There is pseudo-peace—a dreamt-up peace that you think exists but is not really there—and there is real peace. Which one do you have?
It's so important to build our life on what's real—to build our understanding from experience, not just ideas. Experience is something no one can take away from you. If you build a house of straw, the wind can knock it down. If you build a house of wood, it can be burned down. So build it from something substantial that will last.
You cannot just have a made‑up peace. You have a heart that feels, so feel peace. Build your house from your experience, and then you can live comfortably there. Build it in such a way that you'll be sheltered. When it's windy, it'll be calm inside. Fires and earthquakes can come, and you won't have to worry. You can relax, living your life in the simple sanity of saying "I know," not "I don't know." That's very important.
It has been said many times, "Reality is more beautiful than you realize." But so many people are afraid to see what's really there. They would rather live in fear than see reality. And yet, reality is exceptionally beautiful. It is the sweet and simple breath that goes in and out of you. It is your song, your symphony—you are playing a very beautiful piece of music called your life.
It's a beautiful thing—the life that we have been given. Every day we have to acknowledge that we're alive. The day we don't acknowledge that we are alive, we are unconscious. We are doing things, but we don't understand why we are doing them.
Enjoy what you have been given. Enjoy this existence. Enjoy every breath. This is the nature of a human being: what we enjoy, we remember, and we don't get tired of it. So enjoy every breath. Things will happen—good, bad, right, wrong. Somebody says, "No." Somebody says, "Yes." Somebody says, "This way." Somebody says, "No, not that way."
What is your vision? In your life, do you want beauty and joy? Keep that focus, and you will have it. Don't waste your time, because time is something you can't recover. Don't misplace your anger. If you have to be angry, then be angry at anger. Maybe somebody did something wrong, and they didn't know it. Understand one thing: in this game of life, you get one opportunity. If you understand what this life is all about, that's all that matters.
There is so much potential. I see a vision. I don't see obstacles. I don't see problems. Problem-solving is a human being's forte. We can problem-solve, but it's very rare to have a vision. Yet it is the vision that is important.
Don't compare today to yesterday and don't compare tomorrow to today. It is what it is. Accept the fruit of your effort. Enjoy that, and more will come. When you accept, your heart is touched, and magic starts to unfold. When you don't accept, everything freezes. And when you accept again, your heart thaws out and begins to dance once more.
Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Digg it
There is a story of a man who loved parrots and wanted to raise special ones. So he bought three parrot eggs, and as they grew, he taught them music, physics, and mathematical formulas. When they were older, they could recite these formulas and quack Beethoven's symphony perfectly. But one day the man died, and someone put them in a tree outside. They crawled up the branches, looking around their new home.
Then they saw another parrot and said to him, "We know everything. We can recite this formula and that formula." The other parrot saw a cat approaching and said, "Do you know how to fly?" "Of course we know how to fly. When pressure is created at the bottom of the wing, and there is low pressure at the top, we can fly." He said, "No, not the formula—do you really know how to fly?" "But we know so much, what difference could it make?" "The one thing you don't know you really do need to know, and because you don't know that, all you know isn't going to do you any good."
What is the significance of this story? The significance is that we have accomplished a lot in this world, but if we haven't accomplished the one thing that is so fundamental to us, all that we have accomplished isn't going to help us.
People are crying out for peace. Peace is not a luxury. Peace is as important as breathing air, eating food, and having shelter, because it is the fundamental necessity of every heart on the face of this earth. Peace is not a new concept. As long as there have been wars, there has been a voice that has called out again and again for peace. True peace, real peace—a peace that is experienced by every individual.
Peace is our foundation, but we have not discovered it. We have learned the technology to go to the moon, but we haven't explored the inner self. This is where you will find your peace. This is where you will find the reality that is with you wherever you go.
Peace begins with every individual and with the recognition of this heart, this life, this existence. We have always known that. It is time to stop hiding from the reality and open the gate for everyone to fulfill their fundamental wish for peace. This is our time.
Remember one thing: if human beings can start wars, they surely can make peace. There is no "they" that will bring peace to us. Peace is not going to come in a package or a box. Peace is not going to come as rain from the heavens. The possibility of peace has already been given to every human being on earth.
