I have a lot to say about something very, very simple: that you are alive. And because you are alive, there are amazing possibilities.
Recently, I saw a TV documentary titled "Death of the Sun." It was very interesting. They were talking about what will happen to the sun. It is brighter now than it used to be a few million years ago because it's burning up, tapping into more and more inner gases, which is also causing it to expand. It is growing so big that one day there will be no blue sky, only a massive red sun glowing. By this time, life on earth will be gone. The oceans will be dry. Because it has become so big, the sun will start pulling other planets away. Jupiter, Mercury—gone. Earth could possibly escape, but not likely.
When the documentary was over, I turned off the TV, closed my eyes and started to think. Everything we do has some implication for tomorrow. We go to sleep; we like to wake up. And that waking up will happen tomorrow. We eat today, but in a way that has some implication for the future. "I don't want to eat this because it will make me feel sick." Or, "I'm looking forward to a big dinner, so I'm only going to have a light snack." To live, to exist has some implications for tomorrow. Going somewhere, coming from somewhere, doing something, talking to somebody—most things we do have implications for tomorrow.
So, to put it in perspective, the whole of humanity, as we know it, is definitely going down a road. Is it a good road or a bad road? I'm not here to pass judgment, but we're going down a road. Some people are going down the road happily; some are being dragged down it but everyone is going down a road. But is it obvious to us? We know about our mortality, but it is not obvious to us. That's when people get shocked—when it becomes obvious.
And here, on this road, as humanity is marching along, there is something coming the other way. It is not just a possibility. It is afoot. The destruction of the sun is afoot. It is in the process right now. After that documentary, the word "future" seems very wavy and twisty.
This isn't going to happen tomorrow; it is supposed to take 500 billion years. But it is going to happen. So, what does it mean to you and me that this beautiful earth will no longer be? It means that every day you have must not be taken lightly. I know that may seem impractical, but this documentary put it in perspective.
Ultimately speaking, there cannot be any compromise in your existence. None. Do you know about your existence? You know about the things that happen in your existence—your responsibilities, your family—but do you really know about your existence? Do you know that all the things that matter to you so much do not matter to existence?
You have to understand the value of your life. Then, and only then, can you begin to reflect on the value of someone else's life. Then, and only then, will it be possible to stop the wars. Will that bring peace? No. Because peace does not need to be brought. Peace is in the heart of every human being already. No one is born or dies without having that peace inside of them. When that becomes obvious, something changes. The value of every day, every single moment, needs to become obvious to you.
Knowing that it's all going to end, what matters to you the most? What option do you have? If you were thirsty and water was leaking from your bottle of water, what would you do? By the time you could fix the hole, the water will have leaked out.
My advice? Drink as much as you can. What else are you going to do? Knowing that it's all going to go, you may as well enjoy every day that you can. Don't waste even one.
This is the story of an existence. In this story, there are beautiful things. The story should have hope. And hope is tied to clarity. Try to understand what your objective is. Clarity will bring hope. Hope will bring light and make it obvious: "That way." And the strength comes.
Maharaji
It's a great honor and privilege to talk about something that is so fundamental to each human being. Usually, we talk about things that are good for society or for a country. Very seldom do we actually come across something that addresses each human being specifically — not what a human being could create or achieve but the potential that every human being has within to be content and to be in peace.
What kind of peace am I talking about? I'm talking about the peace that is innate to every human being. Now, what good is it? This is the big question. The formulas that we are using in the world today for war — economic formulas, solutions, ideas about what war means — have been tried for many, many years. We come up with a slight variation, and we all become happy, "Yes, yes. This is the solution."
A long time ago, Socrates said, "Know thyself." This, we have not pursued. We have pursued going to the moon. We thought, "Going to the moon will do everything." Well, it made wristwatches cheaper, little LEDs possible, and a lot of technology. But, peace? No.
There are two words that have been used in parallel throughout history. And they are: Peace and prosperity. "Peace and prosperity," not "Peace or…" This formula has some importance. That's why it was placed there so long ago. We have pursued prosperity. Peace? No. And what do we end up with? No peace and no prosperity. Prosperity seems to come and go. One day, you are a millionaire. The next day, the stock market is down and you are nobody, because you have not identified who you really are.
