a war and we say, "Oh, that's terrible; that is terrible; that's terrible"-but we don't look at, "Why did that happen; why is it that we failed, repeatedly, to learn from history? Why is it that we failed repeatedly to understand that these things that we do….?"

Because you look at it, 16.5 million people displaced-I read one of the headlines. And it's certainly very sad, and of grave concern.

And I know the pineapples weren't responsible for that. (They may be responsible for some other things, but they weren't responsible for that.) Tomatoes were not responsible for that. In fact, I can say with great certainty, neither were the dolphins, whales, and even the rather mean crocodile was not responsible for the displacement of 16.5 million people.

"Hmm. It wasn't the grapes, wasn't the pineapple, wasn't the whales, wasn't the dolphin-I wonder who it was? A vampire?" I mean, it, this reminds me of the joke….

Two nuns were walking along a very dark road one night and a vampire jumped out-and proceeded to show his fangs and you know, his red eyes and…. And one of the nuns turned to the nun next to her and said, "Sister Margaret, Sister Margaret, show him your cross; show him your cross." And Sister Margaret said, "Get out of here!"

So, one intent and something else comes out, and it's like, everybody is bewildered-everybody-I mean, it's like the world is bewildered. It's like, "Huuh, how did that happen?"

Well, make a list: who do you think is responsible? Pineapples? Grapes? Sparrows? Hawks, eagles? Little green men? I mean, who? And, you might be really surprised at the answer: "Us! We're responsible. We did it."

And a lot of people sitting here are going, "No, I, I had nothing to do with it." And a lot of people take that attitude-and I understand why. Because there is a great need in us to feel vindicated-regardless of the circumstances, we want to feel vindicated. When the police officer pulls us over and says, "You were speeding," our first reaction is to say, "No…."

I got pulled over once, a long time ago-and the officer said, "You were speeding." And I said, "I know." Because I was. And he was shocked; he just looked at me like…. And the good part of it is, I didn't get a ticket.

But we want to be vindicated. We don't want to take the responsibility, all that's happening in this world, "But how can-and how is it mine? What can I do?"

So, let's stop. Now let me ask you this question: "Who are you?"

In a dark room, a very dark room, I say, "God, it's really dark here. I can't see a thing; it's really, really dark," and a bulb answers, "Nothing to do with me."

What am I insinuating here? Are you a bulb? And that perhaps you do have the power to repel the darkness-and you don't realize it? That all you need to do is shine a little bit…? And you might say, "Well, but what's that going to do?" All right-I've got an analogy for you.

If you have a lamp-you know, remember the old lamps with the wick and oil-if you have one of those lamps…. Or a candle, (much easier to imagine), a candle, one of those long candles-and one candle is extinguished and one candle is lit.

And, okay? So there's one candle; it's extinguished; one candle is lit. Now, you take the lit candle and put it next to the extinguished candle, right where the two wicks meet. What will happen? Will the extinguished wick also extinguish the lit candle?

No? Are you sure? [Individual: Yes, that's right.] Or it'll be the other way around, where even the extinguished candle would get lit with virtually no change to the lit candle.

Note both things: when the lit candle lights the extinguished candle, nothing diminished. It wasn't like it went to fifty percent brightness because I gave fifty percent to the extinguished candle. No, but that one lit up too!

How can that be? Why is this rule there? I mean, in our opinion, doesn't "negative" take over? Haven't we believed for a really long time that the negativity of this world would influence us and make us more negative? (That's why those people go sit on top of the mountains, about as far away from anybody as you can possibly imagine, because they don't want to have anything to do with you.)

But is it the other way around? That you, if you are lit, there is no limit to how many candles you can light. The only limit is the day you are not lit anymore-then all your power of being able to light another candle is terminated. Finished. Now you can't. But till you are lit, regardless of how many candles you light….

Oh, yeah, there's the other word called "sacrifice," isn't there? But the analogy that I just gave of the candles, there's no sacrifice involved. "Oh my God, no sacrifice? This candle just simply lights that one? Now that has the same power as this?" And they can light two, and four, and sixteen. And if you keep doing this on a calculator, it'll basically just run out of digits very quickly.

And people wonder how peace is possible. Do the calculation. It's very, it's mathematically possible. But it's dependent on one thing-that you are lit, not unlit. And the only way you can be lit is if you understand who you are.

And that you belong. You belong! On the face of this earth, you belong, not because of what you do. You belong, not because of what you think. You belong, not because of your ideology, not because of your philosophy…. But you're here. You exist.

That one moment when the universe began, (not just our universe, all of them-and it'd be just where it began), did not the possibility of life exist in that moment-has to. Maybe oxygen did not exist but the possibility of being able to have oxygen existed. Maybe hydrogen didn't exist but the possibility of having hydrogen existed.

And so, from even that moment, your cards were set-okay? Do you feel like you belong? You being here alive on the face of this earth is made possible by the same possibility that put the moon where it is-not any different, put the sun where it is, put all the stars in our universe, known and unknown…. That's the same force; that's the same possibility that has put you here: "cct."

The same one that has put all the ants on this earth, that has put all the termites on this earth, (by the way, which, there are tons of termites for every living human being), but has put termites on this earth, the blades of grass, the sand on the beaches, the water in the ocean, the stars that you see that are and are not there….

Has made-the same, exactly the same force has made it possible for you to be alive right now. Do you belong?

So far this breath is coming into you, so far you are alive, that should be your marker that everything is going your way. I'll be honest too, then-I should be. Is it like that for me all the time-absolutely no way. Do things tick me off? Absolutely.

And that's when I have to remember, "I have to make the effort"-and I've been doing this for fifty years, telling people about the possibility. But even I have to remember (and make the effort to remember) that even when things don't look like they're going my way, the fact is they are.

That when everything is dark and it seems meaningless, and you feel abandoned, have the candles switched their role? No, the lit candle will still light the unlit candle.

Understand your nature; understand that you belong. You belong on this earth. Understand that you belong-when you take this breath, you belong. When you light yourself up, you belong. When you're happy, you belong. When your heart is full of joy, you belong. When you are full of clarity, you belong.

And if these things even remotely intrigue you, then you need to look no further than your own self to find the source.

Where we need to belong, to understand-that this is the precious time. It will not be repeated-but you're alive, and you have the possibility of seeing. Right now, you have the possibility-that same power that allows the lit candle to light the unlit candle, this transfer is afoot. This is what life means. This is what belonging means. You recognize; you grab it-and you take advantage of it.

Glow in that light-and you will be surprised how many other candles you end up lighting during your time on this earth.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 53

One Day Would

Be Enough

Prem Rawat:

Here we are on this magnificent planet Earth, on which millions and millions of years of evolution have taken shape; millions and millions and millions of creatures have played a role in allowing us to be who we are: the great nature's experiment.

And those creatures are gone! They no longer exist; they've gone extinct. But what they were able to adapt to, gave us that little edge, of all those creatures coming together that we could be who we are.

You're alive; this is your time-you exist. You can feel; you can see. What do you think, you think is the possibility for you? The grind? All that we deal with? Or is there something more?

Is there such a thing as "content human being"? Is there such a thing as a human being full of gratitude? Is there such a thing as a human full of clarity? Is there such a thing as a human being full of joy? Is there such a thing as a human being full of understanding? Is there such a thing as a human being full of light? Is there such a thing as a human being full of answers?

Is there such a thing? Because if there was, then to experience this, one day would be enough. To experience that, one day would be enough.

Does this possibility, does this sweetness of being a human being, of being content exist every single day or not? Period. No arguments, no this, no that. I'm not saying we achieve it; we achieve this-and that's not the point. That's not the point-don't get trapped by that. That's silly logic.

Why is it silly logic? Because if it is not clear to you where it is that you want to go-and then, trying to work out a clear route to a place that you don't know where it is, that you want to go to-do you want to go to the restaurant; do you want to go to the zoo; do you want to go there-but you don't know.

And now you're saying, "But I need a routing." A routing to where? The restaurant, the zoo? See, that comes later. First, we've got to work out-you have to work out….

I'm here to just inspire you to think; get the cogs rolling, the other ones that we don't use too often-because there are ones that we don't use. Because the other ones that we do use, they are almost worn smooth because they are just used and used and used and used and used and used….

And the noise, the noise. (You know what I'm talking about, "the noise"?) From the morning till the evening, and any waking second of the night, the noise, the noise, the noise: "You'd better do that; you'd better do that; you should have done that, and oh my God, and what's going to happen now?!"

The noise. When you're driving, the noise. When you go to the shopping center, the noise…. The noise. The noise, the noise, the noise, the noise, the noise, the noise.

Is that the human being, full of noise, full of pain, sorrow? Cynical: "Eeagh. Naah. Peace, naaah. Joy, naaah, not in my life. Happiness? And oh, come on, get off it."

These are serious issues. Serious issues-because if we don't understand the possibility of our life, who is going to? Who is? You cannot understand the possibility of someone else's life-no matter how hard you try.

And so, under this circumstance in which there is so much greed; there's so much pain-and the pain isn't created by anyone else but people around us and us-to understand the idea of "one day would be enough" for anything is hard to imagine. "What would be where one day would be enough," when a lifetime isn't enough?

But you haven't given your life a chance to show you the possibility it has. You have given the world a chance. You've given this world many, many chances: "You're fired." "Eww!"

"You're hired," "Aaah, ah-ah-ah!" "You're fired," "Euuh-yeuh." You're hired again, "Aaaah, ah-ah-ah." You're fired again, "And, euwww."

But have you given your life a chance to show you what it has? What does the world of joy look like? What does the world of understanding look like; what does the world of answers look like? What does the world of clarity look like?

Where you can rest and fade away your tiredness, to become excited about, indeed, every breath that comes into you: "Wow, what a gift." To embrace reality that is not born of ideas or discussions, but a reality that you feel, that is tactile. Not just empty promises. Don't you see the difference between empty promises-and what your life wants to show you is not empty promises.

What your life wants to show you, what your existence wants to show you, give you, offer you is tactile; it's real. Not a bunch of empty promises. Clarity does not make empty promises; oh, never. Joy does not make empty promises; never. The ocean of answers never makes empty promises, ever. The flower of gratitude never makes empty promises, ever. It's real. It's real!

The world does. The world does. And we're so good at closing our eyes to reality and saying, "All right, that's, that's, yeah-what, that's just how it is. I'm miserable-and I don't know why I am miserable-and I accept my misery. And let me see if I can make more who are around me just as miserable as me, so I will have good company."

See, misery begets misery. Sadness begets sadness. Clarity begets clarity. It gives birth to more clarity. As sadness gives birth to more sadness, clarity gives birth to more clarity-that's why one day is enough. Because in that one day you could start a farm of clarity. In that one day you could start an ocean of understanding; one day, one day where it has clicked: "Ah, that's my life."

Life is the most amazing gift that you have. My friends, this is the most amazing thing that will ever happen to you. Don't you know? It's the most amazing thing that will ever happen to you.

You've been transformed from just being dirt-to dirt that can smile, can see, can appreciate. This did not happen so you could be miserable; that's pointless. That's pointless! Pointless, illogical….

So, you know, to me, it's all these beliefs that we have-and we hang onto them. They produce nothing. They don't even cluck; they don't even lay an egg-but we keep them. And we keep them; we keep them and keep them.

And when do we take that challenge of knowing? Because first in that list of that challenge of knowing would be to "know thyself." And when you do know yourself, one day would be enough to then unfold what needs to unfold to know yourself.

It is the most amazing thing to point to a person and to say, "Do you know yourself; do you know who you are; do you know your strength?" I know you know your weaknesses; I know you do. But do you know your strength? Do you know your strength?

Do you know-I know you know what you don't have. I know you know what you don't have, but do you know what you do have?

Have you found your gift? Every human being on the face of this earth has a gift. And when you find that gift and pursue that gift to no end, then you have just created your destiny. But you will never know what that gift is till you know yourself. And the day you know yourself, then one day would be enough. And that's what I mean by, "One day would be enough."

Where is the integrity of the human being? Where is the integrity of the human being? Where is the integrity of that being that has been in the making for millions and millions of years-and unknowingly or knowingly, (mostly unknowingly), so many creatures sacrificed themselves so you could be just like you are.

This world today does not reflect that. The tragedies that we see happening where there is no respect of human life-this is what happens.

You're a human being-be a human being. That's who you are. You are a human being. Be a human being. That's all you have to be. And you don't need to live a thousand years to be a human being, because one day would be enough.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 54

Unlocking Hope

Prem Answers Questions

Cape Town, South Africa

Graeme Richards

Host

MC:

You talk about being attractive, and us generating this energy that is attractive to other people-but it has to start within oneself.

And this next question, I think, (as we were discussing which to take out of the multitude that came through), I think hit everyone backstage, and I think it's going to hit all of you. And I hope that the person who wrote it really does light up now and take note of the response.

But the question read as such: "How can you love yourself when you've started to believe that you're ugly and a failure?"

Prem Rawat:

Well, fortunately, it is not a fact; it's only your belief. Beliefs can change. So, you know, really, you can believe anything you want-but what is the reality? What is the reality? The reality is that darkness is never far from light.

Last time you flipped on a switch and turned on a light in a dark room, how long did it take for that darkness to disappear? You turned on the light bulb, and it's just like, djjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj, like, you know, a drain-or like a toilet flushing, schhhhhhhhh? No! Boom?-boomf.

Darkness is never far away from light; light is never far away from darkness. Joy is never far away from sadness and sadness is never far away from joy. They ride together.

When you go into a bathroom and you lock the door for privacy, do you think it's private? No. Your anger, your fear, your doubt have come with you. Even though you book only one seat for yourself on a bus or an airplane, your anger, your fear, your doubt, they're always there-always, always!

But so is kindness. So is understanding; so is gratitude; these things are also there because they are the other side of the coin.

You need to know this-that if you have only experienced your ugliness, then you haven't flipped the coin. You need to flip the coin-because the other side of that coin is incredible beauty.

And what is the beauty? What is the beauty? Somebody who is symmetrically shaped? A star? What is the beauty? Because you know the reality of it is, how many movie stars that are drop-dead gorgeous, spend hours sometimes looking at themselves in the mirror, going, "Oh my God, am I? Am I?"

You are the beholder. If you feel, in you-and see, I keep going back to this-and this is a great question, because this gives me more ammunition for my book. That's why you need to know yourself!

Socrates said "Know thyself"; you need to know yourself. Why do you need to know yourself-because that is when you will be able to experience the true beauty that you are. That's why you need to know yourself.

There are a billion reasons, I think, 7.5 billion reasons on the face of this earth of why you should know yourself. Because if each one did, I think we would have a very different situation in this world-if the beauty that you conceive in your mind is beauty that is different than you truly are. And you have that beauty.

Whatever other people tell you, you are worse than them. Because you constantly sit there and tell yourself, "I'm not beautiful; I'm not beautiful; I'm not…."

This beauty will be gone one day. The same thing that people come and kiss, they'll be like, "Huh-hah, no way." So, it's not here; this is not the "beauty" part. The beauty part is here, in your heart, in yourself.

MC:

I think a big part of that journey to self and that getting to that point of seeing the beauty within you, a part of that has to be about forgiving yourself.

And one of the questions that was posed is, "If forgiveness is difficult for you to begin with, (forgiving someone else is hard enough), turning it inward to the person that you know better than anyone else, the person that you probably judge more than anyone else-how do you forgive yourself?"

Prem Rawat:

Well, that's a wonderful question-because that is so important, to be able to forgive yourself. And let's just not even bring "you and somebody else" into the picture; let's just talk about forgiveness, what forgiveness is.

And a lot of people think, "Forgiveness is granting license to mediocrity, granting license to somebody's mistake." That is not forgiveness. Forgiveness is to sever the relationship with that action that is dragging you down.

So, now, whatever-and, you know, somebody did something to you that was terrible. And that happened a long time ago, but that person still has a clutch on you. They still have a clutch on you. Because every day that you wake up, perhaps, and in a solitary moment, you curse that person; you think of that person; that person is still connected to you.

And forgiveness is saying, "No more. You will not have control over me. I want my life back. I want my life back and I do not authorize you any more to haunt me." That's what forgiveness is.

That's what forgiveness is. Forgiveness is very powerful. It's really saying, "No! I've got my life. Thank you very much." Regaining-it's regaining. Because if you don't, then the clutches will still be there.

And it-and what it does to you; what this clutching does to you, these claws that are buried inside of you, it causes anger; it causes fear; it causes you to shut down; it causes you to stop moving forward; it stops appreciation….

And you cannot allow yourself to be a victim; you would-some of the things, you will never be able to say, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine with that." But it's up to you, whether you allow the talons of that person and that activity still to be gripping you. Because if you don't, then use the sword of forgiveness and free yourself. You move on.

You know, and I understand. I mean, sometimes these stories are easier said than actually translated into your life. But at least, if you begin to chisel away….

I mean, maybe the rope is so thick that you won't be able to cut it in one day. But at least, you start severing it, start understanding the dynamics that you have the power to sever that rope, that this is what forgiveness means-that ultimately one day you will weaken that rope; that it will, it'll be severed. But you need to begin. You need to start understanding that.

Because whatever you practice the most, that's what you get good at. You know, and practice, practice being yourself. But, then there is a problem with that, that if you don't know yourself, how do you practice being yourself?

So, now it's back to that "point one"…. [MC: Giggle. You go back to giggles; you've got giggles.] And, yeah, know yourself.

MC:

I'm so glad that you've honed in on-you mentioned a couple of words there, but the word "victim" came up so many times in so many questions: "And how we move beyond feeling like a victim," which is very much a South African context, and as you've explained, I think, an energy that's shared across the globe….

Prem Rawat:

Somebody has to keep trying-and be it the citizens of this country, that in the face of what is absolutely, absolutely, impossibly cruel and horrible-but the good has to keep trying. That's the victory.

And there are two kinds of victory. In one victory, you win but somebody has to lose. But when the victory is of yourself, then you win and nobody has to lose. Nobody has to lose.

And so, yes, in the face of all this horrible stuff, there is hope. And if we humans can dip so low as to do things like that, then we humans can also climb so high as to make the difference to not let it happen.

So, it's up to us. At the end of the day, it's going to always come down-we play a part in it. We play a part in it. And we wait….

How many-I mean, I shouldn't ask this question, because I know what the answer is going to be. But I sincerely, sincerely-because my platform is humanity, I sincerely ask you to ask yourself one question. "How many of you are waiting for the others to change?"

And that is the biggest disease worldwide-everybody is waiting for others to change. No, you have to change. With the others change or not, you change. And then they will see "the change is good."

The time has come to take ownership, find peace in your life, know yourself. That's the time. You want these things to stop; they can stop. They're not…. This is not God at work. You know, this is not, "Oh, yeah, it was his karma…." Stupid explanations! (This is the fifty-year-old talking.)

How many of you disagree with that-"That it's somebody else up there who controls the destiny; you are just a puppet"?

Because this is what we are taught; we didn't know this-we're taught this. Because it gives an explanation to all the unfortunate things: "Oh, yeah, God works in mysterious ways." And we go, "God works in mysterious ways." And I say, "That's it? That's your explanation? 'He's mysterious'?" I mean, why is God mysterious?

There is only one way you can take away darkness. You cannot get an empty bucket to take away darkness. An empty bucket, to fill it with darkness and throw it out the window won't work-sorry. There is only one way to take away the darkness-and that is, bring on the light.

Do I see hope? I see hope. And I saw hope when I went to that school. And they were little kids-so cute-little kids. And I saw hope in them. And you need to find some too. And you need to find the end of uncertainty, end of that fear, so you can find the end of anger.

MC:

You've helped me to unlock hope tonight; you have-I can feel off this audience, helped them to unlock hope tonight. And so I hope you've received some of that love from us as well. What an absolute pleasure and a privilege.

Prem Rawat:

Thank you.

MC:

Thank you so, so much.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 55

Individual: [male]

Your message of peace, since your early childhood, has taken you all around the world, into your adulthood-which brings you here today in the Los Angeles County Jail Twin Towers.

Onscreen text:

INMATE SPEAKING

TWIN TOWERS JAIL

Individual: [continuing]

And on that note, thank you, Los Angeles County Jail Sherriff's Department.

Onscreen text:

DR. HELLMAN

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADMIN

Dr. Hellman:

This is the largest, actually, mental health jail probably in the world. So, almost everyone in here has some kind of mental health issues. We have, in Los Angeles County, in our jails-we're larger than most prisons….

Onscreen text:

PEACE EDUCATION

Twin Towers Jail is the largest in the

world with 18,000 in any one day incarcerated.

Dr. Yael Hellman:

It really is that self-discovery and hopes, having a fulfilled life, that is so important, within or outside of the jail walls.

Individual: [male]

It's just so good to have you here with us today in the City of Angels. And thank you for coming-and I just want to say that you come to my mind as a modern-day hero, giving flowers to people all around the world saying, "Have a nice day." But your flowers are of words of peace. Thank you.

Prem Rawat:

You're welcome.

Onscreen text:

PREM RAWAT

GLOBAL PEACE AMBASSADOR & AUTHOR

Prem Rawat:

I, I have to say, because that word that you used, "hero"…. There is only one hero in your life-and there will always be just one hero in your life-and that's not me, and that's not Superman, and that's not Wonder Woman. It's you.

Onscreen text:

Your Story

Unbound

Prem Rawat speaks to inmates

at Twin Towers

Prem Rawat:

I want to tell you something-one of the key messages is about knowing yourself, and why is that important.

And if you have a map, amazing map, most detailed map, most incredible map-and it's got all of this stuff; it's got all the details of where everything is, where this is, where that is-and you have some idea of where you want to go, and you want to use this map. And it's a very good map; it's a very detailed map.

What is the most important thing you need to know when you look at that map, to be able to navigate? And that is, "Where are you on that map?" If you don't know where you are on that map, that map is useless-with all its detail, with everything on it. You can look at it, but you don't know where you are? Then how are you going to figure out where to go?

That's what I'm talking about: knowing your self. If you don't know who you are, what do you do? What do we all do? We look at other people to identify us, who we are: "Am I a good person? Am I a bad person? Who am I?"

We create our friends; we create our social circles; we create all these people and we look at them-we want to appease them. We want their approval. Because we don't know the possibility that lies here.

Life is like a book. The first cover was moved when you were born; it opened. Every day you get a new page-every single day you get a new page-there's nothing written on that page; you write what you want on that page.

And that page will turn automatically-and it'll present a new page every single day till the book is finished and you will have the last page close the whole book.

You are writing chapters of life. Are you ready for the day when you wake up in the morning-or are you just full of expectations of what you would like to happen? Are you ready for that day; are you ready for the possibilities?

Because when this breath comes into you and gives you the gift of life, that is a very powerful thing. It is more powerful than all the stuff that is going on around this world.

You find yourself here-how you got here, everybody has their story. Everybody has their-see, I go to a lot of places where there are people who are incarcerated. And they look around them and they go, "That's wrong, and that's wrong, and that's wrong, and that's wrong"-all their life.

Easy to do that, right? Hard to look at the three other fingers, isn't it? Because that's saying, "What about you?"

The day you make that transition-that this book isn't about other people; that this book is about you, your life will turn. Your life will change-I've seen it-your life will change. Because it isn't about other people. You don't have to look for the approval or the disapproval. You find that satisfaction of being alive in you.

Now I know you're all thinking, "Eh-beh-but-but, but-dah-dah-dah, is it, but-but-but-but, but-but-but-but." Listen to what I'm saying; it's very, very simple. It's a fact; it's not fiction: "You are alive." You are alive. What were you yesterday? What can you be tomorrow?

Who does that depend on, your fate? The society? The world? Or you? We are told, "Oh, yeah, the world, society has to change." When I go to people and I say, "Peace is possible," they look at me and they go, "Are you crazy? What are you talking about; how is peace going to be possible?" I said, "One lamp at a time, lighting one lamp at a time, that's how peace is going to happen."

Then I asked them, "Why do you think peace is impossible?" "Oh, there's so much greed in this world." I said, "Excuse me, did human beings create greed-or is there a mountain somewhere where 'greed rain' falls and then it goes around the whole world?"

No, these greeds are created by human beings. What is the good news? What human beings do can also be undone. That's how peace is possible. Human beings make war? Human beings can also undo war.

This is a fact; this is not fiction; this is not a philosophy. My whole premise of the Peace Education Program is to really shed the light that you are alive! And every day that you are alive is the most incredible hope there is, is the most incredible possibility there is!

It may not look like it, but this book, the pages are being flipped every single day-and one day that last page will go "bdoomp" and that's it. That's it! That's it! No more.

Is that good? Is that bad? Is that terrible? No, that's how it is. And it is like that for everybody on the face of this earth, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, powerful, weak-male, female-everybody; this is the law!

So what have you got? What you've got is today. Because tomorrow is going to come as-today. It'll never come as tomorrow; it'll come as today. At midnight, that "tomorrow" turns and becomes today, and you will have today.

And the next day you will have today, and the next day you will have today, and the next day you will have today, and the next day you will have today, till one day you won't have that today anymore.

The urgency, if there is one, is to recognize the preciousness of each day, the gravity of time-that there is no rewind button on time. It doesn't matter; there is no rewind button. You must take the next step, and you must take the next step consciously, with full awareness, with full understanding of its gravity, and full understanding of its potential.

You don't have to be a victim of all that goes on. You can be the victor within. You can be free-not on the outside, but free within.

Everybody is imprisoned by something. Everybody-even those people who are walking out there, they're imprisoned too-by their ideas, by their dreams, by their effort, by their work, by their boss, by all the drama that plays out every single day in their lives, as well.

You want freedom? Then you will have to turn within. You are the source of that freedom.

You are your worst enemy, and you are your best friend. Who have you kept company with, your enemy or your friend? Find that friend-and you will find yourself. Find yourself, and you will find that friend.

Arguments, revenge, anger, fear, doubt-they don't come from outside; they're in you all the time. When you're locked in your cell, guess who's there with you? Your anger is there; your fear is there; your doubt is there; your sorrow is there. Do you know who else is there? Your joy is there. Your clarity is there; your understanding is there.

What if I told you that the darkness and light are two sides of the same coin? Darkness is never far from light and light is never far from darkness.

How long does it take for darkness to come when you turn off the light? It's not like you turn it off and it goes, "Uhaah, dah, dah-heaah-dah"-no, it's not coming from anywhere. It's always there; turn off the light-and it gets dark. And how long does it take for the darkness to be removed when the light is turned on?

Both are in you. Joy is in you; sadness is in you. When you are sad next time, think about that-think about that-that immeasurable joy is also within you. When you're confused…. Things don't look clear; things don't make sense-stop-and understand that incredible, unlimited clarity is also within you.

Learn to garner, to collect what is good. Little understandings, (it doesn't matter how little they are), go a long way in making this life good-in making this life good, in making this life enjoyable, an enjoyment that is centered within you. If you can understand that? If you can grasp what I'm trying to say, (which is very simple). Believe me, it's incredibly simple.

You know, one of the things I'm sure you have noticed-the Peace Education Program is not complicated. It's not complicated. It's not like, "Oh, well let's figure out how many stars there are…." No, it's just about you, you, and you.

And to me, that's your strength. You need strength. But you don't need the strength of revenge. You don't need the strength of show. You need the strength that comes from within you, for you. For you!

You have another life, another page coming. Your book doesn't begin and end here. Hopefully, one day you will be out-what then? What then? Those pages will still be coming-and you've got to write on them. And what are you going to write?

Is this book going to be a book of memoirs? Or hopes and aspirations? Or successes? Or about your understanding, the understanding of the self? This is up to you. It's totally up to you. This isn't about anything; this is about you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 56

What Do You

Choose?

Peace is Possible Event

Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.

Prem Rawat:

What is this thing called "life?" What is this thing called "being here," what is this thing called "peace," what is this thing called "existence"?

And like I say many times, you've got two walls. And I'm going to put this as simple, as simply as I can put it-you've got two walls. You came through one wall-that was when you were born. And there is a lot of stuff going to happen between the two walls-a lot.

And then, you hit the other wall-and it's all gone; it's all done; it's finished. No more. No more drama. No more paying the credit cards. No more wondering about what life is about. No more wondering, "Is there really a Satan? Is there really a God?" No more wondering, no more philosophizing, no more-nothing! As quiet as a quiet, a person can be. And that's it; it's over.

You exist-but you don't understand what existence is. You live-but you don't understand what life is. You know certain things, but you don't know what wisdom is. And all that you do in your life sooner or later comes back and haunts you, tortures you, bothers you-and you wonder.

Birth and death that encompasses the start to the end-has been going on on the face of this earth for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. And it doesn't seem to matter what happens in between, whether you drive a Chrysler or you drive an Italian chariot-something has you figured out.

You were born; one day you have to go. Whatever you do in between, it's up to you. And what have you chosen to do? What have you chosen to do?

Have you chosen in your life to experience joy, joy? Joy. Have you chosen in your life to experience peace? Have you chosen in your life to experience the serenity? Have you chosen in your life to swim the beautiful waters of tranquility? Have you chosen to sit in the shade of the tree of understanding, to bask in that simplicity of life, of existence, of who you are?

Elation, clarity. Not desperation. Not confusion. Not revenge. Not misunderstanding. Not anger, not fear. Not hate! Not judgment. (Don't you love judgment?)

We love to be unconscious-but we don't like the consequences of being unconscious, so we look for people who can give us a way out of the consequences that happen when we are unconscious. And I am saying, "That is not possible." You want to avoid the consequences of being unconscious, then you will have to be conscious.

Is there a shortcut for clarity?-no. Can you have clarity in your life? Of course. Is there a shortcut for love?-no. Can you have love in your life, of course. Is there a shortcut for joy? No. Can you have joy in your life? Of course.

And what will it take? It will take that you will have to pay attention to yourself. You will have to learn how to go within you-and feel. And feel; feel the magnificence that dwells in you; feel the knowledge that you're filled with; feel the simplicity of the child that you are; feel the gratitude of this heart that you are. Feel all that that is so good, that is so wonderful, that is so beautiful!

And that is the way to live this life-not burdened by problems. I say to you, this, not because I am sitting on this chair-but I have been burdened by problems, and I know what it is like, as it pushes on your shoulders, as it pushes on your body, on your being. And what does it do? Drives you so far from you, into another world, dark, dingy, weird, absurd. No hope. No hope.

And then you realize, "It's not me. That's not who I am. That's not how I want my life to be."

And you look, and you turn inside-and it's like coming home; you come home. And everything that is the most familiar begins to greet you. There's a welcoming that you have never experienced-and it's to come home: "Welcome. Come on in. Come on in. Be, exist, flourish, nurture, rest, relax, understand, see, feel, think, experience, joy, love, understanding." And it's like, "Yes. Yes."

And this welcoming is the most profound. And then my focus shifts from my problems to my life, to my existence. And now I know what is valuable. The valuable that I have is the day today.

The moment that I have been given-and the value of this moment is not the moment itself, but the fact that I can do anything in that moment-including being miserable, or being elated. That's why a moment is powerful, my friends.

You want a ticket out of your problems? You have one: it's called "now." Because now holds the power. And you can have it either way-you can make yourself as miserable as you want, no holds barred-or as elated as you can be, no holds barred.

