Prem Rawat in Boston 2013-11-23

Hello, everyone. Good evening. And believe me, it's much more comfortable in here than it is outside. It's really cold out there. And once again, the seasons are turning. The changes are afoot. The reality of it is the changes are afoot every second, every day. But we don't acknowledge them. We don't see them that way. To us, it's just, yes, now it's cold. And sometimes it's a bit of a shock because people haven't put away their summer clothes yet, and they walk out, and then all of a sudden they feel the cold, and it feels really cold. But this was coming. People are sometimes very surprised. Oh, my God, all of a sudden it got cold. No, this was coming. This was coming a long, long, long time. And it's here. And this will go. Spring will come. Summer will come. And that, too, was in the making. Long, long, long time. After all, almost four billion years in the works. And today, we are here.

Our paths are crossed. Maybe an hour might seem like a long time to some people. But when you're talking about billions of years, it's just a flash. And indeed, we strive to live 80, 90, 100. That's good. But even that, compared to the age of this earth, it's not even that. And I mean it. That's faster. It's less than a second. So what does it mean to be alive? If it's all just this fast, what does it mean? I mean, what does it mean? Here you are. You're going to be gone. So what does it mean? I mean, what is this divine thing in this world? What about peace? I mean, who cares? But you see, this has been slowed down. Incredibly, incredibly, incredibly slowed down. Even when the time has been sped up because of gravity, in our perspective, in our perspective, we get to live. We actually see a day. For something like Himalayan mountains, we are just gone. Sun just keeps bobbing up and back and back and back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. What is winter but nothing? What is summer but nothing? What is the rainy season but nothing? But understanding, feeling. These are our powers. Our power is not to try to control. That's not our forte. We try, we try. Of course we try. God, and we've been trying.

And will we keep trying? Of course we will keep trying. Because there are two things in this world. Efficiency. And what is efficiency? Doing things right. And we're all told we should be efficient. And we try to be efficient. Do you have a little place where you put your car keys by the entrance? That's efficiency. Efficiency is doing things right. And then there is effectiveness. And what is that? That is doing the right things. So the world is chasing efficiency, not effectiveness. Is the world effective? Of course not. You know, there was a time there was no phones. Now it just so happened, growing up in India, I watched the first phone being installed. You think iPhone or one of these Android phones, they're high-tech? They're not. This phone was high-tech. Super high-tech. They did not have a dialer on it. Nothing. Just, you pick it up, and you heard a voice. What number should I connect you to? And you didn't actually say a number. You actually didn't actually give a number. You just said so-and-so. Okay.

Or if the number was busy, it would say, the operator would say, he's on the phone right now. You want me to cut in? I mean, this is high-tech. I mean, this is really high-tech. And then he would say, no, try 20 minutes later and buzz me back. This is really high-tech. Then, of course, the phones got the dialer, and that was the downfall of everything. And still, to this day, I don't understand why we have phone numbers. I mean, it's from those days when you had the rotary phone where the relays had to click. But we still have phone numbers. All we need is our email address. That's all we need to get to the phone, because it's unique. But we still have phone numbers. Efficient! Efficient! We're pushing for efficiency. Efficiency in what? War! Let's be really efficient in killing everybody. Kill the most people in the shortest period of time. Efficient. Effective? Zero. There are people who go hungry in this world. I mean, excuse me. To me, it's like, how can that be? When an incredible amount of food in the face of this earth is just wasted, just wasted. Have you been to a buffet? Have you been to one of these restaurants where they give you the generous portions? Excuse me. Feed me. Don't try to kill me. I have come here because I am hungry, not because I feel suicidal.

