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One day, there was a man who had never seen an elephant; he had never seen an elephant. So, he decided that he wanted to go see an elephant; so he inquired. And he was told that there is a village in Africa where they have big elephants. So the man made his journey to Africa. He went, and he saw a very big elephant.

And never having seen the elephants, he was really surprised. And then he looked, and he saw that the elephants were tied with a very small thin rope around their feet—and that was it. So, he was surprised. Such a big elephant, only being held in place by a small little rope? So he went to the chief, and he said, “Chief, these elephants, they’re strong, aren’t they?”

And the chief said, “Oh, yes. They’re very, very strong.” He said, “Chief, I have a question. How can such a big animal, so strong, so powerful, be held back with just this tiny little rope?” And the chief said, “Oh-ho! Let me explain. When they were babies, we used to tie them with this rope. And they tried to move, but they couldn’t move! And we kept them like that.

“And now that they have grown big and strong, they stopped trying. And they think that this tiny rope should still hold them in place. Of course, if they tried, this rope cannot hold back such a powerful animal. But the elephants have given up trying."

So, why did I tell this story? Because in a way, this is what is happening. Who we are, who you are is much bigger than the sum of your problems. But these problems come, and they’re holding you back. And you do not realize your own power. You don’t realize your own strength!—that as a human being, you have the strength in you to go beyond these barriers.

- Prem Rawat

An excerpt:

People say, “There’s so much greed in this world.” Yes, there is! But why is there greed? Why is there greed? You think human beings are only capable of greed? No, human beings are also capable of generosity.

I just want the wind to blow so you can fly the kite. I want the river to run. I want the well to be full of water, so you can be in the glory of a human being—the glory of a human being. The flower that blooms, blooms! Petals open, colors vibrant, beauty unmatched, fragrance, hypnotizing. Bloom! That’s what needs to happen!

Know! Know that the peace dwells in your heart, not because I said it, but because you felt it. That’s knowing. Know that that Divine dwells in your heart, not because I said it—because you felt it, not one day, not two days, not three days, but all your life. This is the realm. There is no time—there is no “young”; there is no “old.” It is the same for everyone.

When spring comes, it comes the same for everyone—like a baby, a hundred-year-old, a fifty-year-old, forty, thirty, twenty. It comes for everyone in the same way. When the summer comes, it is the same way. When it is fall, it is the same way. When it is the winter, it is the same way.

Let the season of peace come in your life. The time has come. The time has come; let the season of peace come in your life.

- Prem Rawat

I’m not the first one to ever say, “What you are looking for is inside of you.” So, if you are looking for peace, that’s inside of you; if you are looking for hope, that is inside of you; if you’re looking for clarity, that is inside of you. If you’re looking for joy, that is inside of you.

And the question is, “Why is it easier said than done?” Because we don’t know ourselves. We don’t know what our strengths are. We don’t know what our strengths are. You are stronger than you realize. Even in the face of calamity, you are stronger than you realize. But because you don’t know yourself, you’re ready to surrender to the calamity—and you do!

You are worried about all those things you don’t know. And in the list of all the things you don’t know, you also don’t know yourself.

We look for strength, but not in us—in other people. People come to me, and people ask this question, “So, when you have a problem, what do you do?” They think I’m strong.

I’m only strong when I’m connected to the strength inside of me. Otherwise I am weak too. I’m a human being, and I have to remember, there is an incredible strength inside of me. When I don’t tap into that strength, nothing is strong. When I do, I am strong too. Same thing for you.

It’s simple! It’s not complicated. We can make it complicated, but it’s not complicated. It’s very, very simple.

- Prem Rawat

Kabir is referring to all of us, not the renunciates, not the fellows with the long braided hair—no, no, all of us because we are all seekers of that truth, of that peace: “That your lord, your Divine is also within you.”

So, don’t underestimate me when I say “an unopened gift.” Don’t underestimate me. I am talking about the gift of all the gifts.

The peace that you seek is within you. The Divine that you seek is within you. The truth that you seek is within you. The clarity that you seek is within you.

- Prem Rawat

Comedy or humor has a bit of truth—otherwise it’s not funny!

And it is funny that in everything else, in everything else that we do ... You go to a bank? The line, where it starts, we know. You go take a number, ticket number. You know—and you watch the counter, “Okay, what is the number?” So you know! And when it comes to the self, no idea!

And when I propose this, a lot of people go, “What do you mean, ‘Knowing yourself?’ Of course I know myself. My name is bla-bla-bla-bla-bla.” Really? Was that your name before you came out? When you were born, what was your name? Just when you were born?

Because you didn’t exist! Officially you did not exist; your birth certificate hadn’t been signed yet. You did not have a piece of paper validating you exist—but you existed. On what strength did you exist? Do you know what that is?

The wisdom that you seek from the world is actually inside of you. Do you know that? You are wiser than you realize. Do you know that?

So, if you don’t, don’t you think it’ll be good to know yourself? Then you would know who you are, the strengths you have, how you can go forward. And of course, when it comes to loving, if you don’t know yourself, how are you going to love yourself?

- Prem Rawat

I see what’s happening in this world and it’s not good. It’s time we change it. But the change—the change can only begin with us. And right now, what we want is the change to begin with other people, not us. Because we don’t know who we are. We’re just like them. We’re just like them. Knowing yourself has a lot of value, believe me, a lot of value.

So, this is the possibility. Your desert too, however “desert-y” it may look, does have the seeds. It is going to rain. It is. And when it does, your desert can bloom as well.

Beautiful, beautiful things in the “Store of the Divine.” Don’t be shocked if all you get is a bunch of seeds. Don’t be shocked because that’s the way they come.

Are you ready to invest a little bit in those seeds? Are you ready to take all that knowledge and give it a little wisdom—and use it wisely? Because if you do, even if you think your life has changed, it can still transform so much more than you could ever imagine. There is no limit; there is no limit.

So, how beautiful, this opportunity. How beautiful, this chance. And how beautiful when the desert blooms. Please let your desert bloom. That’s what it’s all about.

- Prem Rawat