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What is wrong with the world today?

We are little children at a great, great, sort-of exhibit, and we are lost there. Many, many people are there, and we are lost.

There are many, many people who want to get God, or that Peace, from all these materialistic things. They cannot get it from there. So this is the only thing that is wrong with it -- that they want God so eagerly that they think that God is in materialistic things. And they want to get Him from them.

Tell me what happened at the funeral of your father when he passed away, and what you did as an eight-year-old boy at the funeral.

Well, I was at my home, and my elder brothers went, and I was with my mother. And the thing was that we were all sorry, but we were requesting something, we were praying something. We really felt that the thing which had passed away from us had not been removed: "It is amongst us, but we don't realize it."

In the Indian ceremony they go on the thirteenth day, and collect all the ashes. So we went there, and on the thirteenth day, everybody was so upset, sort-of confused. "Who will be our guardian throughout our lives now?" But, I was sitting at that place, on that stage, and I really gave my satsang -- which was not me who was speaking, but I was being inspired. And then I was crowned. And now I am carrying on the same work which I had to carry out.

Some of your devotees have told me that you have quite a sense of humor -- that you like to play. And I've even heard that you shoot them with waterguns sometimes. Is that right?

I want to set an example for them: that when I shoot, only the water touches their bodies, and that's all. But when the gun of Knowledge goes into them, it shoots all their impurities away from them.

What do you like to do to relax, to have fun?

My fun is meditation.

Your fun is what?

Meditation. When I sit and do meditation, I just lose myself. That is fun. That is my play; that is my game. That is my chess, and that is my football.

How was your swim yesterday?

Well, I think it was good.

What do you think of the Western world and why did you come here?

The Western world is much more civilized in all the materialistic things than the East, or than India. But they miss one thing. They are so civilized, but they miss one thing. And that is spiritual Knowledge.

Spiritual Knowledge?

Yes. And that's why I have come here. Because we are helping many, many people from America, from London, from Italy, from many, many places, who went to me when I was in India. And they told me that they really required me. And now I have come here to give them spiritual Peace. And I really see that the people in America are the most interested people in this Knowledge.

Would you clarify for me your relationship with God? Do you see yourself as God, or as a worker for God?

I am only a humble servant of God. Whatever He okays, I am doing that. I am only a humble servant.

You take the sorrows and the burdens of your devotees, and pass them on for God to handle? Is that the way it works?

I take their sorrows, and burn them. Just burn them. Just put them into something which will destroy them forever and ever.

A realist, particularly here in America, might even laughingly say to you, "Well, if you can do that, I've got a few thousand dollars I owe the bank, and I can't pay it. I've lost my wife. My whole life seems empty. I don't like my work." Can you clear those things up for him?

He thinks that is a very sorrowful thing for him. But why is he sorrowful? He created that sorrow himself. It was not sorrow that was put there by God.

How does he find his way back to removing that sorrow?

If he takes his mind, which is causing so much "unsatisfactoriness" in him -- if he just takes that mind away, then he will be very satisfied.

Was Jesus a Guru?

Yes, Jesus was a Guru. Because the word "Guru" has been made out of two words: G-U and R-U. G-U means darkness, R-U means Light. A man, a guide, a teacher who takes us away from darkness and puts us into Light is Guru.

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I would like to play a word-association game with you. Tell me what your first thoughts are, as I come up with words.

Hate?

Hate -- egos. Hate -- mind, which causes ego in you.

Hell?

Hell is that place where man loses internal Peace. Devil?

Devil is there, where man is out of God.

Love?

Love is there, where man is complete.

War?

War is there, when man is not satisfied.

What's wrong with man?

Same thing -- there are many people who want to fight. They are upset.

Why are there war, hunger, and misery in the world?

There are war, hunger, and so many things in this world, just because the people want to grab everything from this world. They fight against each other; so many people are killed. Now maybe the atom bomb will just be exploded, and it makes man and babies ill, sick, and so many things, and so many sufferings and things come -- only because man wants to grab everything from this world.

One more question. Will the human race survive?

The human race will survive, because if we really think that we are children of God -- if Father cannot die, we cannot die. If we think of ourselves as children.

Thank you very much.

What is a Guru?

To Western people, "Guru" doesn't have to be a strange word. You know the word "master," "teacher"? When you go to schools, you say, "Master, I have got this question." "Master, can you solve this problem for me?" In India, instead of saying "Master," we say "Guru." Same thing. A master teaches you something. A master takes away your ignorance, and puts some knowledge into your mind. In the same way, a true Guru does that. He takes away all the ignorance, the egos, from our mind, and puts Knowledge there, and gives Peace.

In your opinion, how great is the threat of materialistic domination in the Western society, which seems to deny the opportunity to seek other values like Truth, perfection, and love?

See, this materialistic world has a limit to it. And this limit is a very certain limit: that this materialistic world rose up by human beings, by their thoughts, by their desires, which are so many. There are so many things, like automatic watches, automatic transmissions, and computers, typewriters, printing machines, so many things. And because there are so many things, man is so indulged in them that he hasn't any time to be away from them and to think about his Master, his perfect heart. So I think that this materialistic world should have a certain limit. He should love this, but for a certain cause, certain reason, and certain time -- so that he can fulfill his worldly needs. But not like this: that he will always be indulged in all these things.

What is the Knowledge? Can you explain the Knowledge?

Knowledge is a medium through which one man attains internal peace. It is like a door to Peace, and to that room which is filled entirely with Peace.

Well, what's the difference between this and some of the organized religions we have today? What's the difference between you and the Pope, for instance?

Probably the Pope is guiding a church, see. But I am not running churches. I am guiding human hearts, hearts which have been given to me, and that is all.

They call you the Prince of Peace, and the perfect person in flesh. Why is this?

You see, they call me that. I don't say it myself.

You don't think of yourself as …

I only think I am a humble servant of God. I don't think of myself as the Perfect Master. See, a king is king for his citizens, not for himself.

Well, then all the pomp and ceremony, and the rose petals -- you don't ask for that?

No, I don't ask. It is given. It is they who do that. I don't force them to do that.

Do you think it's a good thing, though? Do you think that is too much worship?

Ah well, you see, it is up to their opinion what they want to do. I don't object to that. Whatever they want to do.

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