A few weeks ago, I had this incredible experience. My youngest daughter, she got her private pilot's license. So, you know, we were driving and, you know, we both love aviation. Of course, now that she has her pilot's license, that officially she loves aviation. And so we were driving by and I was talking to her about this donut place. And I said, you know, there's this donut place. And I had not been there ever. And I said, supposedly it's really, really good. And when they have their lights on, you know, you go, they're making it fresh. And so she got very excited. And she said, let's go. I said, okay. So I did a U-turn and we went there. There was nobody else in the place. We were the only ones trying to commit suicide. Anyway, she got very excited, very, very excited about having a donut. So we got a whole bunch and there were other people around. So we said, come on, you know, give me a donut. Come on. But to me, in this life, in this existence, what is it that I want? What do you want? What do you want? Since you have taken the time and trouble to get here, let me ask you that. What do you want? What truly makes you happy? Am I being intense? I don't mean to be intense. You see, I go around the world and I talk about peace to people. And I think it's hilarious. It's hilarious.

It's absolutely, I think it's really funny. Why? Because peace is inside every one of us. We should be loving peace. Every day, we should be so in love with peace. You know what? It's free. It's free. Wars cost money. Peace is free. You don't have to go around creating a machine going, this is the peace machine. I mean, it's free. You don't have to have a certain level of education. You don't have to have a certain amount of income. You don't. None of these things. Peace can be for every single being because it's already inside of them. And yet I go around the world and I talk to them and I tell them this, I shouldn't be doing this. It's true. I shouldn't. I shouldn't. Can you imagine if I go to people and say, okay, now take a breath in and let it out. Take a breath in and let it out. I keep doing that. It's good for you. Keep you alive.

Peace should be like that. Peace should be your second nature. But it isn't. And a question, what makes you happy? Becomes challenging. Because the first, the answer is, oh yeah, you know, oh yeah, I can't wait for Thanksgiving. So it's a start, it started, it started long time ago. And they're talking about Black Friday. Shopping, everything is discounted. Buy. There's people who makes, buying makes them happy. Not really, till they get the bill. And all that happiness just floats away. Oops. What makes you happy? Because one of my friends who had that donut felt very sick, but not when he was eating it. It was the reaction, and then afterwards, oh my gosh, I feel sick. What makes you happy? Freedom makes you freedom. Clarity makes you. Understanding makes you happy. Peace makes you happy. Why? Why? Because that is your nature. When you are confused, you are not happy. What is confusion? Some people think, oh yeah, confusion, wow. What's the opposite? Clarity. How far is confusion from clarity? Just the other side.

How far is clarity from confusion? Just the other side. Just the other side. So close. But you have to get to that. You have to get to that understanding. And unless you do, the question will come up again, and again, and again, and again, and again in your life of what makes you happy. And you will come up with different answers. When you were a little kid, that was a different answer. When you were growing up, when you were a teenager, that was a different answer. Now you're a little bit older, it's a different answer. When you get a little bit older than that, it'll be a little bit different answer. And when you get into your golden years, it will be a different answer. When you were very young, very, very young, what made you happy? To be in those beautiful arms of your mother, your father that cared about you. Or to be in the arms of the one that cared for. When you got a little bit older, the toys, the candy. I used to ask my children, why do you like chocolate? And they would answer me because it makes my mouth feel. I thought that was a very smart answer. Makes my mouth feel good. What makes your heart, what makes your heart feel? But I have an answer. Because remember, it's not a long time. You have to learn to be effective. Effective. Effective encompasses, in my opinion, efficiency. Efficiency does not necessarily encompass in it effectiveness.

But do you want to be efficient at doing the wrong things? Just like that. I can do it. How long does it take you to get confused? How long does it take you to get angry? How long? How long does it take you to get angry? Doesn't take much. One little, anybody can push the button. They don't even have to be near you. Just somewhere. You're driving in your car. Can the guy in the other car push a button and drive you crazy? Absolutely. All this guy has to do is pull up a little closer. Then it's comfortable for you. And you look in the back view mirror and you're like, cut you off. Honk at you. Oh, that's insulting. See, not for me. I grew up in India. You honked in India because you felt like it. People in India drive down the road and try to play a song on their horn. So to me, it's like, oh, somebody's saying hello to me. There are advantages to being born in India. I mean, it's like when somebody is tailgating you, you're just like, oh, okay. Hello. I can see you. But is this what we have? Become efficient at? Is this what we practice? Or we've got it down because it would be a wonderful world, truly a wonderful world where people knew what made their hearts feel good. That you knew what made your heart feel good.

