Prem Rawat in Madrid 2014-06-22

The Most Precious Gift
Prem Rawat in Madrid 22nd June 2014

Thank you. So, this morning I was taking a shower, and all of a sudden I started laughing. And I started laughing because I remembered something Kabir had said. And what he had said was, what is the point of washing, bathing, taking a shower on the outside if you don't wash the dirt that's on the inside? So, I thought that was very funny. Because here I am, got a soap, got the water, and I'm busy washing on the outside. And Kabir says, what's the point if you don't wash the dirt from the inside? I understand. So, that of course begs the question, whether we too understand that. Somebody says something, that's one thing. But does it make sense? Does it turn on a light bulb? Does it, do you acknowledge that? Do you say, hmm, I understand. And the reality is that if you don't take a shower, you will smell bad. There's no question. But when the inside is dirty, the stench, the smell that that produces is unbelievable. The outside stench can be masked with perfume. Masked. But how do you mask the dirt that's on the inside? And what kind of dirt is it? Is it the human arrogance? Is it the non-kindness? I know that's not the right way to put it. But there is that to be kind. And not to be kind. Could it be that that's the bad smell of doubt? Could it be that is the bad smell of uncertainty? Could it be that it is the bad smell of ignorance? And there is no perfume made that can mask it. There's only one thing that can happen is when it is washed clean from the inside. So people go, what does kindness look like? See, you are all here to listen about peace. I'm going to talk about peace. But this is part of it. You have to bear with it. Because this is what people do.

If I were clear, what would that look like? And then they want to go to the store and go to the hairdresser and say, make me look like that guy who is very clear. That won't work. What does a person look like when they are in peace? What does a person look like when they are in peace? Nothing. And even as I say this to you, I know the wheels are turning. No, no, no, no, no. The white flowing beard. The long white hair. The long white robes. We are very, very, very, very, very, very good at copying. Very good. So, if you do not have peace, if you do not have peace, in reality, in your life, emulating peace is not going to work. This is why I am asked the question, is peace absence of war? This is what people think peace is. No more war, oh, that's peace. No more hunger, that's peace. Peace? Peace is that flower. Peace is that light. Peace is that perfume. Peace is that understanding. Peace is that breeze that is real from within. That spring, that water that has the property to truly quench the thirst. That flower, that it's perfume, that it's smell, when it blooms, dispels every other stench and it becomes. Somebody told you what heaven is like. Long time ago, maybe you were this big, you were this big, you were this big, this, and you went, you took a picture and you've been chasing that picture. Oh, heaven is a nice place.

There's angels there. It never gets too hot, never gets too cold. It's heaven. It's Indian heaven. Because, where else are you going to get laddus? You can't get them in China, Chinese heaven, no. But Chinese heaven have the moonbeam cakes. Indian ones have the laddus. The French one, creme brulee. Heaven is not a catalog that is fulfilled of your desires. Heaven is a reality that exists on the face of this earth, even as the most precious gift called this breath comes into you. That's heaven. And when I say that, people go, Huh? Huh? How can that be heaven? That's it? That's it? That's heaven? The most priceless thing coming and filling you up and giving you the gift of life, pulsing. And I say that is heaven. And people say, Uh-uh, that can't be heaven. That is so trivial. I breathe all day long. I breathe all day long. I don't feel any heaven. Your life started with this breath. I know there's a lot of concepts. I'm not talking about concepts. I'm talking about reality. If you are born and you don't breathe, you don't go home. Simple.

It's not like somebody's going to take you home and go, Oh, look. It's a completely perfect baby. The only thing that's missing is this trivial little thing called breath. I mean, how minor? And without the breath, your last day, you don't get to stay home. Out. Your spacious little apartment disappears. Now you get a little place. A little apartment. Not very wide. Not very high. And all because you stopped breathing. That trivial little thing that you do all day long. And now your apartment has changed. And who put you in this new apartment? The very people who said, I love you. This is ridiculous. For such a little thing? Such a big change? And you were in India, they take you and put you on the pile of woods and light it on fire? All for not... I mean, this is like, what? For such a trivial little thing? Maybe that trivial little thing is not so trivial after all. And maybe we fail to recognize its value in our lives. That we fundamentally live, but we don't know what life is. We live, but we don't know, we don't understand truly what life is. So, I have another announcement to make. There is a circus in town. Big circus has come to town. And in this circus, there are clowns, and there are animals, and there is adventure, and there is the risk. Are you going to see the circus? There is a circus in town.