What I am looking for is not outside of me. What I have, I do not acknowledge. I acknowledge my friends, everybody that I meet, but do I acknowledge me?
There is great significance to knowing who you are. What you are looking for — the solutions you seek, your most fundamental needs — are based upon you being a human being.
It is no accident that you want to be happy. Nobody taught you to be happy. There is a fundamental reason that, again and again, you choose joy over pain, light over darkness, happiness over sadness, clarity over doubt.
Nobody goes to a temple to pray, "God, you have given me too much happiness. Please take a little bit away." Never. There is no limit.
The desire to be happy is immortal within you. The desire of peace is immortal, and it has been steadily marching with every generation on the face of this earth.
It is a great credit to humanity that there are people in the middle of the war hoping for peace, that they have not given up. For me, they are the heroes. They might be people who have no tools, no authority, no microphone, no audiences. They might live in a little village on top of a mountain in Afghanistan or in the middle of a desert in Iraq, hoping against all odds that there will be peace.
War isn't just the tank kind. There is another war. This is an incredibly powerful war, and it is devastating. Its bombs are much more powerful, and its bullets are relentless. This war can rage day and night. No cease-fire. It goes, and it goes, and it goes. And even then, there is something inside every single human being that wants peace. The real dignity of a human being is preserved when a human being not only listens to their mind but to their heart, and there is a balance between the two.
Make that heart your friend — that heart that even in the middle of war wants peace. Make that heart your ally, and you will have a friend for life. You will have a friend that is real, a friend that is true.
Maharaji
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Sometimes, even in my dreams, I'm talking to people, and sometimes I wake up, remember the dream, and write it down. This is a story I dreamed about.
There were three brothers—all very, very poor. They decided to sell whatever they had and buy some gold. And each one knew that this gold could give them everything they wanted. It could make them rich and give them nice clothes, food, a house—everything.
So they got the gold, and each made a little hut for himself far, far away. One was a very religious man. He put the gold on the altar, and every day he prayed to it, "Oh, please, gold, make me rich. Give me food and a house and new clothes." And he would write beautiful prayers and sing beautiful songs: "Gold is everything. Gold, you will make me rich."
The second one also made an altar, but it wasn't called an altar. He was scientific, and so it was called "a display." He would display the gold and write essays. He wasn't religious, but he also prayed in his own way, "Oh, gold, you have the potential to remove my hunger, give me a house, give me new clothes, give me food."
The third one sold the gold. In the opinion of the first brother, he would be sacrilegious. To the second one, he would be very impractical, very unscientific. To get rid of the very source? Very bad. But, anyway, he sold the gold. With the money he got, he bought a farm, plowed a field, raised vegetables, grew fruit. Whatever he needed, he ate, and whatever he didn't need, he would sell in the market. With the money he made, he built a house, bought new clothes. And every season, he got more and more and more. Whatever he wanted to eat, he would. Whatever he didn't, he'd sell. And he just kept getting richer and richer and richer.
After a few years had gone by, the three brothers decided to get together. The first one explained how he prayed to the gold every day, and one day the gold would answer his prayers. The second one, who was very scientific, said, "One day, this gold will fulfill everything that I have in my mind it can do. Its potential will come through."
They both turned to the third one and said, "What do you do? You're doing pretty well. You look bigger and have new clothes, a nice watch, nice shoes. What do you do?"
He was very shy and said, "Oh, well, I sold the gold. Out of that, I bought a farm. And, hey, come visit me! I've got a home, a beautiful orchard. I grow my vegetables and I'll cook for you and give you some clothes." And they said, "You sold the gold?"
Every time I think of this story, I find it to be deeper than I first realized. Those two couldn't see the obvious—that what they were praying for had in fact happened for this brother. The only thing they could see was, "You sold the gold?!! You're doomed now." No. He wasn't doomed. He had unlocked the potential of the gold and he has all that he needs.