That you understood. You understood that the most precious thing of this existence is the union of this dirt and the divine. A lot of people go, well, what divine? What were you talking about? So one time there was a man who had the same question. What divine are you talking about? So I went looking, searching. Somebody would give him a good answer. Found a wise old man, sister's wise old man. You know, you talk about the divine. Where's the divine? Have you seen the divine? So the old man took a big chunk of salt and handed it to him. He said, take the salt. And you see that bucket there? It's full of water. Put it in there. And then take that ladle and start stirring. So he takes the salt, big chunk of salt, puts it in the bucket and starts stirring, stirring, stirring, stirring, stirring. After a little while, the salt disappeared. So he comes over to the old man and says, well, I did what you said. The salt disappeared. The old man said, really? Disappeared? Yeah. When I put it in, I could see it. Mixed it, mixed it, mixed it, mixed it, mixed it with the label and it all disappeared. The old man said, so you think it's gone? I said, yeah, I can't see it. He said, yeah, you can't see it. But the salt is still taste the water. Understood? Somebody says the divine. Somebody says peace.

Somebody says understanding. Somebody says clarity. Somebody says all these things like me. And people go, where, what? Taste. It's still there. It's all there. You know how to look for that peace. Do you know how to look for that joy that is in you? Do you know? Do you know? Do you know? Can you see? Is it dark outside? What do you think? Is it dark outside? No, it's not. It never is. It never is. That is scientifically true. It never is. That's scientifically true. It can't get dark. Now, how can that be scientifically true when you and I both know it does get dark? Even when it is dark, there's plenty of light. It's just that we can't see it. So to us, it appears dark. If you could look at the rest of the spectrum, probably blinding light all night. Do you have the eyes to see? Do you have the eyes to see that beauty that lies within, inside? Excuse me, anybody can talk about it. I'm not talking about that beauty that is just talked about. Oh yes, so, so beautiful. Oh yeah, divine. Oh yeah, I love. Kabir says, what's the point of talking? It cannot be described by words.

What's the point of talking? It is the same as giving candy to someone who cannot speak. You think they cannot enjoy? You think they cannot enjoy? If somebody cannot speak and they were given candy, you think they cannot enjoy the candy? Oh yeah, but they won't be able to speak to us and tell us. No, they can still enjoy. We get caught up in words. We're the ones who get caught up in words. The reality is not caught up in words. The reality was there before we came up with the words. And the reality will be there long after we disappear from this universe. But that's really looking far away, you know. When we're talking about billions and billions and billions, everybody's going to happen. We think we're here forever. And this is what I was saying. It is the seasons of change. And the change is always afoot. You don't like changes. Not too many. Only positive. Only the you want. You don't like the other changes. But they will happen. They will come. We don't like to get old. We want to be young. Young.

It's coming. It was coming. It is coming. It will keep on coming. And the fate of that was decided when we came out of our mother's womb. Count on it. So, why the need for peace? Is there a need for peace in your life? Do you feel a need for peace in your life? You need coffee in the morning. Some of you. Coffee. Hmm. Need the coffee. Gogo juice. Same way, do you feel the need for peace? You feel hunger. Your stomach growls. You come across one of these places where they're, you know, making fried food and then venting it out. And you go, hmm. And your mouth salivates. Hmm. In the same way, do you feel the need for peace? Because if you don't, you are not in touch with a whole another part of you. You. You. Part of you is there. Salt. Remember the salt.