The power of now is so powerful that if you want to connect with the divine that is in you, you can. (Wow.) So powerful, if you want to understand the oneness that you have with this universe…. (Universe? Yes, universe.)

In this whole game between the two walls, coming from this wall you had no choice, and when you hit that wall you won't have a choice-granted. But everything else in between these two walls, you have a choice. What do you want?

Easy to say "I want to be happy." Easy to say "I want to be happy"-hard to say, "I wonder how I can be happy." And the day you can-easy to say, "I want to be clear," but hard to say "I wonder how I can be clear." And the day you say that: "I wonder how I can be happy; I wonder how I can be clear," look me up-because that's the day I can help you.

How do I do it? Very simple-very simple. I put the focus on you-not your problems.

There's one journey that, all the things that are happening in your life-that is one journey-and then there is another journey that is happening in you. And it is the coming and going of your breath. That's a journey too. Each breath comes in; what does it bring you? Oh, it brings you this thing called "life, existence, being alive"-brings you that.

There are a lot of people in this world-but there's no one like you. You're alone. Your journey, that's what matters-and that's what should matter to you, your life, your existence, your now, your now-and what did you ask your now to bring you? What did you choose in that now? When that now said, "Your wish is my command," what did you choose?

Did you choose clarity; did you choose joy; did you choose understanding in your life? Because if you did, you would understand, then, exactly what I'm talking about.

I'm here to tell you about the power you have, the power of being alive, the power of all that is so good that dwells in your heart. Don't forget that. Don't forget that. Will you come across hard times? Absolutely. Will things look difficult, yes. Will there be darkness, yes. Does it have to continue like that? No.

Awaken; open your eyes; look around; see-and most importantly, see who you are. See the light that is in you-and the darkness will be gone.

Because the day you hit that wall, not everybody else is going to hit that wall. There'll be other ones coming out of the other wall as you hit that wall. This is your story. The world's trying to make it its story. You have to refrain from that happening; you have to make sure that it stays your story and yours alone.

No mixing, no meddling-that it remains your story. That's what it has to be. Anything else is a compromise, not fit for existence, not fit for life.

There's your heart: feel it, understand it, accept it-and you will then be so filled with gratitude, thankful, thankful to be alive, thankful to have this breath, thankful to have had this time on the face of this earth. Then it's not about the two walls anymore. Then it all becomes about you, about the good, about the life, about the real, about the divine, about the universe that you are. That you are.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 57

Educating the Heart Event

Prem spoke to students

at Royal University of

Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Prem Rawat:

Did you ever ask the question, "What is the heart?" Did you? Is it this thing that pumps the blood, "Thum-thum, phum-phum, phum-phum?" Is that the heart? Is that where peace lives?

Nothing lives there except blood-and valves, "tou-ku-tou-ku, tou-ku-tou-ku, tou-ku-tou-ka…." Sometimes it stops; they give it, you know-the paramedics come and give it an electric shock, "Dzunk," and it starts up again. Sometimes it stops; they put stents into the arteries. Is that the heart?

No. Let me tell you what a heart is. The good in you is the heart. The courageous in you is the heart. The place where the clarity dwells is the heart. The place which is the spring of understanding is the heart. The place where the thirst to feel the Divine comes from is the heart. That is the heart. And its address is you. Is you!

Every human being is fifty percent good, fifty percent bad-exactly. Not forty-nine/fifty-one. Exactly fifty percent good, fifty percent bad. Always.

If you are in touch with your good, the good is what will shine. If you are in touch with your bad, then bad is what will shine. There are no favors. If I don't use this arm, and only use this arm every day, what will happen? This arm will become weak; this arm will become strong.

So, I ask you again, which arm in you is strong, and which arm in you is weak? Which fifty percent is strong and which fifty percent is weak?

Let that fifty percent that is darkness…. You have to remember one thing-darkness is never away from light. When you light a lamp, right underneath it-you know where the wick comes out and it burns and gives the light? Right underneath it is darkness.

It's never far. It's never far. But what's going to effect, has to be the light, because the light removes the darkness. You, if you allow in your life, welcome in your life the good, the conscious, the reality-what is the reality? Is reality…?

In one sense, it's very simple. One day you were born-and you had no control over that day-you had no control over that day. You did not decide, "Uhm, I would like to be born on a certain time, certain date…."

No. And one day you have to go. Young people don't like to hear that. "Aah-aaaah, don't talk about going." One day you have to go-and you have no control over that day either.

You have no control over the day you came and you have no control over the day you're going to go-but you have control over every single day in the middle of the day you're going to come and go. That's all.

Do you know that? Do you know that? Do you understand that? That every…? And how many days is that, by the way?

Even if you live to be a hundred years old, you know how many days that is? Thirty-six thousand five hundred, that's all. Not three hundred and sixty-five thousand, nah-nah-nah-nah, nah. Just thirty-six thousand five hundred. A hundred years, two zeroes? Just add it to 365; what do you get? Thirty-six thousand five hundred-not three hundred and sixty-five thousand.

You wish it was three hundred and sixty-five thousand. And you have been living your life like you're going to live forever-but you're not. Thirty-six thousand five hundred is not that many days. But you have control over every single one of those days.

Are you dependent for your happiness on you-or somebody else? It's a good question. Because most of us work on our friends; we would like to have certain kinds of friends for our happiness. We would like to go to party for something like that. That we, our happiness depends on that. Our happiness depends on success.

But it doesn't. Your happiness depends on you. And unless you understand that your happiness depends on you, not on other people, you will never truly be happy.

We can give up everything-but what really matters is what we have given up, here. If we have given up the anger, then that matters. If we have given up ignorance, then that matters. If we have given up anger, then that matters. But if we have not given up those things, then we haven't given up anything. If we haven't given up ignorance, then we haven't surrendered anything.

Today there is a possibility. When you woke up this morning-when you woke up this morning, what was the first thought that came to your head?

How many of you woke up to an alarm clock this morning: "Drrrrdrdrdrrring, drrrring-aring-aring-aring-aring-aring-aring"? How many? Quite a few. So, I know exactly what your first thought was. "Not already!?"

I know how that works. If you wake up before your alarm clock, you turn it off. [Audience: Yeah, we do that.] You don't want to hear that stupid sound. This is how you start your day? And you want peace? And you want life to grab you and embrace you? And you want to be conscious? You want to be aware? You want to celebrate your existence?

And you want "Five more minutes, ahaaaarrrr'huuuhhhh…." [Audience: Yeah.]

What if the sun did that: "Oh, give me five more minutes"? The world would be in chaos. Nature works methodically-in harmony.

I went; I was-very, very recently I was in Japan. And when I was in Japan, I went to this most beautiful garden, very beautiful garden. And I was with a professor, and he was also in charge of that garden.

So he said, "It's very peaceful here." And I started thinking about that. And I listened-and it wasn't quiet. There were crickets; there was a waterfall; there was rustling of the wind. There were a lot of noises! There were birds chirping. There were crickets going at it; there was a waterfall; there were the trees in the winds….

And I realized, it wasn't that it was quiet-but it was harmonious. The sound of the crickets chirping went with the sound that the birds were singing-and the sound of the birds went with the water falling, and the sound of the water falling went beautifully with the leaves rustling in the wind. It was harmonious.

So, have you been to a concert, or have you seen on television, people playing music? Somebody playing drums, somebody playing flute, somebody playing guitar, somebody playing cymbals, somebody playing, you know, piano?

You know that all that could sound really absurd-you know that, right? If the drummer was playing to some other song; the guitar was playing some other song; the piano was playing some other song, how would it sound? Would it sound good? No. The same instruments playing to the same song-sounds harmonious.

How harmonious is your life? How harmonious is your life? Do you feel that your life is a symphony-or do you feel like your life is, every day, somebody is playing another song on the piano; somebody is playing another song on the flute; somebody is doing something; somebody's doing something, and there you are going, "Oh my God, I feel so tired…."

How many of you ultimately end up saying, "Oh, God help me; please, help me; help me"?

Consider one thing: when you were born, what allowed you to come home? If you were born in a hospital, what allowed you to come home? If you were born at home, what allowed you to stay home? Do you know? Do you know? You don't know? I'll tell you. That's why I'm here; that's why I'm asking the questions. This is not a quiz.

"Your breathing, your breath." When you were born, everybody in that room was only paying attention to one thing. Not what your lines were on your hands, not if you were a boy or a girl. They were paying attention to only one thing: "Are you breathing or not?"

And as soon as they found out you were breathing, "H'eaah, aaaah. Okay-is it a boy; is it a girl?" And because you were breathing, you could come home. Because you were breathing, you could stay home. If you were not breathing, you're not going to come home. And if you are not breathing and you are home, you're not going to stay home-you're going to go away.

That's how powerful this breath coming into you is. So far this breath is coming into you, you are somebody's daughter; you are somebody's mother; you are somebody's aunt; you are somebody's uncle; you are somebody's friend. And if this breath is not coming into you, you are nobody. Nobody wants you.

Do you understand the power of this breath? Do you understand the power of this breath? Would you say that the coming and the going of this breath is a blessing? What do you think? Is it a blessing? A blessing?

Do you recognize the blessing? Do you? Right now. Right now! Just now! Just now, the breath came. And there comes another one. And there comes another one! And don't you find it remarkable that the first breath you ever take begins with you taking the breath in? And the last breath you will ever take will be the breath going out.

This blessing-in your bad times it comes; in your good times, it comes. And if you have, ever you have a doubt-ever, whether you are blessed or not, there is your proof. There is your proof!

And that's what you need to be thankful for: "I am alive. I have a choice. Because I am alive I have a choice! And the choice I have is either I can live in ignorance or I can live with knowledge." Make the choice. Make the choice. And every day, you have to make the choice.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 58

Finding the

Balance

Hear Yourself Author Event

Madrid, Spain

Prem Rawat:

I know you have problems, troubles, challenges-and sometimes these challenges, these issues weaken you.

And I always remember that when we are faced with this big mountain, we look at the mountain; we look at the sheer size of the mountain; we look at the height of the mountain-and we're overwhelmed: "What's going to happen? How am I going to survive this? How am I going to be able to take care of the challenges that I have?"-whatever the challenge may be.

And in that moment, I want you to remember that nowhere, going on top of the mountain is the challenge. That's not the objective. To get to the other side of the mountain is the objective. And to get to the other side of the mountain, you don't have to go through the mountain, and you don't have to go over the mountain. You can go around the mountain.

Because at the end of the day, the story becomes very simple, (even though it seems like it becomes very complicated). You, as a human being, need to understand what every day is. I know; I know it's, that doesn't sound right: "Every day?"

Well, wait till you hear what I really have to say. I go way beyond every day-I go down to every moment! Because every moment that you are alive, that you exist, is the most amazing possibility, most amazing occurrence that's happening, most amazing thing that's taking place.

What a blast; what a-what a trip to have come through that one wall and to be here-and then it goes on and on, every day, every moment….

You want to extend your life? You want to live longer? [Audience: Yes.] Yeah, there is a way. Cut it down to size, as many little pieces as you can, called "moment." Get it as every moment-it's going to seem a lot more. It just is!-because you've been enjoying every single moment.

To understand in your life that this gift of breath is unparalleled. And the wisdom to enjoy it, you have been given that too. Like I said earlier, you look at one mirror, but learn to look at another mirror that's there. And in that mirror, you will see a lot more of who you truly are.

That you're not without wisdom; you have incredible wisdom inside of you. You're not without the thirst; you have incredible thirst inside of you. You are not without courage; you have incredible courage inside of you.

Why am I using the word "courage"? What has courage got to do with anything? Well, to accept wisdom, it takes courage-it takes courage. To love takes courage! To understand takes courage. To be kind, it takes courage. To be free takes courage. To choose peace takes courage.

None of this stuff is for the weaklings, no, no, no. This takes the real human being, that super-human that you are. That's what it takes. It's a reality. Your reality isn't the pain and sorrow and the suffering. But on the other side of the coin of that pain and sorrow and suffering is the joy, is the clarity, is the understanding, is the wisdom-beckoning you, calling you.

This is why you have a heart! "What heart are you talking about?" Oh, you know that little thing-that says, "Yeah, be kind," that says, "I love you," that says, "It'll be all right," that says, "Don't worry"-that's called a heart. You have it.

And all you need to do…. I'm not saying to shut down the mind. I'm not saying that. That would be nice, but you can't do it.

I used to say that when I was ten years, eleven years old; people used to come to me and every morning, you know, the setup-but I, but actually, I was thirteen then when I came to England-every morning, we would have a session; I would sit down; people would sit down. And they would ask questions every day.

And the questions were, "I can't shut down my mind." So but why are you trying? You don't need to shut down your mind. You need your heart to come out and balance your life! If your life does not seem balanced, it's because it's all mind, no heart.

And what does the mind do? "You'd, you blew it. You didn't do that right. Oh, you could have done it better. Oh, you are going to get it. Oh, you are not going to succeed. Oh, you will never make it. Oh, you are useless. Yeah, oh, and nothing good will come of you." Already the tape is playing.

What do you think is that thing? You haven't taken the test yet, right? You're sitting there to take the test-and are you nervous? And why are you nervous? Because something has already introduced the idea of failure in you. "Failure. Failure." And you have bought it; you have accepted it.

When was the last time you allowed yourself to adjust to the light that was inside of you-so you could see the courage; you could see the clarity; you could see the understanding; you could see the wisdom that you have in you?

But we do get bored-because we don't have the patience to let these eyes adjust to the sight within. If you could have just that much patience, oh, so little patience, you will be the king of your universe for the rest of your life.

Just that's all it takes. Then joy will be yours; understanding will be yours-and gratitude will be yours. To be thankful every single day-every single day, nay, every single moment will be yours. "Thank you. Thank you for this life. Thank you for this existence. Thank you for this breath. Thank you for joy. Thank you for clarity. Thank you"-for all that is good in your life.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 59

The Three Pillars of Peace

Barcelona, Spain

Prem Rawat:

So, I'm here; you are here-I'm glad we could make it. And what I have to talk about, in a way, is really, really simple. And if I can remind you of something, if I can tell you something new, they would be the same.

And what I want to tell you that is new, and what I want to tell you again that you have already heard-that what you're looking for, you already have inside of you.

Inside of you, you have amazing assets that you need in this war of life. Yes, it is a war. Who are you fighting; who is your enemy? Ignorance. Who are you fighting? Doubt. Who are you fighting-fear. These are just some of the enemies that you have-that for you to win this war, you're going to have to overcome.

Now, what do you have for soldiers; what do you have for an army; what do you have that you're going to fight this war with? And what you're going to fight this war with is clarity.

So, the question now is this: "Why is this war going to even play out-why?" When clarity, understanding, joy, wisdom, serenity, these powerful elements are on your side, (that's what you're going to fight this war with), well, what is this war all about? Why, why is there going to be a war?

Why don't the elements of doubt, of pain, suffering, understand that you have joy on your side-and they should just merely surrender; that there's no contest. It's like somebody in a game of chess has managed to move four pawns into the last row, and has four queens. And it-and the game is over!

So, it doesn't make any sense to me that this war should ever happen. When such strong adversaries are going to face off-and the ones that are on your side are so much stronger than the other adversaries, why this war? I mean, I don't get it; I just don't get it-do you? It just doesn't make any sense.

If serenity is on your side, what ails you? Why are you bothered? If clarity is on your side, if courage is on your side, why do you fear fear? Why are you afraid? How could this be?

So, there must be a problem somewhere. Somebody is very misinformed of what's going on-right? That's the only way. Somehow you have been told-or you are convinced, or you have managed to convince yourself-that fear is stronger than courage. And I am here to tell you "It's not." The courage that you have is, fortunately, incredibly strong.

If I were you, I would be talking "mercy"-"We need to be merciful to these elements called 'anger' and 'fear'"-and I mean, we'd just destroy! Instead, we are-we feel victimized by them. So, we are not, we're not aware. We don't understand how powerful clarity is, how powerful joy is, how powerful serenity is.

Indeed, how powerful the divine is-who happens to be on your side. How do you know that? Because the divine is within you.

And now, don't get carried away by what your definition of "divine" is. When I say "divine," I'm talking about that power, that beauty that is the maker of this whole universe. I'm talking about that divine that-and the only divine that I know of-that can't go from there to there.

You know the divine can't go from there to there? You know why? Because the divine is there and there at the same time. Can't come; can't go-there is no place without the divine. There is no place where all that goodness does not exist.

You happen to be a field-not a field like a field of magnetic energy, but a field like a battlefield, a place where you have consciousness. And you being conscious, you can choose; if you are conscious, you can choose.

You can choose to solicit the power, the energy, the wisdom that you have inside of you-if you want to, if this war means something to you, if being alive every day means something to you.

I know there are people here who have heard me many, many times-and there are people here who are hearing me for the very first time. I've simplified things. I say to all of you, "Do three things-this is all you have to do." You want peace? Do three things. You want clarity? Do three things. You want joy in your life? Do three things. You want to win this war? Do three things.

Three-just only three. One: Know yourself. Two: Live your life consciously. Three: Have a heart full of gratitude. It's all you have to do.

That's all you have to do. It's all you have to do-nothing much. Everything, everything you have ever heard is covered in these three things. Knowing yourself-that's the Knowledge of the self: "Know yourself." "Live your life consciously"-bring on the clarity.

To be aware! To be aware that I have in me that beautiful serenity, that I have in me that beautiful joy, that I have in me that courage. That I have in me the wisdom, the wisdom of a billion books that have been written. I have in me the wisdom of thousands and thousands of saints that have blessed this earth. All in me; all in you. You have that.

And when you begin to live your life in that clarity, when you begin to live your life in that joy, when you begin to live your life-when you begin to simply live your life, not fulfilling the expectations, not trying to do this, not trying to do that…. If you can live your life consciously-see, live your life-finally begin to live your life, then your heart will be full of gratitude.

And then the gifts you receive from the heart-oh! Too much. Too much. You may not get a chocolate truffle, but the satisfaction and the sweetness in your mouth of that chocolate truffle-the satisfaction, true satisfaction-that, you will get. That, you will get.

Three things: "Know yourself. Live your life consciously. And have a heart full of gratitude." It's all you need to do. It's all you need to do.

Practice peace; change your world. Change this world. Take it from pain and suffering-to joy. Change yourself. Don't be afraid; no need for fear. You don't need to be afraid to change yourself. Why? If you don't like it? You can always go back.

If you don't like…. If you don't like fear, you can try to change. If you don't like the courage, you can always go back to fear. It's not gone; fear will never leave you; don't worry. Confusion will never leave you-they will always be there.

Harness? Then harness clarity. And this is all you have to do. This is all you have to do.

In this life, truly, every single day that you have, this life that you have is a gift, is a possibility to be fulfilled. Fulfill it. Win the war. It's a walk in the park. Believe me, once you know what you've got, it's a walk in the park. That's how I began-and that's how it should be.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 60

Logos on children's clothing:

Speak Out

End violence against children

I am the voice of children too afraid to speak

#endviolenceZA

Ending Violence
Against
Women and Children

Onscreen text:

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM
VIOLENCE FREE

Individual 1: [male]

To me, violence is basically hurting someone, whether it be physically or emotionally.

Individual 2: [female]

Violence is when you oppress someone-and it's not only physically and emotionally, but like, psychologically and otherwise.

Onscreen text:

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM IS AN INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES PLACE EVERY YEAR FROM NOV 25TH TO DEC 10TH

Prem Rawat:

When I say to people, "You need peace in your life," don't think of it as a luxury-but there is no other option. Without it, the very fabric of society will fall apart; the very fabric of humanity will fall apart.

Onscreen text:

PREM RAWAT
FOUNDER OF THE PREM RAWAT FOUNDATION
AND THE PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

Prem Rawat:

This is not a luxury; it's a necessity.

Onscreen text:

ONE IN THREE SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN WILL BE RAPED IN HER LIFETIME

Lumka Ngxoli:

Can you explain the importance of, you know, peace, especially over the period of 16 Days of Activism in South Africa?

Onscreen text:

LUMKA NGXOLI
JOURNALIST
SOUTH AFRICA

Prem Rawat:

See, we have all these symbologies. So, symbolically we come in and say, "Okay, we have sixteen days and we're going to talk about this," or "we're going to make an effort."

No, no, these kinds of efforts, whether it is violence against children, violence against women, violence against each other, this is a continuous effort and it requires a continuous effort. It cannot just happen for one day, sixteen days, thirty days; it's an effort that has to happen all the time.

Onscreen text:

IN 1948, EXISTING POLICIES OF RACIAL SEGREGATION
BECAME OFFICIALLY ENFORCED

Individual: [male, voiceover]

I cannot get used to it. I must reject it.

Onscreen text:

apartheid

UNDER A SYSTEM CALLED APARTHEID, MEANING "SEPARATENESS"
DESPITE STRONG RESISTANCE AND OPPOSITION TO APARTHEID,
THESE LAWS REMAINED IN EFFECT FOR 50 YEARS

Onscreen, newspaper headline:

The WORLD
4 DEAD, 11 HURT
AS KIDS RIOT

Police clash with protest marchers

THE SOWETO UPRISING

Tumi Mahasha: [MC]

This is not just a Catholic Church but it's also the church of the people.

Visible onscreen, sign:

BURY APARTHEID

Onscreen text:

THE SOWETO UPRISING WAS A SERIES OF PROTESTS LED BY
BLACK SCHOOLCHILDREN WHO FELT THEY DESERVED TO BE TAUGHT
EQUALLY TO WHITE SOUTH AFRICANS
IN 1976, 10,000 TO 20,000 BLACK STUDENTS PROTESTED AT ORLANDO STADIUM
THE POLICE BEGAN TO SHOOT DIRECTLY AT THE CHILDREN

Visible onscreen, inscription:

TO HONOUR THE YOUTH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY

Sign:

REGINA MUNDI

Tumi Mahasha: [MC]

Regina Mundi Catholic Church played a major role during the apartheid regime. The children gathered inside this church, hiding from police, police that were shooting, shooting inside the windows through the roof, telling the children to "leave this place." At that time in life, they were fighting for their freedom.

Onscreen:

Joburg

a world class African city

Soweto

Onscreen text:

TWENTY YEARS AFTER THE APARTHEID
VIOLENT CRIME HAS NOT BEEN TAMED

Prem Rawat:

Open your heart to yourself. Only then will you be able to open it to others.

Onscreen text:

PREM SPEAKS AT REGINA MUNDI CHURCH

Prem Rawat:

When you cannot love you, you cannot love another person. We try to educate people, "Domestic violence is not good," but who are you talking to? First, people need to discover their own love, their own courage. Then and only then can they offer courage and hope to others.

Father Bonkis: [onscreen]

First things first, I would like to thank you for giving me this clarity that you have given me.

Individual: [female]

I'm very hopeful because of the transformation that you have brought into my life. I was a young woman living with anger. I was aggressive. I was short-tempered. But since I was introduced to this program, my life has begun to change.

Prem Rawat:

There is bad in us; there is good in us. And it is incumbent upon, not only the individuals but the society, as much as they can, to promote that good in everyone, so that that good will prevail. This is the only way.

What is forgiveness? What is forgiveness? Is forgiveness to accept the mistake of a person? Think about it-is a mistake this person makes-you, and most people think that forgiveness is to accept his mistake and forgive him for his mistake.

And that's not forgiveness. Forgiveness is the day you realize you no longer want to be affected by that person's mistake. Forgiveness is not setting the perpetrator free, but forgiveness is setting yourself free [Audience: Yeah, right, yes!] from the perpetrator.

And that's the reason people have such a hard time forgiving. Because, to me, people ask me, "Somebody did that to your daughter; somebody did that to your wife; somebody did to that to your sister, would you forgive them?" And I, answer is "No."

But I have to forgive myself because I want to be free. I don't want this person who has already done harm to my family to continue doing harm to me. So I set myself free of him-and that's what forgiveness is.

What is needed, not only in South Africa but in the world today? There are-just recently when I was in Japan, I had a meeting with a professor, and the professor's specialty is "peace, happiness, betterment of people." So, when he read one of my books, he wanted to meet me.

So, I went and I sat down and we talked for a long time-and a lot of fun. And the conclusion of that meeting-"We, as human beings, need four things in our lives." Four things. One, we need hope. If we don't have hope, it's no good. We need hope.

Two, we need gratitude-we need to be thankful. We need to be thankful to be alive; we need to be thankful for our friends; we need to be thankful for people we love; we need to be thankful for the sun; we need to be thankful for the earth; we need to be thankful for the river; we need to be thankful for the wheat; we need to be thankful for the seasons.

We need to be thankful for this breath that we receive every day; it's a gift! We need gratitude. What is gratitude? You accept. You accept. When you accept something, you have gratitude. When you don't accept-when you don't accept the sun; when you don't accept the seasons; when you don't accept this life; when you don't accept this breath, you cannot have gratitude.

So, this gratitude is important. Self-reliance is important-if you want to be whole; if you want to be happy? What do I mean by "self-reliance"? People care about other people, of what those people think about you. Am I right? [Individuals: Yeah. Yes.]

Not good-drive you crazy. [Individuals: Uh-huh! Yes.] Completely drive you crazy. "What does he think about me? What does he think about me? What does he think about me? What does he think of-does he like me? Does he like me; doesn't he like me?" You know?

What do you think about yourself? Do you like you? No, because you don't know you. Sorry! You know everybody else. You wear the green dress-because you know your aunt loves the color green. But what color do you love? Do you know?

And the most important thing is to have peace in your life. So, what is peace? What is peace-is it something that is created? Or does it already exist?

If we have to create peace, (and this is what everybody thinks has to happen: "We have to create peace"). No! This is how it works, my friends. First, you find peace in you. And because you have found peace in you, you make peace with yourself. Then you make peace with this world-and then you get "world peace." But it begins with you. It begins with you!

And what we have lost is our civility. Now, all the little fish want to be like the big fish-and that's all they care about: "I want to be a big fish. I want to be a big fish." And when they cannot be a big fish, even for a moment they are willing to take a gun; they are willing to take a knife so that, in those few minutes, they can be the big fish. They can have what they want. This is erosion of civilization.

If you want civility, to be civilized, then you must decide you don't want to play the game of the jungle rule-ever. And this is a decision that every human being on the face of this earth has to make. There, the civilizations will be preserved where the civilized rule will also be preserved.

Then we can begin to focus on hope! Then we can begin to focus on gratitude! Then we can focus on self-reliance. Then we can focus in knowing ourselves. And when this will manifest, you will feel peace in your own heart. This is hope-this is about hope.

Do you know, all of you, at one time in your life, failed many times-but you did not accept the failure. You know when that was? When you were learning how to walk. When you were learning how to walk, your legs were not strong enough; your muscle was not strong enough yet. You got up-and you went like this and bonk-you fell. Did you accept failure?

You failed-but you did not accept failure. You did not need a motivational speaker-did you? [Individual: No, I never did.] You did not go read books. You did not climb on top of a monastery? No. What did you do? You tried again.

And when you tried, you failed. And when you failed, you still did not accept failure-and you kept going, and you kept going, only because you did not accept failure. You kept failing but you did not accept failure.

And one day you got up-and you walked! And when you walked, what did you accomplish-walking? No, you unlocked the whole world for yourself. Now you could go wherever you wanted to go!

This is how you need to be today-"Fail but don't accept the failure. Get up again-and take another step." Your mother could not lecture you: "Oh, you should get up, you know; don't be-because it's okay; it's okay; we all fall." You wouldn't understand. You just did it.

I see so many young people who have lost hope! Don't they remember when they were learning how to walk? They had a sense of purpose; they had a power; they had a feeling. And they had wisdom of all the sages and wise men of this universe: "Fail but do not accept failure."

And that strategy of "Okay to fail, but not okay to accept failure" saw success, because you could walk-and only because of that reason.

People should not, in their lives, accept failure. You have so much hope, not out there, but in here! Your heart is full of hope; open it. Open it. Open your heart to yourself. Only then will you be able to open it to others.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 62

Prem Rawat: [voiceover]

What you're looking for is inside of you. The joy that you need in your life is inside of you.

You have not been put on this earth without the tools that you need to get the most out of this life.

This time that you have begins with you; your understanding begins with you; your use of the tools that you have been provided begins with you.

You find yourself. You understand, finally, in your life that perhaps, "There is a self that I do not know." My thing is, take it in! Chill with it.

Onscreen text:

FOR YOUR LIFE

Peace Is Possible Event

Pasadena, U.S.A.

Prem Rawat:

People come to me, "Oh, I want to be happy." You want to be happy? Do you want to be happy? Do you want to be happy? You want to be happy? [Audience: Yes.] Get eight hours of sleep.

"So, if you are not offering happiness, what are you offering?" I am offering peace. "What, happiness is, peace is separate?" No, peace can make you happy too-but so can eight hours of sleep make you happy as well! But eight hours of sleep can bring you happiness but not peace. And what I am offering is the peace that already is in you.

Understand, see. Don't look at this world, don't look at your life as all these other criteria-they're not; there are no criteria. This is the stage you've got. You've got to work with it and dance and dance the most magnificent dance you can.

And dance every day of those 36,500 days. Dance from your heart; dance because you're celebrating your existence.

Celebrate being alive. People-"Oh, my birthday today." Only once a year? And what is the bad part of celebrating a birthday every day? You would get really old really quick. But celebrate your existence every single day. Feel the life.

Not your issues. This is real stuff. I'm faced with issues: "What do you want-what do you want, Prem? Problems?"

Just because you have life doesn't mean you know how to live it. Because if you want to live your life, you need wisdom. You have to garner wisdom. Knowledge is great to acquire, but if you don't acquire wisdom, you will not be able to do what that knowledge can allow you to do.

A simple example that I give-that "pilots know they have a checklist in the cockpit; wisdom is to use it."

So, you gather knowledge-but you don't gather wisdom. If you don't gather the wisdom to use, to be wise: "Wow, my priorities-what are my priorities today? What do I want to live for? What is my focus; what should be my focus?"

I want, every day, to be in touch with who I truly am. Because when I get in touch with myself, I also get in touch with the divinity that exists inside of me, the simplicity that exists inside of me, the joy that exists inside of me.

There is something within you that is constant, and there is something that is always changing. What is changing is in the outside; what is constant is on the inside-what do you want?

On the outside everything will change. Will you look the same? I wish I had a time-lapse camera, "Chook, chook," on, right here: "Chk, chk, chk, chk, chk, chk…."

What does it all look like now? I started at nine years; I started talking about peace when I was four-started sitting on the stage and talking behind a microphone, thousands of people.

There was a time, I was the youngest. Of course, in my family, I was the youngest-and pretty much, wherever I went I was the youngest.

It's not like that anymore. These eyes have seen change. And this heart has experienced the timeless. And the changeable is fascinating-is fascinating. The timeless is magnificent.

The changeable: "Wow. Boy, look. Oh my God, did you see that person; you see that person; you see that person?" And the heart, opening the eyes and seeing, "I also see the timeless in each one of you." That's the recognition. When you recognize the one in you, you recognize the one in each one. Because so it is. So it is.

The way this world is, where greed can have so much power, so quickly…. And this world is being run by greed. Everywhere you look, greed-greed-greed-greed, greed-greed-greed-greed, greed.

If we human beings do not bring the formula of the human back in-and replace greed-we're all doomed. The stakes are very high now, where we won't even have a planet to be on. We punish, through our actions, polar bears-who have done us no wrong. We punish the penguins-who have done us no wrong.