You, too, have all that you need. It lies within you. Every day—even in sadness, in sorrow—there is a joy unparalleled inside of you waiting to be discovered. People think, "Does that mean that you don't get upset?" Of course I get upset. But even when I am upset, I know that within me is unparalleled joy. Do bad things happen to me? Yes. Do good things happen to me? Yes. Am I any different from you? No. And if I am, it's only one thing: In all that I do, I know that inside of me resides the One I have always sought; that when I feel lonely, I know that I am not alone; that when there is darkness outside, I know there is a lamp. I know. Not, "I think" or "I wish. . ." or "Wouldn't it be nice. . ." No. "I know."
The journey of being fulfilled is very simple. You. You have that whether you decide you want to experience it or not. Even if you decide you don't want to experience it, you still have it. You have the possibility to be fulfilled. That is what the journey is all about. How do I know? I have felt it.
Maharaji
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I'm here to talk about something very, very simple, but at the same time, it touches every one of us. What is it? It is about this journey, this life, this existence. Not an idea. Not a theory. Not rules. Not some printed pages. But about you and me.
The most incredible thing that is taking place is not what you read in the newspaper. It is not what is in your library. Don't mistake me; I'm not putting them down. I'm just trying to lay forth an order of priority. What is the most important thing? The most important thing is: you are alive. Now what? What does that mean to you?
Sometimes we have interpretations of what it means to be alive. Because I am alive, I can do this, I can do that. The focus is not about all those things. The focus is your existence, you being on the face of this earth. This will never happen again. The house you live in, other people will live in, too. Right now, you say, "It's mine." One day, somebody else will say, "It's mine."
What is yours? What can you truly consider yours that no one can take away from you? All your life, you work very hard to collect things. But are they yours? All your life, you work very hard to become somebody—to have a name, a title. But is that really you?
Who are you really? Who am I? I have a lot of awards. Is that who I am? What is this journey I am on? I was born. Things have been happening. When I say "journey," I'm not saying, "Let's go on a journey. Let's find out what we can do on this journey." The journey has already begun. This is not about brochures or holiday packages. This is not about what you would like to eat. The journey has begun.
When you were in your mother's womb, your parents had a lot of ideas about you. And being in love, they made their little plans for you. They may not have known if you were going to be a boy or a girl. But when you came into this world, there was a very short period of time in which they held their breath, waiting. In that moment, it was not about aspirations and your gender. They were only interested in knowing one thing: Are you breathing or not?
If you are breathing, then, "Ah! Congratulations, it's a boy. It's a girl! Oh, wonderful! Oh, so cute. Look at those eyes." But before that, before the eyes and the face and the cuteness, there's only one concern, and that concern was, "Are you breathing or not?"
And this happens again—at the end. At the end, they all wait. And they wait, and they wait, and they wait, and they want to know: Have you stopped breathing?
Everything you are is predicated on something so incredibly simple. And everything you do in your life seems so far removed from that reality. Is this reality ugly? No. It is beautiful. Welcome to the world of existence. Welcome to the world of clarity. Welcome to the world of understanding because this is what it is about—the peace that dances in your heart, not the doubts that wreak havoc in your mind. The reality of your existence is supremely sweet.
I'm not here to tell you about the good or bad, right or wrong. I'm only here to tell you that what you are looking for is inside of you. And this is not a puzzle. These are not empty words, because I have a way that you can feel the reality that is inside of you, the peace that is inside of you, the joy that is inside of you. In this life.
You think you are blessed when things go your way. But you are blessed—truly blessed—when breath comes into you. Could it be that the miracle of all miracles is the coming and going of this breath? Could it be that I have been living on top of a goldmine every single day?
The good news is that true joy is already inside every single human being. And you can experience it if you want to. Search for peace. And wherever you find it, great. And if you don't find it, come to me. I can make it possible.
Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Permalink
When I travel and speak to people, my message is about the very real thing that peace is and the possibility of feeling that peace in this life every single day. So where does it begin? Let me tell you a little story that might put it in perspective.