We have to discover it—discover within the need for peace—and then create an environment where people can be free to feel that peace in their lives.
It begins with each one of us. A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. It will happen one step at a time, and that one step begins with you. If you can take that first step in your life, you can complete the journey of a thousand miles. And yes, peace is possible.
Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Digg it
This is our time—the time each one of us has been given. Yet we get lost in semantics—what is good, bad, right, wrong. What do we forget? Everywhere, someone has a request, someone has a prayer. "Make this happen. Give me a better job. Give me a better life." We forget what we have been given.
Somehow, we are unable to look at what is in front of us—the most beautiful, the most magnificent. There is no greater blessing than the coming and going of this breath. This is what we have. Everything else is changeable by its nature. You want things to be good, and when they are, you want them to stay that way. But they can't. They will change.
The whole world is willing to talk about the future. Someone sees you are doing well and says, "You have a bright future." How bright a future can you have? One certainty in your future is that you're going to die. Everyone is saying, "Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up." What's waiting for us at the end? Nothing. Hurry up so you can meet nothing. But it's all acceptable to us. Why? Because the simple reality is ignored again and again—the reality that you are alive. You are who you are. And every day that comes, you are given an opportunity to recognize that.
The sun goes down, your body goes to sleep. The sun comes up again. You awaken. Here is your opportunity to forget the past and become busy with the present, but you don't do that. You go to sleep with the worries that have come from yesterday. This is who you sleep with. Some people wonder why their life is miserable. Look at the company you keep. You keep the company of memories that are gone.
Peace seems trivial now because you have a busy schedule. You have the whole world to take care of—all these responsibilities. But if you don't take care of your responsibility to the heart, what good is it? Your heart is a part of you, too. Unless you also use your heart—your inner wisdom—your life will not be complete no matter what you do.
Can you do that? Can you be conscious enough to understand the importance of this existence? Can you be conscious enough to allow your heart to fill with the gratitude that it wants? That's all. There are no other requirements. All you have to do is accept it.
This is the gift. Of all the billions of things that could be, this is you. You could have been an inch taller or shorter. Your face could have been a little different, but it isn't. This is who you are. Do you accept that? Or are you investing everything in what isn't? "I wish it was this way, that way." Is your investment in all that isn't or in all that is?
Awaken and open your eyes to the beautiful reality of being alive. Weigh every moment with the importance of this breath. With the sweetness, the beauty, the understanding, the clarity of your heart, take the steps needed in your life. And be content in the supreme joy that is always dancing within you. Let that become real for you. It is a beautiful process because life in itself is a beautiful, beautiful journey. Be fulfilled every day. This is what life promises: that we can be fulfilled every single day.
Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Digg it
Today everyone is looking for truth. If someone searches for truth, first they need to be able to accept what is good and not accept what is bad. Here is something to understand: the nature of human beings is that the bad has more impact than the good. We will need to change this nature if we want to live life consciously.
Our nature is that though we have everything, we hold onto our pain. If after 100 years of somebody saying "I love you," they say, "I hate you," we will remember that more than all 100 years of "I love you." Yes, there is pain, but there is an abundance of joy and happiness as well.
Many songs in India ask, "What is the difference between a swan and a duck?" Whether it is true or not, they say that if you mix milk and water together, the swan can separate the milk from the water. It accepts what is good and leaves what isn't. The duck doesn't see the difference; he takes it all.
A human being's request should be, "What can I do for my life today?" There are people who think this is very selfish. But if a thirsty person quenches his thirst, is that selfish? If a hungry person satisfies his hunger, is that selfish? If a tired person sits down, is that selfish? And if the human being's heart wants to be fulfilled, how can that be called selfish?
If you truly learn to love your life, your nature will change. You will be able to receive what is good and let go of what is bad—to be transformed from a duck to a swan. Then whatever that person touches will turn to gold. For them, nothing will be lacking.
This is the opportunity for each of us. Many people try to look beautiful on the outside, but there is also a beauty within you. Allow that beauty to come forth—the true beauty of life. There is a place within you that is there wherever you go, and you can experience it. Whether you're young or old, it is always with you. Experience that. Then, no matter what you do, your life will be filled with that beauty, that enthusiasm, and love will permeate.
