Across the Decade video - 2000

95 events a year sounds impressive until you realize that the events take up about 3 months of the year, he flies in a personal jet, stays at luxury hotels or homes he owns, talks for about an hour sitting on a bespoke chair and is the source of his finances.

"During the 1990s Maharaji spoke at over 950 events."

Voiceover: During the 1990s Maharaji spoke at over 950 events. His singular message offers insight, encouragement and practical guidance. The following selections are a sampling of this unique message, one that has remained the same across the decade.

1990 Rome
I have been listening and reading some quotes: Kahlil Gibran, Kabir and you read that quote, you read what this being had to say and it refreshes your heart. You may be in the 1990s but the message rings loud and clear. What is that? What kind of magic is that? No, it is not the prophecy of Nostradamus, it is an other kind of prophecy which does not need to be translated, which does not need to be speculated on, but it is the kind of prophecy that always will be true because it was the message of this heart then and it is the message of his heart now that what our hearts wanted and to me this is what is amazing to realize that thousands and thousands and thousands of years ago when all this technology did not exist, when all the highways did not exist, and all the incredible buildings did not exist human beings wanted something and it wasn't the highways and it wasn't the cars and it wasn't all these inventions but it was something else that they wanted because in the presence of all those other things still today the heart still has the same exact request.

1990 Rome
I've been traveling so long. I I I land in places, you don't know the people, you don't know their language, you don't know their custom you don't know what they're saying you but you know that each one of these human beings have an incredible gift and incredible potential and I want I want to convey that message just that message know know in your lives, be that student, become that student and all of us have to also become that student that can truly … Of course the Master makes a student shine and a student makes the Master shine (applause) and if we can be that student, if we can be that student that wants to learn that wants to grow, that understands what a dance that is to know that there is no limit that owner to live in my cubbyhole that I don't even have to live in my rathole, that there is no limit, that I can fly, that in this process I too can be turned into that swan. Whoever I am, whatever I am that I can also be transformed that there is no limit to that transformation that I too have the capacity to stretch my wings that I too carry and possess that beauty within me and transform me without reluctance, without ideas, just emptiness. How beautiful it is to be empty and to trust, to have that trust. When that farmer takes that seed, when that gardener takes that seed and the seed is sown, it's planted. He's not gonna come every day and dig it up and see if it's working. Trusting. Trusting that age old process of wait, patiently wait and do you think that that little seed is not at work? Do you think that that little plant is not at work? Oh it's at work. I mean it always amazes me, this delicate little thing, I mean have you ever touched a new shoot, it is so delicate it's so soft it, it's so tender and yet you know how strong it is? It's so incredibly strong that it can shake and move the earth out of its tiny little way and come right up. That's strength, that's trust, that's that process, that in that scheme of things even that tiny little plant has been given the strength that it needs to move whatever is there out of it's way, for it to take shape.

1992 Amaroo, Australia
I take great joy in giving Knowledge because for me I get to watch the miracle of watching people transform. I have seen, I've seen it too many times and I always get a kick out of it to ??? To just see people find that place inside of them and it's just exquisite. Every day I can look and say thank you thank you for this life thank you for this existence thank you thank you for everything thank you for every breath that I breathe because even as I say that it has a very profound effect on me. You know I have my desires, I have my wants, I have my anger, I have my everything and yet I have that too and it's always there. When I am there, it's just so beautiful. I can understand that person saying "It's okay I need to be alone" I can understand that because there is the other part and then there is that beautiful part and when that person can be there, that's immortality. That is immortality. Immortality is not to run ragged in this very mortal body, that's not immortality, you know that's um like trying to put big Pirelli P7 tires on a frog and saying "Here is new mode of transportation." Umm this is by nature this is by design not immortal but immortality exists, this is … who would want this you know it's gonna grow old and it does and it's natural that it does, the skin wrinkles the hairs turn gray, than they start disappearing, then they start appearing in all the wrong places and it's just like a rearrangement you know but uh this is what it is, this is a gift, it's like, it's like, you know, it isn't meant to be that way but there is something that is immortal and even in this mortal sphere, this body something inside of me is very immortal and that's called joy, joy, that tranquility, that peace, that beauty that is inside of me that is absolutely immortal and that is its nature, it cannot be destroyed, it can be covered up, it can be unfelt, but it cannot, it cannot be destroyed, it'll always be there, it doesn't matter how old you are, how young you are, where have you been, whatever your background has been, whatever your upbringing has been, it doesn't really matter, it'll always be there and that's the part you have to get to.