The other day I saw somebody who had gone to Africa and shot a beautiful lion. And I was like, "Hey, you know what? If this guy really wants to go hunting, he should be allowed to. But without a gun." Even keel.

It's not fair. The poor lion doesn't have a gun. He doesn't know how to use a gun-you do. And where is that little wisdom, "The strong shall protect the weak"?

No. The stakes are much, much higher. The world is becoming enslaved to a device that, it is still called a "smartphone." It should not be called a "smartphone"-because the least amount of thing that thing does is phone. And it's not smart. There's nothing smart about it-all the people who you don't want to receive calls from, call it. How can it be smart?

So, make every step you take on this stage of life count. Make it count. You owe this to life. And one day, you will be rewarded with the most beautiful gift called clarity, called gratitude, called understanding-and your life will never be the same again.

Life is this stage. Play, play this symphony; play this dance every day. Your heart yearns for it.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 63

Your Peace

Taylor's University

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Prem Rawat:

People talk about world peace; people look at me like, "Okay, tell us about world peace, and fix all the problems." And I'm like, "No, I can't fix any problems-because the way it works is, at first, you find your peace. First, you find your peace-and then, make peace with the world-and then you will have world peace."

And whether or not there is world peace, at least you need to make peace with yourself. Because that's the fundamental step.

So, before you can even begin to tackle the job of making peace with yourself, the question is, "Who are you? What are you?" What are we all about? What are our fundamental basics? And one thing that we all share in common-that we all want to be content. We want to be happy; we want to feel good.

It doesn't matter what you call it. It's this state of being in which we find ourselves to be us, and we are happy with it. It isn't built upon ideas and theories and philosophies and all of this stuff-but just that you feel good. You feel good! Because you feel good and you feel good from the inside, not psychologically.

That you indeed have a strength-and, talk about emotion…. When do we become emotionally strong? We can only become emotionally strong when we're strong within ourselves.

Otherwise, emotions eat us apart: "Does my friend like me; does my dad like me; does my mom like me?" And then we just run the game of seeking approval-approval from this world, approval from our friends, approval from our parents, approval, approval, approval, approval, approval-and in this process of finding approval we uproot ourselves.

And then? We're lost. Having everything, and we're lost. The goodness that resides in us becomes dormant.

It's very simple. If you take a field-if you take a field and leave it be, don't do anything to it, what do you suppose is going to happen? Things will grow-but what will grow is weeds. And maybe somebody, seeing that there are weeds growing; nobody is using the land, they will start to throw trash in there too. And the situation of the land will deteriorate.

However, even going through this whole process of being dumped on, weeds growing, has that land ever lost its potential for growing beautiful flowers, pure beautiful vegetables, or a beautiful crop? No, that potential is still there-and how does the potential return? The potential returns as soon as somebody starts to take care of it, take out the weeds.

People don't want to know themselves. People don't want to understand who they are. And when I say "who you are," it's not about your personality. It's not about your likes and dislikes. It's not about your ideas-it's not even about your dreams.

You see, because your dreams are going to change. Your dreams are going to change! Your ideas are going to change; your circumstances are going to change-but who truly you are, you are not going to change.

Your body is going to change. The way you look at your body is going to change. Your stamina is going to change. Your friends are going to change. What you think is hip is going to change-your fashion is going to change. But who you truly are is not going to change.

So I say to you, that "Who are you?" Fifty percent bad. (Sorry.) Exactly fifty percent-not forty-nine/fifty-one-exactly fifty percent, you're really bad. That's the bad news. The good news is, fifty percent? Good. Very good. Amazingly good, incredibly good.

What do you think of that? "Fifty percent bad; fifty percent good." Because the fear is in you, and that's the bad-and courage is in you; that's the good. Confusion is in you, and that is the bad, and clarity is in you, and that is the good. War is in you; that is the bad, and peace is in you; that is the good.

In you. Your fear comes wherever you go. Your disappointment comes wherever you go-it's just always there. You book one seat on the airplane? They're all over you.

But-knowing yourself is understanding not only the bad, but understanding the good. Because most people, when they would talk to me sometimes, they say, "You know, I get angry very easily." They have understood their bad-but they have not understood their good.

Because I have to point out to them that "If you can get angry, that means you have something else too-and that is, forgiveness, joy, is also there." When I say, "Know yourself," that's exactly what I mean-you know your bad; you haven't felt your good yet-but it's there.

I want you to understand that it is there. And you can get in touch with it. You don't need to get in touch with your bad-because you are very familiar with it, right? But are you familiar with the good?

Whenever a circumstance needs it, you can summon the bad just like this, right? How long does it take you to get disappointed? Just like that!

Let me tell you something. In this life, understanding and knowing that the good is in you-and not accepting the failure…. This is the core; this is the foundation of emotional strength, physical strength, mental strength. Clarity-that's what clarity is: "The good in you and the bad in you, both are there wherever you go."

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, has to be in life, to perpetuate the good, the kindness, the generosity. The clarity.

Generosity isn't giving money out to people. Generosity existed before money was invented. Generosity begins with being generous with the kindness that you have. Kindness. Understanding that every human being on the face of this earth is just like you-nobody is better and nobody is worse.

There is a possibility here in this life-and this is the real possibility. And the possibility is-like against all odds, you learnt how to walk, failed, but never accepted a failure….

It's up to you. That's my suggestion. That's what living this life without accepting the failures is about-to consciously make a choice. To understand that the possibility of peace is here with you-always has been, always will be-that the peace is inside of you, even as you walk this world.

Whatever you do and wherever you go and whatever happens and how dire the circumstances are, the peace is still inside of you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 64

Prem Rawat in conversation

With Peace Day Founder Jeremy Gilley

Visible onscreen, book title:

Peace Is Possible

PREM RAWAT

Jeremy Gilley:

You know, is peace a kind of a universal language, right-[PR: Umm-hmm, right.] because of course, it could be different in Italian and it could be different in Japanese or in French or in German or in English, whatever-Arabic. [PR: Umm.]

Is, is peace-you know, can it be talked about in one way; do you see what I mean? [PR: Yeah.] Is there any differentiation between, you know, cultures, in relation to the essence of peace?

Prem Rawat:

Not so much the cultures, but the human beings themselves. Everybody has different-colored glasses. So when you mention the word "peace," they have their own definition of what peace is.

So, if somebody's in a country where it's, food is the problem, then it's like, "Okay, if everybody had food we would have peace." If somebody is in a war-torn situation like Syria or Iraq or so many other places, "that's peace." [JG: And, yeah.] But you have to get-you have to establish that, and get beyond that to really define and talk about what peace really is.

Jeremy Gilley:

Yeah, yeah-it's very interesting, this, because I know exactly what you mean. Having traveled like you have, (I mean, it's 133 countries)-or wherever, whatever it is, whatever the number is, [PR: Umm-hmm.] but we're traveled a lot. And you're absolutely right; the conversation of peace is completely different, you know, in each place.

And interestingly-you know, we're sort of getting into technology now, and I know that you're a great lover of technology; [PR: Umm-hmm.] I mean, that's why-I spoke to you, the sort of, [PR: Yeah.] "the Jedi!" [PR: The Jedi.] You know, I mean, what you do, flying, filming, you know, writing-I mean it's just, it's inspirational.

But, I was sort of thinking that, you know, technology-sometimes I hear people say, "Oh, yeah, but, you don't need to worry about what's going on in the developed world; you need to be thinking about, you know, what's going on in places where these conflicts are going."

And I'm thinking to myself, "No, actually-no, they're not-you're not worried about food right now. And that, you know, you've got a roof over your head. We, who have the privilege of that situation, must be, really come involved. We, we've been given that gift and that opportunity to become involved." Do you think along those lines sometimes?

Prem Rawat:

Yeah, I do. And because, one of the things I see is, the conflict that is happening in what we consider the "Third World countries" is actually initiated by the First World countries.

You know, it takes a lot of money and it takes a lot of technology to start a war these days. And that technology is not technology that was born in the Third World countries-it's First World country technology that comes and starts, [JG: Umm-hmm.] you know, devastating people's lives. [JG: Yeah.]

To me, the peace that I talk about-because, you know, "no war," or "no this problem" or "no that problem"-these are results of something that is amiss inside us.

So, is there a reason why people go hungry? There is absolutely no logical reason-because the amount of food that is thrown away-every day, if it was gathered and handled properly….

Because the earth produces more food than is required, even at this stage of the game. But why are people going hungry, then-if there is more food than is necessary, and plenty to feed everybody, why are people…? It is not about food-it is about distribution, (as people start to hoard)-not food, but distribution of that food, then people start to become hungry.

So, I just see that so much, in the Western world…. And look at it, you know-are you really voting for lawmakers in the Western world? Because that's what we're told, "Oh, yeah, you know, vote for this person; they're going to, yeah…."

But when they are elected, they go into their-it is the lobbyists who are creating the laws. [JG: And, yeah.] And what is being protected; not the people….

Will this change, should this change, can this change? I'm not a politician-but I know one thing. That there is enough goodness in every single human being on the face of this earth, that if that was brought out, if that was allowed to be nurtured, that there would be one simple thing that would happen-not sympathy, but empathy.

It would be the first time that the world will start to use knowledge wisely.

We are after accruing knowledge, but we don't accrue wisdom. And so it's like, in a cockpit, pilots know there is a checklist-all pilots know there is a checklist-but to use the checklist is wisdom.

And it's the same thing. To accrue knowledge, (yeah, I mean), invent new things-like even the phones. And all of a sudden, when you don't use the phone wisely, it can actually land you in the hospital; people have been killed because they were using their phone. [JG: Yeah. Yeah.]

So, to me, these are the little things that need to happen, and understanding yourself is the first primary step to peace.

Jeremy Gilley:

Umm, umm. Yeah, wow. I mean, I'm just-I mean, there are so many things that I'm thinking as I hear you talk. (And I'm sure, you know, people who are listening to it are, of course, we're all thinking you're inspiring us and provoking thoughts….)

When I saw you six years ago, I…. I mean, I was thinking about Peace Day; you know, you're obviously thinking about Peace Is Possible. We're talking; we're trying to inspire; we're trying to promote-we're doing anything that we can-I mean, the incredible work that you've been doing in prisons for years, I mean, extraordinary….

There's something that's really, now, worrying, isn't there-and that is the amount of time that we have left in terms of our resources, and the way in which we've treated this beautiful planet that we have, and….

More and more my conversations now, Prem, over the last, (I don't know), five years, I would say-really in the last five years, particularly in the last couple-as I've spoken with people who are very, very knowledgeable, (I've ended up on a platform with them), they've said, "You know, 350 to 400 years left of human beings." I mean-and they're very, very knowledgeable people.

You know, you talk about the checklist? You know, we know the checklist. And with the wisdom, is there time? I mean, I am…. Also personal experiences in understanding human beings and what they say and what they do-I mean, I am concerned; I'm worried; I'm frightened and I'm sad.

Prem Rawat:

So, the analogy that comes to mind, hearing this is, your house is on fire-and you're standing outside-you're fine but [JG: Yeah.] your house is on fire.

So, you can stand there and you go, "Guess what, guys; my house is on fire." Five minutes later, "You know what? My house is on fire." [JG: Yeah.] Six minutes later: "My house is on fire. My house is on fire; my house is on fire; my house is on fire; my house is on-my, my house is burning down; my house is going to burn down; my house is going to burn down…."

And if you keep doing this, that's exactly what's going to happen-your house is going to burn down. [JG: Right, yeah.]

Because what you need to do-is grab a bucket; grab a hose-and don't sit there and lecture about how the house is on fire. Do something about that fire!

And I'm just saying that because just very recently there was a huge fire where I live-and many, many houses, unfortunately, were devastated; my neighbor's house was devastated.

But it takes a proactive approach to alter this, to change this scenario. And my thing is, we have the possibility to change it-but we have to stop looking at it as "we," and we have to say, "Every single individual has to be empowered."

We don't, when we walk on a stage…. And it really needs to be, "I am here"-not "we are here"-"I am here on this stage. I want to tell you the possibility of what we, (collectively and as individuals) can do to change this scenario."

The problem happens-is, as soon as that "I" goes to "we"-as soon as it goes to "we," people say, "He'll fix it. He needs to change. I don't need to change; I don't need to fix it; I don't have the problem."

I've seen this; this is sixty years of experience talking, you know?

Jeremy Gilley:

Yeah. Yeah.

Prem Rawat:

And it can be changed. It can be changed, and it can be changed. It can be changed, and the reason why it can be changed is because this problem that we are addressing right now is created by human beings-and if it is created by human beings, they can reverse it too. [JG: Yeah.]

You know, this is-this is a gift that we are here-this planet, the beautiful ocean, the rivers, the forests, the butterflies, that every bit of it is spectacular. And what we have done is taken it and used it without understanding the consequences of our actions. This is a disease with human beings-we act like we know what the consequence will be-but we actually don't.

And so we have done a lot of things that we thought are good-but we didn't really understand what their consequences were. [JG: Yeah.] And now, those consequences are starting to surface. And they're reversible; they can be reversed. Every scientist I listen to, that's the good news about everything that they have to say at the end of it: "It can be reversed."

Jeremy Gilley:

Right. So, yeah, I mean, but what we know and what you know, and what I'm listening to and what I'm hearing is that, you know, we've got to get to the individuals-whether it's in that place where the rocks are, in the middle of absolutely nowhere-or whether it's in New York City, or in London, Sydney, whatever.

We've got to, you know, we've got to try and engage, (haven't we), that sense of individuals understanding that they, they are the ones who can change the world-and then, collectively, obviously, we can-you know, we can shift the level of consciousness around the fundamental issues that we face.

Prem Rawat:

And that's all it takes. [JG: Yeah.] It's, and you don't have to push the box all the way. Just enough, [JG: Yeah.] just enough, and once it tips the balance? It's fine.

Jeremy Gilley:

Yeah. I want-I just wanted to talk about three things, just to help me-and maybe it helps some others. Can you just talk to me a little bit about the importance of family?

And, you know, when I think about the world and I think about peace, I think about, you know, if my family-and if my family's together and one…. And if we can do that on a global scale, then we'd sort of create world peace. Can you just tell me about the importance of us really holding ourselves together? (Talk to me a little bit about that.)

Prem Rawat:

Well, a family is that unit that's a bumper in the front, so when a blow comes, it can soften it. [JG: Wow.] The family is the nourishing, nurturing, somebody who can understand when nobody else will understand you. More than your friends…. And obviously, somebody who can give you advice, even at the peril of your anger-and give you good advice.

A family is you in another form. It's like, not just one flower, but a tree that flowers-that's a family. [JG: Yeah.] And to me, to have that family, to have an understanding of that family, and not to berate that family, not to second that family, but to understand that that's number one….

And look at nature; it's not about just one flower. A plant will not just be satisfied with one flower-another one, another one, another one, another one, and before you know it, it's a family.

And its mission, its job, its purpose, whatever it is in this world, will be fulfilled far greater and far more beautifully when it is flowering and there are a whole bunch of flowers on that plant, not just one flower.

Jeremy Gilley:

Yeah, amazing, amazing. And that, yeah, I mean, on Peace Day, 21st September, one of the things that we've always said is like, "Bring the…."

Somebody's like, "You know, well, what can I do?" I'm like, "Well, you know, bring the family together." You know, bring the family together; be one on that day, you know, with the sort of global family, and also the ones that we have. And so hopefully, we'll see a lot of that, you know, going on, on the Day.

So, but a little bit about love. [PR: Umm-hmm-hmm.] Yeah, that's like, you know-and I was sort of just thinking at the weekend, you know-I was with my little girl, and I, you know, I just sort of…. You know, I just adore her, right? My, my entire existence, like, nothing comes first, you know, like….

You know, when I'm with her, that's, there's no-it's about Rose. It's not about the work, right-and it has to, and it has to be that way for me and I love it. How do I contain it, you know? I mean, like, you know, I love her so much, [PR: Umm-hmm.] I kind of just sort of want to do everything….

I mean, have you ever sort of felt that? Have you, have you any sort of words of wisdom for us, you know, both in terms of personal relationships or with family relationships? When you love so much, you know, it can kind of almost sometimes be too much….

Prem Rawat:

It never is.

Jeremy Gilley:

It never is? Okay, great.

Prem Rawat:

It never can be. It can never be. [JG: Okay.] Stop thinking-start loving. [JG: Yeah.]

Don't think about love. Feel the love in your life; it's a gift. It always won't be the same. It won't. [JG: Yeah.] It changes. You will change-and one day you won't be here. [JG.: Yeah.] So, love like there is no tomorrow. Stop thinking about what it all means; start loving.

If we did that, this world would be a different place today.

Jeremy Gilley:

Fantastic. And what about-and what about, (I mean, these are, yeah, these were big thoughts), but what about death? You know, I mean I, I'm getting-I'm now fifty years old. And I'm, you know, looking at my mum and dad, and I'm thinking, "Wow, you know, you guys are like, doing so well…."

But I think about, you know, not so long ago when I helped my mum say goodbye to her mum. I mean, and you know, is that the-is it the same as love-I mean, we just love…?

I mean, you know, it's like, I look and I just, I, I get frightened. I think, "You know, and you guys are amazing in the support that you've given me and encouraged me," and I'm just like-the idea of them not being around is a, just like….

Prem Rawat:

Will they, will they-is that what you're afraid of, that they won't be around?

Jeremy Gilley:

Yeah, I think it is, a little bit. Sometimes I look at them and I think, "Well, what would I do when I have the moments that are tough-and I would ring my mum or I'd ring my dad and go, 'Hey…?'" You know, and it's like, "Yeah, you're there; you're there." And I worry about sometimes, that they'll not be there.

Prem Rawat:

Well, you won't ever lose them. They live in you-and they will always live in you. You'll never lose them. So far you're alive, they will live inside of you. [JG: Yes….]

It's just like the moon and earth. That moon was born of the earth. It is no longer part of the earth, but it is always part of the earth. It influences. That wisdom that they gave you when you called them in times of trouble, that's in you. That's not going away.

That, that'll-it's, don't worry about death, because death is automatic; you don't have to make an appointment; you don't have to go see anybody-no, no, it comes.

Don't be in fear of losing what you will not lose-because they will be in you. Genetically, you are a part-you're just like a moon. You came from them. You will orbit. They will be there for you-in your memories, they will laugh; they will dance; they will tell you things; they-but it's a wonderful thing, human beings.

And no fear, no fear. Take that energy that you use to be afraid, to be concerned-and use it just to love. Love them like there's no tomorrow. And then they'll be closer to you than you realize.

Jeremy Gilley:

Wow, yeah. It's a beautiful thought-thank you, Prem. It's amazing to see you again.

Prem Rawat:

Good to see you too, Jeremy.

Jeremy Gilley:

Okay. Thank you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 65

Finding Your

Inner Strength

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Visible onscreen, sign:

#peaceispossible

Prem Rawat:

I'd like to tell you a story. In the old tradition, the way learning happened is those students who wanted to learn something would find a teacher-the teacher would sit down and tell them. Books did not exist; tradition was oral-and a lot of the teachers really didn't want to write it down because they said "Writing it down would not allow it to be current."

But this provided a beautiful background in which discussions happened and wonderful things happened. And so there was this wonderful teacher, and he wanted to drive a point home to his students. So, one day he got a glass of water-and he says, "How much do you think this glass of water weighs?"

And the students being students, started to, you know, take their guesses: "Oh, it weighs, you know, twenty ounces, this, this, you know, half a pound, or this," or whatever, whatever came to their mind.

And he said, "Well, you know, it's only a glass of water; it's not that much, right?" And it's like, "Yeah, it's only a glass of water." "So well, do you think-is it a big problem to hold this glass of water?" They said, "No, it's not a big problem to hold this glass of water. It doesn't weigh that much…."

He said, "But for how long? Because if you keep holding it with your arm stretched out-the same glass of water, without adding any more water to it-guess what will happen? It'll keep getting heavier and heavier, and heavier, and heavier, not because of the water, but because your arm will start to get tired, and more tired, and more tired-and there will come a time when you won't be able to hold the same glass of water."

That's the story. But what does it mean for you? You look at a problem in your life-and you say, "I'll deal with it later. I, I can take care of it; I-it's okay; it's okay, I can, I can deal with it."

And you're holding onto it-and it's getting heavier and heavier, and heavier, and heavier, and heavier-till that same-without the problem becoming any different, you can't hang onto it. You can't hold it anymore. What do you have to do? What is the solution? It's very simple; put it down. Put it down. Let it go.

In our life, too, we are so impacted by all these problems that we get-and what's wrong about that-that truly, the fundamental human nature is not to be in anger. The fundamental human nature is not to be in confusion; the fundamental human nature is not to be in darkness-the fundamental human nature is to enjoy.

To feel gratitude every day of your life, to understand its preciousness, to understand the value of this breath that you have been given-this is the blessing. This is the reality-for you, this is the reality.

I always say it; there are two walls-and you came through one wall-the day you were born, you came through one wall. Now you are alive; you keep going, keep going, keep going, and you're going to hit the other wall. And when you do, you'll disappear, "whitchew"; gone through it. Where to? Nobody knows; they're still trying to figure it out.

Then comes the whole complex saga: "Heaven-are you going to go to hell; are you going to go there," and everybody has their definitions on it, "And this will be this way; this will be this way; this will…."

I'm not here to argue it; I'm not here to change your mind about it; I'm not here to say "That's not the way it is." All I'm saying-is that it's also possible that this time that you have between the two walls, you can also create your heaven here, now-that's all.

So let me tell you that these problems that you deal with are like that glass of water-put it down. Give it a break. That's not what your life is for. Open your eyes and see. Understand-not just imagine, but understand. To see the beautiful reality of existence, for you. For you.

The day you understand about the richness of your existence, after that you will never be poor-never, never! Because that is priceless. Priceless.

The day you understand your strength-this is what I was talking about before. The day you understand your strength, you will realize that indeed, you can move the mountains-not the physical mountains, your mountains.

Your mountain is the darkness. Now having said that, I want to tell you something else. From darkness to light there is a clear path. From pain to joy there is a clear path-find it; don't look at the obstacles; don't look at your problems. Everybody has learnt in this world to look at problems. "What do you do?" "I talk about peace." "Oh, there can't be any peace in this world."

Oh, yes, there can, if you know how to find the path…. Not the problems-not the problems. Not the obstacles and the overwhelming, being overwhelmed by the obstacles, but find that clear path and just stay with it-and you can achieve incredible results in your life.

Simple. Simple. But again, it's a question of the habit. You have become so good at recognizing problems-that when solutions come, you can't see them. Solutions come-and you can't see them.

What habits have you given yourself? And, why…? Look, I'm not a psychologist; I am not a person who goes around giving advice of how families should be. That's not-that's none of what I can do.

But why am I telling you this? I'm telling you this-is because maybe one day, just one day, not being shy to say "I love you" to the ones you love-one day, one day you'll be able to look at yourself and say "I love you." And that day, I guarantee you your life will change.

Because you're not loved by you; you're judged by you. And I'm not talking about the wrong kind of love. I'm not talking about ego love; I'm not talking about, you know, "Yeah, I can do no wrong," kind of love; that's not the love I'm talking about.

True love: "I am in love with this breath-because it is a gift that I could not even ever imagine asking for." Could you; could you? Could you ever, ever imagine asking for a gift like this breath? Could you? You would ask for a house; you would ask for a car; you would ask for a girlfriend; you would ask for a watch; you would ask for a shoe, or you would ask for a shirt-which you do.

Asking for a gift as incredible as the gift of this breath…. Understand and accept this incredible opportunity of life. Not be caught in some imagination, but see the reality, and see the reality, how beautiful it is. That this breath comes into you and it brings you life, and you are filled? And how beautiful it is.

And it's not about that wall. That wall doesn't win. I don't want that wall to win. Because if I can understand the value, now, then I have defeated that wall. That even though this circus will pack up, but a heart will leave from this circus that will be full of gratitude.

Not empty. Not Alexander's case, "Empty-handed you came and empty-handed you have to go." "Empty-handed you came but empty-handed you don't have to go."

That when this heart is full of gratitude, when this heart has recognized, when this heart has understood the beauty of this incredible garden that I live in, of every day, the doors that open, the opportunities that come….

Hey, excuse me-I'm not telling you that's the way it is for me every day. Do I get lost in my problems? Absolutely. Do I forget to put the glass down? Absolutely. But I need to keep making an effort to put the glass down.

Today, somebody came to me and said, "You know, could you talk about mindfulness," (because I was talking about mindfulness at the Kind Malaysia event), "So would you talk about the, you know, the mindfulness…?" And I said, "Actually, there is a problem." And I said, "The problem is…." So, I was talking to this person, talking to this person….

And I think I've coined a new word-and it's not "mindfulness"-it's "heartfulness." Because I know what my mind is full of. I am very clear-well, I know what my mind is full of. So I know what my mind is full of-but I also am fortunate enough to know what my heart is full of.

And I want to be from that full heart, the heartfulness. Because that's where I will recognize light, not the darkness. That's where I'll recognize compassion, not the anger. That's where I will recognize clarity, not the confusion.

Because the problem is my mind doesn't actually know about clarity, but it's very clear on what confusion is. My mind doesn't actually know about light, but it's very clear on the darkness. And my mind doesn't actually know about compassion, but it's very clear on the anger, "and who you should be angry with."

And my mind is very clear on what's not going to work, half the time. But my heart is very clear on what is going to work. Heartfulness. In your life, heartfulness. Because that is the realm of going within and feeling who you really are. That is the fundamental step, the fundamental step to knowing yourself.

The rest? The grind goes on. You have come here-I thank you very much-you have come here; you have given me a chance to say what I wanted to say; you have listened to me; thank you. Will you remember it? Probably not. [Audience: Yeah.] And not most of it. But I must tell you that if you could implement just a little bit of what I have said, this can change your life-for the good.

This is an amazing pill; it's called the "pill of clarity." It is powerful. It is powerful. Those who have taken this have sung praises of, "How clear," how that clarity brings that joy of the heart.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 66

The Answer

Within

Peace Is Possible Author Event

Manchester, UK

Prem Rawat:

What I want to talk about is the reality of us, of what it really means to be alive. Who are you? You pride yourself on being different; I can see, so many people are wearing just, different kinds of jackets and ties and have their hairdo differently-it's not like you're all looking the same from here.

But what if I was to tell you that all of you are going to go through this one thing-you came through one wall and you're going to hit the other wall and you're going to be gone.

I deal with this. People write to me. People want to talk to me. I just talked-I just saw a lady in France. She wrote to me, said, "I'm ninety-eight years old. I have been with you since 1972-and I just want to shake your hand." So I said, "Sure."

So, when I was in France I called her. I was-I have to say, I was shocked. I was shocked. She looked younger than me! And I'm like, I thought, you know, she'd be like, eighteen people holding her-no! Just…. Then she started to tell me her story.

For four years she was in the German concentration camp-lost her mother, lost her father there. Showed me her tattoo…. And a smile on her face. She said, "I knew there was something more"-that that horror, whatever that was, "That wasn't it!"

You think having gratitude in this life is a small thing? Not for, "thankful for your job, not thankful for your car and your cat, your dog"-but to be thankful to be alive. My friends, I'm talking about "alive," the difference, the difference….

The difference between you and I isn't about coming through that wall and going to hit the second wall. It is what we make between the two walls, that's what makes us different. That's the difference between the devil and the angel.

Who are you? Who are you? In this equation of all those other people-who are you? You don't know. You know them-but you don't know you.

If you had to get a message across to you, how would you do it-seriously? If you had to get a message across to you, how would you do it? You cannot "self-SMS." How would you do it? Your silly little device doesn't know.

You need to tell yourself, "Be happy. Be content. Be in joy. Be in love." Please, please send yourself this message. You need to send this message to yourself-you need it.

You need to tell yourself, "It's okay." You need to tell yourself, "Be thankful." You need to tell yourself, "Be content." You need to tell yourself, "Be in clarity." You need to tell yourself, "Enjoy." You need to tell yourself.

What's your number? What's your number? What's your handle? What's your dot-com? Do you have the email of "dot-heart"? Do you have the email that ends with "dot-wisdom"? You don't-you don't-and you need to.

This happened to me-in London. So, I'm stuck in the famous London traffic jam, compliments of progress. (I came to London in 1972; believe me, there weren't traffic jams like that….)

So, I'm sitting in the car and I see this man walking, and he's got a stick-and so I realized that he couldn't see; he was challenged, visually challenged, so he can't see through his eyes, so he's just using his cane. But I realized he was really clipping along. He was just, "Whshew, chu-chu-chu-chu-chu-chu-chu…."

And of course, I had nothing else to do except, sitting in the car, stuck in a traffic jam-and he would absolutely, completely pass us, and then we would catch up and I would start looking again; it's like, "Wow. Man, he's really moving. What's he doing? How is he so sure?"

Then I realized, "Oh my God. This man is not looking for something, but one thing and one thing alone-he's only looking for a clear path." He doesn't care about Westminster; he doesn't care about the traffic jam here, the traffic jam there; he doesn't care about the time on the Big Ben; he doesn't care about all the pretty boats on the Thames.

All he cares about: "Is the path clear?" And not the whole path-just enough for him to pass, that's how much he's scanning with the stick. That's all he cares about: "If that's clear, keep walking."

And then I realized, "Oh my God. He doesn't care about the obstacles." You would think he cares about the obstacles; he doesn't care about the obstacles; he only cares about a clear path.

So when problems come in our life, do we look for a clear path-or do we look at "how we're going to overcome the obstacle"? You don't have to overcome the obstacle-if there is a mountain in front of you, figure out a way to go around it. And go around it. Don't have to try to go, "Oh my God, how am I going to climb that mountain."

I mean, is that what you do when you come across-you're driving and there's a huge building in front of you? Do you go, "But and, how am I going to drive through that building? And that's, that's really going to hurt my car-and me and, and, and everything…." No, you look left and right and you say, "Well, yeah, there's a road; just go around it."

Does that make sense? [Audience: Yeah.] Just today? [Audience: And yeah, that's right.] Just today? No! You always knew this. And this is garnering wisdom; this is wisdom: "Don't try to go over it; go around it."

You have problems? You're going to have problems. Of course, you're going to have problems. Why are you going to have problems? Because you always try to go on top of the mountain. That's why you're going to have problems. I'm telling you, life is sweet-just go around.

Like that man, he taught me so much, taught me so much, just in that little time. Now, now I actually look forward to traffic jams in London. I can learn something-"Wow, what am I going to learn today, you know?" Because it's going to happen….

They told me, "Oh, yeah, but oh, but it's going to take two-and-a-half hours to, you know, go twelve miles." I said, "No problem; let's go!"

My friends, these are the possibilities. Are you ready to engage with the seed of clarity? Are you ready to engage with the seed of joy; are you ready to engage…? Because if you're not, you need to send yourself a message-to be ready, and to do so. You need to send yourself a message.

And when that happens, imagine what you will have in your life. Imagine how beautiful that clarity is. That's the power of light-"Turn on the light; turn on the light; turn on the light; turn on the light. Enough darkness." And where does the light need to shine? In your neighbor's yard-or yours? Try yours. That's where it needs to shine-because there is a light inside of you. Discover, uncover.