I go from place to place and I remind people: "Fulfill your life. Don't forget that. Whether you do anything else or not, fulfill your life." That's very important.
I remind people again and again about the lamp that is within. Everyone has their own lamp. The lamp is within you. I have my own lamp within me. The difference is that I have matches. So I go from place to place and I light up people's lives.
We are fortunate because we have this human body. Take full advantage of it. Fulfill your life. Whatever you need to do, do it. But there is one more thing you should definitely do, and that is to fulfill your life. Don't forget to do that as well.Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Digg it
Today, I'd like to talk about what we have—not what could be, not what isn't, but what we already have. So many of us would rather hear about a dream—how it could be, how something could change. But I talk about the most priceless thing that all the money in the world could not replace—your life. Do you know how to see the value of the gift you've been given?
First of all, we have to make a distinction, because we take all the things that happen in life—our problems, the good and the bad—mix it up with our existence, and say, "This is my life." But that is not the way to measure our lives.
We have a need. It is a need, not a want. Want is an ocean that will keep changing. Today you want a blue suit; tomorrow you'll want a gray one. How do I know? Look at all the advertisements: "This is what you need, this is what you want, this is how it should be." Everybody has been saying that to you all your life: "This is what you should be, this is what you need, this is what you want, this is how it is."
What do you really need? The time has come to ask that question of your own heart—the one thing that has been true to you since childhood. Experience it for yourself. We abdicate the most important thing we have—experience. Remember when you were young and your parents told you, "Don't touch that; it's hot." It didn't make any sense until one day you touched it and you knew. A lifetime of lectures does not equal one second of experience. So many people talk about peace. Either you experience peace or you think about it. Thinking about water won't quench your thirst. You have to drink water.
What does it mean to know your self? We know our friends better than we know ourselves. If you want to know your self, there is a way, and it begins by recognizing your existence, by recognizing your heart, by recognizing this possibility in your life.
Take off the glasses of good and bad. See your self—and you will see the gift of an existence. All that remains is to truly accept that gift. When I can begin to see a most wonderful, precious reality, then my heart begins to dance.
Anything and everything that you could possibly want or need is right here. There is no question whether that beauty is within you or not—it's within everyone. The only difference is there are those who have experienced it, in whose life it has manifested, and there are those in whose life it has not yet manifested.
The greatest miracle is taking place in this moment called now—you are alive. This moment has the most beautiful possibility: you can fall in love with this breath that comes into you and brings you life, love, understanding, comfort, and everything you could possibly ever need.
The most beautiful story is unfolding, and that is the story of you. No one else can narrate that story. The request from your heart is very, very simple: Be fulfilled. Be in joy. Be in peace.
Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Digg it
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Digg it
So many things are happening in our lives, and we think they are the reality. But they aren't. We try to fulfill our responsibilities, and we are so busy concentrating on this that there is a void inside. A voice within says: "Fulfill your life. Experience fulfillment." No one tells us this, but we know it. How? Who taught us how to laugh or how to smile? Who taught us to hear the voice of peace? These things we have known since childhood.
We have peace within us. This is our nature. We try to enjoy everything on the outside, yet we do not really. We need peace; we need absolute joy. Until the heart is at peace, we will not have peace. We think that the higher we climb the ladder of success, the happier we'll be. I am not saying, "Don't climb the ladder." If you can reach the top, then reach the top, but experience the peace that resides within.
Until your thirst is quenched, you'll try anything. That's why it's been said that the whole world has cataracts. Peace is there in the heart, but people cannot see it. There are so many excuses. Young people say: "We can think about these things when we are old." Middle-aged people say: "I don't have time. I'm busy." The elderly say: "I can't even walk. I get tired easily. I have high blood pressure."
What do you have time for? The real enjoyment is when this heart is fulfilled, when this heart is complete. If you really want to enjoy, quench your thirst and fulfill your heart. Only then will you be able to feel the real joy and calmness in your life.