One day a tourist arrived in a very remote village where the people were very simple. The next morning he put his mirror on the wall to shave, but forgot to take it down. Later on, an elderly villager with gray hair, bright eyes, and a beautiful shining face came across the mirror on the wall. He had never seen himself before, and so when he saw his reflection in the mirror, he was mesmerized. "Today," he thought, "I have seen the face of God." He left completely happy.
Then came a beautiful young girl. When she saw herself in the mirror, she was taken aback. "I have seen the most beautiful woman on earth, and when I grow up, that's how I want to look!" Next, a man came along who had lost his father. When he looked in the mirror, he said, "Oh, my God, I saw my father again!" And he took the mirror with him.
Now, these three people who had seen themselves in the mirror started to get very upset. They started arguing, and before long, fights broke out throughout the entire village. Soon everybody was unhappy because whoever looked in the mirror saw something they liked, and they all wanted the mirror for themselves.
Finally, a wise man happened to come along and asked, "Why are you fighting?" One said the mirror showed him God, another that it showed him his father, and others told him what they had seen. So he called for this magical thing, and when he saw it, he smiled, "Do you know what this is? This is a mirror."
He called the old man and said, "You did not see the face of God. You saw yourself."
He called the young girl and said, "You did not see the most beautiful woman—you saw yourself." He called the young man and said, "You thought you saw your father because now you look like him. But it was you." One by one, he called everyone and he said, "Look. What you see in this mirror, what you like in this mirror, is not the mirror. It's you!"
How does this story relate to peace? Peace begins with us. Try to understand where the idea of peace came from. Was it somebody's invention? Was there some intelligent person walking along high mountains somewhere who said, "Peace. That's a good idea. Let's have peace." No.
As long as there have been human beings, there has been a desire for peace. The need for peace comes from within. Peace is the desire of the heart. It is as simple as the coming and going of breath. The movie of life begins with the first breath. And we all know how the movie ends.
We are fascinated by the in-between part. This is what we live for: "Who am I? What am I? What have I accomplished?" That's all fine, but never, ever forget the importance of where it began and where it ends.
Within you lies the possibility of peace. Peace does not belong to any nation, any society, or any religion. Peace belongs to people like you and me. Where will peace manifest? It will manifest in the cathedral of the heart. That is the only place where peace is welcomed. It is people like you and me who want peace and welcome it in our lives. It is here in our existence that peace resides.
Maharaji
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Everybody wants peace, everywhere you go. Not long ago, I was talking to some prisoners, "Do you want peace?" "Of course!" You can speak to people in the Army, "Do you want peace?" "Yes, of course!" So everybody wants peace. And then, you ask, "What is peace?" And here, you get a surprising answer. Everybody has their own version of peace and everybody looks at it from a totally different angle.
The other day, I was talking to my niece, and she said, "Oh, I love that color." I said, "You love that color? Or you like that color?" She said, "What's the difference?" I said, "There's a very big difference. 'Like' is really what you want to say, and you can emphasize that, 'I like that very much,' but love is a little more interactive than that color can provide you."
And in the same way, when it is quiet, people say, "Oh, it is so peaceful." All it is, is quiet. People think the absence of war is peace. They have their ideas of peace. There are people who think peace is when everybody walks very slowly, wears flowing robes with flowers in their hair, and everybody is greeted by the peace symbol. You don't shake hands anymore. Perhaps you just touch two fingers and say, "Peace." Well there's no limit to it, is there?
Let me tell you a story. Once there was a queen, and she had a very beautiful necklace. One day, after her bath, she was on the balcony drying her hair. She took her necklace off and put it on a hook. A crow was flying by, saw the necklace shining in the sun, and flew off with it. But the crow dropped it in a tree, and it got caught on one of the branches.
Beneath the tree was a filthy dirty river. Now, when the queen reached for her necklace and found it missing, she threw a tantrum. "Who stole it?" She had everybody searching for it. Nobody could find it. She said to the king, "If I don't find my necklace, I'm never going to eat again." The king was very concerned and sent all his army and others looking for it—but nobody could find it. So the king finally made an announcement. "Whoever finds the necklace gets half of my kingdom." Then people started seriously looking.
