Prem Rawat in Tainan, Taiwan 2009-05-23

Prem Rawat in Tainan, Taiwan, 23rd May 2009

Honorable Mayor, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming this evening to hear what I have to say because what I'm about to speak of has something to do with every single human being. I'm not here to try to provide you with another definition of peace but I would like for you to think of what really peace is. Is peace absence of war? If peace is absence of war then definitely we've had peace and then how can it be that from that peace war comes again? What kind of peace is that? So peace is not absence of war.

Is it that when economies do really well that people are in peace? Then if that is peace then why is it that great economies in this world fall? That great countries have no reluctance to go to war. Economy is not peace. Then what is peace? There are 6.7 billion people on the face of this earth.

6.7 billion people, give or take a few. What do these 6.7 billion people want? People come up with ideas of what people need. There are advertising companies that put up big advertisements.

This is what you need. There are magazines for fashion. This is what you need.

There are magazines for food. This is what you need. There's magazines for houses.

This is what you need. But what do the 6.7 billion people wish every day consciously or unconsciously in their dream or whilst they're awake that there be peace in their soul? All the definitions of peace? No. But one singular reality common to every single human being on the face of this earth.

The peace that you search for, the peace that you look for is not separated from you. Because if we look for the peace that is defined by our minds, then that peace and its definition will change as generations change, as cultures change, as people change, as outlooks change, as the fashions change. And then those definitions change right along with it.

But there is one definition. There is one reality of peace. There is one thing that has never changed on the face of this earth.

And that is the true desire for peace that resides in the heart of every single human being. Who are we? Who are we? You know more about your neighbor. You know more about your friend than you know about yourself.

Who are you? Where did you come from? Why are you here? You see, long time ago, some person must have stood on top of a hill, on top of a mountain, looked up, see the stars, see the heavens, see the moon, and must have asked this question, who am I? What am I? Why am I here? Do you know that these questions are still being asked? They're still being asked. And for as long as there is going to be human beings on the face of this earth, they will still be asked. Because these are fundamental questions.

Who are you? These are fundamental truths to you. And until you understand the quest that brings these questions, you can search and search and search, but you will never find your reality. Yes, reality.

This is real. This is real. All the books that have been printed, and I'm talking about the man, maybe he lived in caves, maybe he lived on trees.

He could not imagine cell phones. He could not imagine cars. He could not imagine what was going to happen.

He could not imagine nations. He could not imagine flags. But he asked the questions.

Who am I? Why am I here? Do these questions not intrigue you? And yet, where do you find the answers? In a book? No. In some philosophy? No. On top of a mountain? No.

Written in a rock? No. They exist in one place only, and it is the book of your heart. You.

You. Because what you are looking for truly, whether you call it peace, whether you call it contentment, whether you call it happiness, whether you call it joy, these are the same names of one thing, and that one thing is your truth. Do you understand the miracle of being alive? Do you understand the power of this breath? Do you understand what it means to awaken every day? Do you? When you wake up in the morning, what do you think of? Do you think of, I'm alive again? Or do you think, what time is it? Am I late? I have to go to school.

I have to pick up my kids. I have to go shopping. I have to do this.

I have to do that. If the doctor told you, you're going to die. And you see, a lot of people come to me because the doctor has told them, you're going to die.

I tell them, you're going to die anyways. The doctor told you, it comes as news to you. We don't understand our own mortality.

Because we don't understand our own life. To wake up. To understand.

Because you see, it is a matter of habit. Long time ago, there was a man, and he was a very, very good marksman. And he used to go village to village, exhibiting his skills as a marksman.

He used to carry his bow, he used to carry his arrows, and he would shoot, and he was really good. One day he ended up in this village, and there was a big crowd around him, and he was exhibiting his skills, taking his arrow, shooting it at the target. Another arrow exactly in the same place.

And there was a guy, a person in the back, who used to sell oil. In the old days, they used to carry the pots on a bamboo. He used to sell oil.

And so every time this man would throw his arrow and shoot at the target, the man selling the oil would go, it's only a matter of practice. It's only a matter of practice. Well, after a little while, the man with the bow and arrow got very mad, got very angry, and went to this man, and he said, what do you mean it is only a matter of practice? So he said, okay, I will show you.

So he took a coin, and in the old days, the coins used to have a hole in them. He took the coin, he put it on top of a bottle, and he poured the oil from his big pot through that hole into the bottle without spilling a drop. And he looked at the bowman, and he said, now you try it.

