Topics

(Prem Rawat) There's a story that I like to tell. And I've told this story before, but I don't think people really understand it.

So, I'll tell it again. The story is, there was once a man who wanted to learn how to be a swordsman. So, he went to the Master and asked, "Would you teach me how to be a swordsman?" The Master replied, "Oh yeah, no problem. I'll teach you how to fight with the sword. Sure."

The man asked, "What do I have to do?" The Master says, "Since you want to learn from me, come and stay at my home. Then you will be there and I can teach you." So, the guy is very excited. "I get to be at the Master's home. He will teach me!"

He moves into the home, he's ready to learn. The Master says, "Since you're staying here, could you clean my kitchen and my living room, and clean the outside? And the guy is like, "Okay, the Master says I must clean, so I will clean."

So he cleans the kitchen and he cleans the living room and he cleans all the areas and he's done. So he says to the Master, "I have finished my chores, I have finished my tasks. What's next?" And the Master says, "Do you know how to cook?" So he says, "Yeah, I can cook a few things." Master says, "Can you please cook for me?" So he starts cooking for him.

And before you know it, everyday, this is the routine. He cleans, he cooks, he washes his clothes. He does everything. And this man who wants to be a swordsman starts to get very frustrated. Because the Master is not teaching him anything. 

Everyday goes by and all he's doing is cleaning, and washing, and cooking. So one day, he gets really upset and he picks up a stick and the Master is looking after the big pot with water boiling, there's a lid on there. And this man goes to the Master and pretends with the stick like it's a sword, and he's going to poke him. And immediately the Master picks up the lid and blocks him.

And in this moment the person understands one simple thing: He wants to learn how to fight with a sword but he does not want to learn how to be a warrior. And a warrior doesn't need a sword. A warrior will take anything, even the lid of a pot and effectively block a blow if need be.

Once you become a warrior, everything becomes a tool. Everything becomes a tool.

This is why I think that this is a wonderful story. Because it shows, do you... Do you want to learn something or do you want to become a student. Which one?

People come, and their objective is,Oh, give me Knowledge." anh-anh Knowledge is like the swordsman, "Teach me how to be a swordsman." But what you really need is to become a student. Then you will learn. And you will learn so much more. If you're not a student then you think just like the rest of the world. "Make it better, make it better, make it better..."

But if you are a true student you don't try to make 'it' better, whatever is happening on the outside. You don't try to make 'it' better. What's happening on the inside, you try to make that better.

You try to better yourself because now you understand.

Many people in their lives, they see things not going their way; they start losing hope, and the next thing you know, calamity. But it takes courage to have hope; it takes courage to have clarity. And when there is that courage....

This is what’s beautiful. If you get angry, you know what you will be rewarded by? Anger. Just think about it, right? You get angry; you’ll be rewarded by anger. What is the reward of anger? Either you will get more angry.... Maybe, maybe you begin by being angry with your friend, and the next thing you know, you’re also angry with yourself—for being angry at your friend.

Anger rewards anger; anger begets anger. Fear rewards fear. You get afraid of being afraid—and that’s when it really sets in. It’s more than the boogeyman in the closet. Now, you’re afraid to be in the room; you’re afraid to be alive. “Oh my God....”

But...but what is the reward of hope? It brings you more hope. What is the reward of joy? It brings you more joy. What is the reward of happiness? It brings you more happiness. What is the reward of knowledge? It brings you more knowledge. What is the reward of being content? It brings you more contentment. What is the reward of knowing? It brings you more knowing.

This is how it is. This is how it’s always been.

– Prem Rawat

There are three things – three things. There is this one that was, is and will be, called “the infinite,” everywhere – powerful! Gentle? Amazing. Gentle as a drop of water. As powerful to move mountains, literally – literally move mountains! Rage? Giant rivers. 

 And this that was, is and will be, does this. And will keep doing it. Will keep doing it to the end of time and beyond, the time and space you cannot even begin to imagine (because you are not very well equipped to imagine it). 

 So, there is that. Then there is you. What’s your qualification? You weren’t. You are – and you won’t be. That’s your qualification. 

 So, let’s say that at the left of you is the infinite, (was, is, will be). You’re in the middle: you weren’t; you are; you won’t be. And what is on the right of you? This world. And what’s the qualification of this world? 

