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If you don’t understand the value of being alive, then everything is all out of phase. No amount of wisdom is going to come and make any difference.

If you don’t understand the value…. And people say, “Now.” Right? I have said, “now.” And one day I was thinking about “now.” “Now” is the most elusive thing there is. Because by the time I say “now,” it’s not now anymore.

If you don’t understand the meaning of “now,” what is the point in trying to understand the meaning of tomorrow? Because you would be pleasantly surprised that tomorrow too will be just full of a bunch of “nows”—and none different.

– Prem Rawat

There is a saying, “If you don’t get what you want, you’re not happy.” It’s true! If you don’t get what you want, you’re not happy. “If you get what you don’t want, you’re not happy!” You didn’t want it, and you got it! And even if you get what you do want, you are not happy because you can’t keep it, because it changes.

You don’t want things to change, but things are going to change. You are changing, and you are changing all the time. Sorry. Everything around you is changing, and changing, and changing, and changing, and changing, and changing. Why? Because that is what it does.

But, because of this change, here we are today. Because of this change, here we are. Either love it or hate it, but change is here to stay. And this change is changing, not only this earth. This is the entire universe; it’s in the grip of change.

Constant. And there is a change in you! But for right now, this change is the coming and going of this breath. And it’s powerful! And it brings the gift of life.

– Prem Rawat

Don’t worry—I am not a politician. I’m not going to be in…I’m not in politics; I’m not going to run for politics; politics is not my thing. I want to bring people together; I don’t want to divide them.

And that’s why I don’t put any labels…I don’t want to use any labels. People would love to give me a label. I don’t want any labels.

People say, “Oh, you are Ambassador of Peace.” I want everybody to be Ambassador of Peace—everyone! Because that’s what your possibility is; that’s what your potential is. This is what you can achieve in this life. You should be an Ambassador of Peace. You should be.

One little…one little act of kindness goes a long way—one little act of kindness. But what do we believe in? “Thank you.” So, this is what the mother teaches the little boy: “Say thank you.”

He doesn’t know what ‘thank you’ means—so he looks up and he goes, “Thank you.” And what are you teaching that little kid? Do you know what you’re teaching that little kid? “Say something you don’t understand.”

Instead of teaching the kid, “Did you feel good when somebody gave you this? Did you like it?” The child will say, “Yes!” “Then, take that liking that you have, and share a little bit of it back.” That’s what gratitude is. That’s all gratitude is.

If somebody did something for you, and it felt good, then give them a little bit of that goodness back.

– Prem Rawat

It’s about you—it’s about your story. Fulfillment is a feeling, not the quantity of food. It is not about how many glasses of water you drank, but is your thirst quenched or not? It is not whether you were in bed for twelve hours or not, but how much sleep did you get? You’ll understand that one, right?

It is not about the lectures that tell you, “You are free; you are free; you are free,” that will set you free. How free do you feel?

And this is what I say to the inmates: “It’s up to you! It’s up to you!” Everybody is behind some wall; everybody is behind some bar. The only difference is the color of the bars, the shape of the bars, and the material that they are made out of.

Some are made out of metal; some are made out of concepts, ideas, right here. But they’re bars—and they hold you back. They will not let you be free.

Do you want to be free? Good question—“Do you want to be free?” [Individual, male.: Yes!] First understand. Before you set off on a journey to be free, understand what’s holding you back! Why are you not free? All these ideas you have about things that are not yours—that were just, cct, ppbt! Poukh, chu-chu-chu, boomf! And you went, “Thank you.”

Somebody came, opened the head, poured it in, “Dah, dah, you’re good.”

Some apes, they look at themselves—they can’t recognize. So, dogs are like that too! They look at themselves in the mirror and they go, “What’s that!? Arrrrrrrgh!”

You have the ability to go, “Ah! That’s, that’s me!” And the scientists say, that is one of the human attributes! Why stop there? Know the self! This is what Socrates was talking about, “Know the self!” If that’s you, looking in the mirror, you can say, “That is me,” then knowing yourself, that is the human attribute that makes you who you are.

– Prem Rawat

You want to succeed in your life? One of the events that I did in Taiwan was at the Dong Hwa University of Hualien. And it was all these students. They were there, and then they asked me questions.

And one of the questions was, you know, "How do I do this?" And here is the trick. If you want to be successful, it's easy. But you have to focus, focus, focus. And this is how you focus. When you're with your family, don’ t think of the business. Just focus on your family, even if it's for five minutes.

You want to change your whole life? Make heaven for someone, just for five seconds. Just five-second heaven. Start with your wife. Five seconds. Start with five seconds. Five seconds, just listen. You don’ t have to say, "Bla-bla-bla-bla-bla." You don’ t have to say. Just listen. That’ s why the creator did not put mouth where the ears are. Separated them...put the ears here; put the mouth here.

So, shut this; open these. Five second. Five seconds. Not long. You have children? Listen. Focus, five seconds—just five seconds. Not "Arghrrrrr!" But just... five seconds! Make a heaven for someone in your life—start with five seconds. And maybe they will return the favor to you. And you will have a five-second heaven.

And then, whenever you want that heaven for yourself, five seconds to remember, “You are alive." Maybe everything is going against you. Right? This is what it feels like, right? Everything is going against you, except for one.

Your life is not going against you. The blessing which life is, is still being conferred upon you. That hand is still on your head. Five-second heaven: "Wow!”

“Even in the darkest hour, I will not abandon you." This is what Krishna says, "Even in your darkest hour, I will not abandon you." Well, luckily, fortunately or unfortunately, we have managed to create the dark hour twenty-four hours. And even then, it is not being abandoned.

But do you understand that? Do you understand that? I know that every human being wants to succeed. But you can only succeed at that where there is the possibility of success. You cannot succeed where there is no possibility of success.

Where is the possibility of success? You want to succeed in this world? There is no possibility of success. But finding the peace in your heart, and having that fulfillment in yourself is completely possible.
– Prem Rawat