It is the nature of things to come and go in this world—like the waves, sunlight, clouds in the sky. This is your life. Life is one day—a rising sun, one morning, one afternoon, and one evening. There was darkness before the sun rose, and there will be darkness again after the sun sets. What will you do with this day? This is your day—this life, this body.
The opportunity you have is yours today. The day will go, the sun will set. What have you felt today? Tiredness? There are so many people who get up early in the morning, go to work, come home tired, have their food, and go to sleep. Yet, like the day today, you have an opportunity—you have the great fortune to have this human life.
Wise are the ones who experience peace within, who experience joy. No matter how tired they are, when they go to sleep, they feel how beautiful the day was. The ones who know the riches of the heart are the richest of the rich. It's a matter of heart.
I have experienced peace, and if someone comes to me, I will help them experience that peace. For this, you need to dig your own well; the water that you are looking is within you. You need to dig until you are satisfied. It will be you who will know when that happens. Only you can say, "Yes, I have peace in my life." And if peace is not there, only you can see that.
In this life, it's already morning—the sun is there, and the day is passing by. As long as the sun is up, it's not too late to experience joy in your life.
Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Digg it
Who are the heroes of this world? Actors, movie stars, play the parts of heroes. This is their occupation. Their job is not to tell us what is true; they are playing the role of someone else. It is a false situation. We watch them and think we are being entertained.
We want to be happy, yet all those things we really want in life we already have. If we want more, we need to see what we've been given. If we want more blessings, we need to count the blessings we already have. We get stuck in thinking, "I should have this; I should have that. It should be like this; it should be like that." This is what we've been taught.
Have you seen how happy a child is? Does he have a bankbook? All he needs is to be with his mother, whether he is sitting in a fancy car or in a simple cart. He doesn't care.
When we start accepting what we've been given, our heart also becomes like that child. In that acceptance we can find real happiness. In each and every breath, so much joy is being given. If we could accept it, there is no limit to the happiness it would bring.
It is all a matter of learning and acceptance. If we really become a student of life, what can't we learn?
Once there was a young man who had just graduated from university and was walking behind an old man. As he was just starting out in life, he thought maybe the old man could give him a few words of wisdom. The old man was walking weighted down with a big load on his back. The young man went up to him and asked, "Do you have any words of wisdom for me? I'm just starting out."
The old man stopped, looked at the young man, put the load down, stood up straight, and smiled at him. Then he put the load on his back again, hunched over, and walked away. Not a word was exchanged. I think it was the wisest thing he could have ever told him: The reason you walk like this is not from your load. That's all borrowed. If you want to stand up straight, then put the load down. What you have been given, what is yours, is not a load. What is yours is truly a delight.
It is simple: The more we enjoy, the more joy we have. And the more we accept that joy, the more we appreciate. Other things in life decrease, but this is one thing that keeps increasing. I have seen this again and again.
Bad things we understand easily. It is not so easy to understand a good thing. That is why someone is needed to help us understand. We understand about battles and bombs, but we don't understand that we only have one life and we shouldn't waste it. It should be a very easy thing to understand, but often we don't.
There is a war on the outside, and there is a war on the inside. The war on the outside will come to an end sooner or later, but the war on the inside can rage on for a lifetime. Unless that war has been resolved, nothing will make a difference.
I am not here to talk about politics. I am here to distribute happiness. I want to bring this happiness to people; I'm working hard for this. Whether a person is hungry or has a full stomach, everyone should have happiness in their life. Joy is a good thing. Understand this simple thing and make your life successful.
Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Digg it
What I talk about is something that is simple and yet profound. Some might find it too simple, but that doesn't mean it is not important. I talk about the simplicity of breath and the coming and going of each day in your life. I remind people that each day that comes is one of the most valuable gifts they will ever receive. Incomparable.
For a lot of people that makes sense, and yet it doesn't make sense. We know each day is important, but that's not the way we accept it. The importance of a day is based upon what we have accomplished. Our life has been placed on a scale, and the weights that measure it have been given to us by this world. Everything is judged by failure or success. Yet we have been given a precious gift.
We have anniversaries and birthdays, and we give each other presents. But would you give a gorilla something precious like a diamond ring? Why not? A gorilla has fingers just like you, but a gorilla would never understand its value. Give a gorilla a diamond ring, and he will try to taste it, find it unappetizing, and probably throw it away.