This is what I help people do-those people who don't know their number, I have a special software; I call it "Knowledge." And it goes through and finds your number and it connects you to it. And it's pretty good software; it's very, very good software.

But even that software requires wisdom to use it, unfortunately. And me coming and going to all the places in the world, I am sharing my wisdom-because without that wisdom, it is very difficult to take and make proper use of Knowledge.

This is what I do. People listen to me and they go, "You make sense." (Thank you; that's what I do; that's what I've been doing.) I was doing it since I was four years old-that's my gift. That's my gift. That's my gift. And today, this is my gift to you.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 67

Jacaranda Radio 94.2 FM

The Complimentary Breakfast with Rian van Heerden

Johannesburg, South Africa

featuring

Prem Rawat

Radio announcer:

This is The Complimentary Breakfast. Jacaranda FM.

Rian van Heerden:

It's a huge pleasure to have Prem Rawat on the show this morning. He has been traveling and speaking to audiences about peace since he was a child.

Onscreen text:

RIAN VAN HEERDEN

Host, The Complimentary Breakfast

Rian van Heerden:

And he also said that "We all know what the symptoms look like, of this disease-it's greed, war, selfishness, violence, and an increasing loss of trust. Peace is a real thing; peace resides in the heart of every human being. Peace has to emanate from each of us."

Prem Rawat is with us. Good morning to you, sir.

Prem Rawat:

Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.

Onscreen text:

PREM RAWAT

International Speaker, Ambassador of Peace

Rian van Heerden:

You know, I know very few people that can engage an audience like you can. I watched the-just yesterday I was watching the Boston, Massachusetts chat. And you had profound things to say, and I think one of the most important things that I took from you is that we need to find out what makes us happy.

Prem Rawat:

Yes.

Rian van Heerden:

And what makes us all happy is the same thing, is it?

Prem Rawat:

Yes, it is. It's the fundamental need. Peace is not a luxury. And peace is not a word. In fact, peace is a feeling.

And like hunger, like we need to sleep, like we need to eat, like we need to drink water, like we need to breathe air, we actually need peace in our lives. Because without that peace, our functioning breaks down; our basic thinking breaks down. Our perceptions break down. And we no longer can function as a human being, properly. And this is why peace is important in this world.

Onscreen text:

Real Peace

Prem Rawat in Langa

Cape Town, South Africa

Prem Rawat:

Who are we? What are we? What does it mean to be here on the face of this earth? What does it mean when this breath comes into you? What does it mean to be actually, alive?

What do we want? Do we want to overcome a problem or do we want to forge a road for the future? Do we want to take care of some issues-or do we want to create a highway to a future that encompasses every person? This is the decision that we have to make-as individuals, not as a society-but as each one of us, what do we want in our lives? What is important to us?

Peace, like the Council Member said, is very easy to say, very difficult to attain-why? If it is so difficult, if it is so impossible, why even have the concept of peace; why even have the idea of peace?

Because everybody, 7.5 billion people on the face of this earth, have their own idea of what peace is. That peace that you carry in your mind is not real peace. What you carry in your heart is the real peace-the peace that does not see a reason to be, but has existed since time immemorial for those people who have appreciated it and welcomed it in their lives.

Can peace be in the midst of a battlefield? What better place for it to be? Can peace be experienced in the middle of chaos? What better stage and contrast than that? And that is why the battles happen here, and the peace dances here. Two, in the same vessel, in the same person at the same time. How can this be? But it is.

How far is darkness away from light? Tell me, how far is darkness away from light? When you turn off light, how long does it take for the darkness to appear? Two minutes? Three minutes? Four minutes?

Or instantly? That's the relationship of the darkness and light: light is never far from darkness, and darkness is never far from light-ever. All you have to do is be where that is, that you want to be.

You want the bad; you want to welcome the bad? Welcome the bad, and you will feel the bad, and it'll influence your life and it'll drag you down and it'll make you depressed-and you will become, what? [Individual: Greedy.]

Is greed the mark of strength or weakness? Is greed the mark of strength or weakness-I ask you; what do you think? [Individual: Weakness, yeah.] Greed is a mark of weakness, not strength. Power struggle is a mark of weakness.

Have you seen Star Wars, the old one-and do you ever see that? Isn't that the neatest scene, when the commandos are there? And the guy, Obi-Wan Kenobi just says, "You don't need to check their papers," and they go, "We don't need to check, yeah, okay." No guns needed. No weapons needed-strength!

Strength comes from the inner core of a human being. That's where it resides. That's where you have to go to be in touch with it.

And to me, I haven't told this one story here, but I did tell it at the Book Launch and I told it at Malmesbury Prison that I was at-and I will tell you that story here, too.

Once upon a time there was a settlement, and in the settlement there was a chief. One day a young boy walked over to the chief-and it's, "Chief, I have a question." The chief said, "What?" He said, "I have a question; why are some people good sometimes-and the same people, bad the other times? Why are some people good sometimes, and the same people bad the other times?"

And the chief said, "Inside each one of us are two wolves, a good wolf and a bad wolf-and they fight." So the boy said, "Chief, why do they fight?" And the chief said, "To get supremacy over you, to have command over you-this is why they fight." So the boy thinks some more and says, "Chief, which wolf wins? Which wolf wins?" And the chief said, "The one you feed."

What do you think? Do you like that story? [Audience: Yes. Yes, we do.] It has such a quick ending-and it gets you thinking: "Of course, whichever wolf I feed, that's the wolf that's going to win."

Let me ask you, which wolf have you been feeding? Which wolf have you been feeding? You don't have to answer me; just answer yourself-to yourself, honestly, "Which wolf have you been feeding?"

"I don't want to feed the wrong wolf because if I feed the wrong wolf, I destroy my life! I destroy my time that will never come back-that will never come back, that will never change." This is the decision that we have to make every single day: "What do you want in your life?"

Which wolf do you want to feed? From where do you want to come; do you want to come from your heart? From your wisdom? From your understanding? From your knowing? Or do you want to come with everything that everybody else has told you? This is what the Peace Education Program is all about-the Peace Education Program is about you, not about other people.

Everybody, wherever I go-I see people are totally enamored by other people: "What do other people think of me; what do other people think; they, that they like me, do they dislike me; what will they say? What about my society; what about my this, what about my that?" Is that what it is about?

Your life, the one you have been given-you as a human being, where do you count; where do you fit into this world? It took millions and millions and millions of years of evolution to put you on the face of this earth that you are here today-you think it's a mistake? Do you think it was just like that? No, it took millions and millions of evolutions to put you on the face of this earth.

A breath comes in and a breath goes out and you find yourself alive. Your palette is virtually infinite! Of what you can feel, of what you can express, of what you can know, of what you can understand, of who you can be, there is no limit.

But this is the realm of the heart. This is the realm of the knowing. This is the realm of the people who have understood their dignity, and have no problem offering the dignity to others. They bond with a human being because they are alive and you are alive. Not because of the common interests; "Oh, you like music; I like music; we're friends."

No, "You are alive; I am alive; we are friends." That's the day this world's going to change. That's the day this world is going to change, not because "You speak this language and I speak this language; we are friends"-but because "You are alive and I am alive, we are friends."

This is the possibility, if you want to accept. I am not here to preach to you. I have nothing to preach. I want to invoke some thoughts so you can think for yourself.

Because if you have ever felt your heart, you know what is important to you. If you have ever felt your life, you know what is important to you. And if you are truly here because you want peace in your life, you know that peace is not far from you-never has been, as it dances in the hearts of every single human being.

Whatever you do (or don't do), don't ever feed the wrong wolf. Because that wolf will win. This is not the story you want.

You have to forge your own story; nobody is going to forge a story for you. Nobody is going to forge your life; you have to forge your life. And that fire sometimes is nothing but disappointment-but even in that disappointment, that metal is turning and churning and transforming. That's what transformation sometimes is. That's what transformation sometimes is.

What happens? What happens when you take clay, earth, dirt, and mix it with water? This is what people don't want on them. This is what people don't want on them-and the car drives by and splashes water with dirt on it-it's like, "Oh my God, I'm dirty; I'm dirty; I'm dirty."

But somebody takes the same dirt and kneads it, and kneads it, and kneads it, and kneads it-and puts it on a wheel and turns it and churns it and makes it a beautiful earthenware….

And then takes that earthenware and puts it inside the kiln-and it goes through and it bakes. And when it comes out, the same dirt that got on your clothes for free, (and you freaked), now you are going to buy this earthenware. And it's going to decorate your house.

This is transformation. This is transformation. And this is the same transformation that you have to allow, yourself, to happen.

Everybody in this whole world-I am not even going to say, "Langa" or I'm not even going to say "South Africa"-I am saying the whole world needs to unite!

The whole world needs to unite to take care of all the stupid problems in this world, so that we can forge a highway to the future, the future in which there is prosperity, peace, and dignity-in fact, first, dignity, peace, and then prosperity. That's the way it needs to be-not just for today, but for generations and generations and generations yet to come.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 68

The Hidden

Possibility

Quando il Deserto Fiorisce

Author Event, Milan, Italy

Prem Rawat:

When we have determined we are in trouble, our demeanor is entirely different than when we think we have the whole world in the palm of our hands. And this is all we see-what is life for? "Oh! Make money, do this, do this, do this. Have fun…." I'm not saying it's not. But there is another potential; there's something else waiting.

When I talk about the desert blooming, it goes from the harshness of the desert, (harshness because the desert can be very harsh), from the barrenness of the desert, (the desert can be very barren), from the monotony of the desert, (a desert can be very monotonous)-to all of a sudden, there is this incredible possibility that is lying hidden….

That if that possibility was to come alive, that the desert becomes the most tender of places-from monotonous to a garden? From rejecter of life to attractor of life? Filled with butterflies and bees? From virtually no smell to the sweetest smell you can possibly imagine? From just that one color to the myriad of colors dancing? Hmm. How is that possible?

But it is. Because unbeknown to you, not in your visual scan, lying deep beneath that monotonous layer are seeds, seeds that through millions of years of evolution, (we're not that old, by the way, as human beings on this planet Earth, as they are), they have learned this little trick. And the little trick is between patience and being ready.

So they're ready-but they're also patient. We don't have-we have either one or the other. We're not used to these two things simultaneously coexisting, but they do.

In this human being lie these seeds, this possibility like in the desert. And they all wait for one thing-the rain. And the rain, by the way, is the most infrequent thing that happens where a desert is involved-but, but it does. It does.

And because that's what matters, they wait-ever-ready, ever-ready. And then, this they call a miracle-a miracle happens. And all of a sudden, the wind shifts. And the wind shifts-and every creature in that area gets ready for the rain.

And then the clouds begin to boom because of the lightning and the thunder: an announcement, "I am coming." The humidity levels rise as the precursor. And this is the opportunity that those little seeds were waiting for.

Then it begins to rain. And when it does, the air is filled with the most beautiful fragrance. It is the fragrance of the drops of water hitting the parched earth, parched sand. And then the dance begins. This is the possibility that exists in your life too.

Not the judgments-like that story where one pot gets damaged and it sees itself worthless! But it is not worthless. It is not worthless. The human possibility is to rise above all of this-today people say, "But look at this world; it's going crazy." I agree it's going crazy-and no disagreement from me.

So, it's not about the craziness of the world; it is about the smallest drop of sanity that does exist in the heart of human beings. It is not about all the days that it doesn't rain in the desert, but the day it does rain in the desert. When does that day come? It does come. When does it come? It comes more frequently than you realize.

It comes with every breath that you take. That rain comes with every breath that you take, when you are willing to look, to acknowledge, to understand-the day you can acknowledge, the day you can understand that anything is possible in your life.

That maybe it will take the effort of practice-practice. (Have I said anything wrong?) Practice. And the day you begin to practice consciousness, little by little, my friends, I am telling you, you will see a difference.

Have you ever seen a day begin? It begins! It's dark-and then all of a sudden there is a faint little difference on the horizon, of light. There's dark-and then there is a little pinkish-ness. And then it gets more, and more, and more, and more and more and more, and then it becomes very obvious where the sun's going to rise, and then, boomf, there it is.

A day beginning, not with a flash, "Bah-dah!"-but "Ummmm-humm-hmm…." Then if the sun, the earth can be happy with this graceful beginning, little by little, why can't you? Why can't you? What are you looking for in your life, "Tah-dah"?

It's not filling your mind alone that matters; it is also filling your heart. Filling your mind may bring you little plaques, may bring you recognition-but when the heart is full, it brings you this most wonderful thing and it's called "gratitude"-when the heart is full.

Can you understand this possibility that I am talking about? This possibility of your desert blooming, this is peace, my friends, peace. This is peace.

Peace is not when people say, "Only one person slaps the other; the other person doesn't return the slap." That's not peace. It is not about all of the world, but it is about setting right our own world. When this world, when your world is disturbed, then the whole world is disturbed. When this world, your world, is in balance, then the whole world can begin to fall in balance.

The dynamics of the hope, the dynamics of the reality, the dynamics of the life are the hidden possibilities. And to understand the beauty that truly is represented when the desert blooms-unimaginable, unimaginable-the greens, the yellows, the blues, the pinks, every hue you can imagine.

And when that is so prolific, something happens-something amazing happens. You can't see the sand. It's just, all you see is this, these flowers, these colors. Because the desert has gone and bloomed! The impossible has just happened. The impossible has just happened. Where there was nothing, now there is everything.

And it has attracted, sure enough-it has attracted the birds and the bees and the butterflies. Exquisite. All that appears barren is not so barren. All that, that appears so unfortunate is not unfortunate. All that appears to be so empty is not that empty. It's not that empty. That's your beauty; that's your possibility.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 69

The Timeless

Breath

Brighton, UK

Prem Rawat:

So, I'm here to talk to you, and today's topic, a very interesting topic, "the timeless breath." So, the question then becomes, is, "Like, well, does that make any sense? Is breath really timeless?"

To understand this, we have to back up-and to understand this, we have to understand, "What does breath represent to us? What does it mean?"

Breath comes into you-and you're alive-you! And so what I want to say here is that, "Breath really represents not just exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, but it actually represents life, existence." Now, most people cannot separate what happens in their life and existence. And maybe for a very small period of time, they get to understand it.

But it's always quite unfortunate, because you may be lying in a hospital bed counting your last-you realized you can't do anything-and it looks fairly imminent you're going to go…. So now, finally, you get to separate all the things that are happening in your life, and with simply, this thing called "existence."

And the more you understand the power of this existence, the more you will be able to shape everything around it-that that is the nucleus. Not the things that are happening around you, because those will constantly be changing; that is their nature.

What you like today, you may not like tomorrow-and that is the nature of desire. If desire does not change, it's pointless. But it constantly changes. You buy a new TV-by the time you bring it home, plug it in, turn it on, it's advertising a new TV-and you will desire that.

As Marcus Aurelius said, "The universe is about change; life is about understanding."

"The most noble pleasure-the most noble pleasure is the joy of understanding"-Leonardo da Vinci. And when we can understand us…. When we can understand: "What is this breath?"

The whole universe, the existence has made it possible for you to exist. And this is more or less an exception. It's not like, you know, every 200 light-years, there's another system and another bunch of people or…. No, it goes on and on and on and there's nobody around that they have found. They've been looking for a really, really-I mean, really long time.

This is an exception-not the rule out there. That you exist, that you are alive, that you breathe, that you think-and that you have in you the possibility of being fulfilled, what does that mean?

Do you know what is the biggest block to understanding? The biggest hurdle to understanding is the preconceived picture of satisfaction, clarity, understanding, that you carry in your head.

And so far in this life, we don't take responsibility for "How do I feel…?" How do I feel? Right now, how do I feel? Today, how do I feel? Do I feel appreciation in my life or not-what, what in the world ever happened to a thing called "appreciation"? Pbbt, gone.

And without appreciation, there can be no gratitude. And what will take place when there is no appreciation-greed, because appreciation is the only antidote to greed. People who are greedy-that's one thing they cannot do, is appreciate. If they start appreciating they wouldn't be greedy.

Oh, are you familiar with the human nature? When you appreciate something, something you do, it's really peculiar-if you're listening to a song that you like on the radio of your car, what do you do? Turn it up. You want to share! You want to show; you want to share.

Have you gotten in touch with that part of you that wants to appreciate; have you gotten in touch with that part of you that wants to enjoy clarity in life? Have you gotten in touch with that part of you?

Have you gotten in-listen to what I'm saying-have you gotten in touch with that part of you that likes peace? Have you gotten in touch with that part of you that wants to be content? Have you gotten in touch with that part of you that deeply respects knowledge? Have you gotten in touch with that part of you that wants to express the sincerest kindness?

Have you gotten in touch with the part of you that wants to celebrate this existence? Have you gotten in touch with the part of you that wants to feel that gratitude? Have you gotten in touch with the part of you that holds these as the highest achievement of your existence?

How many human beings do you think there have been on this earth before you-and here you are. You are. What makes you different? What? Your kidneys? Your pancreas? Your knees, your ankles? What makes you different?

It's one thing that makes you different-your understanding: "What do you understand?" That's the only thing.

This breath is the manifestation of life for you. That power that ripples through the whole universe, comes through you in the form of breath-and it makes it possible for you to be. To be-so that you can understand.

And only then and then alone, does this breath become timeless-because your understanding, your understanding is timeless. That you have understood that this "being here" is not simply about the passage of time.

But you have reached out of this and dare to touch the timeless. The finite, (which you are), has dared to reach for the infinite. And that's when this breath becomes timeless. That's when this existence becomes timeless.

Embrace the one in your heart! Not in your mind-embrace the one in your heart.

You can have a modern iPhone; you can have a modern Android phone-but what you write in the SMS section or the email section or on your Twitter or on your Facebook can still come from kindness and humility. There's not a conflict.

That in this world of paradoxes you can still have joy-but you will have to find that joy, not out there, but the joy in you; that's it. Are you looking for kindness from the others-then look for the kindness in yourself. And if you don't find the kindness in yourself, don't even try looking at "in the others."

Your potential is the potential of understanding. Understand. Understand that timeless; understand this life; understand the joy; understand this divinity that dances inside of you. Understand what it is to be human; understand what it is to be alive. Understand what it is to be in clarity; understand what it is to be swimming in the ocean of answers.

Understand-and every day, awaken to the possibility of your heart being full. That is when you begin to understand the timeless breath.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 70

Project: Inward

Miami, USA

Prem Rawat:

Today, a lot of people say to me, "Oh, there are so many distractions." And when somebody said that to me, it was on a TV interview-"There are so many distractions; there are telephones, there is iPhone, there is iPad, there are tablets; there is this; there is this; there is this"-I agreed. But then this is my nature; I have to think about that.

So, guess what Buddha says? "Don't let your mind wander." Well, "What?" Why is Buddha talking about "don't let your mind wander"? What wandering-there are no iPhones; there are no smart tablets. Wait a minute; what's going on here? You mean we have been bothered by this little thing of this mind wandering, being too busy, since the time of Buddha? And Kabir, same thing!

So, don't be fooled. Don't be fooled by the name of your detractors. Don't be fooled-they have always been there, in different shape, different form, confusing you. Alienating you from whom? From yourself, from your serenity.

You, as a farmer, have become very good at harvesting your anger. (This is a loaded statement-be careful; take it for what it's worth.) You have become very good at harvesting your anger; that also means you sow the crop of your anger. (Without sowing the crop of your anger, how are you going to harvest it?)

So, you have become very good at sowing the crop of your anger-and you have become very good at harvesting the crop of your anger. You have become very good at harvesting the crop of pain, sorrow, misery, confusion, doubt-and you do not know how to even sow the seeds of peace in your life-if you did, that's what you would be harvesting today, and every day.

It's a tragedy that I have to come out here and tell you this. It shouldn't be like this. It shouldn't be like this-at the best, it would be great for somebody to come out and say, "Isn't life wonderful? Isn't life great? Isn't every day great?" And everybody agreeing. Not for an hour….

Well, but listen, just, we can sit here and talk about peace as much as you want. But then everything becomes a tool for that. What is the tool for life? What is the tool for existence? What is the tool to be alive; what is the tool to feel this amazing thing that you have called life?

Here is this universe-and, (ha-ha), and you know, I really have to tell you this. I'm using the word "universe"-I do not understand its vastness. It's not like, and just because I'm using the word "universe," it makes me an expert. And I know how big it is; I know where this street is and where that street is, and where this is and where that is-I don't know.

But I know there is this, all around you. And there is this, our galaxy. And it's all dirt! Some shiny dirt, some not so shiny dirt. Some reflective dirt, some not so reflective dirt. And then here, as though touched by magic, this dirt talks. This dirt smiles. This dirt can actually cry. And this dirt becomes so un-dirt-like-and yet it always remains dirt.

Take that one element from it, and it goes back to being that dirt. That's the law; that's the nature; that's the science of it. This is not subjective stuff. This is objective; this is how it is.

And you-through it all, through your problems…. How many of you have problems? Some little, some small? Some big? Some really big? And sometimes the little ones get a little bigger? And sometimes the big ones get a little smaller? And sometimes they just rearrange themselves?

So, you came; you're here. What have you become really good at? How do you judge yourself; how do you see yourself? "If you can cope with your problems, you're good?" If you can't cope with your problems, if you can't deal with your problems? Don't you all want to be unaffected by your problems?

How many of you want to be unaffected by your problems? [Individual: Ah-hah, that's right.] Hmm, that's very interesting.

So it's like, you don't really mind the problems-it's okay to have the problems so far they don't affect you, right? Is that correct? That doesn't make sense. Just, I don't know why, but it doesn't make sense to…. "It's okay to have problems, so far they don't bother you?"

It's like your house is full of cockroaches so far you don't see them…? It's okay if your toilet is plugged so far you don't smell it? It's okay if your soup burns so far you don't taste the burnt taste? Wow. See, that's a new one for me. That's strange-don't you think so?

Wouldn't you rather really find out, "Do you have a problem?" Because if in reality, you don't have a problem but you think you do, that would be really tragic, wouldn't it? In fact, that would actually qualify you to be a little cuckoo. It would be like that joke.

So people then go from, "I am my problems; I am my problems and I am my problems"-then they find somebody quote-unquote "enlightened"-who tells them, "You are not your problems; you are not your problems."

And then you keep repeating, "I'm not my problems; I'm not my problems; I'm not my problem-oops, I have a problem. Am I my problems or am I not my problems? Why do problems feel so real? Why do I have so many problems?" And on it goes.

The big questions start to pop up: "What am I about? What is this life about?" And then there-you think there's a shortage of answers?

"You, in your last lifetime…." Some-there are plenty of these people too. "In your last lifetime, you did a lot of bad things. And you are now suffering. And if you don't do good things now, straighten that out, you're going to suffer again."

Is that how it works? Because if this is how it works, then what is the point of anything called "enlightenment"? It's already set. The game is already set: "This is what's going to happen." Then who are you? What are you imagining? What do you want in your life?

So, how is it? Is it something that's completely different-none of this stuff, none. There is a divine everywhere-in you too-in every particle of that dust that you're made out of. You are here; you're alive. You have a gift-and it's called "the breath," and it comes into you, and it fills you-and it brings you the gift of life.

You have a brain; it can figure things out. And it's not about problems. It's about finding your way in this existence. It is not about circumventing obstacles.

You think that if you circumvent enough obstacles in your life, you will reach some sort of a destination-no, you won't. You may be going around in circles, circumventing obstacles. And this is what you have become good at is circumventing obstacles.

You have actually not become good at holding a course-the course of life, the course of existence, the course of understanding, the course of joy, the course of peace, the course of having this heart full.

But people think, "Oh, you, just, just, you're just a human being? You're nobody. What have you-what have you achieved!?" I have achieved the breath coming into me, by the way-I've achieved that. Now make the rock do it. Not possible. Only a human being can have this gift of life, of understanding.

So I ask you a question. When you hear the word "peace…?" When you hear the word "peace," do you feel peace or do you imagine peace? When you hear the word "divine," do you feel the divine? Or do you imagine the divine?

When you hear the word "clarity"-do you imagine clarity or do you feel clarity? When you hear the word "joy," do you feel joy-or do you imagine joy? When I say the word "love," do you imagine love or do you feel love?

When somebody comes to me and says, "You were talking about peace; I want to experience the peace you're talking about. I want to experience the joy you're talking about; I want to experience the fulfillment you're talking about," we have to get one thing very right-you want me to fulfill your expectations?

Because if that is what you want fulfilled, I can't do that. But there is a real peace-and it's not about imagination. And how do you know it is real peace, because it will fulfill your hunger; it will fill your heart. Not your curiosity, not your imagination. It will fulfill your heart.

Do you know what a heart is? Do you know what a heart is? Or do you even have an imagination of your heart, and that's what you consider the heart to be? The greatest challenge you will ever face-the greatest challenge you will ever face is to rise above your imagination and accept the reality as it is.

And that is the day you will understand what beauty is and what true beauty is. That is the day you will understand what fulfillment is. That is the day you will understand what life is. And in you, that joy, that clarity, that understanding will dance. And every time it does, every time it does, it'll bring you a happiness you cannot even imagine.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 71

SABC RBF

Umhlobo Wenene FM Radio

Johannesburg, South Africa

Zizo and KCi

Interview Prem Rawat

Zizo Beda:

I'd like to know, when you go around and you teach the principles of having peace, do you think it's important that the leaders of nations buy into the idea, so that it can filter through to the people? Or you speak more to individuals?

Prem Rawat:

Well, let me just clarify one thing. [Zizo: Right.] I don't teach and I don't preach. [Zizo: Okay.] And that's absolutely out of the question for me. [Zizo: Right.]

All I want to do, at most, is to say things to people that will cause them, that will evoke something in them to start thinking for themselves. [Zizo: Right.] To start understanding, "Yes, peace has always been inside of me. If I don't feel that peace, it is because of the obstacles that I have created-not somebody else has created, [Zizo and KCi: Yeah.] I have created for myself."

You know, distraction-you have to be attracted to a distraction. [Zizo: Ummm, umm.] Because the distraction might be doing something-but then you get attracted to that distraction. And that attraction takes you away from where you want to be attracted to. [Zizo: Umm-hmm.]

To be fundamentally sound, a building is built on a foundation. [Zizo: Right.] You don't see the foundation; nobody decorates a foundation, because it's buried. But the integral structure of that building-actually, the integrity of that building depends not on what you actually see-but what is that, what is [Zizo: Hidden.] the foundation.

So, what is the foundation of a human being? You know, do you want to be happy? I don't see anybody going to any church, any temple, any God and saying, "God, I've had too much fun; I'm too happy. Please do something to reduce this happiness." When we get sad, [Zizo: Right.] we do do that-we say, "This is too much sadness; I want to get rid of sadness."

What does that tell you? That tells you that we like to be content, that we like to be happy, that we like to be in peace. We like to be in joy; we like to be in clarity. [Zizo: Right.] And we don't like confusion. We don't like anger; we don't like fear; we don't like these things. But they're both in us, absolutely. I mean, if I may, I can tell you a little story, if that's okay.

Zizo Beda:

Sure, yeah.

Prem Rawat:

Once upon a time, there was a settlement, and in this settlement a lot of people were living, and there was a chief. [KCi: Umm-hmm.] And one day the chief was approached by a young kid-and he said, "Chief, I have a question. I'm confused; I have a question." And the chief said, "What?"

He says, "Well, sometimes I see that people are good. And sometimes I see the same people who are good, they are bad. [KCi: Umm!] How can this be? I mean, either the person is good-or the person is bad. [KCi: Bad, umm-hmm.] But this is, no, well, sometimes people are good-and then, sometimes they're bad."

And the chief said, "That's because there are two wolves in us, a good wolf and a bad wolf. And they're fighting each other." [KCi: Ummm!] So the boy thinks about it-and said, "Why do they fight?" So the chief says, "So they can have control over you; they can have supremacy over you."

So the boy thinks about it and he says, "So, chief, tell me-which wolf is going to win?" [Zizo: Umm-hmm?] And the chief said, "The one you feed." [Zizo: Ummm, umm.] So, we feed the bad wolf…? [KCi: Wow.] [Zizo: All the time….] The bad wolf will get strong.

And a lot of people think, "We should beat the bad wolf." Beating the bad wolf is not going to help the good wolf. The good wolf has to be fed. Doing things to the bad wolf is not going to help anything. [Zizo: Yeah.]

And sometimes we just get caught up and it's like, "If we could just remove the darkness from the room, there will be light, right?" [KCi: I know.] No, you know, you cannot take a bucket and try to remove the darkness-[KCi: Umm.] and then hope that there'll be light. No, bring in the light, and the darkness will automatically go away.

Zizo Beda:

Vanish, yes.

KCi: [male]

So, how do I get there? Somehow, obviously, there'll be sacrifices along the way…?

Prem Rawat:

No, no sacrifices. [KCi: Umm-hmm.] Because you already have it. [KCi: Okay.]

See, there is a huge difference in trying to create peace in your life, [KCi: Umm, so?] and trying to discover peace in your life. [KCi: Okay.] And I'm talking about discovery, not creation. [KCi: Umm-hmm.] Anything that we have to create, that means that it's not in us already. [Zizo: Umm.] But peace is in us already.

Zizo Beda:

Wow, this is deep. Wow.

KCi:

It's more like finding, yes, and something that is already there.

Prem Rawat:

Exactly; it's discovery. [KCi: Okay, wow.] It is discovery, not creation.

Onscreen text:

The Happiness

Factor

Prem Rawat speaking to an audience

of children in Sebokeng, South Africa

Prem Rawat:

I want to present to you a very simple idea-and it's not an idea; it's a fact. And the fact is, "From thought comes action." When the thought is good, the action is good. When the thought is confused, the action is confused. When the thought is bad, the action is bad.

Now, bad action will not only hurt people around you, but also hurt you. That is why it is so important to have thought that is good, that is clear, that is simple, that is beautiful-so the action that is born from the thought is also beautiful, also simple, also profound.

So, what do you need to be happy? One, you need hope. Every day that you wake up in the morning, you should be excited about being alive. Are you? [Audience: Yes, yes.] Really? [Audience: Yes!] Are you sure? [Audience: Yes!] Now, really? [Individuals: Yes.] Really? [Audience: Yes!]

You are never disappointed? [Individuals: No. Yes! No. No.] Hah-hah-hah…. [Individual: That's the problem.] That's the problem. We are saying "yes"-(remember what I just talked about, "First, thought, then action"?) You are saying "yes," but you're not thinking. [Individuals: That's right.] Because most people are buried with responsibility.

When you haven't done your homework, do you look forward to going to school? [Individuals: No. No.] And don't you have to wake up before you go to school? [Individual: You're right; we do.] And so that day that you have to go to school and you haven't done your homework, you are looking forward to going to school? [Individuals: No!]

So, how can you be hopeful? How can you be happy? You're not. It's like, "Eeeh-eeh-eeh, no…."

When we grow up, we don't have homework; we have responsibilities. And when we remind ourselves of those responsibilities, we too start to lose hope.

Because we are fighting those responsibilities, fighting those responsibilities, fighting those responsibilities and they never stop-something new comes up; something new comes up; something different comes up, and it bashes us, and it beats us, and we too don't want to get up. And so, there goes our hope.

But hope is important! Hope is important. Because without the hope, the person cannot thrive, cannot shine, cannot be happy.