1992 Versailles
For me, what is a human being? Human being is a marriage of two things, the permanent and the temporary. The temporary is extremely temporary, that's this, this body, this flesh, very delicate, very fragile and very temporary. Within inside of each being each human being there is something that is very permanent. When that permanent comes together with that which is very temporary, you have existence, the human being. One day the temporary will disappear, will go away as it must because that's its nature and the permanent will continue and people in this world are very interested in what will happen to the permanent. People are very interested where did the permanent come from, where does the permanent go. What is the nature of the permanent, what is that the permanent? People are very intrigued by this sort and I'm sure that there are people who would like nothing better than to sit down and discuss this. In my opinion, it's a totally frivolous conversation because you have no control, you cannot control the permanent. If you want to know what is the nature, if you want to know what is permanent, that's very easy, all you have to do is look around at everything that you can see with these eyes, look at everything that you can touch with these hands, everything you can smell with this nose, everything you can see with these eyes, everything you can feel with this body, all of that is very, very, very temporary. So, what is permanent? Everything that you see out there, it's not that, simple as that, it's not that but it is within you. There is a feeling, there is an experience within you, you can feel it, you can enjoy it, you can fulfill the request of your heart.

1992 Washington DC
The thirst is within you, the question that you ask is within you, the answer is within you, the person who wants to know is you and the person that will derive the benefit from knowing is also you and the person who will feel the satisfaction of knowing is also you and yet in this critical play, in this incredibly critical play, the main player is forgotten and everybody else is brought on the scene. Everybody else is allowed to explain their importance, their role, their function, their purpose and off we go. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Nobody stands aside for a minute and questions why do I want to be happy? Why? Is it because that's what my father told me? Come to think of it, no. Is that because my mother told me? Come to think of it, no. Is that what my friend told me? Come to think of it, no nobody ever really told the that I needed to be happy, I just knew that I needed to be happy. Where? From where does this quest arrives? This is profound, believe me. People look at a book and they say "This is profound." I say "no, the human being, what's within each human being is the most profound. This thing called understanding, it's hard to understand. It is an undless (sic) topic. To know, to know, what does it mean to know. No doubt, no debate, no question, no duality, no confusion. To know, to know. If I am standing with my son and somebody says "That's my boy." I will say "No." I'm not gonna get mad, I'm not gonna get angry, I'm not gonna go "What do you mean?" No. I know. In the safety of knowing I will even giggle. In the safety of knowing the that this child is mine I have no questions, there are no doubt. Nobody can come and create ambiguity, nobody can come and create doubt, nobody can come and create confusion because I know. Such is the power of knowing and yet what we know? Everybody tells us what we don't know. "You don't know this and don't know this and you don't know this." What do you know? You know more than you could possibly imagine but where is the pool, where has the emphasis being given. Here? Or there? It's always there. Something other than me, something more powerful than me and you know this is one of those subjects where it's so simple I read Kabir, Rumi or Gibran and they're saying something, you know it's very easy to get lost in the words. "Wow, nice words!" But you have to understand that they didn't write these things because the words existed, they didn't write these things because the words existed. Don't be mistaken. They wrote these things because the feeling existed, words are merely tools to get as close as you can. If anybody has written poetry you know that. You don't sit down to write poetry for the sake of writing a poetry. There has to be a feeling otherwise it doesn't work. You can get the best software, you can get the best books, you can get best chosen words and sit down with them and you will not be able to cook up anything. An artist doesn't paint merely because paints exist. An artist doesn't paint because there is a pallette. An artist paint because there is a feeling but nobody nobody wants to touch one if you of what that feeling is and of course that is the most profound thing. If you could jump the barriers of the words and what are these people saying? So simple. So amazingly simple, that which you are looking for is inside of you.