It's a circus. It's a real circus. It's a real circus, and it has come to town. For some people, the circus is going to be put up for 36,500 days. That's if you live to be 100 years. This is how long the circus will be in town. Are you going to go see the circus? This is no ordinary circus. This is the circus of the divine. This is the circus of the divine. And there is everything in this circus. There is risk, the high wire acts, the clowns. Are you interested in going to this circus? You see, this circus that has come, the circus that has come is nothing more or less than your existence. Every day, in the act, there is something alluring. Every day, in the act, there is something funny. Every day, in the act, there is something very risky. This is your day. This is your life. This is the circus that is afoot. And one day, the circus will pack up and it will be gone. What have you, in your life, saved from this circus for yourself? As you see the circus unfold, somebody doing something, somebody doing something, a little band playing there, a little person doing this, a little person doing that, a little person jumping through the fire hoop, and all the things that go on in the circus. What are you learning? What are you understanding from this circus? You are like who you are today because nature allowed you to evolve. Otherwise, you wouldn't be like this. How would you be? Like a monkey. Some people are.

They have not evolved. But, most of us have evolved. And it is the courtesy of that nature that it had a clause, that it had a rule that evolving could happen. I ask you then, how? It's 7.15 here in Madrid in the evening. Just a few hours left and today will be over. May I ask you, how did you evolve today? Did you evolve today? I mean, really? Not just here. Oh yeah, I evolved. I'm sleepy. I must have evolved. How did you evolve? Because the evolution that I'm talking about, the true human evolution, would be that we as human beings garner welcome in our lives consciousness. Not stories. Consciousness. Not dreams. Consciousness. A lot of people I see, they're watching a movie and something happens in the movie and they get really upset. Oh my God, this is terrible. I say, look, it's just a movie. The actor who you thought died is not dead. It'd be all over the newspaper if he died. This is all fake and you are making it more real than it is. Because you do not understand the difference between fake and reality. Oh! Now you have a problem. How is the human being to evolve if he cannot understand the difference between what is reality? Do you know? Do you know that today will never come back? Do you know that? Do you know that? That today will never come back. Ever. And ever is a very long time. It'll never come back. Do you know that one day Do you know that one day this earth won't be here? Do you know that one day the sun would be gone? Moon? Earth? Back to dust? In the history of this planet earth manifesting as planet earth there is a distinct time very large time but it comes to be and one day it's gone.

There are people I say to them, you know listen, you really should be very careful about every single day because one day, you know you will be gone. People go, "no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You can have your head frozen." And sometimes you want to say a mean thing like "Sooner is better than later" but that's mean. When the earth isn't going to be here what's a frozen head going to do? This illusion of living forever is incredibly elusive because it does not take into account the very fact that one day even the earth won't be here and don't mistake me, it is quite a few billion years away but as we are every day that you get that you have is the most precious. I saw a little saying on my refrigerator I didn't put it there every day is a gift that's why it is called a present.

So you know, there's a cartoon famous cartoonist they use that in there too but then I looked at it and I said to myself that the biggest present this is a take on words the biggest present in the present the biggest present, the gift in the present now is the presence. If you understand what that means the present the present and the presence that which can help you get get in touch with the presence that is in the present present is then the biggest present that you can have in this present moment. The biggest.

What am I talking about? We don't even understand the present is the present forget about the presence we have a hard time figuring out there's a lot of people what is this? Eh? Eh? I don't have time for this present, what present? It's not a present I am the Master of my destiny you are right you are right except for one the coming and going of the breath is not under your, it's not when you take your last you wish it wasn't the arrogance I have a little story about arrogance there was a doctor he was a very, very, very good doctor so he realized this is an Indian story so bear with it so he realized that one day death is going to come and how can it what can the doctor do to confuse death then he could live forever so he made a duplicate of himself, identical and I guess in this day and age it would be he took some of his genes DNA and he created an exact replica of himself and when the time came he lay down next to his replica death came looking puzzled two looks in his list I have nothing for twins, it's just one I have to take away but how do I figure which one is real identical, identical, identical so the death says okay doctor you are the best you have definitely fooled me but you have made one tiny mistake the doctor is like oh my god me, make a mistake how can I make a mistake perfect, it was perfect what mistake thinking, thinking, thinking arrogance, arrogance arrogance how could this be how could this be arrogance can get you into a lot of trouble and so the doctor goes what and the death says that, that what does arrogance do here on this planet of plenty why are there so many ill and hungry you know what arrogance, arrogance arrogance you would think that in the name of god god people would unite the same way you would think like they do when they go to a well to quench their thirst they do not say and you are no, the thirsty come to the well, drink the water are satisfied move out the next one comes in as they unite by that water you would think that in the name of god people would actually unite just my logical brain so why is it that in the name of god they are willing to kill each other the well does better than god how can this be how can this be one thing I go around telling people I have said this to people in an audience of 100,000, 200,000 300,000, what I am doing I shouldn't be nobody nobody should have had to tell you that you should need peace in your life nobody this shouldn't be happening but it does but it does because if there isn't that clarity if there isn't that focus in this life then we are lost and not as a person but as a huge sea of humanity 7.5 billion people on the face of this earth and we could reduce that number a little bit maybe 7 billion maybe there is 500 million people who want war but the 7 billion I know they want peace they want peace.