We have to feel like we belong. The youth of this country and of the whole world is losing hope-they don't feel like they belong. And when they don't feel like they belong, sadness, fear, anger, disappointment, take the place of hope.

It isn't just prosperity-it isn't just fulfillment of our ideas that should bring us hope. But the reality, the reality of being alive, that is what should bring us hope. The reality of having peace in us, that should bring us hope. The courage that resides in our heart should bring us hope and understanding, every single day.

So, you need hope-and you need gratitude to be happy. [Individual: We have that.] What kind of gratitude?

Parents teach their children to say, "Thank you." Somebody gives them something-they say, "Say 'thank you.'" Is that right? [Audience: Yes.] And sometimes when you see a little child say "Thank you," the child will go, "Thank-you!" You see, they are being taught manners, not the feeling of gratitude.

What is gratitude? Gratitude is when somebody does something nice for you-when somebody does something nice for you-and you feel good. And you take a little bit of that "good" that you feel, and you give it back to the person who gave you that which made you feel good; that is gratitude. That is true gratitude.

So, we teach manners, and there is nothing wrong in manners; we need to learn manners-but we need to understand what really, that "thank you" means.

And so, the heart full of gratitude, of understanding, of hope, this is what takes us closer to being happy in our lives. What else do we need to be happy? We need to know ourselves. If we don't know who we are, how will we know what is our need? How will we know what makes us happy?

This, this is what I have come to tell you. You live with your problems every single day. [Individual: You're right about that, yeah.] You grow up with your problems-and when you grow up, you begin to believe you too are a problem. [Individuals: You're right about that!] But you are not a problem. You may have problems, but you are not a problem.

You are a human being, the gift of all the possible gifts-amazing gift that you receive, the gift of being alive every day. This is who you are, not your problems, not your ideas, not your disappointments. But you are a gift. And the peace that you seek is not on some mountain. But the peace that you seek is already in you, already in you.

People say-people say, "If peace is in me, how come I don't know? If peace is in me, how come I don't know?"

So, I ask you, do I have a handkerchief or not? [Individual: We don't really know.] I'm asking you a simple question. I do. Do you see it? [Individuals: No, we don't.] So, how do you know? Are you guessing? [Individual: That's what we have to do about it.]

Watch-watch. You're thinking now, right? "Does he have a handkerchief; doesn't he have a handkerchief? Where is the handkerchief? What color is the handkerchief?" Right? Thinking?

Thinking-thinking, thinking-thinking, thinking-thinking, thinking, right? And you can think all night long. And you can think all day tomorrow. And you can think, and think, and think, and think, and think and you will never know.

You want to know the power of knowing? You want to see the power of knowing? Yes or no? [Audience: Yes!] This is knowing. Now you know. [Audience: Yes.] It's white-and it's in this pocket, right here! And, yes, I have a handkerchief. And now are you still thinking? [Audience: No.] Finished! That's knowing.

So, everybody-"And what is peace? Where is peace? How come I don't know?" Because you haven't felt peace. You have to feel peace-just like this! Not think about peace. The world thinks about peace; that's why they'll never have peace. Because peace is not about thinking. Peace is about seeing, knowing, feeling! That's what peace is.

So, why don't you know? Because it is hidden. Why is it hidden? Who is hiding it? Your ignorance, your ideas-your ideas are hiding it.

Remove that, and be the human that knows. Feel, understand yourself-and you will feel peace within you. So, that is what it takes to be truly happy, to have hope, to have gratitude, to know yourself-and to not be reliant on others. To stand on your own feet.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 72

Essential Gratitude

Los Angeles, USA

Prem Rawat:

Gratitude is extremely important. And why is it important? I mean, of course, we all know gratitude, right? You know what gratitude is. We've been taught "gratitude" since we were very young-"Say 'Thank you.'" Is that gratitude? ("Say 'Thank you'"?)

A little kid-the mother, the father: "Say 'Thank you.'" The unfortunate thing is that for so many of us, that's all we know of gratitude. We don't know any more!

And today, I'd like to open up a whole another world to you, and it's called "the world of gratitude." Because what does it take to feel gratitude?

First of all, gratitude is a feeling-and a feeling cannot be coerced. Either you feel it-or you don't feel it. It's not one of those things, "Sit down-and let me talk you into hunger." Hunger is, either you feel hungry or you don't feel hungry. Thirst is, either you feel thirsty or you don't feel thirsty. Happiness is, either you feel happy or you don't feel happy.

So, for a lot of people, when it comes to this one thing of gratitude, it's a mystery-"What are you talking about? Yeah, of course I have gratitude; I say 'Thank you' all day long! When the flight attendant brings me the horrible food, I say 'Thank you'"-and you don't even know where it's been.

And there are so many people who keep telling you about "recycle, recycle, recycle-and that's good; that's green." And is this food recycled too? And there's something suspicious about it because all the galleys are so close to the bathrooms. (And in India that would be a no-no-you cannot have a bathroom close to anywhere you're preparing food.)

So, we say "Thank you." We haven't tasted the coffee, (and the coffee might be horrible), and we say "Thank you."

"Have a great flight!" (How do you know? Are you a meteorologist; are you the captain?) And where is the turbulence? You know, did the captain get a good sleep last night? Is he feeling okay? Is it the copilot's turn to fly? But "Have a good flight," and you go "Thank you; I will." So we think, somehow, we can just talk ourselves into gratitude, feeling thankful-but that's not the case.

So, what would make you thankful? Is there something naturally going on inside of you that would make you thankful? Is true gratitude a head thing or a heart thing?

You're thinking, aren't you? I can hear you thinking; I can hear you going, "Nobody has ever asked me that question, 'Is gratitude a heart thing or a head thing?'" Because your contact with gratitude has been a head thing-and that's not the gratitude I'm talking about. Those are good manners. Manners has nothing to do with gratitude. Otherwise, the word "thank you…."

Say, you are in a situation which is horrible-horrible situation-and somebody gives you a glass of water-you're not even thirsty-and he says, "Drink it." Should you say "Thank you"? Shouldn't you say "Thank you"? (You're thinking again, aren't you?) And that's a million miles away from gratitude-has nothing to do with the situation.

It is not that you are rich, that you should be thankful, and it is not that you are poor, that you should be thankful. It is not that you are healthy, you should be thankful; it is not that you are sick, you should be thankful. It is not that you are young, you should be thankful; it is not that you are old, you should be thankful.

It is not any of these things. Gratitude happens when you realize in your life, what you have been given-innately, without requesting, without pushing a button, without making a call, without putting a request form in-so, what have you been given? You have been given life.

If you're here and you're listening to what I am saying-and you hear my words, obviously, you're alive. And if you are alive, do you recognize what that means? That that is the first gift that you have been given for which you need to be thankful for.

And when you feel that life, when you feel like you are alive, you don't have to create gratitude-the gratitude naturally flows from within you. And this is the essential gratitude-the basic, the core gratitude. The real gratitude, the true gratitude.

And without it, you cannot even begin to truly enjoy your existence. All you live in then is a peril of all these dualities, all these ideas, all these definitions which keep changing, year to year to year to year.

Today, I go around the world and people talk to me about peace and I talk to them about peace. For the life of me, one thing I have not been able to understand is, "How can it be that, well, this is an English word-it's simple; it's called 'peace'-and nobody has any idea what it means?" How can that be?

But here we are, and in this world is so much crazy stuff…. "Gratitude?" Shouldn't I be talking about how you can press an acupuncture point on your body and it completely relaxes you when you see the headlines of the newspaper? Shouldn't I be talking about some antidote that you could use when you accidentally turn on the television and happen to just flash through a news channel?

No, because in reality, because you are alive, the most beautiful thing is happening, even with all the craziness in this world. And it can get ten times crazier. And even then, in the midst of all the craziness, there is something beautiful taking place.

And the greatest message in that, is that "Even in the middle of this craziness, there is sanity. Even in the darkness, there is light."

There is a truth that remains defiant to all the lies that one faces in their life. That there is a power in the power of this breath, that this breath comes into you, even though you are surrounded by all those things that would steal it-defiant.

That there is a wisdom inside of you that defies all the ignorance that you may be surrounded with. There is a light inside of you that defies all the darkness around you. There is a well inside of you that is perpetually full of beautiful, clean, sweet water, and it defies all the droughts around it.

And the day you discover this well, the day you discover this wisdom, the day you discover this light, the day you discover this beauty, you will be filled with gratitude-and that will be the truest, most real gratitude there is.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 73

Stories for Life

Author Event, Munich, Germany

Prem Rawat:

All stories begin with "once upon a time." The story that I really want to tell you also begins like this, but there is a small difference-and the difference is, "Once upon this time, there lives you."

You have a story that you have been writing since you were born, but you haven't read it. You are part of this story that is incredible, unbelievable. For you to be alive today means something-and it is greater than the sum of all the things you have accomplished; it is greater than your ambitions, and yet somehow we're not even aware of what this possibility is.

To find out, to know this possibility, has to be the greatest story ever told, so far you are concerned.

Is this a story about sadness? Only if you decide to write it so. Because it is destined to be a story about success, if you let it play out. When we look back, millions and millions and millions and millions and millions of species contributed to this story.

Over billions of years of transformation, from that algae from the ocean, to making it possible to come to land, and going through all the problems of being on dry land, not being in water-we actually encompass that in this being. The position of the eyes, the position of the ears, the way our skin is, where our heart is, how the body could be-and all of this has come together to allow a story to take place.

We share nothing in common with each other except for one thing-like all stories, (like all stories, like every story), this story too has a beginning and an end. But no story is about the beginning and no story is about the end. The story is what happens from the beginning to the end.

And today we look at the world and we say, "Oh, look, look at this problem; these people are fighting." Yes, there are people fighting. But there are a lot more people who are? Not fighting.

The rule of predators-you know the rule of predators? The rule of predators are, (or is), there don't get to be that many predators-and very few. They get to be predators; they get to be on top of the food chain-but there are a lot more wildebeest than there are lions. There are a lot more wildebeest than there are alligators.

End of the day? Wildebeest will go on. And they will cross that river like they have, many, many times. It will happen again and again and again.

And us. Somebody asked me once-it was about three years ago, "What will happen? What will happen?" And she was a politician; she just said, "What, what will happen?" I said, "People will win."

Because there is a lot of goodness in this world-that's why you are here, interested in peace. People say, "We have been fighting-and fighting and fighting and fighting for a long time"-actually that is not true.

Some of the recent discoveries that have been made-most people actually opted for peace. And assimilation, when they had plenty, (to eat)-when they had plenty to eat, assimilating different societies, different people who were hungry was not a problem. We welcomed them, "Come on in." And that's why these cities went "Powkh!"

It's only when the river would start to change its course, or the water became very difficult to have, where you couldn't have irrigation, this is when people would have the wars. This is when people would have the fights.

So, when things were good, it is the nature of human beings to welcome. Because we do. Look, this is how we are. So, yes, we can know so much in our lives, but do we understand who we are? Do we understand what is the meaning of this breath?

I say this. Just recently I was in Delhi, (just before Pune, I was in Delhi)-and I did an event and there were 200,000 people at that event. And then last year, I had done an event; there were four hundred thousand people at that event. And I said to them; I said, "Do you know the meaning of this breath?" It was beautiful, just hush, shhh….

So, when you were born-when you were born in that room, as you had come out…. I know you don't think of yourself as that, you know-there are people here I see who shave; there are people here who have a beard; who trim their beard. It takes a little bit of doing every day; they're looking good; they're looking smart-you all look good; you all look smart-ladies included, you know?

So, there you were, totally naked, slimy, wet-and everybody's focus was on one thing. Not if you were a boy or you were a girl, only on one thing: "Are you breathing or not?"

Then the doctor will take a pump syringe and put it in your mouth, suck out the water-"Are you breathing-or not?" Then if that doesn't do it, hold you upside down and "Whack."

Now that whack is not to teach you a lesson. That whack is to jostle you into "cry." You cry; you need to breathe. And obviously, you took that breath. You are here.

Had you not taken that breath-and if you were born in a hospital-if you had not taken that breath, guess what? You were not going home. You got to go home, courtesy…?

And the first one is amazing; it always comes in-has to. It comes in.

And all the time you're going to be alive, that breath is going to come in, and it's going to go out, and it's going to come in, and it's going to go out, and it's going to come in. And you won't even know how many times. And you will fall asleep and it'll be happening. And you will do all your entertaining and it'll be happening. And you will do your thinking and it'll be happening.

And you will be crying and it will be happening, and you will be laughing; it will be happening-and it'll be happening and it'll be happening. Like a good friend, through good times and bad times, it'll be there with you, bringing you, every step of the way, the gift of life every day.

And then?-like a good story, it will have an ending. Then there will be that time-and then the last breath you will take will not be breath in, but it'll be the breath out.

So, somehow you share a story-and the story begins with that breath coming in, and it ends with that breath going out. And in between is the saga that you get to write every single day.

Do you want to explore of what you are all about? Then let me tell you, you have in you, the ocean of answers. And why should you know that you have this beautiful ocean of answers in you-is because, on those days when things are hot and you are tired, you can turn within and feel the cool breeze and see the clear waters of understanding of the self.

Because there will be those times; there will be those times when things are not going right. There will be those times when things are not going according to your plan; there will be those days when you don't have enough meat-and reaching into tomorrow seems elusive. And all that you try to do, it doesn't really look like the road you have taken goes anywhere-there will be those days.

We need to know who we are. Who we are, what this breath is, what this possibility is. To know that even though we experience our problems within us, the solutions to our problems are also within us. These, my friends, are not empty words; I stand behind them.

This book represents a small effort to convey to you again and again and again…. There are people who have never come here and ever listened to me live. And one of these gentlemen told me that he keeps my book, (I know him), keeps my book right next to his night bed stand. Something is bothering him; he just picks it up and finds an appropriate story, reads it-and it gives him some solace, gives him some comfort.

I hope that you find that comfort in this book-because in this navigation of life, on this journey of life, it's important to live this life comfortably inside, feeling good inside, because this life deserves nothing less.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 74

A Message of Hope

Ipswich Times Interview
with Wendy Hughes

Wendy Hughes
Journalist, Ipswich Times

Wendy Hughes:

What is different in Australia-I know you talk in prisons, and you do the PEP program, and you've been to some very poor countries…. But is there a need for peace in just, middle Australia, the people that are struggling to pay their bills and-is there a place for your message with them as well?

Prem Rawat:

Yes, because, you know, we come in this world. There are two things that are given, one that we were born-and the other one is, one day we have to go. And the drama, trauma and everything is between those two walls. [Wendy: Umm-hmm.]

And, to me, once you understand the preciousness of life, the preciousness of every day, it only would make sense to understand, "Now, how can I take advantage of it to the max?"

Wendy Hughes:

Yeah. I look at the "Peace is Possible" message-[Prem: Umm.] and I saw the big artwork that's in London. And I just think that's such a beautiful, succinct three words, isn't it? [Prem: Yes.] It sounds beautiful and it looks beautiful, and I imagine that everyone that sees that must go, "Ah, well, that's hopeful. [Prem: Yeah.] That I'm glad I saw that in my day."

But, do you really think that it is possible? Do you think that it's-do you truly believe that we could have a peaceful planet one day?

Prem Rawat:

Well, let's take a look at that-that's a very interesting question. Because I've thought about this, and people have asked me that: "Do you really think [Wendy: Umm-hmm!] peace is possible?"

So, there are things in this world that happen that make us believe that "maybe not." But those things that make us believe "maybe not," are they something that dropped out of the sky, or are they created by us?

And I have looked at it-and I see that "These are things that are created by us." So that's good news-because if they're created by us, we can change them. [Wendy: Yeah.] And that's where peace is possible. [Wendy: Nice.] Because the quest for peace comes from within us. [Wendy: Yeah.]

We have a history of war. We don't examine the history of peace. [Wendy: Umm. Yeah.] But there have been longer periods of time of peace on this planet Earth than there have been of war.

Wendy Hughes:

Why do people focus on the negative? Yeah, how do you get everyone to slow down when our lives are all geared to be fast? And we've got appointments and we've got our phones, and everyone's tapped into this bigger thing all the time; well, how on earth…?

Prem Rawat:

Well, and what I have found-is that if we focus on you, me…. [Wendy: Umm.] Socrates, a long time ago, said, "Know thyself." What does that mean? "Know your self." We know our phone-do we know our selves? We know our responsibilities-but do we know our selves? We know what we should be doing-but do we know our selves?

And the thing is, you can have a lovely map-and most detailed map you can possibly imagine-but if you don't know where you are on that map, how are you going to get wherever you want to go? [Wendy: Umm-hmm.] And that's what knowing yourself is about. And once you start knowing yourself and understanding who you are, you start to see the relationship of everything around you.

The reality is never going to change-you were born one day, and one day you have to go. And between these two walls is this beautiful thing called "life." And the thing is, to even understand that-you will. When you get really close to that wall, you'll get it. [Wendy: Umm, wow, yeah, really?] Because I've seen that since I was a little kid.

Wendy Hughes:

It sounds like you had a, quite an extraordinary childhood-[PR: Yes.] that, and not many people on this planet would have experienced.

Prem Rawat:

Well, at four years, I was already talking about peace to people. [Wendy: Wow.] And getting up on the stage and telling people these things….

Wendy Hughes:

That in itself is extraordinary. Like, well, and where did that inspiration come from?

Prem Rawat:

Well, it happened…. Well, it came from within me. [Wendy: Umm-hmm?] I felt that-that there was something more than just the drama and the games and the, everything else. That everything was bigger than I could have perceived at that time. And I liked it; I liked it that it was beautiful.

You know, a lot of people can go into, "What is it that was…?" But to me, it wasn't like I could figure out what it was.

So it was like, I loved the idea of peace-and if somebody was to ask me "Why?" I couldn't tell them why-but I was enamored with peace. [Wendy: Umm.]

But what I was telling people is not much different than what I say today. [Wendy: Wow!] "That this is your life. [Wendy: Yeah.] You have been given an opportunity; this is a gift that you have been given. And the possibilities-of all the possibilities that are possible, one of them is that you can have peace in your life." [Wendy: Umm.]

Because I still believe that. I mean, it's not even a belief; I know that. I know that; I've experienced it.

Wendy Hughes:

What keeps you doing that now? You know, what keeps you getting up every day and doing this?

Prem Rawat:

It's that, it may appear very tiny, but the consequences of it are very big. When you can bring a smile to somebody's face, (because you have the ability to), when you can cause somebody to think, when you can bring some sense of relief to a person-not everybody has that.

You know, and there are people who can sing-I can't sing. There are people who can sing, and they can sing beautifully. And they bring something to that person. There are people who can play piano; this, magnificent-violin, magnificent. Paintings. Everybody has a gift.

Mine just happens to be-that I can bring something: contemplation, thought about peace, a reality about life.

You know, and I was-this is one of the things that I was explaining to them. It was like, "Look, there's a rule." And the rule is, "If you bring one lit candle and one unlit candle together"-[Wendy: Umm!] and this is the rule-"the unlit candle won't put out the lit candle, but the lit candle will light the unlit candle."

Wendy Hughes:

And, yeah. And yeah, that's great. Umm-hmm.

Prem Rawat:

Because it, that's, [Wendy: Umm-hmm.] that's what you have to become; you have to become a lit candle. [Wendy: Mmm.]

And so many of the inmates who are going through the Peace Education Program, then after they graduate from it, they actually end up becoming facilitators for other people.

Wendy Hughes:

Yeah. It's a fact that there's a huge population at some of those big prisons-that obviously, something's broken somewhere that has led them to be in prison, [Prem: And yeah.] but in such great numbers. Is peace something that can solve that problem as well?

Prem Rawat:

Yes, because-I think the number must be something like ninety-five percent of them say, "If we had this [Wendy: On the outside, umm….] outside, I'd not be here." [Wendy: Yeah.]

And they plead with us, "Take this to our families." [Wendy: Yeah.] This is the gift they want to send from prison to their families, so that they will not end up walking the same path and end up in these prisons.

Wendy Hughes:

Umm, umm-hmm. And how many prisons have you taken the program to now?

Prem Rawat:

Well, it's going to…. [Paul Bloomfield: Hundreds and hundreds-I mean, there's nearly a thousand.]

Wendy Hughes:

Really! [PR: And, yeah!] Wow. [PB: Must be, yeah.] Umm, that's incredible.

Prem Rawat:

But it's not just in prisons-the veterans coming from the war [Wendy: Yeah.] have been going through it. Because they come home; they're totally devastated. [Wendy: Ummh!] You know, there is no ticker-tape parade for them.

It's like, they realize it's, they're coming to a country in which people don't even have any sense of what just, what they went through. [Wendy: Umm, mmm.] And they're devastated. And they're going through the Peace Education Program.

In England…. And in Zonderwater, in-I mean, in South Africa, it's destined to go to every single prison. [Wendy: Umm.] And people see-people see the difference.

And this all got picked up by the University of San Antonio, Texas. Because in San Antonio, the Peace Education Program was happening, and the university is very interested in monitoring all the programs. And they looked at all the programs and they looked at all the statistics, and they said, "This program has the least rate of return. What's going on?"

So I ended up going there to San Antonio and talking to all the professors, and so on and so forth. And the professor said-and this was actually on the second trip-he said, "I get it. I think I get it. Your message is about you-and like, not about me, but about you, about the individual: 'Know thyself.'" No other program addresses that. [Wendy: Umm-hmm!]

Because, when the inmates come, they're blaming everybody else. [Wendy: Yeah.] "Oh, my family got me here; the judge got me here; the police got me here; the this got me here; the that got me here." But they're not looking at themselves.

And this program causes them to look at themselves, and as soon as they start looking at themselves, the transformations begin.

Wendy Hughes:

A few pennies drop.

Prem Rawat:

Too many pennies drop, I think. [Wendy: Oh, but that's amazing….] But that's the power of it.

Wendy Hughes:

Yeah. [Prem: Yeah.] It's very nice; it's great. One more question-I was told that you like food-and a bit of a foodie?

Prem Rawat:

Well, I-yes, I do. Absolutely, I do. [Wendy: Do you cook or…?] Yes, yes, I do, yes.

Wendy Hughes:

Really? What things do you cook?

Prem Rawat:

I like to…. Well, I know a few basics, so that's one thing-but I like to innovate, invent: "What can I do; how can I take a dish and [Wendy: Make it your own.] make it my own?" So, I'll tell you a little story-this is a cute little story.

There's a person in South Africa, a very dear friend of mine. And so she comes to me one day and she goes, "Prem, you've got to help me." And I said, "What?" She says, "I've joined this club," (it's a cooking club), "and I don't know anything about cooking. And I have got to submit a dish…."

So I realized what was going to happen here-that she was asking me to cook something. [Wendy: Yeah.] So I said, "Okay, I'll make you a dish."

So, of course, I made her the dish, and sent it to her and-she entered it with her name. [Wendy: And she won!] She won the first prize. People were eating it, [Wendy: Oh.] going, "Oh my God, you know, how, [Wendy: Wow.] and what is the recipe behind this?" And of course, she didn't know. [Wendy: Oh, oops. Umm, funny….]

So, I-and she told me that and I said, "Well, now you have to learn how to cook yourself."

Wendy Hughes:

Yeah, yeah, umm.

Prem Rawat:

I think that cooking is very nice, because I think everybody should be aware of what they're putting in their mouth. [Wendy: Yeah.] You know, and since God has given the ability to taste, "Let's put something together that's truly unique, that's you-your signature, that you can do."

Lockdown Broadcast Day 76

Practicing Kindness

Cuando el Desierto Florece

Author Event, Miami, USA

Prem Rawat:

Let me begin with this question, "Who are you?" You are a human being. What does it mean to be a human being?

Some of us have created an idyllic platform for us-and in this idyllic platform, we are perfect; we are a certain way. And in this platform, we are the wise one; we have answers to every question there is. A solution to every problem except ours. [Individual: And yeah, you're right.]

No, and this is really true-we do. We can solve the world's problem-tomorrow we can solve the world's problem, but not ours. Only been around for six thousand years, and we think we're the masters-that we know everything; we've got it pegged.

Then, all of a sudden, something happens-and we find ourselves incredibly vulnerable. The might disappears. The idyllic platform crumbles….

So, what I'm trying to say here is, are we just our ideas? Or is there another reality that exists here? Who are you? And what do you practice?

Every day that you go about doing whatever it is that you think you have to do…. You will wake up-at least, five days out of that week, you wake up-and you have to do things that you may not want to do.

Get up in the morning-and it's like, "Aaaagggh." [Individual: And yeah, that's right; we do that.] That's why you….

See, it's not about "what," it's about "why"-why do you have snooze function? What is this snooze function: "snooze?" Well, this snooze function is that when you actually do wake up, you're not ready to wake up. And you would like "five more minutes."

"Five more minutes"-and five more minutes, and five more minutes, and five more minutes, and you finally come across somebody you love and you are spending a little time with them-and "five more minutes…." My goodness, is your life all about that five more minutes? Is that what you are practicing? If that's what you're practicing, how are you ever going to be healthy?

Wellbeing-"well being"-but the "being" doesn't know how to be. Forget about the "well." At this point, the well is just a hole in the ground with the water at the bottom.

But when the being understands who the being is, then the process of the "well being" begins, and the well isn't a hole in the ground with the water at the bottom. It means to thrive, to be that being that can thrive. Not somebody who is absolutely begging for "five more minutes."

Okay, now I want to talk about "what is a human being"-because this is the most wonderful subject. So, what a human being actually is, believe it or not, (even though you do have that little "tail" thing), but besides that, you have something else; you have a heart. And in this heart, you have an ocean.

And you have the ocean of serenity. You have wisdom unparalleled. You have generosity, unbelievable. You have kindness that is fathomless. This too is you.

That you are alive is the greatest gift. It is also the gift that is given to the gorilla; it is also the gift that is given to the whale; it is also the gift that is given to all the monkeys-but you are that one monkey that can truly appreciate this gift and have gratitude in return.

This is what makes you special; this is what makes you different-not the lack of the furry little tail-that this is what makes you different. You have the possibility…. Now, a dog is very thankful for a bone. You can be thankful for being alive.

How amazing! You can be thankful for this breath; you can be thankful for this gift of understanding that you have. Question is, is that what you want in your life? Does that form the basis in your existence, of what you call "wellbeing"-true wellbeing?

I am offering here, a possibility, (even though it's only through words at this point in time), but I am offering this possibility of being in gratitude, of being thankful every single day. For what? For being alive. For this breath.

And to discover all your treasures, the treasures that you have within you. I'm not talking about some abstract concept here. I'm talking about experiencing something real every single day in your life-in getting in touch with yourself, not in some idea, but this heart that you have.

What do you know of your heart? Who has taught you how to listen to the whisper of the heart? Do you know how to dance to the song that your heart sings to you every single day? Do you know how to respond to your heart? Do you know…? Do you know how to be sincere? Or is it an art-is sincerity an art that you have forgotten?

Then let me remind you that in the realm of your heart, there is such a thing as sincerity. That this is a beautiful reality. That it's a beautiful saga that you are alive. The best thing that'll ever happen to you, ever happen to you, is happening every day that you are alive.

It's not winning a lottery ticket-sorry, it's not. I know, I'm…. Some of you have that dream, "Oh, yeah, I'll win the lottery ticket." No, it's not the lottery ticket. It's being alive.

From all that is on this earth, to emerge, to be…. And to put it in context, you won't always be here.

A long time ago I mentioned, there are the two walls. And you, we-this, to explain life: "the two walls"-and you come out of one wall. (It's called "being born.") And then you go, "Tik-tik-tik-tik, tik-tik-tik-tik," and then you disappear in through the other wall-and that's called "going bye-bye." (You may have other words for it, but….)

And I know that you have heard the word "journey," "life is a journey." Right? I don't know about "journey-werney." But I know one thing-between that wall that I came through and that other wall that I have to go through, there is a road. And I must walk that road. I must walk that-I don't have a choice. And that road is entirely made out of time.

But one thing I noticed about time, that it is totally impartial. I have never seen anything as impartial as time. Doesn't care. I'm miserable? Same rate. Doesn't care. I'm really happy? Doesn't care. I've done something wrong? It doesn't care. I've done something right? It doesn't care. Just "keep moving, moving, moving, moving, moving."

So, time is impartial. The road is impartial. The two walls are totally impartial; they don't really care. Seems to me, on this journey you are…. On this road from that wall to that wall, the only thing I've got is this clarity. The only thing I've got is this kindness-that are my friends. The only thing I've got is this thirst. The only thing that I've got is understanding. And the only thing that I've got is the joy that is in me.

And I guess, the best way to really put this-is if I'm not practicing those things-even though technically I can't do this, I am doing it; it's called "wasting my time."

So-so, practice joy; practice clarity; practice understanding; practice kindness. The point would be that you have become, through that practice, through that understanding, someone who truly appreciates and understands what this life is. Then you deserve it. Then you don't have to beg for that five minutes-and everything begins to change.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 77

The Need for Peace

Volunteer Peace Corps
RELA

Prem Rawat addresses RELA, the Volunteer Peace Corps organization which has over 3 million members in Malaysia.

Prem Rawat:

As a human being, I have a need-and the need is a need to be in peace. So when we forget our fundamentals, what happens? We become out of balance. I will give you a little story. (Stories are nice….)

So, there was an incredibly powerful magician, a sorcerer. And he had no children of his own, and his wife always asked him, "You know, somehow we could have a little child, it would be really nice." But it didn't happen.

One day the sorcerer was walking down the road, and he came across a little mouse. And this little mouse had been hurt. So he picked up the little mouse and he put it in his hand. Evoking his powers he turned the little mouse into a beautiful little girl.

And he took the little girl to his wife and said, "You know you keep asking me to have a, 'bring a baby, bring a baby'-well, today I have. And here is this beautiful baby girl for you."

She fell in love with the baby girl; he fell in love with the baby girl. And with great due diligence, they raised this daughter, taking care, giving her incredible education-and she was incredibly gifted. When she had grown up, she was not only very pretty but very wise, very educated, very beautifully-natured.

So, one day the sorcerer turned to her and said, "My dear, you have reached the age of getting married. Who would you like to get married to?" She thought about it and she said, "Well, what are the possibilities?" So the sorcerer said, "Okay, I will go and take the proposal to different people and whatever they say, I'll tell you."

So he went to the mighty mountain. And he said to the mighty mountain, "Would you like to marry my daughter?" And the mighty mountain said, "Oh my God, I have been watching her; she's so beautiful; she's so smart; she's so kind; she's so wonderful. I would love to have her as my wife."

So he brought the proposal to the daughter: "Daughter dear, the mountain would love to marry you-and he's powerful; he's strong. Would you like that?" And she said, "Nooo, not really."

Went to the ocean; proposed to the ocean, and the ocean went, "Oh, yes, I have seen her; she's gorgeous. I would love to marry her." Brought back the proposal to the daughter: "No, I don't want to marry the ocean."

Went to the king. And the king said, "Oh! I see; I have heard of her beauty; I would love to marry her." "Would you like to marry the king? You will live like a princess for the rest of your life." She said, "Nooo, I don't want to marry the king." "The prince," "the emperor," all these proposals were brought but she said, "No. No. No. No. No."