1994 Accra
There is that beauty, accept it. Understand it, embrace it in your life, embrace it because it is the most embraceable. Love the lovable, embrace the embraceable and as that divine that dances in your heart join it in the magnificent dance that goes on inside of you. The pulse of your life like a string as it twang in the most magnificent silent. Listen to that, that's music, that's music, real music that pulses within you. So for me it is always wonderful to come and talk to people about that simple beauty that is inside of you. This is what I do, I go around the world and offer that to people. What do I offer? I offer like a mirror. Look in the mirror and what do you see? You see you. Simple and people say to me "Why do we need a mirror?" Eyes, your eyes can see a lot, can't they? They can see thousands and thousands and millions and millions and millions of things. They can see the ocean, huge ocean. Your eyes can see that. Your eyes can see jungle, thousands and millions of trees, your eyes can see that. Your eyes can see the stars, millions and millions of miles away, little stars. Your eyes can see that. But can the eyes see themselves? That's one thing the eyes can't do. They can see everything else. They can see other people's eyes but to see themselves, what do you need? You need a mirror. Without that you know when something falls in your eye, (inexplicable applause) what do you do? You run and look into a mirror. What's wrong? Can't see it, can't see themselves and that's the need. People say "why do I need somebody to show me?" Even when a doctor gets a broken hand, what does he do? What do you think a doctor does? Fixes it? No, he goes to another doctor "Fix it." (Applause) He cannot do it himself. Somebody and then somebody who is willing to help, to hold the mirror up, to hold the mirror up. That's what I offer to people, a way to be able to go inside, it's very simple and what are my prerequisites? Listen. First remove your own doubts. Get rid of your questions and with patience start to understand what is being said. Learn something for life. Come and hear and when you are ready I will be happy to give you this gift of Knowledge. Why is it called Knowledge? Because it is the know how to go within you. That's why it's called Knowledge. Very simple and this is what I have been doing for a long time and this is what I do and this is what I like to do. Go everywhere and I see the first in people. Wherever I go and I am amazed. I watch in awe as the magic unfolds itself, as the thirsty find their water. It's amazing. The thirsty have a way of finding water. It's mysterious but they find it and when they do they quench their thirst.

1995 Hove
The other day was a beautiful day. I was looking out the window and I said to somebody "What's that blue stuff up there?" Now why is the sky blue? Well, some people say because of the gases, some people say because of the reflection from the earth. Whatever the reason may be we have been given an ability to see that blue. There's many spectrums of colors we don't see but we have been given the ability to see what exists and believe me it wasn't a marketing thing that God went out and took a bunch of people and asked them and did a study of what would be the most appropriate color for the sky. It was, it is what it is and we have been given the ability to appreciate it, to enjoy it, to like it, to admire it, to just love it and in that context maybe we try to change things but we can't. All we can do is to learn how to admire simply. Maybe if I go to a beautiful place, there is a lake, there is a mountain, there is beautiful trees and I can always say "Well, I wish the mountain was 20 feet this way then it would look better as it reflected off the lake or I wish the lake was 30 feet this way but that is not real. It can't be that. It is what it is. So in the simplest of terms there is an experience inside of every human being and it is what it is. Nobody creates it, nobody manufactured that, nobody has been consulted what it should be like. It exists. For me personally I am just as fascinated that it does, that something inside of me is a certain way and if I can learn to tap into that how beautiful it is for me. The effect that I feel, the result that I receive is very simple and very beautiful and that's what Knowledge is. A way to be able to tap into that. Then what's the problem? If it that sounds all straightforward and what's the problem? And maybe to address the problem one has to back up a little bit. There is the day and then there is the night. There is light, there is darkness. Everything has a contrast. Everything has a texture. There's hard, there is soft. There is a bright, there is dull. There is wet, there is dry. There is forests, there are jungles. There are rivers and there are deserts. So then if everything has this contrast, then this incredible machine that we have, this thinking machine called the mind does it have a contrast too? And it does. There's the mind and then there is the heart. And they contrast each other. You need the mind to go get the bread. You need the mind to point out your daily problems so to say but it is the heart that inspires you to flee from those problems. It is the heart that inspires a human being to be free to be simple, to enjoy it, to admire, to adore and in this contrast one has to appreciate how to appreciate this contrast. One has to learn how to appreciate, this contrast.