How do I know this 52 years ago a 4 year old boy went out on the stage in front of thousands of people and when I say thousands I don't mean 10,000, 20,000 maybe 3,000, 4,000 people he talked about peace he talked about the opportunity he talked about the gratitude he talked about all that is good and for 52 years that same boy is not a boy anymore but the boy has been talking about the same thing been around the world many many times many many times talking to people and the same questions I too ultimately when you come to that point in your life I too want to feel peace I too want peace in my life I want I want to understand to witness, to experience the presence that is in the present that is the present that I don't want my life to be a life of words a life of explanations if a person tasted something really delicious and someone was to ask this person how was it? what would you expect? oh yeah it tasted really good no you see there is another way to express and that expression does not require explanation all that is required is even a person a person who has physical challenge who cannot talk can still express and it's understood it's understood that it isn't about all those things that we think we need peace as the ammunition to try to convince people do please don't try to have peace in your life so you can convince people you have peace that's not what peace is for so that you at your next party can tell your friends and I have peace and I'm better than you because I have peace it's the same arrogance what? same arrogance same misunderstanding because this journey is the most beautiful journey that you have you came and every day of your life a gift was given to you you didn't ask for it you didn't push a button for it but in abundance of the most precious thing there is on this planet earth this gift was given to you even if you did not accept it the gift was given to you what I'm saying here is so different so different because I too can write a whole book about your life and I don't even know you but I can write a book about your life and if you were to write a book about your life I know how it would begin I was born in such and such place and my mother, my father they were doing this and then we moved there and then we did this and then I went to school here and I went to college there and then I did this and I went on this journey and I went on that journey and I did this and I searched for that and I went to India and I went to Sri Lanka and I got lost in Afghanistan you know and I can write a book too and this is how it would be and it would be very accurate and I don't know you because you see you and I actually live the same present if the core is understood that it is the presence in the present that is the real present then I can write that everyday abundance of this gift was given to you that everyday peace knocked on your door wanting to be let in how's the book going so far? okay? the peace knocking on your door wanting to be let in some people say I just want to be happy want to be happy? be in peace it's the name, may be different but it's the same thing contentment, satisfaction, happiness, joy this, that, that, that, that it's the same thing peace, doesn't matter doesn't matter and then you know did you let in the peace in your life? or did you say I am too busy remember the shower? scrubbed clean on the outside makeup haircut toothpaste, toothbrush, this, that you know by the time you have to when you are a traveler you have to carry all this garbage with you it's all like ha and every morning you know about an hour getting all the hair done, the shaving the this and that and in the evening you get tired you hit the bed and you are gone who cares?

I guess that's why they turn the lights off over but the peace has to be your companion you can be too busy for anything but you cannot be too busy for peace the beauty of it is that peace is already there within you knocking to come out people want, see people say be kind how? how? how? feel that is your nature to be kind did you know that? that is your nature to be kind it is your nature to be in peace it is your nature to be happy it is your nature to be free it is your nature to understand it is your nature to admire your strength inner strength it is too many people on the outside who are you? what are you doing? have you done this? people telling you what success is

The other day I was standing by these flowers and I was seeing all the busy bees going from flower to flower the big bumble bee going from one flower to the other flower now, if I got a megaphone you know what a megaphone is? one of those things that amplifies your voices if I got a megaphone and stood there you go to that flower and you bumble bee try that flower you haven't tried that one and you go over there and no, you're going too fast slow down what do you think would happen? what do you think would happen? they would actually listen to me they would go instructions yay, this is what we were waiting for you go to India big problem in the summer, mosquitoes you get a megaphone female mosquitoes all over there please go to my left and stand by male mosquitoes all to my right and stand by, more instructions to follow you can do that you can actually do that you can actually buy yourself a megaphone and you can go to India and you can go in your room, open all the windows open all the screens and you can say as much as you want on the megaphone about the female mosquitoes on the left at some point I think even the mosquitoes will think you're crazy but, I don't know how mosquitoes think so I cannot definitively say but it would have no impact it would make no difference I mean do you realize what I've just told you today do you realize what I've told you in essence what I have told you that everything you're looking for is inside of you that the most precious thing comes to you in abundance and I know you're going to walk out of here and go what did he say I didn't understand then there is the whole world saying oh you should, people go to inspirational classes where somebody tells you same thing, all female mosquitoes to the left male mosquitoes to this way the bee you go over there you do this and everybody gets excited wow he's communicating with the bees the fact is he is but do the bees think the same thing no, no they're going to do what they're going to do they're not going to listen to you the mosquitoes are not going to listen to you they're going to maybe come to you and go blood donation that's how it is.