One day, a general walked by the tree and saw the necklace in the river below it. He immediately jumped into the sewage-filled river because he wanted half the kingdom. The minister saw the general jumping in, and he, too, saw the necklace, and jumped in. The king saw his general and his minister looking for it, jumped in, and now all three were fishing for it. By then, more soldiers and the villagers had come, and they all jumped in.
Finally, somebody with a little wisdom said, "What are you doing? The necklace is not down there; it is up there. You're jumping after the reflection." And so the king said, "Since you found it, half of the kingdom is yours." And the wise man said, "I don't need your kingdom. You keep it."
Why did I tell this story? Because that's what we do, too. We just see the reflection of peace. It's nice when there are not wars, but that's a reflection of peace—that's not peace in itself. Peace begins with every single human being on the face of this earth. That's the necklace. Everything else is a reflection.
When the heart is full, when the human being is full, then automatically, the person is not in duality, is not in questions, but in answers. Not the complicated, but the simple—that we are. This is what we favor; this is who we need to be. This is our nature. When we are in that equilibrium where our hearts are full, our true nature shines. And the true nature that we have is beautiful. It's real. And that is the place of true peace. We look for it far away when it is so close to us.
Even in the most hopeless of situations, there is hope. This is who we are. There is a resilience, there is an understanding, there is a strength to every human being. And that is the strength to march towards the gateways of inner peace.
Maharaji
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Each one of us judges our day, our year, and indeed, our lives by what has been accomplished. "Was it a good day?" People will say, "I accomplished this, I went there. I did this, I did that, and, yes, it was a good day." Or, "No, I had problems. My tire went flat, my car broke down, this problem happened, that problem happened. So, no, it was not a good day."
What is really important? Is it really the breaking down of the car that can destroy a day? I agree that it is inconvenient. Things happen in people's lives and they say, "I am ruined! I am destroyed!"
I want to point out that there's something happening in your life that is more important than the sum of all your accomplishments and your mistakes put together. What is it? It is so simple. It is the coming and the going of each breath.
This is the greatest miracle that you will ever witness. No miracle in your life will ever be greater than the coming and going of each breath. In times of trouble, it doesn't leave you. And it is one thing that never judges. Each breath brings the possibility of being fulfilled. Each breath brings the possibility of being in peace.
I know that everyone has an idea of what peace is. When people hear the word peace, they think of world peace, no more wars. Take a look at it from a different angle and you will see real peace. Peace is something that manifests inside of human beings.
I will tell you what I am talking about. I received emails from people in Lebanon and Israel who have experienced peace within. And what do you think these emails said? "Thank you. Thank you for what you have shown us in our lives." They were being bombed, but even in the middle of the war, there is a gratitude for the peace they feel inside of themselves.
You see, what I talk about is not just words. I have nothing new to say. Everything I say, you know. Your heart, your being, your self, has been saying this to you again and again and again and again: "Be in peace. Be content."
To be content. To be in peace. To understand. To enjoy this life. Look at this journey not by failures, not by successes—but as the most precious gift. That's what it is: the most precious gift that could possibly be given to a human being. And here, you have it. It is the sum of all desires fulfilled. It is everything that you have always wanted. And it is everything that you will ever want.
This one place within you is where there are no doubts and no questions, where there is clarity and understanding, where there's a celebration of life going on and you are welcomed. You are welcome to take part in the celebration of existence. You are the only one who can go there. No one else. Only you can go there. It's made for you.
Each one of us can experience that peace in our lives—not in words, not in concepts, not in ideas, but in reality—every single day. The peace that I'm talking about is the peace that people experience in the middle of rocket-falls.
This is not about religion. Follow whatever religion you want. This is about finding the place within inside of you that still remains untapped. I'm not here to offer formulas to you. I can put you in touch with the peace that is within you. As impossible as it may sound, it's happening right now. Somewhere in the world, somebody is being put in touch with that beauty that is inside of them. And it is no surprise that when a person feels the beauty within, the next words they say are, "Thank you. Thank you for letting me feel the peace inside of me."