So now the sorcerer was like, "Well, who, you know-I have brought you these proposals; they're incredible proposals. And you have rejected all of them. So, is there anyone, anyone you want to marry?" And just then a little mouse happened to run by. And she looked at him and says, "Yeah, that!"

And the sorcerer realized that she, who she was…. Even though he had changed her into a human being and educated her and everything, but she hadn't forgotten who she was; her nature was still the same. Through all the different things, the nature did not change.

And when she saw the handsome little mouse, that was far more attractive to her than the mountain and the king and the prince and emperor and the ocean and everything else. Because that was in her nature.

So, the point of the story is, we live in this world-technology has changed; so many things have changed-but we are still human beings. We are still human beings. And the issue here is, "What is a human being?"

When I ask this question around the world, you would think every human being would tell you exactly what a human being is, right? That's not true. Human beings have forgotten who they are. And not only have they forgotten who they are, but what are their true needs? What is it?

You have to understand the difference between "need" and "want." Need is something without which you cannot exist. That's your need. (You need air; you need warmth; you need food; you need water.)

Television is your want. Without air you will die. If you don't watch television, you won't die. But, but, in our society…. In our society, we mentally have changed so much that we think, "If I don't get to see TV, I will die."

And I will give them all the value; I will give them all the importance, as the world gives importance to all that we do-but we do not give importance to what we truly understand.

So, when somebody like me comes and wants to talk about peace, I think it's really sad. Because I shouldn't be talking about peace. That should be already known to people-that peace is a necessity, and without peace, you cannot have happiness, and without that happiness, (and health, and money), you cannot have prosperity. Prosperity isn't just one thing.

And for us on the face of this earth, the challenge is to get in touch with what we fundamentally are. Not of who we want to be. Because this is what we have gotten lost in.

And it's the same thing with peace. People think they have to bring peace from somewhere else. People say to me, "I am searching for peace"-and I say, "Then you won't find it." [Individual: Yeah, you're right about that.] Why won't you find it if you're searching for peace? Because you already have it.

You can search wherever you want to search. Because the assumption is, "Peace is not in you." And that's what inspires the search. But the assumption is wrong because peace is in you.

The good is in you; the bad is in you. The right is in you; the wrong is in you. People say-people say, "There is so much bad going on in this world. How is that possible?" I say, "Yes. There is bad going on in this world. But in every human being, there is the good too-and that has not been nurtured; that has not been watered; that has not been taken care of."

So that's the situation with the world-but what about you? We are human beings. And we are not all about money-but we are about kindness; we are about generosity; we are about love; we are about feeling; we are about understanding. And these are the gifts that you can give, not only to yourself, not only to your fellow human beings, but to your family and to anyone you want.

And the beautiful thing about the gift of generosity, the gift of love, the gift of kindness, the gift of understanding is, the more you give, the more you can give because it'll only increase, not decrease.

Money is not like that. More money you give, less it'll be for you. So that's why everybody tries to keep it. But the gift of understanding, the gift of love, the more you share, the more you will have.

Peace begins with you. Simple as that, peace begins with you-you understanding who you are. It is no mistake what Socrates said, "Know thyself." To know who you are.

So, this is all I wanted to really say because there's going to be question and answers too.

Individual: [male]

I suspect that there is a relationship between all these problems that we're talking about and peace. And maybe you can tell us how they affect each other?

Prem Rawat:

Well, unfortunately, the sun doesn't know about the night. Darkness doesn't know about the light; light doesn't know about the darkness. If peace was related to these problems, peace would have had no chance. But it rides above these problems. And it has nothing to do with these problems-because these problems will come and go. They will come and they will go.

People have problems-people have problems, they forgot to charge their cell phone. Three hundred years ago, people didn't have that problem. So, we don't understand, every time we solve a problem we create a new one.

But to me, thank God, problems are on one level and peace is on another level. And the peace doesn't, isn't going to touch our problems, and the-thank God that these problems are not going to touch peace. It'll be. It'll preserve its purity. It will preserve its purity.

This is like water. You can make water really, really dirty-but it'll find a way to purify itself. This is the quality of water. It cannot be burnt! You try to burn water? It will evaporate-become steam, gone. Into the air, adiabatic cooling-you'll see a cloud. The cloud will turn into a thunderstorm; it'll purify the water and it will rain. It can purify itself. That's its quality.

And if you knew yourself, you would realize that you don't have to be in the cesspool of problems-that you are not your problems. You are somebody else; you are something else-and your problems are on a totally different level.

Unconsciousness will bring problems. Consciousness will remove problems. And peace will be dancing in the heart of every human being, waiting to be invited to show-because peace will be mankind's finest achievement-not going to the moon or Mars. But peace will be the finest achievement of mankind.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 78

Antonio Mateus
RTP JOURNALIST

Prem Rawat
AMBASSADOR OF PEACE

Antonio Mateus:

Well, you've been for fifty years now, spreading the peace word, the peace message around the world….

Prem Rawat:

Yeah, I started going there in '78….

Onscreen text:

MARIA ROSAS
BARCELONA, SPAIN

Prem Rawat & Antonio Mateus

ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS

Antonio Mateus:

What is not working?

Prem Rawat:

Well, it works. Spreading of the message actually works-it makes a profound difference in people's life. What doesn't work is all the systems that are there in this world that I see are failing people-but people just keep believing in those things instead of understanding themselves….

You know, and I was in South Africa-and it was really amazing. Because people would-I was talking about peace and I was taking calls. And people were saying, "It's not possible."

Because one gentleman said, you know, "When I have a young daughter and she doesn't see the difference in the black, white-she just plays with everybody, enjoys her time." But this is something that is learnt.

And he said, "But peace is not really possible." And I said, "Well, hang on. If this is a learnt behavior then we can unlearn it. You know, and why do we keep learning it and passing it on? Unlearn it; understand that every human being on the face of this earth is the same."

We all have problems. Our problems are not new. Nobody has new problems. Somebody before us had exactly the same problem, felt exactly the same way-and here we are in this time, in this moment, repeating what has been repeated again and again and again.

When do we break out of that cycle? And when do we accept, "Here I am. I am alive. I'm here. I have good in me; I have bad in me"?

And so, once we start to break this habit that we have found ourselves in, I think we will see a new day-and have a new appreciation for the message that I have. Because I am not the only one with this message. This message has echoed for centuries across the world-starting from Socrates, "Know thyself."

And even before that, "That there is something that is to be understood about each human being." [Antonio: Umm.] And so, every human being really has fifty percent good, fifty percent bad. And if they have only nurtured the bad, then that's what's going to be prevalent. And if they nurture the good, then that's what's going to be prevalent.

And we have to understand that. We can't start putting everything in a box. All our lives, well, that's what we do-we put things in a box. We see a guy with a big scar on his face: dangerous. He could be the sweetest person on the face of this earth. But that's not what we see; we see the scar.

We see somebody is tall; somebody is stronger than us; somebody is weaker than us. I mean, every day, every day: "Box, box, box, box."

We're human beings; we're on the face of this earth. We're not better than a lion. We're not better than a giraffe. A giraffe can do things we can't do; a lion can do things we can't do. A lion has one advantage over us. He's ferocious, strong-but when he is full, he will go, and not be aggressive, lie down and take it easy. We, when we are full, keep on being greedy.

To make war costs a lot of money. War isn't free. It takes weapons; it takes training of the weapons; it takes a lot of effort to get into a war. For peace, you don't have to do anything. It doesn't cost any money-you don't have to do really, anything-just let human beings be; give everybody some elbow room-and let the kindness be there. And things will work.

But all of this stuff that we have got going on-the terror, the fear, it has always been played upon, on us. You know, the fear of heaven and the fear of hell. Actually, "the allurement of heaven," I should say, and the fear of hell: "You do this; you will go to hell." "Go?" Go where?

What is hell? When you're not in heaven-that's hell. And when you're in heaven? What is happening? You are in light-you're in an understanding of yourself. You have perpetuated kindness. You have perpetuated the courage instead of fear. You have perpetuated knowledge instead of ignorance. You love clarity. You think first and do later….

Because most of the world does first and thinks later. I mean, when I go to people who have been incarcerated in these institutions, this is what I tell them. I said, "Remember? You did first and now you're thinking. And you're going to be thinking for a long time." [Antonio: Umm.]

But if you would have just thought first-and then acted, you wouldn't be here, sitting here, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking.

So, you know, the possibilities are there-but why are we not perpetuating kindness; why are we not perpetuating understanding, and why are we not perpetuating the elements that are going to see us through the problems that we have?

These problems that we have are not problems that somebody dropped on us, on our laps. These are problems that we have created. All the problems that you see are problems that we actually have created.

The good thing about that is, since we created them, we can undo them. That possibility exists. But it takes consciousness; it takes courage; it takes understanding; it takes clarity to do that.

Antonio Mateus:

Along these fifty years, you met so many world leaders-that you lost count, for sure. How would you evaluate? Most of them have that sense of wisdom-or you are not very positive about that evaluation?

Prem Rawat:

I remember one person-but he was not a leader; he was a farmer.

Antonio Mateus:

You remember one…?

Prem Rawat:

If somebody said to me, "In your fifty years, (other than your father, your family, your friends, or people that, you know, you keep talking with, and so on), who did you meet that you only met once-once, that you still remember? For a brief period of time-but you still remember?" It'll be this farmer.

I was driving in India. They had packed the lunch; they forgot water. So, we had the lunch and now, even thirstier-and it was really hot outside.

So we saw a farmer, 'side of the road-and he was throwing this bag, (it's made out of skin), into the water and then pulling it up and watering his plants. And we went up to him. And we said, "Can we have some water?"

And he was so kind. He said, "Of course, of course," and he gave us water. And he said, "Come! Come-I have a little hut over there-and I have some dry bread and some pickles, (this is all I have), but please, I want to offer this to you."

His kindness. His kindness-I mean, there I am in a car…. Obviously, I'm better-dressed than him-but his kindness. That he knew that I am a human being too-that I may be hungry-and he offers me whatever he has.

Obviously, it takes him hard work to get even that little bread and make the little pickles…. But he gives freely of what I would consider was probably the most valuable thing to him-but he gives freely-[Antonio: Umm.] generosity.

I was very young when this happened-and I have never forgotten. And when I talk about him, I see him. I know he's dead now-he was old then-but he will never die because he lives here. He's alive; he's well.

And I travel the world and I see how kind…. When that good is there, how kind, how beautiful it can be.

Antonio Mateus:

Mmm. So, "If I dedicate my life making people around me happy, I will have much better chances of being happy than if I try to be happy myself"-do you subscribe to that philosophy?

Prem Rawat:

Well, we are dependent upon other people for certain kinds of happiness. I mean, this is true-when a father comes home and his children run up to him and say, "Papa, papa, papa, so great to see you, so great to love you"-your wife is waiting for you and she can say, "Oh, so glad to see you," or your friends, "And so glad to see you."

But a real happiness comes from you-your happiness really comes from you. It cannot…. Other people cannot be the catalysts for it. Because if other people are the only catalysts for that happiness and if they, for some reason, disappear, (for whatever the reason is), you will find yourself very lonely.

I always say this. You know, a man with crutches-say, they can't walk properly or whatever-you have crutches. And you take away that person's crutches-and that person will fall. You really have to learn how to stand on your own legs, not on crutches.

And trusting and doing everything outside, loving people, there's nothing wrong with that-and accepting their love, there's nothing wrong with that. But there has-there is a love inside of you for this time that you are here, that you're alive-and you have to understand that love. You have to accept that love.

"You are alive"-this is your truth. [Antonio: Umm.] This is what's really happening in your life. It's not your business; it's not your job; it's not this…. You are alive. You were born-and you're going to die.

Antonio Mateus:

But you have been, (as we mentioned), for half a century spreading the peace word, the message around the world. What tickles you?

Prem Rawat:

What tickles me-is my heart. It's my heart. And what is a heart? That's where the clarity resides; that's where the courage in a human being resides; that's where the Divine in a human being resides-that's that place. It may be no physical place-but it is the combination of all that is good in me, the perpetuator of good in me.

Being alive is not complicated. Being happy is not complicated. Looking forward in your life, having courage, having hope, having beauty in your life is not complicated. It is not complicated. Having peace is not complicated.

It is war that is complicated. You have to feed greed; you have to feed unconsciousness; you have to create weapons; you have to create countries; you have to make rules; you have to make prisons; you have to have people who are important and people who are not so important. You have to do so much to get to the point of where we are today.

And if human beings can understand-they're human; they have kindness in them; they have good in them…. And you don't have to do anything; you don't have to make weapons to have peace; you don't have to create wars to have peace. You know, it's simple-it's all you have to do.

It's like, there was a competition one time between the wind and the sun. The wind said, "I am more powerful." The sun said, "Well, I am more powerful." So they said, "We should have a competition."

So the wind said, "Okay, I will go first. And the challenge is, there is this man walking on the road. Whoever can take off his jacket, make him take off his jacket, wins."

So, the wind went first-it blew. It blew-and the guy hung onto his jacket even more. It blew stronger, and he hung onto his jacket even more. The wind blew even more, and he hung onto his jacket even more.

Finally, the wind gave up, looked at the sun: "It's okay; your turn"-and the sun just shone. And it got warm. And the guy took off his jacket.

That, to me, is what we are about. It will happen. If that light comes into our lives, if we allow that light to shine, this is what will happen. It's not complicated. It is really, really not complicated.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 79

The Possibility of Peace

Bunya International Seminar

Hiroshima, Japan

Prem Rawat:


What is this thing called a conflict that can possess a human being-to such an extent that mass devastation becomes acceptable? Now, let's stop there; that's pretty intense. After all, I'm here to talk about peace. I'm not here to scare you. So, let's try to understand "What is this conflict?"

A few days ago, I was in Australia-and where I was, we were talking about digging a hole-we needed to dig a hole. So I said to the architect; I said, "Oh!" (I was just joking. I was just-you know, I have…. I like humor; I like to laugh….)

So I said, "Oh, by the way, this hole is going to be really cheap. Because we already have a hole-a few miles away we already have a hole; all we need to do is bring that hole and put it here!" And I was laughing; the architect was laughing….

Then I started thinking, "Oh my God. How do you move a hole? Can you move a hole? Can you actually move a hole…?" So, here is the question: "A hole is, or isn't?"

Is that that difficult of a question? "Is a hole, 'is' or 'isn't'?" [Audience: Isn't.] Are you sure? [Inds: Definitely.] You are sure-you're sure a hole isn't?

But don't we go, "There is a hole there"? (Be careful.) "There is a hole there." So, if a hole isn't, how can it be there? So, is a-what, well, excuse me, which one is it? Is it, "there is a hole," or a, "not a hole"?

So, I think I have found a flaw in peoples'-the way people express. Right? There's a flaw. We say, "There is a hole"-and we really have started to think of a hole as something that there is, when a hole is not! (I don't know how to express this. The English language isn't quite designed for this.)

So, just like the hole, we think anger is something. What if anger is a hole? What if confusion is a hole? What if conflict is a hole? Because if you're trying to treat a hole as some thing, then my logic that I expressed to the architect would be correct; "This hole will be cheap because we already have one. We just bring the hole here and we'll be done."

So, we want peace? And we know, (this is what we have been told), "How we're going to get peace? Stop the war." But what if war is a hole? Nothing in itself-it's a hole; it's a-it is lacking something; it is a negative. It is not a positive; it is a negative. It cannot be manipulated; it cannot be moved; it cannot be changed. It's an absence, not a presence.

Peace is presence. Absence of peace is war-and we are trying to get rid of war-and the only way you can get rid of war is not by trying to stop the wars. But it's to bring the peace, because peace is; war isn't!

So if our strategy is to try to manipulate a negative, we will never be successful. People go, "It is human nature to want to fight." I disagree. It is not human nature to want to fight. It's not true. In fact, if you look at history, there have been more times when people have not fought, than fought.

What is the state of the world today? There is more to eat than there ever has been. Over forty-five percent of the food produced is wasted-there is more food now than there ever has been, and there are still wars continuing-why? What creates this conflict? Aha-can't manipulate the conflict because it is an absence.

In you, you have to realize-that in you lies the peace. What is peace? Is peace some idea? "Utopia," is that what peace is? "Everybody will be dancing. Everybody will have flowers in their hair. Everybody will go like this: 'Peace, peace.' Nobody will argue. No problems in the parking lots."

Is your vision of peace a utopia? Is it? If it is, you're mistaken. Because what does "utopia" mean? Do you know what utopia means? Utopia comes from two words, ou, Greek, meaning, "not"-and topography, meaning "place." Utopia actually means "no place." It actually means "no place." And so everybody has a dream about this place that doesn't exist. That's not peace.

So let me tell you what peace is. Peace is all that is good in you. Peace is the serenity in you. Peace is the kindness in you. Peace is the gentleness in you. Peace is the understanding in you. Peace is the appreciation in you. Peace is the light in your heart. Peace is the joy in you. Peace is the Divine in you. Peace is the acceptance of the blessing in you.

Peace is the coming and going of this breath in you. Peace is the beauty that you are.

You have woken up to your world-but you have not woken up to this one thing called "life." You know everything about this world. You know it's round; you know there is a sun; you know there is a moon; you know there are stars; you know there are oceans; you know about this world.

You also know there are wars; you also know there's hunger; you also know there is famine; you also know there's fire; you also know there are storms; you also know there are hurricanes; you also know there are typhoons.

You know about your world-but do you know about life? And life begins with this breath-breath-and in this life there's the possibility of peace. In this life there is the possibility of understanding; in this life there is the possibility of knowing. There is the sun-that gives light, not eight, nine, ten, eleven hours a day-but day and night, that lights up your heart.

Wake up to the world of life. Wake up to the world of joy. Wake up to this inner beauty, this existence. This is the song you need to hear.

This song, the song of life, makes your heart dance. You feel good, not because of what you might get; you feel good, not because of what you have lost-but you feel good because what you understand you have been given is the greatest gift of all.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 80

Limitless Wisdom
Cuando el Desierto Florece

Author Event, Madrid, Spain

Prem Rawat:

Why should you know who you are? Because between that time that you are born and the time that you go, you're going to try to be something. You're going to try really hard to be something. And it's not what you're going to achieve that you're going to really try for-but it is to be happy; it is to be content-you're going to try really hard to be content.

I see that in tiny little babies; I see that in grown adults-everybody is going to try to be happy. Whatever makes them happy, they're going to try…. And not only are they going to try, (like we all do), but we're going to look towards the outside for our happiness.

But we will try. We will try to be content; we will try to be happy-and here is the irony. Sometimes we will succeed for a fraction of a moment-and then the rest of our lives, we're going to try to repeat that moment, hoping we would get the same thing out of it again and again and again and again and again….

And some of us will end up filling our lives with disappointment-because we are looking for that contentment through our relationships; we're looking for that contentment towards the country: "The country will give us that contentment. That, the leaders will give us the contentment; the relationships will give us the contentment." And when we don't find that contentment, we end up filling our lives with nothing but disappointment.

And here's the irony. The irony is that if you only knew yourself, you would realize that you carry in you joy that has no limits. You carry in you the mine of contentment that has no end. You carry in you the lake of serenity that nobody yet has measured the bottom of. You carry in you a tree that gives so much shade-that underneath it, to sit down is the most restful thing a human being can do.

You carry in you a sun that has the warmth unparalleled-that on those cold days, to go within and bask in that sun and feel its warmth-and feel revived. You have in you the ocean of clarity. One dip and the dirt of confusion is washed away. This is who you are. This is who you are-and this is the possibility. That's why I am here to tell you this.

Two things-I want to tell you this news. And here's my point of it. What I want to tell you-I don't want to tell you anything new; what I want to tell you is what you already know. And secondly, I want to tell it to you in a way so that it comes as news to you. That's my challenge-that what I want to tell you, you already know-because you also have in you, unlimited wisdom.

So, in your life, in your existence, you have to feel the pain; you have to feel the joy. Something inside of you wants to feel happy, wants to feel content, rejects the idea of pain, rejects the idea of sorrow.

So then, who better to look towards, for the source of that joy, than you? The source that you carry everywhere you go? It doesn't matter where you go in this world, the source you carry in you wherever you go?

That's what this book is, trying to point to you-and give you some understanding of you, putting the emphasis on you! Because nobody else does. Everybody is; the emphasis is, "You must do this; you must do this. You must accomplish this; you must accomplish this; you must accomplish this."

And I'm saying "First, let's put the emphasis on you." You are the foundation of this building called "you." You are the foundation of this building called "you"-and when you are weak, so is this building. And when you are strong, so is this building.

Question: "Why does this building need to be strong?" Why does this building need to be strong-because earthquakes will come. Earthquakes will come; fire will come.

This morning I see the rain, rain, rain. Very nice-Madrid needs rain; all this area needs rain-and it's been tinder-dry. And I'm looking at the rain, thinking about the rain, and I realize-and I still have more thinking to do about this-but water destroys everything man-made. Just, powkh, destroys it.

If the building gets wet on the inside? Forget it. Your electronics? Forget it. Water is a powerful destroyer. And it is also one of the most powerful creators-holds in it those two possibilities; it can destroy; it can create.

You, too have an immense possibility, the possibility of feeling life, of embracing life-of understanding the value of each breath that you take, the value of each day that you are alive, the value of each moment that you have.

And the day you begin to exercise, to practice the wisdom that you have within you, that's the day you will be wise. And that's the day you will understand the value of life, the value of being alive.

You do not judge yourself by what you have. You haven't been taught that. You have not been taught to judge by what you have-you have been definitely taught to judge by what you don't have. Everywhere. "I don't have that. And I don't have that. I don't have that. I don't have that. I don't have that."

I mean, can you imagine a storefront which has all the familiar things? No, they're all things that nobody else has. "Oh. No, I don't have that. Oh, I, yeah, I don't have that-and I don't have that, and I don't have that, and I don't have that, and I don't have that." And now here I come and I say to you, "Peace," and you go, "Uh-uh, yeah, I don't have that."

But you do. You do! You have peace-inside of you! But you don't know how to access it. You have wisdom inside of you, but you don't know how to access it. You have love inside of you, but you don't know how to access it. You have understanding inside of you, but you don't know how to access it. You have kindness inside of you, but you don't know how to access it.

You have forgotten that so much is so amazing-for you. That you come here on this earth, not alone, but with peace-that you come with hope, that you come with joy, that you come with understanding, that you come with wisdom. But these are the things that we don't talk of, we don't discuss….

What do we discuss? We discuss our problems. You know what's wrong with discussing our problems, after a certain point? It doesn't help. It doesn't help.

If there is somebody and they're sitting next to me on an airplane and their nose is broken-and I say to them, "Your nose is broken"-and they go, "I know. I know." And then, fifteen minutes later, I say to them, "Hey, your nose is broken." And they go, "Yeah, I know. I know." And then fifteen minutes later, I go, "Hey, your nose is broken."

After, I think, about ten times, this person is going to be looking for a new seat-because they will be convinced I'm crazy. Right? Don't you think that would-you would find that obnoxious? And you would definitely entertain the fact that "This person may be cuckoo? Nuts? Keeps repeating, 'Yeah, you, you know, your nose is broken. Your nose is broken.'"

If you went-if you're in the airplane, and you, "kkch," push the call button; the flight attendant comes and you say, "We're flying." And she goes, "I know. I know; we're flying." Few minutes later, "Ah-brring, brrung," "We're flying!"

But that's what we do! Our expertise is to come up with a better way to express the problem-and still keep repeating it. What about the solution? And the solution, beautifully, lies inside of you.

That's what, to me, this book fundamentally goes for. It does it in a very different way, using the stories, using the different analogies-but that's its message: "That you have in you, what you are looking for." And if you can understand that, your life will change.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 81

Individual 1: [male]

I feel grateful in life if I have a job where I can work with my heart….

Individual 2: [female]

It's being thankful, thankful for things you have, and you just feel.

Individual 3: [male]

You can't explain it, man, it just, you know, it's a warm fuzzy feeling-like just being appreciative of what everyone has done for me, around me….

Individual 4: [male]

There's definitely not enough gratitude in the world. And I feel like people who don't feel gratitude are typically like, more sad and like, depressed and like, kind of grumpy and gloomy all the time….

Individual 5: [female]

Gratitude, actually, to me, is having a heart of appreciation-you're not thankful because you've got everything. But you are thankful for that which you already have.

Prem Rawat:

True gratitude is felt when the heart is full. Gratitude has the power to transform you-because it fulfills you. It is not created by you, but emerges from you. And it is felt by the heart and expressed by the heart.

Continuing onscreen text:

PROJECT:

GRATITUDE

Prem Rawat:

I'm so glad that I'm here-and have this opportunity to talk about something that's very profound-very misinterpreted but nonetheless, very profound. And of course, I'm talking about gratitude. Now, why is it misinterpreted-because people say to themselves, "Oh, I should feel more thankful in my life." But you don't. That's the fact. Should you; yes.

That's like, you know, making a New Year's resolution. But you don't go through with it-because what will you do the next year? You need to keep that one going, so you can say, "Oh, yeah, yeah, this year I'll do it; this year I'll do it." And this is how we work.

But true gratitude is not manufactured; it's real. It comes from within you-when the things are right. (Not when they are wrong. When things are right.) So, what are the things that have to be right for the truest gratitude to flow from a human being? One of the things that has to happen is there has to be appreciation-but appreciation of what?

Interestingly enough, a few days ago, (it was at nighttime and I was up). And in my bathroom, I have a notepad. So, I wrote something on the notepad-and what I wrote was, "S-L-Y"-which of course, in English is "sly." (Which is not such a nice word.) "S-L-Y."

So, there it is-what does that mean? ("S-L-Y.") And what had come to my mind that night was, "Someone loves you." Just that, "Someone loves you." So, instead of writing "Someone loves you," (it was dark), I just wrote "S-L-Y."

Now of course, who is this "someone"? (Immediately, "someone.") Well, the "S" could go for "something." It doesn't have to be "someone," it could also be "something loves you."

It's like, pointless-to even, even try to figure out who that "someone" is, because you don't have the capacity to figure…. You can have an imagination, but your imagination will fall short of the reality of who that "someone" is.

So, knowing that is a futile attempt, I don't even go there. "Hah, but 'loves you!'" That's good. And how do I know this? I know this because this gift of breath comes to me. I have been given an opportunity to be alive.

And it is merely looking at the gifts that I have been given…. And it's taken a long time in my life, a long time in my life to realize the gifts that I have been given outweigh all the problems I have in my life.

So, I'm working my way towards getting to that point where you can appreciate, and once you can appreciate something, (right?), you can then have gratitude.

But when we come across our problem, we are so intrigued by that problem, and so willing to find a resolution to that problem that we blind ourselves to still, what is going on around us-that this breath still comes into me. That I still have an ocean of answers in me.

That I have an ocean of clarity in me. That I have an ocean of kindness in me. That I have an ocean of joy in me. That I have simplicity in my life. That I have light in me-these things, regardless of what is happening.

You see, in Australia it was the first time I talked about these two walls-and they're like the big-time walls, right? The one wall you come out of-and then there is another wall you go through-and you're gone. So, you come out of one wall and you're here-and then there is the other wall. And then you hit that wall and you're gone.

Where you go, nobody knows. You'd like to know. Because you're so curious about everything-you like to know-like, if it's going to make any difference. It isn't. But you like to know.

Why are you not curious about the force-the force that keeps these two walls separated? They could have been like this-one after another, "Whhit, whhit, gone!" And they do. Sometimes that happens. But for you, this was pried open.

And people, I know, in certain stories-there are stories like this in India and of course, in the West as well-where the ocean was parted. This is more than the ocean parting. This is the two walls that would love to be just together-and they've been forced open. And the amount of force that it takes, amount of force that it takes to pry these two walls apart is immense!

And what is that force? It is expressed to you-that force that is so powerful, so powerful that it can separate those two walls-expresses itself to you in the most gentlest of ways you can imagine, as a breath coming in and going out. And so far that keeps happening, my friends, those two walls cannot touch each other-and that's it.

What appreciation do you have of that? What appreciation do you have of that? Do you know the value of kindness in your life? Do you know the value of clarity in your life? Do you know the value of joy in your life?

So, that "someone" who loves you has given you these to use as you wish, as much as you wish. You think there is a limit to kindness? You think you will ever run out of kindness-ever? Can you technically run out of kindness; is it possible for you to run out of kindness? No! Is it possible for you to run out of joy? No!

But when those problems come, we choose sadness (in that self-pity) rather than the joy and still celebrating life, and still celebrating that these two walls are still pried apart.

When people talk to me, who know, who can smell the other wall-they can smell-and you can smell the other wall, by the way. It has a smell. And you can smell it; it's in the air-it's like, (sniff, sniff), nasty. It's coming, as you get closer and closer and closer.

I say to them, "No matter what happens, remember this breath. Remember this is a gift." A gift is not measured in quantity, by weight, by volume. A gift is measured in the generosity of the giver-that even this was made possible.

That inside of you resides this most amazing experience. Most-absolutely the most amazing experience, an experience of those very things, of that very power, of that very, (uhh, what can I say), that is prying the two walls apart. And all it requires is for you to know how to turn within and tap into it, just witnessing. Just witnessing.

And such is the power of this-such is the power of this that it leaves you with peace. Such is the power of this that it leaves you in that simple, profound joy.

And all of a sudden, slowly, everything starts to fall away. Everything doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is the ride itself, the ride with the breath-to slide with this breath, like those waves in the ocean, this breath coming in, this mighty force that has been made so gentle, holding apart those two walls: "I exist-and I appreciate my existence."

And when, unencumbered-when, unencumbered! Unencumbered. When that question that I asked, "Who is that 'someone,'" that has never been answered…. It has never been answered. And that question is still there. (I'm a human being. I have that question like you do.)

But I have ridden that board; I have ridden that moment called now. And now I got an answer-here's the tricky part-I got an answer to a question that I hadn't even asked. And I'm satisfied, even though that one question still remains unanswered.

And it's okay; I'm full! I'm not full because of some thing, but I have found the fullness of my clarity in me. I have taken that plunge and dove in-and loved, and know….

I know I did not touch the bottom. And for as far as I could see, I saw clarity. There was no end. And if that wasn't enough, I've taken a dive in the ocean of kindness-and I did not touch the bottom. I didn't even try. And I was overwhelmed by its vastness.

I am full-because I have been shown the fullness of this life. This is what you should do too. I tell you this-I tell you this because if I can do it, you can do it.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 82

The Difference between Knowing and Believing

Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, USA

Prem Rawat:

Those people who say, "Well, I don't need to hear about peace; everything is going fine in my life," my message to you is "Figure out a way that all that, that is good in your life, that you're enjoying in your life, is preserved-is protected so that you can have that for the rest of your life."

And for those people who are struggling-and have been struggling, and trying to find a meaning, an excuse, some sanity in an insane situation, ("Why is this happening to me?"), to them, I would like to say that "You are filled with more hope, with more joy than you can ever imagine."

And for me, the irony really is that being human and having that possibility of being fulfilled is so close. This is the platform; this is the stage where that happens-no other, none other. And this is the possibility for every human being-to be in that place where their heart sings and they listen. Not given to all the ideas….

And so-actually, let me finish my statement here. Because then, this is, you know, going on in my head and it was like, "Fear-talk-but yeah, you talked about fear…."