Are we like a gorilla that has been handed the diamond ring of life? In many ways, we do the same thing—taste it and say, "My life is no good. I've got to do this. I've got to accomplish this. I've got to climb this. I've got to be there. I've got to have this title. I've got to have this and that in my life." And what is forgotten is the value of existence, the value of this breath coming every moment and blessing us. This is the blessing. But we don't know how to accept it.
We make everything conditional in our lives: "You're a good son or daughter if you do this, this, and this. You're a good wife or good husband if you do this, this, and this. And you're a good friend if you do this, this, and this." But breath has no conditions. When we are given breath, we are not told, "I'll give you this breath if you do this and this." It is given freely, without judgment.
When you look in the mirror, the face you are looking at is not asking for judgment; it is asking for admiration. It is asking for acceptance—acceptance of this life, acceptance of this breath, acceptance of the simple thirst of this heart.
The joy that you look for, that you search for every day, is searching for you—to embrace you, to accept you, and to fulfill you. I'm here to tell you that the peace you are looking for is inside of you.
Discover this life you've been living. Discover it the way it is meant to be lived—in joy, in gratitude, in beauty. Discover the potential of each day. Discover the rhythm as the sun shines on the horizon, light comes, and awakening happens; and then comes the sunset and sleep—everything is erased and another day begins. Discover that.
That's what this existence is all about. That's what peace is all about, because peace is not in yesterday and peace is not in tomorrow, but peace is today. Tomorrow is anticipation. Yesterday is just memories. And today is the gift. The truest gift. The most important gift.
Maharaji
in Maharaji: Life, Maharaji: Peace | Digg it
Recently, someone was asking for my help. He said that the fear, anger, and confusion in his life take up too much of his energy.
I told him, "It's simple. It is your choice. In your journey of life, get to the crossroads where you can really enjoy, because so often, you're going too fast and don't have time to choose which way you want to turn."
Whichever way the momentum is going, we go. Everything seems to be just going, going, going. Then what happens? Suffering happens. Pain happens. They are not welcome things in life. We find ourselves wondering, "Is this where I want to be?" We realize, "No. I don't want it to be like this. I don't want to be here. I want to feel joy."
If we want to get out of it, we can. Make the choice, because you have an option. A possibility is there for you. You don't have to be controlled by things you don't want. You can live this life and understand the value of your breath. In this life, being grateful, having the feeling of joy, is up to you. It's your journey. You determine the direction you want to go.
Sometimes we think, "I want that day back." We have one good day, and for the rest of our lives, we try to replicate that day. Every day holds a promise to be better than that day, but we miss it.
Accept whatever gift is being given today, because it is a gift. Receive it with great joy, and enjoy it. The day that we are looking for may come, and when it does, accept that, too.
The world teaches us to fear. Everything is fear. When we were little children, this is how our parents got us to do things, "Do this, otherwise this will happen to you." Then you go to school, and it's the same thing, "If you don't study, you will fail." And then the world just keeps after you, "Do this, otherwise this will happen; do this, otherwise this will happen."
In the world within, it's not like that. It is positive. Enjoy your life and be fulfilled. It's up to you. It's a beautiful journey, and it grows and grows and gets better and better and better. I don't know how that happens, but it does. Don't wonder how it's possible; just enjoy it.
Awakening is when you understand for yourself that you want your heart to be fulfilled. It's not so important when it happens, as long as it happens. When is never the issue. It may take a hundred years, but when you awaken, the ninety-nine years before are not lost. Whatever journey had to be taken, whatever had to happen, whatever it took—it happened.
No matter what happens, we can enjoy life. People give up. It's not over till it is. We can have joy till the last breath. This feeling is the only thing that will stretch to the last breath. Everything else breaks when you try to stretch it that much. But you can take this feeling to the last breath.
I can show you the place inside of you where you can dance. Dance. Dance in your heart and enjoy that dance. Enjoy this feeling. Enjoy this life. With an open heart, fulfill your life.
The heart has no limit to how much it can open, how much it can feel. There is no end to it.
Maharaji
