Maharaji Speaking in a Rented Room at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, 17th April 2004

Maharaji Speaking in a Rented Room at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, 17th April 2004

(Standing applause) What I have come to talk about it's really quite simple because it's about a need that we all have. When we look at this world, when we look at our societies, it is in fact the need that drives all this. Some need, we are fortunate enough to recognise ourselves. Some needs, of course, the advertising agencies are quite happy to let us know that we have, even we don't feel like it. And yet whenever we feel a need in our life, we try to do something about it. Try to fulfil it in some way.

And it is precisely this one need that we ignore that I have come to talk about. What is it that is so innate that is so fundamental and the desire to fulfil it is so fundamental that no one has to come along and teach us, no one has to introduce us to this. We know that we have a need for peace. We don't have to search for this. Nobody has to come and put a banner up in the sky that you need peace in your life. We know that. I have been all around the world and it doesn't really matter what kind of society cross section you come across, who the people are, whether they're rich, whether they're poor, all the distinctions that we make doesn't matter, what little box they fit in, they have a need and the need is that they need to feel, not talk about, not read books on, the need to feel in their lives this feeling called peace because it is precisely this thing, this feeling, this need that we ignore and maybe a time comes in our lives when we don't need to ignore but we need to accept it.

Maybe a time comes in our lives that we don't need to misunderstand it but rather understand I. To say "Yes, here is a need that I have been neglecting." To accept that maybe I have made a priority of everything else in my life. But the very fundamental thing that I have always wanted and always desired, maybe I have not paid attention to. Because this life is very funny and very serious at the same time. It's a road that can best be described as as straight as possible with the most amount of bends it could possibly have. And it sounds like an oxymoron. It sounds in contradiction. But that's how it is. And not one single sign warning you of the impending turn. None. And yet every day that we get up, every day that that alarm clock pulls off, every day that we find ourselves standing in front of the mirror. Some need that we feel, a need to get on with our jobs and need to get on with our family and need to get on with our reputation and need to get on to be financially well off or whatever it may be.

But why do we have to we have to ignore the very fundamental need that drives everyone of us because when you look at it. What is it like on those days when it is dark and it is gloomy and there is no reason in sight to go on and yet something from the inside pushes us to continue. Is it a fate? Is it a belief? Is it an idea? Is it an ideology? Or is it something far more profound than that? Sometimes that acknowledges our existence. The world doesn't. And when the world doesn't, sometimes we fail to ourselves. But something that acknowledges that I am alive not because today I did something. But I am alive because a breath came into me, into me, into me whoever I am and brought that spectacular gift of existence. But again today, a gift of existence was given to me. This is besides the fact that I have a busy life and every minute counts and every hour counts and everything else counts. But in that mishmash of seconds and that mishmash of hours and days and months and years that I exist, that of all the possibilities of this incredible universe, this fabulous universe, one person also exists. Not forever. But does exist. For that person, of all the things that can be and for that one person, all the futures that could be and all the disasters that could be and the pain that could and suffering that could be and the joy that could be and the laughter that could be and the smile that could be but there was one more thing that also could be and that is that that person, in their lifetime, could feel peace.

The peace that I'm talking about is the peace that innately exists inside every single living being on the face of this earth. No holds barred. No restrictions. I am not saying poor or rich. I am not saying successful or a failure. I am not defining those things. Those are not the constraints to existence. existence goes on and so does the possibility of peace that every second that you see tick on your watch at least represents that second in which you could have felt the most beautiful joy that ever can be. And a joy that doesn't come by ideas but is felt by every single person. Feeling. One of the analogies that I give. You can sit there and try to convince somebody, something is hot and you can say "Look it's hot. I'm telling you it's hot. I've felt hot things before and that's why its hot and I know it is hot. You can see its hot, can't you tell it's hot?" or the way we all do it. The other day I was watching this chef and he had taken his frying pan and put it on top of the stove. He was waiting for it to get hot and he does some-he did something amazing. I, I don't know how long he'd been cooking for. But he did something amazing. He actually took his finger and went (flicks the lectern) just touched it. Ever so quickly. Next thing took a hunk of butter and threw it on there. Why did he do that? Couldn't the years and years of experience tell him it's at the right temperature. Why would he need to do that? To know for himself in that moment without a doubt, without a question of exactly how hot that frying pan was and one would think that one could come up with a better example for peace.

But we need to touch. The peace needs to be felt not by words, but in reality and then and only then, can be really quench the thirst that we have. Yes, we have a thirst and we ignore it every day and we try to work out things so we can keep ignoring it. And what does it take? It takes that simple determination to say "I don't want to be thirsty. But what I want in my life" and you see people say, "Well, you know, you have to search for this." Wait a minute. There's a fundamental difference here. There's a difference between searching for something you don't have and searching for something you do have. And this is where the mistake is made. People search for peace. Search for the real joy like they don't have it and that's why they don't find it because the reality is they have it and they have it and they have it and they have it but they don't know where to look for it.

The whole change in the plan when what you are looking for you already have and this is what I say to people "What you are looking for, you already have." It does not have to be created, it does not have to be manufactured. You already have the piece inside of you, you have to discover it and all those people who went across the different continents to discover it. There was a difference in those people who went to discover and who went to create something. The people who want to create something they come with bulldozers because they've got a very clear idea of what they want. They're not just there to see and accept what already is. They want to create something and they come with bulldozers and they come with backhoes and they come with big trucks because they're into creating something and when people start thinking that peace is also something like that, you're going to miss the point. You're going to miss the point because peace isn't like that. Peace is not something that has to be created.

