Enjoy. Enjoy the ride. You’re in a fine, fine, fine automobile of life. Don’t try to figure out how it works. Just drive. And enjoy. Put the top down, crank up the radio, let the hair down, and enjoy as much as you can. But don’t close your eyes. Do it all with eyes wide open. Because if you think doing all that is a license to close your eyes, it’s not. You have to be aware, you have to be awake. No presets. Everything, step-by-step with eyes wide open. You cannot say, “Well, I’ve been driving for six hours, if I close my eyes for five minutes, what would be the harm?”

When you listen to me, I never give you my credentials to say you should listen to me and believe me because I said so. I want you to listen. I want you to think about it. Understand what I am saying. And then do what needs to be done. Do I come here and say, “Just believe what I am saying? Because, you know, I’m connected to this divine thing back there”? I could. Then I could just babble and say, “Well, it’s all divine, so you know, if you don’t understand it, that’s your tough luck.” Because that’s what the world does. I don’t do that. I want everybody to understand this. This is not like, “Baaah,” you know, just stay with the sheep and you’ll get pushed through. This isn’t like that.

There was this person, and they were taking an exam. A written exam. Multiple choice test. And they finished in, like, 15 minutes and there were people, you know, 45 minutes later that hadn’t finished their exam. And then the teacher looks at this kid and he’s got a coin and he’s tossing it up in the air.

“What are you doing?”

He said, “Well, I finished the test, I’m just double-checking the answers.”

People say, “Oh, So-and-so passed away and that was beautiful. I don’t think so.” It’s sad. That’s a human emotion, and that’s how it should be. Beautiful is beautiful. There are things that are beautiful and there are things that are neither good nor bad. And we feel what we feel. We feel what we feel. And when somebody who we love leaves, it’s going to be sad.

And should you take that sadness and try to disguise it? Bad mistake. Big mistake. Don’t disguise it. It is sadness. Because it is something that you need to resolve. There will be the absence of that person. Your expectations of that person, your dreams of that person, your visions that you might have had, “Oh, we will do this,” or, “we will do that,” or, “that person will be there,” all that needs to resolve. And time is a beautiful healer and it heals.

Can you learn from that? Of course, you can learn from it. You can learn about your strength from that. You can learn the most fundamental lesson that the most precious thing about anyone does not die. You know. That, yes, your father is gone, but your father lives in you. That’s what he has done.

And so now he’s not going to be there physically or whatever it is, but his love is with you. And then that becomes learning because then when you start to love other things in this world, other things in this life, you apply that. I am loving not because of this and that, but I want to really love who this person really is. That’s the learning. That’s the learning. That’s the understanding.

And then everything starts to become real. And sometimes we get into it, we don’t see it the way we need to see it. We’re human. And the objective of enlightenment is not to change our innate nature. It is not to change our innate nature. People make all these mistakes. They think that is our purpose. No, no, no, no, no, no. Change the artificial nature that the world has nailed on us. But not the real nature. Real nature — the real nature of a human being is beautiful. And it should be untouched because it is created by someone who knows far better than all the pundits put together.

You need this. This is why you were given this nature. And to try to do things to duck it, to evade it, is stupid. Everybody has got the dreams of heaven, right? Not there, it’s here. So human.

To enjoy, to laugh. Why do you want to take that away? To smile. Why do you want to take that away? To feel. Why do you want to take that away? The vessel is perfect. Take away all that doesn’t belong. Chip away that which does not belong. Who I am, who I should be, how I should be, how this, how that. Be. Exist. In that, you will find your strength, in that you will find your clarity, in that, you will find your understanding. And court those things that are precious in your life.

Because, you know, when you go to change things, you’ve got to be very careful what you change, how you change it. It’s not just a matter of hack it off. You know. All those things that people believe in. Doesn’t work. How do I know this? Take a good look.

We actually hand governance of ourselves to a system that lies. Again and again and again.  How can that be? This is the result of all those things we believe in. This is where it has brought us. Inclusive of all the good books that exist in this world, all the philosophies that exist in this world, all the ideas that exist in this world, all the people who existed — this is where we’re at. Not a good picture. Change something! I mean, anything.

