Prem Rawat in Denver, 2012-06-22

Peace is a Priority
Prem Rawat in Denver, 22nd June 2012

People are understanding something, having peace in their lives, and you can be a part of the magic regardless of where you are.

So of course people wonder what this is all about. You watch some videos and they give you a little clue here and there. But what this is really all about is that simplicity, that beauty that is already there. And it needs to be nurtured. A tree is quite capable of producing a fruit, but it needs to be nurtured. And in the same way, we as human beings on the face of this earth have a possibility, but it needs to be nurtured. I'm here, of course this event was scheduled a long time ago, and then recently there was this tragic situation. And it's a tragedy, because it's so unnecessary. This is not our face, this is not who we are. There's wars going on in this world, there's people, human beings, destitute. This is not who we are. We're something else. Our potential is something else. Our reality is something else. But it needs to be nurtured. So much of what needs to happen is to go back to the simplicity of who we are. So of course, that begs a very interesting question. Who are we? Who are we? What is this? In reality, what a human being is, is a composition of all the materials that you see around you every single day. Nothing extraordinary at all. 70% water. You come across water every single day. You brush your teeth in it, you take a shower in it, you bathe in it, you flush with it. You see it running.

Looks nice. So, who are we? On one hand, all these ingredients have come together to make us who we are. And then, there's this funny little thing. It's called time. And it's something you can't see, but it's there, it's got you. You don't know where it comes from, you don't know where it goes, but it's got you. Every day, it's at you. Going at you. And then one day, as you know very well, you are no more. So, who are we? I mean, it's just 70% walking water. Something that can imagine, something that can feel, something that can say something. I mean, this is it. Or is there something more? So then, let me say to you, that as a human being, you can feel peace. That as a human being, you can feel that simplicity. That as a human being, you can feel that tranquility. As a human being, you can feel joy. And these things, joy, simplicity, clarity, are the most profound gifts that have been made available to every single human. But, it needs to be nurtured. It needs to be nurtured. A tree needs water. A tree needs sunlight. A tree needs the nutrition and the miracle of producing a fruit. The tree can do all. It doesn't need coaching.

It doesn't need a lecture. It doesn't need 30 people coming and dancing all around it, you know, and trying to inspire it. It doesn't need pictures, reminders. This, the tree can do itself. And this is fundamentally what I say too. That when it comes to looking for that clarity, when it comes to looking for that peace, where do we look? You know, the natural assumption that we have, it's not in us. It's somewhere else. Something else is going to trigger it. Something else is going to bring it on. Something else is going to make it possible. So, if we understand that a human being is that stage on which the peace wants to dance. That human being is that stage where clarity wants to dance. Then, of course, the only remaining question is, well, because that's not what's happening. What happened? What happened? How do we get so left field? Because, you see, somebody can say, oh, this water, this tree needs water. Obviously, tree needs water. So, let's plant it in the middle of a lake. Then it'll always have water, right? Well, yeah, technically that's correct. But that is the very thing that'll drown the tree. Everything has to be in some proportion. Do you ever see those signs they have at supermarkets and shopping centers and stuff? The map of the place where all the shops are and everything. And then there's this beautiful little thing that says, you are here. I like seeing them so much, sometimes I just want to see that. I mean, this is like, you are here. And because I know where I am, then I can figure out a way to go where I want to.

But if I don't know where I am, I cannot figure out how to get to where I want. See, people have been so busy trying to figure out where they want to be. This would be the ideal. They have been so busy mapping out where they want to be, that they have lost all track of where they are. And without knowing where you are, it doesn't matter how many Xs you put on that map, if you get to one of them, it's a mistake. Don't you find it ironic that the living would rather discuss what they were before they were born? Oh, people are fascinated by that. There are people who make a very decent living trying to tell people of what they were. And then there are people who go, and then there are people who talk about what's going to happen after you die. And I consider myself not an expert at the before part, because I've tried, honestly, and I could not remember one single... I'll be honest with you, I could not remember. I tried. I even had clues. Somebody actually came to me and looked at me and said, oh, you were an emperor in your last lifetime. And I was flattered. Believe me, I was flattered. And I was like, hmm, now if I could just figure out which kingdom and where, and if they will have me back, that would just be fantastic. I mean, you know, but I couldn't remember. And I do not consider myself an expert of what happens after you die, because I'm still alive. I'm not dead yet. And so who talks about here? Now? Now? Everybody is familiar with this thing called now, right? What is now? When I first said now, it was now then, but it's not now now. And when I started talking about the second time about the now, knowing the now, that that happened in the now, and now, that's not a now, it's a then. So what is now? Ah, what is that? Now, my friends, is the most beautiful place on the face of this earth. It's gorgeous. You know why? Because that's where you live. I didn't make the rules.