And the bowman understood that it is a matter of practice. In India, they have a saying that a rope going back and forth on a rock will carve out the rock. My question to you is, what do you practice? What do you practice every day? What do you practice? Do you practice frustration, getting mad, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, confusion? Why is that? Why is that? Why is that? Do you practice asking questions? Or do you practice being thankful for this life? Do you practice being thankful for every moment that you are alive? Do you practice being kind? Do you practice being generous? Do you practice sharing, caring? Do you practice feeling good? Do you practice peace in your life? Because if you don't, you're not going to get good at it.

You're not going to get good at it. We, as human beings on the face of this earth, why don't human beings care for each other? Why? Who else is going to care for us? We are all we have on this earth. We are all we have.

It's not like our benefactors are on the moon. It is not like our benefactors are on Jupiter. It is not like our benefactors are sitting on Mercury or Mars.

No, this is all we've got. And if we cannot care, and if we cannot understand each other, who is going to understand us? Who? Buffaloes? Cows? Goats? Instead of understanding each other, we nail in differences. Ah, you're a Muslim.

Ah, you're a Christian. Ah, you're a Hindu. Ah, you're rich.

Ah, you are poor. Ah, you're educated. Ah, you're uneducated.

Ah, all of these ah, ah, ah, ah, is destroying our core, our fundamentals. Listen, listen, the scientists tell us that one day this earth will not be around. It'll be gone.

And your observation must have told you that one day you will be gone. You will not be around. My friends, it's not about death.

I'm not trying to scare you about death. It is about being alive. And who is alive? Then let me tell you who is alive.

There's a beautiful saying in India that when you came into this world, when you came into this world, you cried and the world laughed. Ha ha, little baby. Oh, look at him, he looks so.

You cried, the world laughed. Do something that when you go, the world cries, and you laugh. You begin to live the day you embrace the peace that dwells in your heart.

You begin to live that day when you acknowledge those fundamental questions of who am I? When that question is gone, then clarity prevails. Because you have witnessed, because you have understood, because you have accepted that divine in you, divinity in you, the source of that peace in you. That is the day when you drink from the waters of this heart that truly your thirst will be quenched.

People go, let me, I want to have my own house. So they build their own house. You know what? A house will never belong to you.

After you're gone, it'll be somebody else's. And after they're gone, it'll be somebody else's. And after they're gone, it'll be somebody else's.

Not much different than a hotel. The only difference between your house and the hotel is the hotel has a number. The house has your name.

And that name will change. In the world of everything, that changes and changes and changes and changes. My friends, the good news is that there is something inside of you that does not change.

Recognize it. Find out what it is. Because the day you do, you will begin to live.

You will begin to understand. And that is the day you will begin to be thankful. And when you have found that joy, practice it the most.

So you will become good at it. So, people say, so, sounds good. Sounds good.

How do I get peace? How do you get peace? Aha. First thing you have to understand is before you even say the statement, how do I get peace? Wrong question. Wrong question.

Why? Because peace is already inside of you. You don't need to get it. You've got it.

If you say, how do I find peace? Wrong question. You never lost it. How can you find something you never lost? You think peace is away from you.

You're mistaken. Peace is not away from you. Peace lies in your heart.

Be silent and listen to your thirst. Be silent and listen. Not to the noise.

Not the noise. But what the heart has to say. Find the thirst and the thirst will lead you to the water.

This is what I wanted to tell you. Good news. Good news.

And the good news is what you are looking for is inside of you. Best news. Best news.

You know, if a mother loses her child, if a mother loses her child, her fear is something bad might have happened to the child. If somebody informs the mother just this much, your child is fine. And your child is here.

And your child is fine. This alone is sufficient for that mother to feel calm. Because now she does not have to worry.

What you are looking for is inside of you. Rejoice. The journey to peace is not a solemn one.

The journey to peace is full of enthusiasm and newness and discovery and openness and feeling beautiful. That is the journey. Some people say, you want to find peace, you have to join a monastery.

No. No. Some people say, if you want to find peace, you have to go on top of a mountain.

No. If you want to find peace, go inside this mountain. You want to find peace, go inside this monastery.

Because in this monastery dwells the most magnificent monk. Most magnificent monk. And in this monastery, only you and the monk will be there.

No one else. So it's good news. It's a beautiful news.

And more than anything, I hope I have inspired you to think a little bit that peace is not away from you. Search if you need to. Search.

If you don't find it, look within. And if you can't find it within, I can help. Because I can help people who want to be able to look within.

I have something which can be judged or called like a mirror. In the mirror, you see you. Your reflection.

And that's all. Eyes can see everything. Eyes can see everyone.

But if you want to see eyes with your eyes, you need a mirror. No other way. So I thank you very much for listening to me.

I thank the mayor for inviting me. And it's wonderful to be able to come and share this with you. So thank you very much and good night.

Thank you.