1996 Rome
What happens in your life today in every moment that's what's important. It's not the 50 years that we have lived or the 60 is that we have lived or the 30 years that we have lived or the 40 years that we have lived. It is this moment that counts because in that moment that's where our glory is, that's where celebration is, that's where this life is and so many of us we come up with our ideas, we come up with our concepts, we come up with our things to lean on in this world and everybody is trying to believe in something, trying to trust something, and then the Master comes along and says you should trust in that one thing that is the most important to you. Don't trust in this world because this world is in transit, it is in motion, it moves, you try to stabilize it and it becomes unstable. Do not put your trust in the ideas and ideals because they change too and it's so important to understand what all it is that changes because here we are and we are pointing at things and saying "That changes, look that changed, look that moved, look that's different" while all along we're moving to. We're different too even though we don't like to believe that, we like to see our universe and we're at the center of it. But in this universe, we're not the center. The center is within us. The center lies within that one place where is that wissdom. The center lies in that heart, the center lies in that understanding, the center lies where everything else is just put at bay, when everything else is just slightly pushed aside and the only thing that shine is that feeling within every human being. Everything else is going to be transitory, that is its nature. This is what I have been saying to people believe, then believe in that one thing that also believes in you. Trust, then trust that one thing that also trusts in you and if you're going to love, then love that one thing that also loves you. And what it is that one simple thing? Everybody knows. Sometimes it becomes a hard thing to put the investment where it belongs. It becomes hard to focus on that one thing that we, we as human beings need to focus on if all the technology in this world wasn't there. If the world wasn't like what we see it today to be, what would it be like? What would it be like? Then I try to imagine just that, what would it be like? What would it be like if we couldn't fly? What would be like if there wasn't all these things that are there? And all I can say is that irrespective of all the things, the thirst would be there and if I haven't satisfied my thirst then what difference does it make? Whether everything is there or not there? Because if I have satisfied by thirst then that is of primary importance to me.

1997 Kuala Lumpur
It is for those people who want to pursue joy, who want to pursue you this heart, who want to pursue this life, who want to feel heaven on earth, that's who it's for. Now if you think "Give me Knowledge and all my problems will be solved", I doubt it. Give me knowledge and all prosper more, I doubt it. You will prosper in your heart, you will. That much I know, that much I have seen. I have seen not the gardens grow outside but I have seen the gardens grow inside. I have seen not the harvests of the outside but I have seen the harvest of the heart being reaped and a celebration in people's lives. Through good times, through bad times a celebration, a joy and gratitude, that much I have seen. I am, at least I like to think of myself as a simple person. My quest isn't any different than yours, it isn't. You're looking for joy, I'm looking for joy. I want joy, you want joy. You want that understanding, I want that understanding. You want that love, I want that love. The beautiful thing is my father, my Master, my teacher showed me that that was inside of me and it wasn't just empty words but he showed me and the day I could see, the day I could feel I understood. My garden continues to grow. If it is possible, I've had knowledge for a long time, if it is possible because it is happening to where my tree produces more fruit every day, more than yesterday and more than the day before and my gratitude grows and grows and grows and grows. If it is possible? Because it is and maybe I never understood what that would be like but now I am witnessing it that it grows and grows and there is no limit. There is no limit to that joy, there is know that limit to that understanding, there is no limit to clarity. I always loved clarity but I never knew this other attribute of clarity that there is no limit to clarity. I knew there was no limit to doubts but it takes a real turn to understand there is no limit to clarity, that there is no limit to that joy, there is no limit to that gratitude and that's why it's an opportunity, it's an opportunity to need to come and speak from my heart. That's the opportunity to express in the sincerest way I can what I feel. That's what I do, that's what I've been doing, you saw it on that video, I was a little kid, I started speaking to people telling them what they were looking for is inside of them. Here I am and am still saying the same thing, what you're looking for is inside of you.

1998 Kyoto
What is a human being? What is a human being? If all the ambitions you have which can which can possibly succeed, which one? Do you know there has been rise and falls of civilizations, amazing civilizations, incredible civilized nations gone, vanished. What's left? Maybe a few clay pots and that always fascinates me. Why? You know how a clay pot is paid? Mud. Mud. It survives, civilizations disappear. Iron can rust, iron can rust, rocks can be turned back into sand and mud survives? Wow. How, how is this possible? Because of that transformation and what was that transformation? Lately I've been thinking about that a lot. Anytime water and earth come together it makes mud so water and earth equals mud. However, mud and potter equals a pot and that's not all. Pot and the fire equals a vessel and vessel and water now do not equal mud. Now you can bring the water, now that the potter has taken that mud and shaped it and the fire has given it it's immortality. Now bring on the water. It will not be mud. Something transforms, something's changed. Me, I need to transform like that too because every time I and Knowledge get together it's just the confusion of like the mud and when my Master shapes me, takes that mud and shapes me and gives it the fire of understanding and gives it the fire of that love and that beauty and that joy I too can be transformed. Now Knowledge and the same vessel they come together and now this vessel keeps Knowledge, doesn't turn it into mud. It doesn't become confusing now the life comes to this vessel and it keeps it and it enjoys it and it keeps it fresh and it doesn't turn it into mud. That's what I need, that's what you need because it's so easy you know when you want to define darkness because you are in the darkness and don't seek the light you are in terrible trouble. My advice to those people always is "When you're in darkness, seek light. Don't sit there and say I wonder what this darkness is." We have a bad habit and the habit is "Let me define this darkness. Maybe if I know everything about this darkness, I can avoid it." You can't. Why? Because it is nothing.