I did not make the rules, but I observed the rules. There is nothing I can do, nothing, nothing I can do to go just a little bit in the past. There is nothing I can do, nothing, nothing to go just a little bit in the future. Nothing. I don't know how long now is. It even seems just that much. But this is where I am. Existence takes place in the... Most people find this very challenging. One, they find it very challenging because it is too simple. Of course you live in now. Doc, where else are you going to live? But what most people find really challenging about the now is they know so little about it. They know the definition, they know it is true, but they have no idea what it actually is. Because all the time, either you're shooting off into the future, what am I going to do tomorrow? This world's got you pegged. Do you know how many iPhone apps there are out there to take care of your tomorrow? And do you know how many apps there are out there to take care of your yesterday so that it doesn't go too far from you? Your memories? Have you ever seen a child, a baby? No big thing. Yesterday, no big thing. Tomorrow, no big thing. The whole concept of tomorrow hasn't settled in yet. And whenever it settled in, boy, did it settle in. It removed everything else and took over. And then everything that mattered is my future. But did you know that your future is actually born in the moment called now? Did you know that? Your unconsciousness in the moment called now is going to affect your future. I see so many people driving and they're texting, drifting off. Now you can pull them over and ask them, do you want to get in an accident? And what do you think the answer will be? That's why I got the phone. So I could text and get in a wreck.

Right? No, the answer is going to be, no, of course I don't want to get in a wreck. Are you a safe driver? Of course I'm a safe driver. So then why were you texting and driving at the same time? I can do it. Something makes a person feel, I can do it. Not seeing the consequences of what would happen, what is going to happen, what will happen. I sow the seeds of my tomorrow today. And if things are not right, what did you not pay attention? Today, did you pay attention to being alive? It's a simple question. Doctors with all their training and all their medical equipment and all the research and all the expertise can't stop that. If it stops, they can try. Clinically, they can make it go. But then even the doctors say, pull the plug. It's over. What is this thing that gets over? Did you think about it? Did you embrace it? Did you say thank you for it? Or is all this sounding really alien to you? I know some people, I cannot really hear you thinking, but you're thinking out loud. Because that's our nature. What we don't understand, I don't know what that is. I don't know. If you want to see this moment, if you want to know who you are, if you want to be familiar with your potential, you need to see these elements in focus. Focus. Looking out over the mountains, standing in Denver looking out over the mountains, you see the mountains. You see all these mountains. I mean, they are big, but you see them. They're about that big on the horizon. Standing here, do you see the trees on those mountains? No. Do you see the birds in those trees? No.

Do you see the flowers that are on those mountains? No. There is a way to see it. And you know what that is? You will have to come close to those mountains. And the closer you get, all the features that you cannot see from here, all those features you're going to begin to see, you're going to start to see rocks, and you're going to start to see trees, and you're going to start to see grass, and you're going to start to see flowers. And the closer you get, the closer you will see that. And the more you will see that, and the more you will see that, and the more clear it will be, and it will be absolutely apparent. Right now, if you look at them, they look like there is nothing growing there, just basically a line. But that's not what they are. If you want to know the self, that potential, that reality that you are, then one thing you're going to have to do, and that is you're going to have to come close to yourself. Because the reason why you don't see it is it's not in focus. So come close to who? You. Quite a few months ago, I figured out, you know, 70 years. I looked up 70 years average age. What that comes down to, 25,550 days. That's how long you have, if you live, to be 70 years old. People go way up. People live to 80, people live to 90. Okay, fine. Even if you live to be 100. Do you know how many days that is? Only 36,500. That's not a lot. It's not a lot. It's not a lot. Even if you live to be 100.