 You want to listen to some wonderful people like Kabir? Like Guru Nanak? They say, “It wasn’t,” (and this’ll get you), “It isn’t! And it won’t be.” This is an illusion! It isn’t! So, left of you? “Was, is and will be.” Your qualification: “Wasn’t, is, won’t be.” And you are completely infatuated with “Wasn’t, isn’t and won’t be.” 

 And are you infatuated? Oh, yes, you are, very infatuated. You live for it from the morning till evening. So, what is this? What should you be infatuated with? (What does “infatuation” mean?!) All right; here is an example. 

You, one day, see a girl. Ladies, you see a man. And this man is just wonderful! Men, you see a girl; she’s wonderful! Your relationship goes on and on and on and on. And one day, the day comes when you’re going to meet the parents, meet the whole family.

 Of course, now when you, the lovers, meet, you give each other a really nice juicy kiss, as you, (you know), come together because, you know, you’re in love, right?! You think you’re going to do that to the girl’s father? Give him a juicy kiss across his lips? Or the girl, kissing the father-in-law, again, just like a really nice juicy kiss? No!

 You like the father; you like the brother; you like the mother; you like the sister because of whom? That person you are in love with. So, you’re infatuated with that person; you are connecting with that person. You are including the rest of the family only because of that person; the connection is still with that person. And the day that connection breaks? You will keep visiting that family? No.

 That’s what’s got to happen here. That’s what’s got to happen here! Your connection should be to that one that was, is and will be, always, because that’s the one you’re going to spend the most time with! When you were not here, that’s where you were! Now you are here! And when you go away, that’s where you’re going to be!

 What a magnificent description of the infinite: “Was, is and will be.” And then? Everything comes together. Life comes together. Joy comes together. You see the irrelevance of what is irrelevant, and you see the relevance of what is relevant. That’s how life has to be. 

 That’s what life is all about! You, dancing on the stage of life. You, expressing in your heart, the gratitude! Every day, every moment that you’re alive, those three things that I talk about, “Know yourself. Live your life consciously. And to have a heart filled with gratitude” – this can be for you! Then you have made the choice, the right choice.

We want our children to be good. We want our children to grow up well. What do we tell them when we see them in the morning? Monday or Tuesday, what do we tell them? "Are you ready? Are you ... You're late, you're going to be late. Get ready." We don't tell the, "I love you.“ We don't tell them, "I love you.” "So good to see you."

I know, in some cultures, women, men are shy to say, "I love you.” But can't you say the same thing another way? "So good to see you today." Aren't you glad to see them that day? Aren't you? Do you say it?

And what do you want? You want everybody in your family to be happy. After all, all the men that are here, you work very hard to make everybody happy in your family. Don't you? Don't you go to your job from morning till evening? Don't you work really, really hard to make them all happy? And do you once tell them you love them? No.

Strange! I find that very strange. Why is it wrong for you to be human? Aren't you human? Relationship of darkness, light. Relationship of absence, presence. All the things you imagine you are, you are not. But what you are, you don't know. So you imagine yourself to be a doctor, a lawyer, a housemother, a wife. An I.T.––"it". IT technician. It. "It" is referred to people without life, things without life. It. I.T. It means you go into a room, and try to plug wires and see if something works or doesn't work.

You ask somebody, "Excuse me, sir. Who are you?" "Oh, I'm a salesman." Really? You're not a human being? This relationship of absence and presence. We don't understand the presence. The presence is real. Absence is nothing.

What is the presence? The presence is, this breath just came into you. This is the presence. Do you understand the meaning of this breath? Do you understand the value of this breath? When you were born ... when you were born, when you came out of your mother's womb. Yes, all of you came out of a mother's womb. You better have come out of a mother's womb. Otherwise, you should be stuffed and sent to a museum. You all came out of a mother's womb.

In our societies we don't respect women. Women have one thing over every man. A woman can give birth to a man or a woman. A man can't do that. And we forget. We forget, we forget because we are playing the wrong game. Not of the presence, but of the absence.

And so far we keep this ... this is the game my friends, of ignorance. And what you are looking for, that word "Peace" indicates knowledge. Not ignorance. And the world is trying to figure out in the world of ignorance what knowledge means. Impossible. I say, impossible. Impossible.