1999 New Delhi
So easy to get lost in everything else. Everything else becomes important. Everything takes on that importance of "But this is what I have to do. This is what I have to do. These are my obligations." And all the while forgetting that obligation that you have to your own heart and one of the things that I was talking about is the Nature. Only those things exist that have the means to insist that are suited and once dinosaurs walked about and they couldn't support the nature couldn't support them. However it happened because nobody's going to make a video of that. Kinda hard to go back in time so there are many many videos that are speculation, they no longer exist. Nature was not able to support them. Whenever you go, wherever you go you see the life and whatever the life exists it exists to cause there is support for that. In some unique way life and nature supporting that life. Nothing is made impossible. It would be way too cruel to have something there and it has nothing to eat. It needs water but it has no water to drink. That would be cruel but nature isn't like that. What flourishes there it flourishes because the nature can support it and that point, understanding that if there is a desire in a human being to be content, to be in that joy, to be in that peace that it is because it is supported, not unsupported, it is supported it is possible to achieve. It is possible to be in that peace, it is possible to be in that joy, it is not a frivolous desire, an unsupported desire, an unsupported thirst, an unsupported want. The creator gave us the ability and the need to breathe but air is provided as well. The creator gave us the want to have a water and the thirst and water has been provided to satisfy that thirst. Too many times you know of course it gets very complicated the human beings they would, they don't wanna see that simple relationship, they wanna see "Why is it that God is so cruel? Why is it that God is unjust?" There is no reason to believe that God is unjust or God is cruel. Cruelty would be like I was saying you need to breathe and the air that exists is on top of the huge mountain and every time you need to breathe you need to climb that mountain. That would be unjust. Only if the assumption is that that which you require is furthest away from you, that which you need is the furthest away from you on some holy land, on some holy place, on some holy mountain then yes you've got a problem but when you can recognize that that which you need is within you, is within your own heart you have to start understanding this is a very viable thing. Being happy, being content in this life is a viable thing, is not an impossible dream. Something that you really need to worry about in your retirement years. No, you can live for now and you can live in now and you can live in that joy and you can live in that truth and you can live in that peace and you can live in that beauty now. This is not a theory. This is not a theory, you know a lotta people think well if you are in such a place you will never feel any pain or suffering. That's not the point of that place. If I pinch myself I will still feel the pain. If I pinch myself I will still feel the pain, if I stub my toes I will still feel the pain of course I will and of course when I am plugged into that place then the joy that it brings I will feel that. What is my source? What is my source? From what do I derive my joy? If I try to derive my joy from those things that are always changing then that joy that I will experience will also keep changing. If my joy comes from that heart, it is my joy comes on that thought that doesn't change then there is no reason for me to expect that that will change because it won't. There is that one thing inside of me that is unchanging. Let me connect you to that source. Let me be a part of that world that is inside of me. Let me experience what my heart has to offer.

1999 Manchester
This magic is still unfolding. The breath comes and life exists and it goes on and it is moulded and it is folded and every day you know you get up in the morning and sun is shining and you go "Wow what a beautiful day" but do you know the sun is still shining if it was a cloudy day. It is. Maybe you can't see it but it is there. Is your likes and dislikes are going to be the curtains that veil the truth? Your likes and dislikes are they going to be the curtain that keep you, you, me, that is so close, so far apart, so close. My truth is within me. Yes within me. My God is within me. And if there is ignorance within me then there is Knowledge within me and if the thirst is within me then that water to quench the thirst is within me too. And if love is within me then the lover is within me as well. If questions are within me then the answers are within me and if I'm lost and unsure of my destination then guess what? The destination is within me as well. So close. So close and have you embraced that? Have you embraced this existence? Have you embraced me? Not the good and the bad, not the judgemental but just to be alive because if you did then there would be that twang of thanks that would pour every second that you were (swelling overblown sounding orchestral pastiche) "Thank you for this life, thank you for this existence, thank you."