The value. The best value. Look, you go to a car dealer and you want to, whatever money you have, you want to get the best value for it. Right? You go to a supermarket, you look at different things and figure out which is the best value. You do the research to find the best value. For the 36,500, that's if you live to be 100, 36,500 days that you have, don't you want to get the best value? How do you get the best value for 36,500 days? If we're on 70 years, 25,550 days. Best value. The best value would be when every single living day you are fulfilled. I mean, you can't get a better deal than that. Miserable? That would be terrible. People say, you don't say the word happiness. Oh, that's what I used to. Then people started undermining it. Oh, happy? I'm happy. Really? Really? Have you got that one sewn in? Deal done? Or are you so fragile, so fragile, that if your friend ignored your good morning, you would be like a boat floundering on the waves going, what's wrong? Your husband, you said, good morning, honey, and he did not respond to you. Probably he doesn't, you're used to it, but maybe in better days, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. You're sitting in an airplane, everything is going fine, and then all of a sudden, there's this massive turbulence. And what do people do? Grab onto the chair. Why? The chair is in the airplane. You crash, so will the chair. I mean, that's just the wrong thing to hang onto. But we do, because that's like security. We need to feel that. We need to feel something solid.

And in our lives, what is there to grab onto? Figured something out? Figured something out that you could grab onto in your life? That's real? That is true? That is not a mystery? Because everything else seems like a mystery. Everything is, why does that happen? Why does that happen? Why does that happen? And people are still trying to work it out. And how long? I mean, if you went to a restaurant and you ordered breakfast, and it didn't come for the first five minutes, you'd be like, fine, you know, that's understandable. Fifteen minutes. Okay, they're freshly making it or something. Half an hour. I mean, this is getting to be the point where you need to call the waiter and find out about your order. All right, let's jump to ridiculous. Two days. Two days. Will you still be sitting at the breakfast bar going, I'm just waiting for them to bring me my breakfast. Let's try 30 days. I mean, you better have eaten something. Otherwise you're going to be in a hospital, not at a restaurant waiting for food. Right? But we've been trying to work out the answers to these questions for thousands of years. And no answer. And we still keep, I'm waiting for the answer. Well, apparently it's not coming that way. Try something else. Just good advice, I think. That is not a happening thing. So where have we been searching for our today? Where have we been searching for that tranquility? Where have we been searching for that peace? Everywhere else. What is life? What is life about? Oh, no, no, this isn't about this stuff. It's about being successful.

Before 2008, there was a lot of successful people. I mean, amazingly successful. And here was the key word. Their worth. Now this is, of course, based on speculation. Not reality. Oh, no, no, absolutely no reality whatsoever. When the whole economic crash happened, of course, you know, I've been talking about peace since I was a little kid. Just a few years old. I was talking about peace when I couldn't even articulate language properly. And people thought that was really cute. So, here comes the economic, and before that, this is all garbage. This is garbage he talks about. But what is peace? Peace, just be successful. That's what it is. And then the economic crash happened. And all of a sudden, people started listening to me in a totally different light. They thought I was saying to them, you shouldn't be successful. I never said that. That, somebody else implanted in your head, not me. Be as successful as you want to be. But be successful on the inside. Know as many people as you want. But don't forget yourself.

In this day, this was everything, and all of a sudden, it was nothing. All the promises broken. Here were the banks. You know, you went to get a house loan, and they were going, only one? Hey, buy two. Honey, you think we could afford two houses? Two houses? Hey, go for three. How about we can get this approved? It's the next thing you know, people have three houses. And the economic... And here is the thing. This is what's amazing. It's not like somebody came and took the money and put it in a little rocket and sent it to the outer space, and now you don't have access. It was never there. You see, it was never there. I used to call it the grand illusion, and people laughed at me. There can be nothing bigger than that illusion. That is the illusion. Sleight of hand, like I have never seen. I'm not talking about... That's who you are. You are not an illusion. You are a reality. You are the most magnificent reality that you have in you, the very thing that can make you content, that you carry within you, the wisdom that you need. We've become book believers. I'm not against books. Books are great. But ultimately you should decide what you make of it. No, people read a book as written in the book, so it must be true.