Where? People say. So, where will I feel peace? Salt. Is it disappeared? No, it's still there. There is a place in you that wants to feel that peace. Living life consciously is about acknowledging those needs that are fundamental to you. When you go out on an outing, what do you do? You take with you what is important. What is the traveler's dilemma? What is the traveler's dilemma? See, I travel a lot, so I know what that is. Should you bring the kitchen sink or not? It's amazing. It's amazing how easy it is to overpack at home. And it is amazing how easy it is to lug that overpacked luggage to your car. It is only when you arrive at your destination do you realize how overpacked you are. I don't know why it is like that. It's like, I don't need that. I don't need that. I don't need that. Why do I keep bringing them? You know, it's like you need a checklist, not of things you bring, but the things you should never bring, because you don't need them. We'll never need them. This is just going from one place to another place. I'm talking about the journey of life that comes when we were born and is going to go on till the very last breath in us. The journey is afoot. Have you overpacked? Absolutely. Have you packed the right thing? Have you packed? Have you packed? Did you bring on this journey with you with no uncertainty? Did you bring on this journey with no uncertainty? Understanding with no uncertainty. That every day that you walk the path of your existence, that you walk not in fog, not eyes closed, but eyes wide open. That every day that you exist, you know at any given moment where you want to be inside.

That every day that comes to you is not a mistake, but you're fully prepared. Are you fully prepared? Because there's one coming. There is one coming. Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you truly, truly ready? Ready. It'll be here in a few hours. And when it comes, is it going to take you by surprise? Or are you so well prepared for it that you will greet it with your arms wide open and a big smile on your face? Some of us have to wait a year to celebrate Thanksgiving. There are some who celebrate Thanksgiving every single day, because they have truly something thankful to be. Thankful. Arbitrary thankfulness is not thankfulness. Have to think about what it is that you are thankful for is not thankfulness. It is not in your nature. When there is the good, you know what you are thankful for. What are you? Will you be thankful for today? Do you know how to be thankful for today? Or are you going to be busy every single day trying to make your dreams come true? Dreams. Problem with dreams is you have to stay asleep. That's when they come. Oh yeah, I dreamt I was in Hawaii. So let's go to Hawaii. Do we have enough money to go to Hawaii? Of course not. But then you don't need it, right? All you do is you get online and they'll be, come to Hawaii free. Just fill out this questionnaire and come to Hawaii free. Ah, my dream has come true. I was very excited one day. I scratched these three things and it said I won. So immediately I called my secretary.

I said, I won. Call this in. This person comes back to me and said, the person said, it's going to cost you more money to claim that prize than that prize is worth. I get it. I get it. So in this world where I am trying to be me, I am trying, keyword trying, to be me. In the world of explanations, of course I have to explain everything to everybody, right? Explanations. In this world of uncertainties. What have I got? What have I got? People tell me, empty-handed I was born and empty-handed I will go. And you know, there are people who are very rational. Very rational people saying, well, that's, that's how it is. You come, you're in this world, have a party, enjoy yourself, and then one day you'll be gone. Okay, I did come. I know that. And one day I'll be gone. I understand that. But is this existence just about struggle? Just struggle, and struggle, and struggle, and struggle, and struggle, and struggle, and struggle? Hmm. Kabir. You heard of Kabir, right? Kabir says, Kabir says it's a bit like that deer, the musk deer, that smells the smell of musk, which actually is in its navel, but it's going around the jungle looking for it, and it doesn't find it. It says, no, no, no, no, no. And I agree with Kabir 100%. Kabir says, what you are looking for is inside of you. Now, how does Kabir know what I'm looking for? He was born way back then. I was born 1957, which is also way back then.