Maharaji
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Today, a breath came into me and brought me the gift of life. For this, I am filled with gratitude. For this, I'm eternally thankful because today I am alive.
What does that mean? When I am in that thankfulness, aware of what I have been given, it doesn't have to mean anything. When your child was a little baby and looked at you and just smiled one of those smiles that melted you, did it have to mean anything? In that moment, all that was needed was a smile back, and everything was said. I don't think there is enough paper on the face of this earth to write what it meant.
In this existence, what I have understood traveling so many places, seeing so many people, is that there is a song that has been written but never sung. There is a symphony that has been composed but never played. There is a poetry that has been written but never recited. And each one of us carries this song, this poetry, this symphony, within us.
There's a lot more to every moment of your life. The question is: How much do you take home at the end of the day? Is it enough to satisfy your hunger?
There are many kinds of hunger. Some people hunger to be more successful. Of course, that kind of hunger will never be satisfied no matter how much you have. But do you recognize the one thing that you can satisfy? The one thing that is real—not a definition from someone else. That is the most important thing.
When I begin to understand that, something incredible happens. When you are fulfilled, something amazing happens automatically. People spend a lot of money trying to make it happen, but sometimes all the money and effort in the world doesn't do it. Then something happens, and when it does, it does amazing things.
It's contentment. Once in awhile, you find yourself content. And when you are content, you become happy. And when you become happy, all of a sudden, you become kind. Your level of tolerance goes sky-high. Could it be that kindness is automatic for you, that gentleness is your second nature, that you appreciate peace, that you like love, that you wish another human being well who you may not even know? All because you happen to be content for a few minutes? If that's true, there is a chance for peace. Maybe peace is not that elusive after all.
Kindness towards yourself, kindness towards another human being—kindness. Instead of so much noise, a symphony begins to play that is so sweet, and every moment begins to fill with gratitude.
Living life should be a beautiful thing every single day. For me, it is work in progress. A conscious effort has to be made. Every day, I have to be able to turn within and find my reality. This is about living your life—eyes wide open—with a feeling. For the first time, to dance to a song that comes from within you. To not just think of being alive, but to actually feel alive every single day. That is the possibility.
Peace was set as the threshold for humanity a long time ago. It is only one of the dreams that we have not been able to fulfill. We have gone to the moon. Now the real challenge is: peace. Peace begins with every single human being.
I love peace. I have found peace in my life. I'm so thankful that I have. I want you to also find that peace in your life. And for those who have found that peace, to feel it every day. If I can feel it, you can feel it. It is possible. It's not a dream; it's not a philosophy; it's not an idea. I'm talking about a well where you can quench your thirst. I'm talking about an ocean, and I'm saying, "Come. Swim. Jump in. Feel yourself refreshed every single day. Not just one day. Every single day."
Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Permalink
It is a privilege to talk about something that may be a little different, but very familiar. For me, this is a personal quest—the importance of peace. A peace, not of consequences, but a personal peace, an individual peace for every human being. People want to stop wars and conflicts, but nobody addresses the individual with whom peace has to begin before one can even dream of stopping the wars and conflicts that exist in this world.
We live on planet Earth. We have an opportunity to do something so unique that it cannot even be imagined. We have the most incredible planet. And yet, it is so sad to see that people don't have clean water when that's what rains down.
Nature, in its infinite wisdom, says, "You need clean water. You need food. You need the sun. You need air to breathe." These are things everyone needs. They are obvious, but placed in the heart of every human being is also a want, a wish to be content, to be in peace. Food is important, water is important, clean air is important—all the basic necessities—but so is peace. Without peace, whatever structures are built, they crumble.
The fighting decimates. These conflicts are a disease. And like any disease, they affect anyone involved with them. The solution does not come from words, ideas, debates. The solution comes from within the heart of each human being. This is our humanity. There is a cry from within every single person that has been there since time immemorial, wanting to reach out and say, "Let there be peace." Personal peace. Individual peace. The peace that is for everyone. The peace that can be felt on a battlefield or in a prison.