You see, none of these solutions that we have been trying are ultimately working out to be solutions. There's more schools now than there ever have been. There's more universities now than there ever have been. There are more graduates now than there ever have been. And some of the people who made the grand illusion happen were the top, top graduates from some of the top, top universities. With an IQ you wouldn't believe. Experts in the art of making things disappear. Especially those things that were never there. No. You're reality. You are as real as this breath. It's a big one, I know. Eh? Yes. You are as real as this breath. You have an amazing relationship with this breath that you do not understand. And I wish you did. Because it all started for you the day you took this breath. And it will all end the day you don't take it. You knew that, right? You knew that, right? And so far this keeps happening. You have every hope in this world. Every aspiration can be fulfilled. But you have to understand what is the truest aspiration that you have. What do you aspire for? Oh, everybody wants to know what you want. Oh, everybody gets into your wish.

I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish I was this. I wish I was that. I wish I could have this. I wish I could have that. But what do you really aspire for? So, not that the other aspirations are wrong, but what you really aspire for is to be fulfilled. That's at the root of it. And if that's not there, don't expect this tree to bear any fruit. Tree does the magic. Magic happens. Have you tasted a mango? I was just in Germany and some people had come from India and they brought the Indian mango. The mango that you get in the West, not very good. Sorry. The thing is that when you overwater a plant, it'll take it. But then the fruit is watery. It doesn't have the intensity of the flavor. Slightly stressed fruit has the intensity of flavor. Same thing with the tomatoes. I mean, America is definitely the land of milk and honey, so there's plenty of water and they pour it on. In fact, if they don't pour it on, they don't get it the next year. So they pour it on, but it makes the tomato very watery. So it tastes like styrofoam.

That's why you have to put 10,000 ingredients for the styrofoam to taste good, which when you look at the description of food at some of the menus, it just goes on and on and on. It's like you're reading somebody's thesis. But the mango from India does get stressed. It is... I mean, I had it in my hand and I knew. I grew up around mangoes. So I just flipped the top of it and just started drinking. I said, soda pop. It was that sweet. It was that sweet. And of course, one after another after another till I was full. This miracle, the tree knows how to do. You don't have to figure it out. The tree knows how to do the miracle. Just give it the sustenance that it needs. Understand your basics. That's what it means to understand your basics. To give it the sustenance that you need and that simplicity and that environment in which you can grow and make magic happen. Because do you know each one of you can make that magic happen? And in fact, it is each one of you that has to make the magic happen. We have to bring humanity back to us humans. We do. And until we do, the craziness in this world and the tragedies in this world are not going to diminish. That's what we're missing. I was watching news like everybody else and you hear people saying, you know, we should be closer to our neighbor. We will do this.

We will be a little bit kinder. We should be doing this every day. Every day! Do you know that the scientists have been looking for another life form out in the space? Did you know that? For a really, really, really long time. And so far, they haven't quite come back and say, okay, if you go towards the moon, hang a left, and go for another 10,000 light years or whatever, there is this civilization. Do you know what that means? It means that for thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of light years out there, there is nobody but us. So for goodness sakes, get used to it. Get used to it and learn to live with it. I mean, excuse for division, everything, including God. Kabir says, we came from the same place, did we not? We came from the same place, landed at the same station, but as soon as this wind of the world hit us, we all became fragmented. Is this what education teaches us? If this is what education teaches us, we should change it. We should change it. Is this what religion teaches us? Truly, is this what religion teaches us? I thought religion taught to like one another. Well, what happened? What happened? Something must have happened. Because the religion very clearly explains it. Like one another, get along with one another, respect one another. And the next thing you know, in the name of the religion, how could that be? Because people want to interpret. What is in the book? Why? Why do you want to interpret? Why do you want to explain what is simple? Get along with each other. How many parents who have more than one child have uttered their phrase in their lives? Hey, hey, stop fighting. You don't have to be a genius to know we shouldn't be fighting. But we do. Something is amiss. And what is amiss? That in this whole equation, the I is not there. Nothing represents you in your own. Everybody else is there.