But not as far away back then as Kabir. So, how does he know what I'm looking for? Does Kabir really know about, you know, new gadgets? Ah, this is a big gamble. Big gamble. Or is it? Just a shot in the dark that what Kabir was looking for, I am looking for. And what I'm looking for, you are looking for. Because he didn't address this song to me, or he didn't even dedicate it to me, or anything like that. It's just actually generally for everybody. So, this gets really interesting. This is like, you know, Sherlock Holmes stuff. Kabir writes these songs, and he's referring to you too, and me too. That what I am looking for is inside of me, and what you are looking for is inside of you. Wait a minute. How does Kabir know what we're looking for? Is it that obvious? It's a key word, obvious. Is it that obvious that Kabir could write a song way back when, referring to all of us since then, and including the ones before, and saying, what you're looking for is inside of you. Now, doesn't that get you? Is it that obvious? Certainly, it's not obvious. If you walk out on the main street tomorrow, and look around all the sea of people, will it be obvious that all of these people know what they are looking for? Go to a movie theater. Go to a supermarket. Oh, that's a great, you know, supermarket, especially these days, because now everybody goes to the supermarket to just stay warm. You go to a supermarket, you go to one of these huge shopping centers where everybody's, everybody's watching everybody, and everybody's doing this, and everybody's doing that, and doing the window shopping, and they're all in this mall, and they're confused, and they're lost, and they're standing, and figuring out where am I, where am I, where am I, and they, of course, have to figure out you are here a bit. They can't find that you are here, but the whole thing is kind of a pointless exercise. So, it doesn't seem very obvious to me. The last time I went in the shopping center, it did not seem obvious to me at all that everybody actually knew what they wanted. I saw them just gazing and looking, seemed to me rather confused, but apparently it is very obvious that what you're looking for, confused, shouldn't be. Delighted, you should be.

Well, now at least you know where it is. You may not have your luggage in your hand, but they have found your luggage. Thank you. I'll get it. I'll get it. Wherever I go, I talk to leaders about, there was one person I was talking to, very, very interesting. I wish I had a tape recorder. I didn't, but a really, really interesting conversation. And the person actually goes and is part of this whole team, this committee and negotiation for peace. Very high-ranking official. And he's sitting there, and he's looking at me, and I'm talking to somebody else, and then he just looks at me. It's like, you know, how do you, how do you make peace? And I said, first of all, no one think that that's what truly people of this world want. We actually all want peace. We do, we do, we really do. Now we have our own ideas about peace, but I'm not going to get into that. We only have, you know, one night, wouldn't be enough explaining it, and next day wouldn't be enough either. But the peace, that obvious thing that Kabir was talking about, that's the peace I'm talking about. That what you're looking for is inside of you. The peace you're looking for is inside of you. The clarity that you're looking for is inside of you. So I said to him, I said, the thing is, this is what they want. So half your work is done. The other half is to get there. It has been established that on the other side of the mountain, the pasture is there, and yes, it is green.

Now how, the question now is, how to get to that pasture? And I said, that's very simple too, any which way. And that's the same reaction he had. A big smile broke out on his face. I said, any which way, through the mountain, fine. Above the mountain, fine. Not take the mountainous path, fine. Along the beach, fine. Fly, fine. Walk, fine. Crawl, fine. Just get there. And I said, how is not the point right now. Just get there. Know that there is peace. This is what people want. And just to get there. He was impressed. This was just a few minute conversation. But for you, please make it of, I don't care who you are, what you do, please, please, please, please, please, please make this extremely obvious to yourself that there is something that you are looking for. And that which you are looking for, luckily, is within you. People go, that's it? Good God, that's a great start. They found your luggage. They found your luggage. You have questions, you should have answers.

And you should in your life have more answers than questions. Good trick. That's the trick to be happy. Have more answers than questions. If you have more questions than answers, you're in a bit of a spot. But if you have more answers than questions, then you're good. I was reading a book one day, Finance for Dummies. And the more I read it, the dumber I felt. So I was on a flight and I was just reading, reading, reading, reading, reading. And the conclusion I got to, this is what it was saying, don't spend more than you have. That was just to the book. I mean, the book is about that thick. I think you've seen it, Finance for Dummies. Well, I finished the book and that's basically what it said. Don't spend more than you have. So now, I don't know if I feel like a financial expert or a dummy. Because the cover of the book said, Finance for Dummies. So now I get it. I get it. Don't spend more than what you have. As an expert who has read Finance for Dummies, I'd like to give you advice. Don't spend more than you have. Every second should be spent the way you want to spend. If you spend more than what you have, you will be challenged.