Peace is not about the two continents coming together and saying "Well we won't kill you now. Thank you very much." Because we look at somebody and say "You must be an American." What is this you? Who was this you when you were in the mother's womb? Could you? Did you really have an accent? What colour were you? We all came from that same place, landed in the same port, same destination and all of a sudden all the differences come in between. You're different. You're different. You're different. You're different. Not you know what? You may look different. But you're so similar to me.

Why you are so similar to me? Because you have the same aspirations. You have the same thirst. You want to be content in your life. I want to be content in my life. These are ultimate goals. This is are our ultimate goals. The differences come down to zilch. When we look, when we look at the aspiration of mankind, not in 2004 or five or six but ever since they had just figured out how to make pottery or figure out how to make a coin out of a pottery and sign names on it and make them like a catalogue. Ambition at being exactly the same.

So now, what does it take to see our own face? It takes a mirror. You can see nobody else's face with these eyes. But for these eyes to see your own face. It takes a mirror. It takes something that will reflect back this image. That's what I offer. Something that can take you within, something that can put your focus within inside of you so you can feel that beauty, so you can feel that peace that is all ready within you. Lot of people are shocked with my message because they're really hoping I will give them a formula. You know go stand on one leg for 15 minutes and if you don't feel peace call me in the morning. I don't do that. I don't do that. I say to people peace is inside of you and it will be whether you make an attempt to feel it or not. It will always be inside of you.

Then when I was in India this time I came up with a great analogy and I will give you the analogy too. The analogy was there's a person and he's really, really poor. He's so poor that he has to beg every day. He has made himself a little hut out of some cloth and some poles and some pillars and made himself a little hole and every day he gets up and he bags and he begs and he begs and he begs. And I know that under this little hut of his there's a gold mine. Should I tell him? or not? Think about that for a minute. Should I tell him or not? Because there are people who will debate "No. That's his karma to be poor. You're really gonna be doing him a disservice, you know, and the next thing you know, he's he's just gonna have a miserable life but he's happy now." But I know that under his hut is a gold mine. Should I tell him or not? And this question I asked where there's one of the events where there was something like 80,000 people and it was in the one of the poor states in India and they were all looking at me like (laughter) you know and they all went yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.

So then I said that poor person is you. Oh my God all the begging that you do every day to make peace. Oh not from the strangers. That's not who you go begging in front of. No, it's your own kids. It's your own family. It's your own friends. The people you know and you're begging and you're begging and you're begging and you're begging and you're begging and you're begging and you barely make ends meet and you know what I'm talking about. With all the effort you put in trying to make peace, you barely make ends meet. Under your hut is a goldmine. Now I am not here to say, Well, you know, there's a goldmine. Let me tell you about it, and then I'll, I'll, I'll bring in the equipment and I'll, you know, I'll become your dealer and I'll now, no, just that, that under your heart is a gold mine, and you do not have to beg. You are richer then you realise and you're richer than you've ever hoped for.

And that's my message The day you begin to understand who you are. That is the day the wars will begin to slow down because those wars that make the big boom on the outside, their trigger is not the detonator, their trigger is the war that takes place within you. That's where the wars begin. Wars start within human beings and end up at the outside. So that's not where they start. It is the lack of that appreciation. It is the lack of that peace on the inside that causes those wars to keep raging on. Civilization after civilization. So many have come and said what you're looking for is within you. What you are looking for is within you. But when there is no peace within, there's wars on the outside. It's no different. I know. You know, I know. I know people who are so sweet, so kind. But when they get hungry, they get so grumpy. Grumpy is the word, grumpy. And give them food and they're back to normal. Have you ever been on an aeroplane? I am sure you have. When the aeroplane is not leaving the gate and it's already 45 minutes late all the passengers are like "What is going on?" and then as soon as it starts moving everybody's some angel.

Inside has much to do with the expression of what takes place on the outside. Express then your sincere desire to yourself for peace. Express then your own want and your own need for peace in your life every single day. Find the thirst, if you don't feel that thirst then find that thirst that will lead you to water. Like they say necessity is the mother, the mother. Necessity. Find the necessity. Find the necessity every single day and every single day. Make that opportunity come true, to be in peace, to be in joy, to be in that reality. Not a fantasy. But to be a reality in your life, in your life, in your existence.

And that's what I go around saying to people. I have nothing to sell. My speeches are not about make you feel good. That's not the purpose. Maybe, maybe make you think that would be great. Even for 5 minutes. If I can make you think, you're alive. Possibility of peace. Yes, living in all this sorrow doesn't have to be. Don't have to beg. Gold mine is underneath, in this case inside. I could be rich for real. Don't have to buy a lottery ticket to feel good. Then fantasise. I don't in fact have to fantasise. I really could be rich. Interesting. That's then I've done my job and that's enough. That is enough. Because from there and there the thirst will take over. And the thirst will take you to the well. The well that is full of sweet clear water that can quench your thirst. If you take nothing from this event this evening, just take one thing and that one thing is that you need to have peace in your life. With my help without my help, I don't care. Find it and if you can't find it I can help and that's what it's all about. So thank you very much and thank you for coming this evening and I hope you give it some thought. Thank you again. (Heavy applause)