Relationships change, but there is a relationship that you need to have with yourself, a relationship of reality built on fact, not fiction. Built on bricks that you can hold in your hand, not dreams and imaginations in midair. And that is called experience. When a thirsty person tastes good clean water, it is automatically sweet—without sugar. The experience of peace also has a very sweet taste.
We try to resolve all our problems. But when the baby cries, it doesn't matter how many times the mother says, "Don't cry," the baby will keep crying till the problem has been resolved. And then the baby will start cooing. Let's for a minute think of cooing as peace—people feeling something real within them, not created, but something inherent to every human being.
You are here, and that means something. Of all that you can accomplish, there is one more, and that has something to do with you. Generations down the road will scrutinize us, looking at our wars, our failures, and our successes. They will say, "Oh, they were so excited when they got to the moon." Will they say, "One of the most important things they pursued was peace"?
The face of peace has not changed. It has nothing to do with technology. It was talked about by the Greeks, the Romans, the Indians—the idea of people being in a state where they feel real joy. The expression of peace, of joy, is distinctly different from the expression of anger, frustration, conflict. Self-conflict is a war that rages. Only one thing can bring it to an end, and that is the individual peace, felt and understood.
Personal peace. The time has come to do it. It is incumbent upon our generation and generations that follow to pick up this banner and bring peace to this world.
This is a subject that is very, very close to me. Three years old, standing in front of people and speaking: Be happy. Be content. Be in joy. I am so fortunate that, 40 years later, I am still saying that: Be happy, be in joy.
Maharaji
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What I talk about is very simple because it's about you. Most of us think about ourselves, about what we are doing here, in the most complicated ways. Ideas abound. But if you can begin to understand your nature—who you are—maybe some simplification can begin to happen.
Simple as it is, it's worth observing what our nature is. Why is it that when you are content, when you are happy, you actually become kind? You forgive. If somebody cuts in front of you on the road, it's okay. When you are not content, when you are frustrated, if somebody cuts in front of you, you honk your horn.
Contentment, peace, joy, fulfillment—when we have that, we actually act and react to things totally differently. How we talk, how we react, how we actually cope with problems is totally different. The child comes up and says, "Dad, Mom, can I have some money? I want to buy ice cream." "Sure, and while you're at it, get me one, too." The outlook is different: Things are good. The sun is shining—even on a cloudy day. Food's burnt in the kitchen? "No problem. Let's order pizza and have fun!"
But when something inside is not fulfilled, any little thing is intolerable. If you concur even slightly with that, what should you try to work on? What should you try to do in your life? The keyword is try—to make some effort towards feeling that peace, that contentment.
The idea of peace did not start yesterday. This goal was set a long, long time ago. Civilizations are very proud of what they have achieved, but that goal that was established a long time ago for the whole of humanity has not been accomplished. Going to the moon has been accomplished. But peace has been ignored.
Whoever came up with the idea of "world peace," did a great disservice because it took the burden of peace off of us and put it on the world—this myth called world. Peace is the responsibility and charge of every single human being. And it is that individual peace that needs to be sought, acknowledged, and achieved in this lifetime. This is what has to happen.
Where is that contentment? It is within you. What you are looking for is within you. People spend thousands of dollars trying to alter their behavior, and yet it is so easy. Be content and your behavior automatically alters. Outlook? Positive.
You weren't made with a cookie cutter. But someone, something, created all these people, and no two are alike. Not even twins. That is so personal—to craft every single being with so much care. Every day to have that breath come—that is an amazing amount of detail. Every day, to have the heart sing out a song that is never the same—and always the same.
How do you begin to say thank you? How do you begin to feel that magic in your life? How do you begin to celebrate that kind of beauty? The answer: Look within. Listen. Listen to your longing without fear. Listen to how sweet it is, how delicate it is, how strong and persistent it is.
There's only one life—many days, but one life. From the bottom of your heart, enjoy every single day. It is the most priceless thing there is. Every breath that comes into you—you cannot buy it, you cannot exchange it, you cannot give it. It is yours.
Maharaji