And I realized this morning, (it was around six forty-five AM), I realized that "more fear you have, more believing you do. Less fear you have, more knowing you do." Maybe if you can begin to distinguish between knowing and believing, you can then start to get a clue of how much fear you actually have.

Because, because of the fear, you don't want to know-so you believe. And believing is much easier-because there is no knowing involved. You can just let your imagination run wild. And, you know, two people….

See, that is the reason…. Because, truly if there is one God-right?-why would there be different religions? I mean, why? What would be the reason; what would be the necessity?

But the reality is, there is only one. But not in the realm of belief-in the realm of belief there are different ones. And in the realm of belief, these gods do different things. They say this; they say that; they say, "No, you can-yes, you can do that. No, you can't do that. No, you just…."

And it's all about rules. It's all about rules. And if you go through these rules, then you will just-when you, especially when you die-you will go to this really great place. It's called "heaven." And that's it.

I have two puppies, two little Pomeranians. And so, when I come-when they figure that I am in my office, they come and scratch at the door: "Let me in; let me in." So I let 'em in. They come in-and they look at me like, "Okay, what do you have for us?" So I have a big jar of treats, so I give it to them and they get very happy.

So, one of my tricks is, (because I've got to work; I'm not going to pay too much attention to them….) So, I take them outside; say, "Look what I've got for you," and they get really excited. I mean, one starts to do a dance. And the other one is just like, "Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."

So I take them outside; I give them the treats…. And they're blissed out-and they eat the treats and I can get back in my office. And everything is fine.

About forty minutes later, they're scratching at my door again-and I open the door and they come into my office like, "We haven't been here. Where is our treat?" It's like, "Well, wait a minute; you just got it!"

So, it-that makes me laugh every time, because they come to me and look at me like, "You haven't given us any treat today." And it's like, "Well, I just gave it to you." But they don't remember; they don't remember.

So if they don't remember, what's the point?-of the good and the bad? And off people go-in the business of believing. In the business of believing-that is a business. That is a business. And the business is you sell your beliefs to other people. You make them buy it.

What's the alternative? Knowing. What's knowing all about? Wow. You don't sit there and talk about God-you feel God. You don't lecture on God. You don't lecture on God; you help people turn inside and feel the Divine that resides within them. You don't write books about believing; you write books about helping people to get to understand knowing.

I went to do an interview-and before the interview, of course, we have a meet and greet. So, the person who was going to interview came out, sat down and talked a little bit-and then we went into the interview room, sat down, and the interview began.

It became very obvious that this person had never heard answers like that before. Because everything about this person started to change. And at one point, I talked about God; I used the word "God." "Do you know God?"

I said, "Wrong question." "What's the right question?" "Have you felt God?"

"Know God" is not a happening thing if you're using your brain. Because that, where it comes to imagination, you can't imagine. Unimaginable-so don't even go there; don't even try.

So, she says, "Have you felt God?" I said, "Yes." "Is there a God?" I said, "Yes." "How do you know?" So I said to her; I said, "Every time you breathe, you're being blessed by the Divine. That's how you know the Divine."

Never heard that before. Eyes filled up with tears. And in a fraction of a second, this person got a little view into what life is all about, feeling, living, accepting this blessing. Feeling fortunate. Not believing you're fortunate; feeling fortunate. Feeling alive. Disconnecting from the results of the wishes, and observing and delighting in the reality.

And when you begin to accept it, you then really become so alive that you understand what life is. That's what life is.

To understand this for a fraction of a time is not enough. This knowing must happen every day. This knowing must happen, and this celebration…. So, "party," right? This party-when the human being embraces that blessing and the gift of life becomes obvious, this is the party, and it's called "gratitude."

Gratitude-is when you go beyond words because the words are not sufficient-when the heart is full, when there is a joy because there is an understanding, because you know, (not believe); you know; you see; it's obvious…. And your life has changed.

In that moment, again-again, the riches of existence, of clarity, of wisdom, of understanding become yours. And this is a wealth that nobody can take from you.

Do you know what the wealth of wisdom is? Even if somebody tried to steal it from you-and you let them have it, do you think you would have any less? Wow. Kindness-if somebody stole kindness from you, you think you would have any less?

You can give of kindness from you to every single person on the face of this earth, 7.6 billion people-and you would be missing nothing. You will still have all the kindness you had before. And you could multiply that by a billion times-and you would still have it. And nothing would be missing.

This is how much kindness every one of you has-but do you use it? Oh, you are very good at using your judgment…. You are very good at using your judgment with everyone! But kindness…? So, what is the point of having this incredible wealth called "kindness," and live like a pauper for the rest of your life? What's the point?

People say to me, "I wish I had clarity like you." And I'm like, "But you do." You think there's something special about me? I'm made out of the same things you are. I'm made out of the same things you are. I follow the same rules on this existence, of this earth, that you do. And if I can, in my life, say to myself that feeling this blessing should be a priority, why can't you?

Lockdown Broadcast - Day 83

"Kindness, passion, compassion, clarity, serenity-these powers are in you!" -Prem Rawat

Prem Rawat's daily "Lockdown" videos highlight his talks and how his Peace Education Program helps people discover personal peace.

Stay tuned for details on how you'll be able to join Prem virtually in the program soon. Audio

Finding Peace Within

Prem speaks to prisoners at Tires Prison
Lisbon, Portugal

Prem Rawat:

I would like to tell you a story, because you are interested in peace. Peace isn't something that you create-war is something you create. Peace is already inside of you. The process of reaching the peace is to undo all the obstacles that you have placed between you and the peace.

So, to understand that. (All the noises and all the things that go on up here, "Boom-boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom-boom" all day long….) To understand that you are alive-you are here. And it's a big challenge.

We grow up. We make a mistake-and we say, "Oh! I'm a failure." But when you were a baby you made a mistake, but you never said, "I am a failure." This is the difference.

And who taught us that we are a failure? People said, "Oh, you are a failure"-we said, "Oh, I am a failure." We learnt that. We learnt it from the world-we learnt, we learnt, we learnt, we learnt, we learnt, we learnt-and today I am here to tell you "unlearn, unlearn, unlearn" because when you were a baby you were much smarter.

You were in touch with your needs. When you felt hungry, you let your mother know. You did not look at the clock and say, "Is it lunchtime? Is it dinnertime? Is it this time; is it that time?" And we are all caught in it. We don't realize-we don't realize in this life, the power of who you are.

And as a human being, in you, you have compassion; you have passion. You have kindness. You have understanding. You have serenity. You have wisdom. And most importantly, you have peace inside of you. This is what a human being is.

Not what we project outside-killing each other, telling lies, doing this, doing that-that's not a human being! In fact, a human being is someone who is full of kindness, full of compassion, full of understanding, full of life. This is who a human being is.

And if you want to become the most powerful, all you have to do is become a human being. Because there you will find answers to your problems. They're there! So far this breath comes into you, you have everything. You have everything.

I was just in three of the prisons in South Africa-I went to Malmesbury Prison; I went to Zonderwater and I went to Pretoria Prison. And I tell the inmates, "You are here. You are told, 'You cannot go there; you cannot go there; you cannot go there; you cannot go there.' What is the difference between the outside…?"

You walk outside, and what does it say? "Stop." "Now you can go. No, stop. Now you turn left; no you cannot turn right; no you cannot go there; no you cannot have this; no you cannot do this; no you cannot do that."

And then the bars. The biggest bars are not the metal bars. To cut the metal bars, all you need is a file-is a saw. But the bars you have here that imprison you, what do you-how do you cut those? There are people out there that are technically "free"-but they don't feel free. They don't feel free.

I have a friend from England-and England, of course, voted on a referendum to get out of the Euro, the EU. So I joke with him, (because he's British), "Why? Why?"

You think that's going to solve the problem? By changing the color of your car, it's going to solve the problem? If you run out of gas: "Change the color of the car. Change the tires." You think that's going to solve the problem?

What is the problem? The problem is that people are not in touch with themselves, who they are-what their potential is, what they can bring, how they can be as a country, how can they be as a global citizen, how they can be on the face of this earth-so what is this opportunity called "life"?

And I see the whole world has been incarcerated behind the bars of divisions and ignorance. That they have peace inside of them, but they don't know how to get to it. They know how to make a bomb-they know how to make a bomb; they know how to make a gun, but they don't know how to get to peace inside. This is problematic. This is problematic.

This breath is a blessing to each one of you. Your life began with this breath. When you were born, people looked at: "Breathing-or not breathing?" They didn't care about "boy, girl, this, that." "Breathing-not breathing?"

And because you were breathing, you could go home. What allowed you to go home, if you were born in a hospital, was this breath. What allowed you to stay home, when, if you were born at home was this breath. Do you understand the value of this breath? Do you? Because you need to. You really, really need to.

This is a gift being given to you every single day-even here! Even here. This is your opportunity….

One simple thing, if you could do-try-and that would be, "Think first, then do." If you could think first, and do, you wouldn't be here. Not thinking-even for one second, not thinking and doing first, (not thinking), now you have a long time to think.

Choices that you made put you in here; choices that you make will get you out of here; choices that you make will keep you out of here. And choices you have to make.

You don't have to try to be good-because good you are. Goodness is in you. Nobody can take that away from you. Kindness, passion, compassion, clarity-serenity, nobody can take that away from you. You have that in you.

I'm going to tell you one last story-it's very short-and I'm going to tell you this story because it has made a big difference in my life. So I want to share this story with you.

There was a village, and there was a chief of the village. One day a little boy came to the chief, and said, "Chief, I have a question." The chief said, "What?" He said, "Chief, why is it that some people are good sometimes-and those same people who are good sometimes are bad the other times?"

And the chief said, "Because every one of us has two wolves in us, a good wolf and a bad wolf." So the boy thinks-and the boy says, "Chief, which one wins? The good wolf-or the bad wolf?" And the chief said, "Whichever one you feed."

You have a good wolf; you have a bad wolf. Which wolf do you feed? Have you thought about that? When you feed the good wolf, you will feel good. When you feed the bad wolf, you will feel bad. Feed the good wolf. I have to remember it every day, "Feed the good wolf."

There are people who would…. And I can say, "Oh, yeah, though, you know, it's that person's fault; it's that person's fault. That person is making me angry; that person is making me angry." But I have to ask myself, "But which wolf did you just feed?"

So, remember that. And when you have realized that you have just fed the bad wolf, feed the good wolf.

And a lot of people are into, "Let's kill the bad wolf." Even if you kill the bad wolf, that's not going to help the good wolf-because the good wolf needs to be fed. That's the only thing that's going to help the good wolf: "Feed the good wolf."

Lockdown Broadcast Day 84

Your Real Strength

Prem meets with prisoners at Malmesbury Prison
Malmesbury, South Africa

Prem Rawat:

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, it's an honor to have this opportunity to address you. And I will make it very simple-because I know this is one place you don't want to be at. You want out.

But you're here. And well, how can I help you in your life so that you can understand who you are? We have schools, universities, training how to learn languages, how to learn how to speak, how to learn how to write, how to do math. But there is no education in this world in how to be you. Nobody teaches you that.

You find yourself-circumstances are against you-you find things that are not going the right way. You end up being locked up-and what do you do? You blame everybody else: "He did that; he did that; he did that; he did that…." But first of all, you are responsible for what you do.

You have in you, good-and you have in you, bad. You must understand that. How much good; how much bad? Exactly fifty percent. Not fifty-one/forty-nine-exactly half-good, half-bad. It's up to you who you make friends with-the good or the bad. Who should you do this for? [Individual: Ourself.] Who should you do this for? For your family? [Individual: No.] Who should you do this for?

Okay, listen-you've got to answer this question. I'm not going forward…. [Individual: For yourself; you do it for yourself.] Okay, so one person said, "For themselves." What about the rest of you?

Are you going to do it for yourself, or you're going to-who are you going to do it for? [Audience: For yourself!] How can you be so confused about this? [Individuals: For yourself. For yourself!]

Has to be for you! Has to be for you-because you matter! You know why you matter? Do you have any idea why you matter? Because of other people?

Is it that all your life you have spent for other people? Compared yourself to other people, tried to win the respect of other people? And you did whatever you did for other people? Well, where are those other people? Are they with you? [Individuals: No.]

This is who you did it for-and they're not even here! Mistake number one-when you don't live your life for yourself, but live it for somebody else.

Who does this breath come into? You? It comes into you! Can you give a minute of your life to somebody else? [Audience: No!] If, if people could sell five minutes of their life, you think there would be anybody poor in this world? [Audience: No!] All the rich people would buy that and give them a lot of money.

But you can't, not-you cannot even give one minute of your life. So, who are you living this life for? Life is living itself for you-and you are living it for somebody else.

When there is a hole in the pot-when there is a hole in the pot, there isn't enough water in the ocean to fill that pot. Do you understand? [Audience: Yes.] You can put the whole ocean into it, all the seven seas-and they won't fit in that pot because of a little hole. (This is not the size….)

What you have, you have been given. It began the day you took your first breath. What were you given that day? When you were born-and you took your first breath, what were you given; what do you think you were given-you were given an opportunity to be. To exist.

What does existence mean? What does existence mean? What good is a pot if it has a hole in it? You cannot say, "Oh, it's not very big." It doesn't matter. It can be the size of a pencil and the ocean won't fit in it. It can no longer hold anything.

You have an opportunity: you have the possibility of truly being alive-what does "alive" mean? What does "alive" mean? You have the possibility-but first, you-you, as a human being, have to be filled. And only when you are filled will you be able to help other people.

You want to be a good father? First, you have to be a good human being. You want to be a good brother? First, you have to be a good human being. And what does "good human being" mean? What does "good human being" mean? The good human being is the human being that understands what his heart is.

And what is the heart? Heart is where the courage resides; heart is where the wisdom resides; heart is where the clarity resides; heart is where the Divine resides-doesn't need an address. (Some people don't need an address.) Heart does not need an address. Heart just is a place that is inside of you.

And do you feel that? Do you feel that, the kindness in you? Every human being has the same amount of kindness as they have anger-as they have cruelty.

Two things are certain-the day you were born, and one day you have to go. And you can't change that. You can't change that-but every day between those two, you can. That's what it means to be alive. That's what it means to be a human being: the one who knows and understands "that every single day it's up to you." It's up to you.

You look for peace? Where is peace? Yesterday a lady asked me this question, "You know, you speak of self-Knowledge. How do I get in touch with that? What do I have to do?" And I said, "That peace, that self-Knowledge is inside of you! Stop searching; start feeling."

Peace is inside of you! And when you start to understand that you have a heart; when you start to understand that you are a human being; when you start to understand that you have this opportunity and that you are alive, you immediately are lifted from that hot, boiling soup-to where you say, what? "Thank you. Thank you; thank you for this life."

You stop counting all the wrongs-and start counting the rights. How many rights have happened in your life-and how many wrongs have happened in your life? Do you know? Okay, let me put this in context for you.

I know there are quite a few bad things that have happened in your life-right? But every time you took a breath-that was good; that was right. It brought you life. Right? [Individual: Yes.]

So, now that you know that every breath that you took was right-how many rights have happened in your life?-and how many wrongs have happened in your life?

There have been a lot more rights in your life, and continue to go on-but are you aware? Are you understanding; are you going with it? Are you going with the right, or are you going with the wrong? Are you letting a little wrong stop all that that is right? And if that is the case, what's going to happen?

You have to weigh the right and the wrong, good and the bad-you have to weigh. And there is a lot that is good. Embrace that. Understand that.

To understand-that for you, right now, something is keeping you alive. You don't need to know its name-because something that is keeping you alive, and that thing that is keeping you alive is doing you a favor. Is giving you a gift.

When you receive a gift-and it is an important gift; it is a valuable gift, what do you do? Huh? [Individuals: You must treasure it. Treasure it.] Appreciate it? [Individuals: Yes.] Be thankful for it? Are you? [Individuals: Yes.]

What is the price of life? You cannot sell it; you cannot give it away. Are you appreciating it? Are you thankful for it?

These are the opportunities. This is your strength-this is your real strength. Not some fancy ideas-I'm not here representing any religion to you. I'm not here to represent any religion-no philosophy. All this I say to you is from my personal experience.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 85

The Value of Knowing Yourself

Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre Pretoria, South Africa

Prem Rawat:

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it's a pleasure to be here to talk to you. And what I have to say to you may come off as a little bit different. And the reason why it would be different-because I want to focus on you-not what you do. Not what you do-but on you. Because, who are you? What are you? First of all, you're a human being-a human.

Now, I must preface that-most people think that human beings are no good. That's why we have Superman, right? What created Superman? Because we don't think human beings are worth anything.

I disagree! I disagree. We have in us good-and we have in us bad. This is how we were created. Through millions of years of evolution, this is how we are. There's good in us; there is bad in us. What we have been given is the choice. Is the choice.

So, I'll tell you a story. There was an encampment, and in this encampment, one day a little boy came to the chief-and said, "Chief, I have a question. And my question is, 'Sometimes people are good. And the same people who are good, sometimes they're bad. How can this be? I mean, either we are good or we are bad.'"

And the chief said, "No. Inside each one of us, there are two wolves-and these two wolves, one is a good wolf and one is a bad wolf. And both these wolves fight." So, the boy thought-and he looked at the chief and he said, "Chief, which one wins?" And the chief said, "The one you feed. The one you feed gets strong."

You like that story? [Audience: Yes.] Do you? [Audience: Yes.] You think it's a nice story? Can I ask you a question? [Individuals: Yes.] Which wolf do you feed? [Individuals: And we have to think about that.] Which wolf do you feed? [Individuals: Which one-we thought about this.] Really? [Individuals: We thought about this, yes!]

I ask the same-I tell this story and I ask the question in front of thousands of people. Not just in prisons. People who are supposedly free-but they're not.

Because they are incarcerated by the prison of fear, of doubt, of anger…. And they cannot break free. They cannot break free of that prison; they cannot break-the bars of fear are so strong that they cannot cut them; they cannot budge them. Doubt is so prevalent, so prevalent that they cannot even move. And this is the condition of the whole world.

You have to make a choice which wolf you are going to feed. When you become angry, which wolf did you just feed? [Individual: The bad one.] Good one or bad one? [Audience: The bad one.] When you become disappointed, which wolf did you just feed? [Individuals: The bad one.]

You know, they asked me today on the radio interview, "What are you going to say?" And I said, you know, one message is very, very simple for anybody in this world. Most of us in this world do-and then we think. Right? [Individuals: Yes.]

And that's why you are here, thinking. Because you did-and now you're sitting here thinking.

What you have to do-is you have to learn how to think-and then do. Are you making that habit? [Individual: We're trying to, yes.]

You know, also, by the way-and this is not just for you. This is for the whole world; I say this to them too. Because there's a whole world-first they do; then they think. Then they have the press conferences; then they have the debates; then they have everything else.

And what is happening in the world? What is happening in the world? People are destroying each other. Yesterday I had an event in Soweto-and I said to the people; I said, "The problem in this world, you know what the problem is?"

A few years back there was a scientist-he was an artist, scientist, and he wanted to do an experiment. So he bought a huge mirror, huge-and he put it in the jungle.

And when the gorilla came in front of the mirror, it freaked out. You know why it freaked out? Because he saw a gorilla! And this gorilla was big. This gorilla was strong. And every time this gorilla showed his teeth, so did the other one.

You know who the other gorilla was? It was him! But he could not recognize himself.

Socrates said, "Know thyself." That's the value of knowing yourself. When you growl, the growl you hear is of no one else but you.

So, everybody's waiting for an angel to come-and what if I told you, "The angel has come"? And you know who that angel is? You.

I'm not talking about heaven and hell. I'm talking about now. There is-you are the angel that can save yourself.

And you know why you can save yourself-because you're the most qualified to save yourself. Because you know exactly what's going on, which wolf you just fed--and which wolf you have been feeding.

And the idea isn't to beat the bad wolf. Beating the bad wolf is not going to feed the good wolf. You have to feed the good wolf, not feed the bad wolf-you don't have to hit the bad wolf; you don't have to beat him with a skin; you don't have to try to skin him; you don't have to try to bark at him-nothing.

Feed the good wolf-just, that's all you have to do is feed the good wolf-so that that wolf can be strong.

This is your life. This is your life. You have been given this. Try giving your breath to somebody else. This is what I say: "If, if people could give their time of life to somebody else, nobody would be poor." You know why? All the rich people would buy that-and give a lot of money for it.

But you can't. This is yours. You can be a flower in God's garden-a flower that looks beautiful, a flower that smells beautiful, a flower that enhances this-or you can be a weed. Which one do you want to be?

And the choices that you made got you in here. The choices you make will see you out of here-and the choices you make will keep you out of here.

I know a lot of you are very tough-and to you, it's like, you know, somebody says something nice and you shake your head and you listen and you go…. "In here; out here," ckchwkch! Am I wrong?

Because all your life, you have been right. It was the world that did you wrong, right? The world drove you to this, right? Well, that's what you thought. And this is why you need to know yourself-that it has nothing to do with the world. It has something to do with you-of how you see it, how you perceive it, how you understand it.

What don't you have? Do you not have wisdom in you? Yes, you do. Do you not have kindness in you? Yes, you do. When was the last time you exercised it? And on whom? On whom?

Your life that you have been given as a gift-why? Accept it. Give thanks to be alive. (It's called "gratitude.") What is gratitude? It's not to say "thank you." That's something the world teaches us; I don't know why. But they don't teach us understanding gratitude; they just try to teach us to say just, "thank you."

But what is gratitude? When somebody does something for you that makes you feel good-then that goodness that you feel, you take a little bit of that goodness and give it back in return. That's gratitude.

There are three things that happen in a man's life, (I mean, in a human being's life). First is birth-it's already happened. (Right? I hope. That's why you are here.) That's a big one. And there's going to be another one at the end, and it's called "death"-and it's guaranteed. You don't have to make an appointment. It will happen.

For millions of years, you were nothing-nothing. For millions of years, you will be nothing. This is the exception. Whilst you are alive it is the exception. Your job is to make this exception exceptional.

You want heaven? Make heaven here first. Make heaven here first! What is missing; why isn't it heaven? Is the Divine not everywhere? Is the Divine not everywhere? Is the Divine not here? Is the Divine not in you? That's the goodness. Ignorance is the bad wolf.

Feed knowledge; feed understanding-it's up to you. It's completely up to you. You have that power. Understand it. Peace is inside of you. Peace is inside of you-always has been; always will be.

Peace is not a word. Peace is a feeling. Peace comes when you understand you. Peace comes when you start feeding the good wolf. Peace comes when you understand that you are responsible for what happens in your life.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 86

An Unopened Gift
Nottingham, UK

Prem Rawat:

In this life, there are many things, many issues-but there are also many gifts. And without accepting those gifts, without opening those gifts, this life would not be a life.

Human beings have a short memory. And even after the statues and the famous names, slowly but surely, surely and surely, they fade from the memory. As more and more of the past becomes irrelevant, it all starts to fade and you forget who they were. And once again, the field is ripe for the same mistakes to be played out again.

Do you know how many billions of people will work extremely hard to reach that line that says, "You are successful," and fail? How many billions of people will dream about that arbitrary line that somebody has drawn that says, "Here is the 'success' line"-and they will fail, as they have in the past? Now, the question becomes, "Is that what life is-or is there something more?"

Is there a world of yours that you are unfamiliar with, your inner world in which you don't strive for success but for happiness? In which you don't strive for fame, but peace? In which you don't strive for diplomas, but clarity? In which you don't weigh and measure the accomplishments, but measure your existence by the gifts you have been already given?

Do you understand and see the value of this breath? Because this breath is the inner face of existence, so far you are concerned. So far you breathe, you are alive. Breath comes into you? All is good. Breath doesn't come into you? All is not good.

It is the manifestation of life. No, we don't see it that way. Then we do-when it's too late. When it is too late! We're lying in that bed: "The bed. The bed." And the doctor … is not looking optimistic.

And then the penny drops. Oh, boy, does the penny drop-and you have no idea how big that penny is when it drops. It is huge. And it drops with that "krdack, krdack, kullunk, kullunk, kuh-dunk!" And now you finally see your relationship with everything else.

Now, all of a sudden…. Because first, there is sorrow; there's sadness-disbelief, anger, fear-at first. But now there is no point in getting angry-and you start to realize that; it's like, powchkh, "What's the point?" Nothing you can do about it.

And now all of a sudden, something else comes in-love. Love! You become the center of your life. That's what I'm talking about. That's the unopened gift! That's the unopened gift!

Because you are not at the center of your life; everything else is. The morning you get up-the coffee you pour, and you grab your newspaper; your family is dancing around you; that "Dah, da-deh, da-deh, da-deh, dah-dah, dah, da-deh, dah, da, da-dah-dah…."

There are no "'love you's"; there are no "'good morning's"; there is just like, "So, what do you have to do today?" "Oh, well, ah-la-ah-la-ah-lah, I have to go there, yeah, you know…."

So, what do we do now? Well, we now change our strategy. That's what we do. Because we've had the wrong strategy all along-we change our strategy. And what do we do? We hone in on every last drop of joy we can muster from this thing called "life." No holds barred.

And I say to them, "Till this breath is coming into you, you are alive. And you have the license to squeeze it. So, do!" Usually, the family members are there-and I say to them, "Fill the bowl! Because that's the only thing, the only thing you take with you. The only thing is the feeling of being full."

And that's why you have a heart-which lies there, an empty bowl, wishing to be filled. Wishing to be filled, filled with joy, filled with understanding. And the day you ask yourself that question, "Who am I?"-you have given yourself a gift. Because you have finally acknowledged, what? You!

And what about me? Who am I? Seventy percent water? And I can talk? Seventy percent water? And I can actually see things? Seventy percent water? And I can think? When was the last time water thinks? Does that come across the news? "We have thinking water." And we have thinking water right here! So, who am I-this tourist that has to go one day? Who? What?

What is this life all about? Why do I want to be happy? I mean, well, what is this crazy thing? "I mean, well, I just want to be happy." Even when I'm sad, I want to be happy. It's not like when I'm happy, I want to be sad. (Then I'm crazy. Then I need to see a psychiatrist.)

But why is it, naturally, that when I am happy, I want to remain happy and when I am sad, I want to be happy? Clue? Sherlock Holmes, clue? What is the clue? That I am biased.

"Oh, but no human being is born with an instruction manual." Maybe we don't need it. Because the instruction manual is obvious.

Nobody goes to the church, nobody goes to the temple, nobody goes to the mosque to pray to God, "Too much happiness; please take it away; I can't stand it." Too much sadness? "Oh, please, too much sadness; take it away." Too much happiness? Not a problem. Too much joy, not a problem. Too much clarity, not a problem.

So, if this is who you are, what have you done about it? If you are hungry, you need to eat! (Or do you need a scientific discourse?)

As you saw in that video, people come to see me-and that was a crowd of about 300,000-I've had more. Over 500,000 people-people could hardly hear me on the PA systems, and we had three rows of PA, (time-delayed and everything), but people in the back still couldn't hear me.

So, what do I tell these people? I tell them, "One-you are very fortunate that you have life-gift number one." "Umm, oh, oh, but-but it's been so many problems; how can this be a gift?"

"Second gift: you can separate the problems from you. Gift number two. Gift number three-regardless of what happens, you can still feel contentment in your heart."

Socrates said, "Know thyself." Why? Why? I mean, why know yourself? Isn't your name enough-on a, on a card? Isn't it? Isn't it?! But is that who you are? Somebody else had that name-and somebody else will have that name.

You! There's a beautiful-and there are a lot of people from India here, so I'm going to say something in Hindi. So, (and I'll translate it so nobody'll be left out. I won't translate it in Hindi; I'll translate it in English; nobody will be left out.) This is about the gifts, the unopened gifts.

So, "[quotes poem in Hindi.] Within you are the magnificent gardens, magnificent jungles. And the gardener of this garden is also within you." This is from Kabir. "[quotes poem in Hindi.] Within you are the seven seas, the seven oceans. And within you is the priceless star." Ocean holds in it immense wealth; this is the metaphor of that immense wealth. (Within you!)

"[quotes poem in Hindi.] Within you…." (The "paras" is this mythical stone in India, that when you take this stone and touch it to metal, it'll turn the metal into gold-the alchemist's metal, the alchemist's stone, the famous stone.)

"That that's within you too, and the pearls are within you too, and the one who understands the value of these is also within you." The appraiser is also within you. "[quotes poem in Hindi.] Within you resonates the silence. The silence. And within you springs the spring of hope, of joy, of knowledge, of wisdom."

So, don't underestimate me. When I say "an unopened gift," don't underestimate me. I am talking about the gift of all the gifts.

That peace that you seek is within you. The Divine that you seek is within you. The truth that you seek is within you. The clarity that you seek is within you.

People call Kabir a "mystic"-and that's exactly who he is not. Like me, he's tactile-no mystery, none whatsoever. The only problem is they don't get him; I do. Because when I read these couplets from Kabir, you know what I say? "Yes. Yes!" Yes, my friends, these are the gifts you have in you. These are the gifts you have in you.

One more couplet of Kabir, just to put it in context: "[quotes poem in Hindi.] A drop resides in the ocean." (Right? Many, many drops.) "[quotes in Hindi]. Everybody knows that. [quotes in Hindi.] A whole ocean is in a drop? Only a few know. [quotes in Hindi.] Only a few know." With this, I'm going to wrap up! Because you are the drop in which the ocean resides.

Nobody understands destiny-but everybody believes it. What is destiny? Do you want to know what destiny is? I'll tell you what destiny is. This is what destiny is: every human being has a gift. Every human being has a gift. Find your gift-and pursue it to no end. And when you do, that's your destiny.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 87

Essential Peace

Bunya International Seminar, Part II
Hiroshima, Japan

Prem Rawat:

There are three things in your existence: Birth. You're alive. And one day you have to go-death. I'm simplifying, okay? I know there are a lot more things, but so I'm simplifying: you were born; you are alive, and one day you have to go, ("ptschou").

You had no control over when you were born. You really don't have much control over when you're going to go. But between those two, (the coming and the going), you do have control. Question is, "Are you?" No, but it-and the only reason why I say this is because if you are not, you should be.

Because that's the only way you're going to be able to say, "Ah, excuse me; I don't want frustration in my life. Excuse me; I don't want anger in my life. Excuse me; I want joy in my life. Excuse me; I want peace in my life. Excuse me; I want to feel good every day."

Because if it is incumbent on other people, then I am at their mercy. Their approval makes me feel good-then I am at their mercy. And I have to do what I have to do to please them…. So that, so that they can say, "You're doing good; you're doing good."

What's really difficult about life? What's really difficult about life? Do you know? Like a tape recorder, it doesn't have buttons: "Pause. Stop. Rewind."

I mean, if I missed yesterday, then I would like to pause, rewind: "Let me try this again. Please, let me try this again." If in a moment I feel really angry, really angry, really angry-I know what's going to happen after my anger; I'm going to feel bad. I could just pause, rewind: "Let me try this again."

So, because there are no buttons, you are forced to live your life consciously every day-and that's really difficult. That is really, really, really difficult. And the reason why it's difficult-because you're not set up for it.

Two minutes you live from your heart; two minutes and you live from here. Two minutes here; two minutes here. Two minutes here; two minutes here. Two minutes here; two minutes here. Two minutes here; two minutes here.