There are people who say people say to me "Oh you are an inspirational speaker." Somebody said that to me in Malaysia. I was walking and they came to me "You're a good inspirational speaker." I found that actually insulting but I was kind, I said "Ihank you, how do." I inspire the one who has been given everything?Hhow do I inspire the one that is the source of the most incredible joy in their existence? How do I explain to the most fortunate that you are the most. People say but I don't feel so then my dear dear dear dear dear friend remove the veil that stops you from seeing it because that is the reality the veil is not the reality it is what is beyond the veil whatever it is that's what I say to you it's true you are the most gifted the most gifted that doesn't mean the bees are not gifted don't put everything on a scale you are gifted you are blessed so many people look for blessings oh I want to be blessed how do I tell the most blessed how blessed you are how to show you what you yearn to see to show you what you yearn to see not by creating but by simply putting a mirror in front of you just a mirror just a mirror yes a mirror just a mirror so you can feel you can understand you can witness telling you, sounds really good present presence presence good play on words but if you don't feel the present in the present the presence in the present you will never understand that this is the present this is what I do the mirror the mirror I call Knowledge perfect perfect the know how the know how to know you how perfect can that be so, I'm going to end now going back to the shower if something doesn't quite smell right changing the soap may not help maybe, just maybe the stench is coming from somewhere else next time, you take a shower see if you can clean the inside too because if you can you'll smell good wherever you go isn't this amazing when the inside shines outside stinks a little bit when inside stinks outside the most exclusive perfume nobody wants to be near you nobody

Poison is poison poison is poison the poison of hate the poison of judgment the poison of arrogance wash with the soap of knowing it will clean the inside so now I know, tomorrow you're going to take a shower at least some of you when you do when you do, think about what I said about the inside sometimes transformations happen like I know I've used the word death a lot unusually too much I'm not about death it'll come, what's the point it's about life it's about today it's about life and living and living and not fearing not fear but living and living and living and living and living and the day the day how will you know you have perfected what I just talked about when you begin when you live that one day that is so full of gratitude, kindness, peace joy, that you could live that day for the rest of your life you've got it the rest of your this is so powerful the other day I was reading a letter that was sent to me by an inmate and I'm paraphrasing said, I blame everybody else is he alone? this is what we all do whose fault is it? and then there is people if we can't find anybody to blame, what do they blame? they give us something to blame, karma and I'm like listen, we've already got more than enough people to blame let's not blame karma too anything to get away with it it's karma it's my destiny it's my destiny even a rock is allowed to transform even a rock is allowed to transform sometimes it becomes sand sometimes it becomes a beautiful smooth shape sometimes it is rough, I mean sometimes it's dust even a rock is allowed to transform then why not you? then why not you? but what do we do? like he said, all my life blame, blame, blame, blame, blame and now I am learning how to transform not learning how to blame not learning how not to blame no, no, this is not what he learnt from me what he learnt from me is how to transform himself and what did it bring him? just like that what did it bring him? it brought him hope, it brought him joy.

I was just in Greece not too long ago doing an event as I was driving from the airport to the hotel I was given a little story so, this really happened there was a person who was going through the peace education program and it's one of the programs where they take my talks and it was made for the inmates at the correctional institute and so it was a ten step program and he had only gone through the seven of them and then his date came and he was released he was like, ok, you're free to go guess what he did he went to the warden and asked the warden if he could come back and finish the rest of the peace education program not permanently, but just when those programs were going to happen he wanted to come back and finish that's transformation that's transformation this is what the world needs more than that, that's what we all need I'm not here to say I'm holier than you I'm not here to tell you, oh yes I have achieved perfect joy I'm not here to tell you I have found the perfect day that I could live forever no, I'm in the same boat as you but I'm working on it I'm working on it and the question is are you? are you? are you working on it? I hope so I truly, truly hope so so thank you very much for coming, for listening to me good night, thank you