The worries, oh my God. Everybody remembers God then. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. You know, people need to do, oh my God, when they're spent. But they don't do, oh my God, when they're spent. They only get, oh my God, when the bill comes. Oh my God. When the bill comes, they're very clear. When the bill comes, when the bill is in your hand, it's very clear. How am I going to pay this? If you only had that same clarity, when you signed the credit card, you wouldn't be saying those words. When the moment comes in this life, and it becomes obvious you have no more of these days, people become very clear. Oh my God. Don't live your life like that. Live your life every day. And people are going to say, you really mean that? Live your life every day consciously? I mean, you really mean that? I mean, you really mean that? I mean, isn't that going to be a little bit difficult? Okay, fine. I agree with you. You have a choice. Is there a rewind button in life? Pause. Is there? This is it. This is the day you have been waiting for. It has come. Either celebrate or feel sorry.

This day, today, was in the making. The universe conspired to get you here, to create this body. No, no, I'm not talking about any spiritual stuff. I'm talking about right down to earth. I mean, that's where I like to keep my feet. I find that anytime my feet are not firmly planted on the earth, on the ground, oh, bad things happen. Because obviously, you get a pain in your head. This is where these feet are meant to be, and this is where they do well. I'm planted very firmly. I want to feel. I want answers. Not just questions, and questions, and questions. Any idiot can come up with questions. They usually do. Wise is the one who comes up with the answers. To search, but to search from the heart. To understand, but to understand from the heart. To acknowledge, to acknowledge from the heart. To be alive, and not just be alive, but feel alive. See, that's the thing. Do you feel alive, or do you feel like a slave? And remember what I was saying in the beginning? You need, and you might say, I'm free. Are you? Are you? Are you? Are you? I don't know. I know one thing for myself, that I keep making more bars. There are prisoners who are trying to cut away the bars, so they can get out.

I keep putting more bars on my doors, and I know, then I know. They say, you break a habit, or make a habit in two weeks. I've heard different, you know, week and a half, week, two weeks. Good. That's a short period of time. Let me change this habit, and maybe one day they'll change the habit of turning air conditioning down so low. I know. I know. I know. I know. I'm cold too. And they like it. They just like it. But this is actually to prepare you for the outside. Yeah, but that logic would be, if they really drop the temperature, then it would actually feel really warm outside. But that's not the way it works. So, thank you very much for coming. Decisions are yours. It doesn't matter who you are. Decisions are yours. You make the decision. You make the decision to be in that place. You make the decision to be in that joy. Then all is possible.

That joy is possible. And the good is, the best news, the best news, the best news, that what you're looking for is inside of you and always will be till you're alive. The rest is completely up to you. If you were miserable all your life, you think the death will cut you some slack? This guy is being miserable. I don't want to make him any more miserable. No. If you were extremely happy, you think it would cut you some slack? No. So then what's the point? It's called contentment. It's called peace. It's called happiness. It's called joy. It is called to have a heart full of gratitude. That's what I do. That's what I do. This is what I go and talk to people about. Some people find it good. Some people go, I don't know about this. I don't know. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. Why is it okay? Because that what you're looking for is still inside of you. And if you said no it's not, it still would be inside of you. And if you said yes, then it would still be inside of you.

So either way, see, it's simple. Is this a philosophy? No. Is it practical? Yes. Should you feel? Yes. Should you analyze it like that guy with the salt? No. Because just because he stirred it, the salt disappeared. It's gone. No, it's still there. It is still there. Be, you know, should I say enjoy your holiday season? There are people who like holidays. There are people who are on permanent holidays. They don't seem to enjoy holidays that much, the ones that are on permanent holidays. So it's like such a dichotomy in this world, you know. But I wish best for all of you. And when you sit down to give thanks, just remember, you have to do it every day. Make your life such, make your life such that every day becomes Thanksgiving in earnest. Thank you very much and I hope to see you soon. Thank you.