Never figure it out. That's why the world doesn't know what peace is. Because we're playing a game of ignorance with ourselves, and wars that we hate are a result not of knowledge, but of ignorance. So, which world do you want to live in? Which world do you want to live in? The world of presence or the world of absence?

When you live in the world of absence, you have to have beliefs. Believe it's there, believe that's there, believe this there, believe this there, believe this there. Believe that Gods live just slightly above the clouds.

I'm a pilot. When I travel around the world, I fly myself. So you're climbing above the clouds going, "Hmm! Anybody there? Anybody there?" There's nothing there. Clouds, more clouds, more clouds, more clouds, more clouds, more clouds, more clouds.

We live in the world of present, in the world of knowledge ... Where? Where? Where? Then the answer is here, here, here, here.

- Prem Rawat

Prem Rawat:

People doubt Knowledge. It’s so simple. What are you doing in each one of the techniques, you let your focus go inside. You’re not trying to manufacture an experience but you’re trying to experience what’s already there.

Doubt is a powerful thing. A long time ago, I said, “Leave no room for doubt.” This is two-zero-two-two. And I will say it again: “Leave no room for doubt.” Fill it with clarity; know. Not “not-know,” know. Know who you are; know what is within you. Know. Thrive. Get away from this mode of survival.

So much is possible. I know some of you are quite old now. So, you are already very anxious about what’s going to happen to you.

It is not the number of years; it’s just what happens in those years that matters. And if you’ve got one left, make the most of it. You’ve got half of it left; make the most of it. You’ve got one day left; make the most of it. You have no option than to have that attitude. It cannot be any other way. Don’t you see? It cannot be any other way. That’s the way it has to be.

You cannot say, “You know, I’m much wiser now, so I would like 45 more years.” Right. You’re not going to win that argument. There’s no Santa Claus to grant you that wish. All you can do – you have control over what happens. Know where you have control and you don’t have control.

You have control over letting go of the gas. The engine noise, you don’t have any control over. It will make that noise if you push the gas. Don’t push the gas. That’s what you control.

It’s okay. Go within. Be prepared to go within. How do you prepare to go within? By being attracted to those beautiful things that are inside of you, that state where there is no fear. That state where there is no envy. That state where there is no doubt. Get it? That’s where Knowledge takes you. That’s where Knowledge takes you.

Who am I? Seventy percent water and I can talk? Seventy percent water and I can actually see things? Seventy percent water and I can think?

When was the last time water thinks? Does that come across the news: “We have thinking water.” And we have thinking water right here! So, who am I? This tourist that has to go one day? Who? What?

What is this life all about? Why do I want to be happy? I mean, well, what is this crazy thing: “I mean, well, I just want to be happy.” Even when I’m sad, I want to be happy. It’s not like when I’m happy, I want to be sad. Then I’m crazy. Then I need to see a psychiatrist.

But why is it, naturally, that when I am happy, I want to remain happy and when I am sad, I want to be happy? Clue? Sherlock Holmes, clue? What is the clue? That I am biased.

“Oh, but, and no human being is born with an instruction manual.” Maybe we don’t need it—because the instruction manual is obvious!

Nobody goes to the church, nobody goes to the temple, nobody goes to the mosque to pray to God, “Too much happiness; please take it away; I can’t stand it.” Too much sadness? “Oh, please, too much sadness; take it away.” Too much happiness? Not a problem. Too much joy, not a problem. Too much clarity, not a problem.

So if this is who you are, what have you done about it? If you are hungry, you need to eat! Or do you need a scientific discourse?

Socrates said, “Know thyself.” Why? Why? I mean, why know yourself? Isn’t your name enough—on a card? Isn’t it? Isn’t it?

But is that who you are? Somebody else had that name, and somebody else will have that name.

“Within you,”—the “Paras” is this mythical stone in India, that when you take this stone and touch it to metal, it’ll turn the metal into gold, the alchemist’s metal, the alchemist’s stone, the famous stone—“that that’s within you too, and the pearls are within you too, and the one who understands the value of these is also within you.” The appraiser is also within you.

“Within you resonates the silence”—the silence. “And within you springs the spring of hope, of joy, of knowledge, of wisdom.”

- Prem Rawat