One minute, you have to be practical. One minute, "Ah…." One minute, "Oh my God; I'm late." One minute, "I am so happy I'm alive." Third minute, "Am I happy I'm late…?"

Confusion. Confusion, confusion…. And then that's where everybody goes; everybody goes, "Oh yes, we cannot be confused. So, let's go to a training; let's-let's go and read a book and let's find one of these people like me."

But what I will tell you is straight. I will tell you, "You don't need to be looking at me for peace; you should be looking at you for peace." Because your peace resides in you. My peace resides in me. I cannot give you my peace; you cannot give me your peace.

I cannot give you my breath; you cannot give me your breath. And from that time, from that one wall to the other wall, not one moment can be exchanged. It's yours. It's mine.

You understanding you. You understanding you! This is what Socrates said, "Know thyself," understanding the self.

So, what I have to say is very simple: "What you are looking for is within you." The question is, you say, "How do I look inside?" Same way you see your face. How do you see your face? If you want to see yourself, how do you see? With your eyes, you see the world. You see everybody's face, right, with these eyes? You see everybody's face except?-yours.

Now, if you want to see your face, what do you need? [Audience: You need a mirror.] (You got that one right.) You need a mirror! Not dependence; independence.

I am about freedom! I'm talking about independence. That's where my message is so different. It so happens, I do come sit down in a chair, (or sometimes I'm standing by a podium); I do talk in a microphone. And that's it-the message is entirely different. Message is about freedom. Message is about "Know thyself!" Message is, "You have the power to free you."

When I say, "You know your world; now, know your breath," why do I say that? Because in that life, there's something so beautiful.

I will leave you with one last thought. And, (hmm), wisdom doesn't all come at the same time-believe me, it sometimes comes in little pieces. So, one day I have this thought-and I'll share it with you.

If I'm looking for Buddha…. Now, I have seen pictures of Buddha; I have seen statues of Buddha. And if I'm looking for Buddha in this world today, how should I do it? How should I do it?

Because should I be looking for somebody that looks like the statues that I have seen, the pictures that I have seen? Because if I am, I won't find a Buddha.

But if I am looking for someone who carries the wisdom, who carries the benevolence, who carries the kindness, who carries the caring, then do you have any idea how many Buddhas I will find? Millions. Millions-because Buddha wasn't about this; Buddha was about this. What made Buddha Buddha was not his face, but his benevolence, his caring, his sharing, his wisdom.

And that always lives. It never dies. It always lives.

A lot of people-somebody very close to them passes away; they feel sorrow-they should. But because you've seen that person you would know, you're attached to a face. Stop looking for the face. Start looking for the kindness; start looking for the joy of that person; start looking for the caring of that person-and you will realize they're still here.

Not in one, but in many-and many and many and many. This is the wisdom of life-not the wisdom of the world but the wisdom of life.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 88

Born to Feel
Miami, USA

Prem Rawat:

Is there a trick to this life? Is there a way to live this life and not be slain by the problems?

So, now I give you my experience, fifty years…. (Fifty-one, almost approaching fifty-one in just a few days-thirty-first of July, fifty-one.) So, here it is.

And how have I come to this conclusion? Because I too have problems. And I too have tried to overcome my problems. And I too have fundamentally not succeeded in overcoming my problems. The same problem-and if you barely get over it, it changes, it morphs and becomes something else-with a totally different appearance but you know it's exactly the same problem.

So you're, fundamentally, you are trying to be victorious over your problems-without being victorious over the self. So you're not victorious; you are losing-with you! You're losing with you, but you're trying to win everywhere else. And you're going to fail-you're going to fail. Why? Because the first victory you have to gain is not your problems-is you.

So, what does that look like; I mean, what…? Gaining victory over yourself, what does that look like?

It looks like this-where you understand that wall. And not the back side of that wall, but the front side of the wall. Because if you're wondering about the back side of the wall, you will-you'll lose, believe me.

Because people have been trying to figure that out for hundreds of thousands of years: "Where did I come from?" And then they have come to the conclusion that-you, somehow the whole world has concluded that they don't come from here; they come from somewhere else: "Tshhhhou…."

So, this is what it looks like. You begin to realize that between this side of that wall, (the first one, the birth wall), and this side of the other wall, (the death wall), is heaven.

That's what it looks like when you're victorious over yourself. That is heaven-that you can feel. And that's not what makes it heaven, (that you can feel). But what can you feel? You can feel joy. That's what makes it heaven.

And when I came up with this title, "Born to feel"…. They asked me, you know, "What are you going to call that event?" I didn't answer. "Aagh, we, we need, we need, we need to announce the event and we need a title. We need a theme." "Born to feel."

Born to feel clarity. Born to feel joy. Born to feel the Divine. Born to feel the true happiness. That's why you went through this wall and you came onto this stage, onto this platform. And what did you do? You allowed yourself to be contaminated, "No-no-no, destiny, destiny. Oh, yeah, you know, I'm just a little puppet."

So, where are the strings? Do you feel little strings? You want to be a puppet; you can be a puppet.

So, what is destiny? I have a definition for destiny too. Every one of you sitting in this hall, every one of those people who are not in this hall, (the 6.6-some billion people on the face of this earth), every one of them has a gift. And destiny is…. When you find your gift and pursue that gift to no end, it becomes your destiny.

That's what destiny is. Not pre-ordained-because that would include taking away choice. And what you have, at the crux of this entire universe, on this planet Earth…. I don't know if the sun has a choice; I don't know. I don't know if the moon has a choice. I don't know if all the stars have a choice. I don't know if rivers have a choice.

But I know you do. You as a human being, you have a choice. And you can choose. You can choose to gain victory over yourself-or you can choose to try to pursue, for the rest of your life, trying to gain victory over your problems. In one, you will never win-in one you've got a fair shot.

Nobody-nobody has won over their problems. And now, there are many people who think they have. Many people would like to; many people would imagine they would. But nobody has yet conquered their problems.

And it is only when you begin to understand that that is the nature of the problems-they're not to be conquered. If they get conquered, they're no more problems. That is their nature. They will morph to something else, to something else, to something….

Just when you get everything settled, your cat will run away. Just when you find your cat, your dog will run away. Just as you find your dog, your wife will run away. Just as you find your wife, you will run away.

On this earth, if we don't understand what this life, what this existence is all about-if this breath is not precious to us, if you are not precious to yourself, your existence means nothing to you-then truly, believe me, my friends, this drama between the two walls is lost.

This drama is not going to be a drama; this is going to be a nightmare. ("Nightmare." Hmm. Hmm. Gee, that could describe a lot of people's lives: nightmare. Nightmare. Nightmare.)

One of the incredible programs I have, it's called the "Peace Education Program." It's spreading like wildfire; it's everywhere. I mean, I just got a picture of the war veterans all in their army suits, you know, with a big sign in the back, "Peace Education Program."

So, a lot of war veterans are going through. It's in so many prisons now. So many of the ex-guerilla members in Colombia-and so, these people are put in the, incarcerated. And what happens to them?

Well, of course, they're very bitter. But here's what happens. They sit there, (huh), and they blame everybody for their problems. "I'm here because of him, and because of him, because of him, because of him, because of him, because of him, because of him."

And then when they go through the Peace Education Program, they start looking at themselves-and when they start looking at themselves, they go, "No-no-no-no-no, I'm not here because of anybody else; I'm here because of me!"

And of course, then the beautiful thing is, (this is what my message is all about), you can fix that. You can't fix other people-but you can fix yourself. You can't be victorious over your problems, but you can be victorious over yourself.

So then they go, "Aha! I know how to fix this-I need to change." And then they start changing, and there is a genuine transformation. So this is how that happens.

And again, what does that look like? That looks like heaven-on earth. "Ah, uh, yeah. Somebody mentioned that a long time ago, 'Heaven on earth.'" Where a human being is real-that you are real, real to yourself. That your life is not about lamenting your mistakes-but you see every day as powerful as the sunrise.

And do you know something about the sunrise? That on this planet Earth, the sun never stops rising-did you know that? It's constant-and I know you know that. But doesn't it give you goose bumps, just thinking that there is a sunrise at every single second on this earth? And there is a sunset every single second on this earth?

And there is light, and there is darkness-and it's all here. And as powerful as that sunrise is, that you acknowledge every moment to be that powerful-the bringer of light, to be able to fill your life with light, to be able to fill your life with joy, to be able to fill your life with clarity, to be able to fill your life with those things that mean so much to you as a human being.

And that you are the source of those things, not me-not somebody sitting 60,000 feet up there, not something on the other side of the wall, but here's the stage; here's the drama; here's where it plays; you are that actor. And you have to do what you have to do. And you will do it from inspiration. And do you feel inspired to be alive?

And that's what knowing yourself is all about. That's what knowing yourself is all about. If you don't know yourself, you can never be thankful for anything!

And if you find yourself, (and use it backwards, okay; you can reverse-engineer this). So, if you find yourself not thankful for anything, that's because you don't know yourself. So, get on with the business of knowing yourself, so that you can be thankful, because gratitude feels good.

So, gratitude feels good-and you were born to? Feel. This is how you connect the two lines of "born to feel" and "feel the good."

Being human works. To be alive works. So, that's all we need to be. And every day, to understand that we are here, that we were born to feel, and feel we must. And what we are capable of feeling is that infinite clarity, is that joy, is that understanding.

And we have a choice. We can either feel and do those things that bring us misery-or we can choose to feel the beauty, the simplicity that lies in the heart of every single human being. This is what is real. And only accept what I am saying if it makes sense to you.

Be alive. This is your time on the stage. There is that wall; there is that wall. That's happened-that's due. And every step, you need to remember you were born to feel-but not just anything.

You were born to feel the ultimate. You were born to feel the Divine. Feel-feel because you were born to feel.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 89

Life on Your Terms

Interview with Tony Wrighton
Zestology Podcast

Tony Wrighton:

When you meet someone at a dinner party and they say, "What do you do," how do you answer?

Prem Rawat:

Well, I talk about peace-and that's been my endeavor since I was nine years of age; I've been talking to people about peace. Because I think that's an important ingredient that we're missing.

You know, there's nothing in the world that sets us up to really recognize ourselves, who we are. Socrates talked about this, "Know thyself." And yet, what is in this world…? Once in a while, you might come across Socrates, and by-only by mistake.

And then, what is the value of that? You know, what reflects in our social media; what reflects in our world that we go about every single day-that says, "Oh, by the way, did you, today, know yourself? Do you know yourself today; do you understand who you are? Do you…?"

You see the whole world in a way that you have been trained to see. "Yeah, I've got to wear clothes; I've got to wear this kind of clothing; I've got to do this; I've got to do that; I've got to take this with me; I've got to do this; I've got to contact this person…." But what about contacting you, you as a human being?

And a lot of times we say, "Okay, why is my world so strange sometimes?" Well, could it be that you're looking at a map, and you're saying, "Well, the map is good. [Tony: Ummm.] I love the map. And I've got where I want to be on this map marked in a big X."

But the big question is, "Where are you on the map?" Because if you don't know where you are in the map, that map is useless to you-because how are you going to plan your navigation to where you want to be?

So, everybody is going around on their map marking the X's, "I want to be here; I want to be here; I want to be here!" But where are you? And who are you?

And so this is the message. Because I think that that can profoundly change the world. Because I see that change happen in people's lives who are in prisons! Just imagine the viewpoint that they have; they're seeing the worst of the worst of the worst of the worst, every day, every day.

And yet there is some goodness in this humanity, and each one of us. And we have to do something to bring it out. We have created a society in which, literally, the worst of us comes out without a problem-but we haven't really created a society in which the best of us comes out.

Tony Wrighton:

You meet someone at a dinner party and you say, "I talk about peace." [Prem: Yes.] And they say, "Well, well, how? And how did you arrive at this place when you talk about peace," yeah?

Prem Rawat:

Well, it's been going on for a really long time. My first speech that I gave was when I was four. And I felt that-okay, there was a huge gathering of people… [Tony: And you were four years old?]

I was four years of age-and it was an event that my father had pulled together. And I realized that everybody was just really fragmented. Everybody was going about their own business and nobody was there. And I felt that my father's message, (again, about peace), was very important.

So, I went out there-and I just said, "Listen, guys, you know, but we need to be all focused, because here is an opportunity that we have. We have-we are alive. And we don't see our life…." (And I'm paraphrasing.)

"We don't see our life from the context of birth and death, that there's a limited amount of time that we have on the face of this earth-but there is peace inside of each one of us, and aren't you interested in that peace; don't you want that peace in your life?"

And then it began-so I would address a lot of audiences. And then, people got very interested. This is-and it worked for them. You know, and this is the thing; it's building upon what works, not what doesn't work.

So, it just has been doing that. And people have been coming-and there are no strings attached. There are no strings attached-you like it, fine; you don't like it, fine. Even peace in your life, you don't like it, fine. You know, you want to be out there in the war, and that's how you see yourself, fine.

But then people do recognize-and realize. And it builds and it builds, and more people get interested, and more people get interested.

Tony Wrighton:

And then, I know you spoke at the first-as you started to become more established, the first Glastonbury Faire. [Prem: Yes!] Didn't you-that was-was that 1971?

Prem Rawat:

Yes, that's-but that, that was an amazing thing. Because I-you don't know the story behind that-I didn't want to go. I didn't want to go, because I felt, "You know, they already have their agenda all set."

But people just kept saying, you know, "Please go; please go; please go." So, I started going for a drive-I just asked the person; I said, "Take me for a drive." [Tony: Hmm.]

And I'm thinking, and I'm thinking and I'm going, "Well, you know, what am I going to say to them? They're there to listen to music. I can't sing-and I'm not going to play a guitar; I can't play a guitar-so, what do I do?"

And then I realized, "Well, what you've always done. Put your message out-maybe somebody's life will change. Maybe you will never know them, but their life will change. Isn't that why you do it?"

So, I arrived there, and everybody was there: "Okay, the next song"-and all of a sudden, there was no next song. [Tony: Ah.] They brought out a chair; I sat down on it and I started addressing these people. And amazingly enough, pin-drop silence; people were actually listening.

And I am like, "Oh, okay. I'll keep this brief. I know you want your music, but here it is. That, one, what you're looking for is inside of you. Then there is peace, possible; peace is possible."

And I spoke for a few minutes-I don't even remember how long I spoke for-I was off the stage; things could begin. And for me, (and I know, for a lot of people), everything changed.

Everything-for me, it changed; it's like, "Well, listen. You don't have to have only those people in the audience that have absolutely said, 'Okay, I want to listen about peace.' [Tony: Yeah.] You know, you can have anybody." And it's a message that really, truly can touch people in a very beautiful way: "Keep it simple; keep it real."

Tony Wrighton:

My instinct is, it's quite hard to argue with the message-yeah, we all want more peace. It'd be quite nice, wouldn't it? [Prem: Yeah.] So, why don't we have more?

Prem Rawat:

Well, because we are, again, we've got our map-and it takes a long time to come up with that map. Because everybody gives you an input, "This is what you want on this map, and this is where you want to go visit."

And of course, once you start traversing, you realize, "Well, I'm not getting to where I'm going." I mean, do you realize how real that is for people? You know, they go and they do this, and they do this, and they graduate, and then they find a job and everything else, and all of a sudden they're realizing, "Is this it?"

You know, and in everything. I mean, like, dieting, for instance-I mean, I guess a lot of people can relate to the dieting. So, you start with your dieting, and you, you know, things are going really good. And then all of a sudden, the next thing you know, one, it's not working for you-or two, you're losing interest in it.

And you're not following it exactly the way you should be-and somebody else is having an ice cream cone and you want one too. And things just fall apart. And so people go on one diet, to another diet, to another diet, to another diet.

Well, it's very easy to understand it in the relationship to diets-but if that's happening to diets, guess what else is happening in our life that's very much like that? That we have set out, you know, made our resolution for the first of New Year and here we go…. [Tony: Umm-hmm.] And, arrrrrut, it falls apart, and it falls apart, and it falls apart.

The quest for peace also falls apart. And a lot of people start then saying…. And it's kind of like the sour grapes, the story of the fox, you know, that couldn't reach those grapes as the…. For a lot of people, it's like, "Well, peace is not going to happen." And this is the first reaction I get. [Tony: Umm.]

When I say-oh, I, you know, I was going through customs once and the guy asked me; he says, "What do you do?" I said, "I talk about peace." He goes, "That's not going to happen. That's not going to happen. [Tony: Hah.] There's so much problems in this world, there's so much greed in this world-that the peace isn't going to happen."

And so I really started thinking about that. And it's like, "Well, how did greed come about? Does it grow on trees? Does it-you know, is it naturally found in rivers or icebergs, or what?" And it's human-created. Greed is a, very much a thing that is exercised by human beings.

So, if human beings can do it, that means they can reverse it too. And maybe there is an incentive that needs to be given.

And that's where this message comes in. "Look, in the midst of all of your war that you are fighting (at any given time), there is something else that's going on. There is a clock ticking-and you can do nothing about it; you can't rewind it; you can't pause it. And there's a quest for peace from your heart-but you need to know yourself to find that."

Tony Wrighton:

When you do big events (like you're doing this weekend, for example), how do you encourage people to find their purpose more? Or maybe they know their purpose but it's not actually happening for them. Are there-I mean, is there a-what format is there to the day, that you help people to kind of find that inner purpose and kind of, live their best lives?

Prem Rawat:

It's very simple, really. We just need to be reminded. Our power to forget is exceptional-and we forget. We get so caught up in this world that we forget, "Hey, by the way, you're alive! You know?" And the being alive becomes a second-grade thing; it's like, "Yeah, so what-and well, what have you told me, by the way, that I didn't already know?"

Yeah, and go tell that same statement to a person who's lying on the hospital bed taking their last breath. And they will have a totally different appreciation. I've done it. I've seen it. They'll have a totally different appreciation-than that person, you know, whose agenda is to go to this fancy football game or fancy dinner game, or fancy something, or fancy dress party. [Tony: Umm.]

And it's like, "Wait a minute. We do need to be reminded-especially in this world which is so confusing." And just so much attraction out there that it's distracting us from these fundamental things-that we need to be reminded, need to be reminded.

You know, and that's so important. That's so important that "peace is possible"-we need to be told every single day. [Tony: Ummm.] Whatever you practice most, you get good at it. And if that's the way things are…. Because that's how it happens. We, whatever we practice the most, we get good at it.

And so, look around your life-how long does it take you to get upset? So, is that what you're practicing, getting upset? You know, and how long does it take you to just relax? Well, it's like, "Huh-eah, 'breathe deeply, sit down….'"

But getting anger? Getting mad? You don't need to sit down to get mad. [Tony: Umm-hmm.] You don't need to breathe deeply to get mad. You can get mad just like that. So, we're practicing that. You've got to break the bad habits. If you don't break the bad habits in your life, those will perpetuate, and they will shape your life and your future.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 90

"Who's responsible for making your life a pleasant experience? You are!" -Prem Rawat

Prem Rawat's daily "Lockdown" videos highlight his talks and how his Peace Education Program helps people discover personal peace.

Stay tuned for details on how you'll be able to join Prem virtually in the program soon. Audio

Begin Again

Wolston Correctional Centre
Wacol, Queensland, Australia

Prem Rawat:

I have been to quite a few prisons-and I'm here, not to judge you; that's already been done; that's not my job. I'm here to point out something to you. And that something that I want to point out to you is you.

Because in this whole equation of life, sometimes we are not included. There are issues; there are governments; there's this; there's that-but what about you as a human being? What does it mean to you to be alive?

In life, it's one thing. At the end of the day, (and that's meaning, "end of life"), you can always look back-and say, "Oh, I could have done that differently. I could have done that better." But what if you could do that at the beginning-and say, "How would I shape my existence? How would I be? What would I be?"

In India, (where, obviously, I was born), there is a story-and the story is a very fascinating story, because the story unfolds-and the result of the story is very clear. The result of the story is going to be that there will be a huge war, huge. Four million people will be involved in this war.

And it is playing out, how this war is going to happen. This war is for the good to win over the bad, the good to win over the evil. There is a princess involved in this story-and she is the reason, one of the reasons, in fact, why this war will be fought.

So, you can see that the war hasn't happened yet but it's going to; it's imminent. And there are reasons for this war.

And one day, while she's still quite young, she hears that a very wise man has come to her town. So everybody encourages her to go and see him, see if she can learn something from him. She goes to see this wise man-in fact, this wise man is the man who happens to be writing this story-very, very convoluted in that sense but very simple.

And he looks at her and he says, "I know who you are. You are the reason why there is going to be a calamity; you are the reason why there is going to be a war. And millions of people will be killed." And she goes, "I don't want that to happen. I don't want to be the reason why so many people would die. Can't I do something to change this?"

And he says, "Yes. There is." (And this is why I am telling you this little story. This is what he says. This is how she can prevent this war from happening.) And he says, "One, don't be offended. When somebody offends you, don't be offended." She goes, "That's really easy; I can do that."

"Don't try to offend anybody else." So, "One, don't be offended yourself. And don't offend other people. And if you are offended by other people, don't think of revenge." So, "Don't get offended; don't offend other people-and if you do get offended, don't try to take revenge." She goes, "Done. I can do this."

Actually, what happened in the story-is she offended somebody. That person she offended, offended her. And when she got offended, she wanted nothing more than revenge-and that led to four million people losing their lives on that battlefield.

Why did I tell you this story? What has it got to do with you? This is it. The battlefield-the battlefield is you! Your life, your existence. And in this battlefield, either you come out as a victor or you will be slain.

And for this war not to happen, you cannot be offended; don't offend anyone else. And if you are offended, don't take revenge. Because that is the start of that war.

You are more than you realize. You are the gift. You have been told, "No, the gift will come from somewhere else. Somebody else is going to come and save you."

You heard that-you didn't question it; you agreed with it. You memorized it-and in your life, you went along, "Somebody is going to come and save me; somebody's going to come and save me, come…." And in that time, more confused, and more confused, and more confused a human being becomes.

Because this is a battlefield-remember now, this is a battlefield. And what you are battling with is not only your ideas but other people's ideas, not only your expectations but other people's expectations of you.

We need to know ourselves. Why? And what does it mean to know yourself? Your name-no. Your likes, your dislikes, no. What you need to know about yourself is your strength: courage.

Have you heard about the heart-what the heart is, what does it mean? What is a heart? Then, heart is the place where the courage of a human being resides. Heart is the place where the clarity of the human being resides. Heart is the place, indeed, where the Divine resides-and I don't mean that religiously.

That power that pulses through everything-is also pulsing through you. That which is making the earth suspend in this universe…. That has got this earth spinning-no poles, no nets, no fishing lines, no strings-suspended. With a universe that goes beyond ten billion light-years….

We don't know the edge of the universe, and the reason why we don't know the edge of the universe is because the light is still traveling, still coming.

There is no "up"; there is no "down." It's everywhere. Everywhere. And there, that same energy is pulsing through you. Life, that's who you are. Your understanding, that's who you are. And that's about knowing yourself-your strengths. And that's what constitutes this life.

What did you hear when you first came to this facility? (Not here. Between these two): "It's over." Who said it's over? Where did that come from? From you?! You're still alive! Not only are you alive, but hopefully, through Peace Education Program, you have learnt that you still have a life and you still get to forge it.

Is it the fences? Is it the wall? Or is it you? You are the player, not these fences. You are the player. The biggest fence that you have to overcome is not this one. This one is barbed-but this fence that is between here?-has killed many. Destroyed civilizations, destroyed lives.

You have life-you still have life. And you're going to have it till that day when you don't anymore. And till that day, you get to shape it; you get to change it, and what goes through this head is up to you.

Who's ultimately responsible for making your life a pleasant experience? You are. And you always were. But who did you look for? You looked for friends. Friends were going to make it very enjoyable for you. Probably, for so many people, that's where they pick up the wrong influence.

You are responsible. And that's your courage. Walk the walk. Walk the walk that'll take you to peace. Talk the talk that reflects wisdom.

You must remember one thing. If I take a lit candle-and I take an unlit candle…. Okay? So one candle is lit; one candle is unlit-and I take the unlit candle next to the lit candle; I touch the wick with that one. What do you think is going to happen? Will the unlit candle put out the lit candle?

Or the lit candle will turn on the unlit candle: "The law." This is the law that has prevailed. This rule…. This rule, if you understand this rule-that a lit candle has the power to light an unlit candle-but an unlit candle does not have the power to put out a lit candle, (quite the reverse). Because it could be the other way, right? But it isn't. This is how it is.

Learn to take advantage of that. Light the candle-and you will be able to light many unlit candles. But light the candle for yourself first. This is-it's a great law! It's it a great rule. This is-this is what gives you hope. That means that if you have a lit candle, you never have to be an unlit candle, ever. Ever. Ever.

Ever. But find the lit candle within you.

Somebody said to me when I was in Colombia, "Mr. Rawat, I feel really good; you're here; everything is good. But you will leave and what will happen?" I said, "By the way, what you feel, good-is coming from you, not from me. That goodness, you always had in you. And learn to access that goodness 24/7, seven days a week, 365, and then for the rest of this life."

You have everything you need. You have everything you need. Begin with your strength; begin with your clarity; begin with your courage. Fly.

I'm not here to entertain you. I'm talking about you finding in you, your peace, your joy. It's possible; believe me, it's possible-even regardless of the circumstance.

If there was a baby born here-a baby, born here, would it be affected by the fences, the bars? No. All it would need is the mama, the milk-and the baby would be quite happy. It'd happily be cooing and cawing, so far it is content.

Find that contentment in yourself. Don't let anything distract you from who you are. This is what I tell everybody. This is nothing special that I'm telling you this.

This is what I tell everybody. A hundred and twenty million people in 2016 heard that message. This year, already it's been over 120 million people, and hopefully, by the time the year has ended, maybe it'll be around 240 million people who would have heard the message. But that's what I tell everybody.

Don't let that make you think you're unfortunate. No, so far this breath is coming into you, you are fortunate; you are blessed, regardless of the circumstances.

Lockdown Broadcast Day 91

Treasures Within
Barcelona, Spain

Prem Rawat:

We are here to try to understand something-because life is not a static thing. And what's happening in your life matters to you. And it's your life, your existence.

And of all the things that happen and will happen in your life, (all the dramas and all the traumas), there will always be one possibility that will remain-and that possibility is that you can be in peace, that you can have that joy, that you can feel this incredible gift called "life."

Because here I am. I'm alive-and the way I explain it, that there are two walls. And there's a wall. I went through that wall-I don't know where I was, but I went through that wall-and now I am between the two walls. And between the two walls, I'm marching.

There's nothing I can do about it; there's no pause button; there is no stop button. There isn't even a rheostat that says, "Slow down."

It's just marching at a rate-and it's marching, and it's marching, and I know where it's going. I know exactly where it's going. And it's not going left or right or up or down; it's going from wall A, (or I should call it "wall B")-to "wall D!"

To me, it's very straightforward-there is a power that runs through this entire universe-that was there before, is, and will be. It's absolute; it permeates everything. And that power has allowed this thing called "nature," (heard of that? It's called "nature"), to exist. And all things that we see, touch, hear, smell-feel-are compliments of nature.

So, some people call that power "God." Some people call that power, not God. What difference does it make? What, I mean, what difference does it make?

I'm just talking about an audit of life. Since you are going from this wall to that wall-we've already established that, right? And it's afoot, right? And you're all alive, right? Wouldn't it be nice to know-and take an audit of what you've got? "Where are you at?" So, what do you got? What have you got?

You have your pain and you have your suffering, right? You have some bad memories too, don't you? Oh, by the way, here's another one. Sometimes it feels like you're a pressure cooker, right? (You know what a pressure cooker is, right?) "Powkhkhkhkh…!" And sometimes it feels like this pressure cooker isn't just a pressure cooker-it's going to blow. Like, "Pouchkhkhouw!"

And you always think it's the big things in life, the big hurdles that must be really making this pressure cooker go. But it's not. It's the little things. Just pay attention to those little things. Start looking around, "So, what, what in the world are these things? What is this load that I am carrying? What is, what is this pressure that I create for myself?"

And this is what we were talking about: the audit. So, where are you? Now, let's see what you have. You have in you an ocean of joy-immense, immense, endless, endless joy.

You have in you, endless tranquility. You have in you, endless peace. You have in you, lake after lake after lake of serenity. You have in you the most profound wisdom. Indeed, you have in you the most exquisite lit burning lamp-that holds in it the power to remove any darkness.

You have in you the might and the strength (not through your muscles, but through your wisdom) that is capable of single-handedly winning the greatest war that you will ever fight. Single-handedly, you have the capacity-this is how much strength you have-you have the capacity to win, unquestionably, win the war over ignorance.

So…. Now, we're back to audit time-I want to ask you a question. And my question to you is this: "How much of all that beautiful stuff I just talked about is reflected in your life in every single day in every single moment?" Or if somebody preemptively takes up your parking space, do you go bonkers?

A person with such a might-that holds in them the promise to be able to conquer ignorance-loses their cool because somebody stole their parking space? Because your dog ran away? Because your husband said, "I don't like you anymore"? Your wife said, "Goodbye. I found something better"?

(No, I mean, just, just, just asking…. That's the point of the audit, right? You've got to ask some questions here. Just asking.)

So, time for audit again. For the human being that has this ocean, this ocean of peace, how much of that ocean is reflected in your existence? For this human being who, in them, has these, lake after lake of serenity, how much of that serenity is actually accounted for in your life?

This strength that you have to win the war…. Everybody, every human being on the face of this earth is born with that exceptional strength-no imagination here; just pure, simple-that special strength needed to overcome ignorance in your life, (not somebody else's life, in your life), how much of that is accounted for in your existence?

And all I'm saying is, "Can you include these things you already have?" That's all you have to do-you have to just include them in your life, every day. "Serenity? Cct, come on over. Peace? This-a-way. Here we go! Joy? Ah, yup, come on. Let's go." That's all. Just have to include it. Like, "Whoa."

You know, a lot of people say-they come to an event like this, and they go, "What-you didn't give us anything." And I want to tell you something. What I give you when you come to my event is priceless. I give you a new way of thinking-a new way of thinking that can change the rest of your life. That's what I give you.

The good news is that that power, that beauty, that joy, that peace, all of these things are the witnesses to that power being in you. And so far it is, you are between the walls…. And when you go through that wall, that won't be the case.

And so whilst you are in between these walls, you have a mission to accomplish. Each one of you on the face of this earth, you have a mission to accomplish-and the mission you need to accomplish is to flood your life with joy, is to flood your life with the peace.

It's time, isn't it?-to take that audit and say, "Well, enough is enough! Good God, it has-all this junk I've been carrying all my life, it hasn't helped me. So, now is a good time…." Because anytime is a good time, (so far you haven't hit that wall). Even if you are one-one-millionth of an inch, centimeter, millimeter away from that wall, it's still a good time; you haven't hit it.

And then, once you've hit it-I mean, but forget about this "old and young" stuff-really do; it's okay. Your heart is timeless. Be a part of that timeless heart. That space in which there is that serenity, that space in which there is that peace, in that space where there is that joy, the boundless space that exists inside of you, that is timeless. More you use it, it will not go down.

So, take an audit-and whatever you see in your audit…. You have to perform the audit; I'm not going to make the audit; you have to make the audit of your life, and whatever you're missing, dig in and get it-before y