Everything else is there. Somebody was actually saying, you know, after the whole economic crisis, that person destroyed me. I was looking at the person and going, hmm, he's still there. Because in our world, in his world, everything else made him up, not him. You are the source of the strength. You are the source of that kindness in your life. People say, you know, oh yeah, waiting for the angel to come from the heaven to save, save me, save me. Angel has come. Has. Just happens to be you. You can save yourself. There's nobody better qualified to save you. Just think about it. Who knows you intimately? You do. Then people will say, yeah, but God, you know, he knows everything. But God cannot come. You know why? Because God is already here. Already here. So the one you're waiting for is here, and the one that can do the job is here. So the best thing to do is to get on with it and not be waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. I mean, there are definitely some countries in this world that last message they heard was don't do anything till I come back. And they're waiting and they're waiting and they don't do anything. They're just waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. How long? Some have been waiting for 2,000 years.

Some have been waiting for 6,000 years. All right. Breakfast is not being served. So get on with it. What does Socrates say? Know thyself. What do people want to do? Debate it. What did he really mean? Well, just take it on the face value. Know thyself. How's that? For starters, come close to this. Understand your need. Your need. I mean, that's the typical thing, right? Who needs the world? World peace. Let's bring world peace. How? How? How? World doesn't need the peace. Who do you think bothers the crows? We do. Who do you think bothers the lions? We do. Who do you think bothers everything on the face of this earth? We do. Who do you think bothers the mosquitoes? Now, you think mosquitoes bother us? We bother them more. I mean, they only bite us. We annihilate them. In masses. We're the ones that need the peace, my friends. We are the ones. And the only way there is going to be any peace in this world is when we are at peace.

Nothing else will work. Nothing else is going to work. We are the lamps that need to be lit. Before you try to light other lamps, there's a small technicality. You must be lit first. Light this lamp. Be alive. Be thankful. Be conscious in your life. Be aware of what you have been given. This is the miracle of miracles. Absolutely. What would you consider a miracle? Walking on water? Would you consider that a miracle? People do. All these people try to walk on water. Look, he's walking on water. Oh my God. Wow. What are you? 70% water. And you walk. You don't consider that a miracle? Walking on water instead of walking on water. Walking water. It's brilliant. Miracle of miracles. From nowhere into Mother's womb.

Out. The gift of the breath. Journey. Is it what? Discovering. Understanding. Quest for joy. Quest for contentment. To have that gratification. Everything you do is so that you can be gratified. That's the way it is in this world. Whatever you do. You pursue your career. You do this. You do that. So that you can have gratification. Look up in the dictionary what gratification means. Contentment. We think ignorance is bliss. I mean, when somebody says, Oh, let him go, let him go. He's ignorant. Ignorant means he didn't know. But do you know what the root of ignorance is? Ignore. Ignorance in this world does not come from anything else but when we ignore the obvious. The obvious is you're alive.

The obvious is you are here today. Celebration time? Should we be celebrating that? Those who know, they do. And this is how they celebrate it. By being thankful. It's the most beautiful way to celebrate. There are people who go to parties, get inebriated, and they think they're having a good time. Only because they're inebriated. Do you really want to be inebriated in the most wonderful liquor there is? Then the gratitude is to drink. One, it won't make you stupid. You can still drive. And it is so connected with your contentment. That's my message. That's what I do. Go around. For those who will listen to me. Not everybody wants to listen. You cannot fill a pot that is already full. But some people listen to me. And all I can say is that if we want peace on this earth, it's going to take as many of us as possible. It has to be all our voices. Can peace happen in a prison? Absolutely. Why? Because it resides in the heart of every single human being. That's why. You have the quest.

Discover the quest every day. Discover the need. Discover the beauty. And rejoice in what you have been given. With consciousness, proceed every single day. What happens to families? Career takes over. Should one be compromised for the other? No. Of course, women, men should have their careers. And also take responsibility for good upbringing for their children. No compromise. On neither side. Is that possible? Of course it is possible. Parents cannot be scared of their children. You can't. You can't. The only weapon you have is love, care, and concern. And if you think that children grow up, you are mistaken. They never, ever grow up. That is a misnomer. It is a fallacy. It is wrong to consider that. It doesn't matter if they are 80 years old. If you are still alive, you will find that they have not grown up. It's true. It's true. So, no compromises in this life. Everything done with consciousness, with courage, and most importantly, with a heart full of peace. And all this just takes a little bit of nurturing. Because the tree that you are will do its magic.