That’s why it is so important to drive this car eyes wide open. It’s important. It really, really is important. This is not a license to become unconscious. It isn’t. You want to sleep, you can sleep, no problem. Pull over. And sleep.

You’re tired? No problem. Not a problem. Not an issue. Because, remember. The issue is: Avoid the accident. That’s the issue. Nowhere it is written how much you should or shouldn’t sleep. So if you’re tired, pull over. And people think life is a juggling act because you got to drive this car and be tired, and be conscious and be sleep-deprived, but don’t sleep. This is what people have come to the conclusion life is all about. And try not to get into an accident.

"Here. Pull over."

“No, I can’t pull over.”

“Pull over. It’s okay.”

There’s two old ladies sitting in a car. They just bought it — big, new car. Big. And they’re driving. Mildred is sitting in the passenger seat. Dorothy is sitting in the driver’s seat. And Mildred is watching. And they come to a crossing. And they drive right through the red light.

Mildred kind of looks at Dorothy. Maybe an accident, maybe, she didn’t really mean to do it.

Come across another intersection, it’s a red light. Dorothy goes right through. Benefit of the doubt — she didn’t really mean to do it. Another intersection, another red light — right through it.

Mildred said, “Dorothy. Why are you driving through these red lights?”

And Dorothy goes, “I thought you were driving. And I was wondering the same thing — why are we going through these red lights?”

Somebody needs to pay attention. Pull over, don’t worry about it. Sleep, get to sleep. When you awaken, we’ll progress on our journey.

That’s how it is. So, eyes wide open.

~ Prem Rawat

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Image © Saracino

There are people in this world who will tell you how to cope with all your problems, not get rid of your problems, cope with your problems, “Manage your anger.”  When things are not right, the gears grind, that’s anger.  And people say, “No, don’t get rid of it.  Manage it.”  What?  Breed it more?  “Manage it.”  There is a whole industry out there that is like, “Listen, you just learn to cope with your problems.”  Then there is somebody else saying, “What problems?  These problems?  They will automatically go away.  Don’t worry about them.  One day they will all be gone.  You won’t have them.” 

The greatest problem you have is not recognizing the self.  Your life will never be in balance regardless of what you do, if you don’t put the self first.  Self is the one.  Everything else is a zero.  You can have three zeroes and then put a one.  And what is the value of one, and what is the value of the zeroes?  Zero remains zero; one remains one.  Put one in front of those zeroes and what do you have?  A thousand, ten thousand.  Keep adding the nothings but, so far you keep that one first, it’ll just keep going, million, hundred million, a hundred, hundred billion, trillion.  Flip it, and zeroes become zeroes, and one still remains one.  A little formula.  If you can place that self first.  Not being selfish, not the self like, “I need to be in front of the light,” no, I’m not talking about that.  That’s not placing the self first.  That’s being selfish.  That’s being stupid.  That’s being arrogant.  No.  The self, in your own life, the self that you are, that swan, by whose presence all things happen, by whose absence nothing happens, by whose presence you are who you are, by whose absence you are nothing, by whose presence you are adored, by whose absence you are buried.

The good news is that this understanding, that this clarity, is possible.  It’s all about joy.  This is one life you have, not two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.  Get it right.  Get it right, now.  How many mistakes have you made in your life?  People have their birthdays…50, 60, 70.  Statistically, you’re getting there.  But don’t be fooled.  Don’t be fooled.  Statistically, it all has started when you were born.  You have been moving towards that one day at the same exact rate all your life.  It may look faster now, slower before.  That’s a grand illusion.  You have been moving at a constant rate towards that day.  It is not about where you are between the two points that counts.  It is only when you get it that’s what counts.  Even if it is two minutes before, but you got it, that’s it.  You got it.  Get it.  Now. 

Now is never too early, and never too late.  It’s now.  And if you do, it becomes simple.  No more wars, no more wars.  The war inside.  This war has been raging on for a long time.  And there is a graveyard where the slain moments lie, slain moments, moments lost to unconsciousness.  And it’s huge.  The cemetery is huge.  You need to put an end to this war.  That war outside is a reflection of this war.  Does somebody else have to put out their war before you will put out yours?  No.  Be in peace.  There are people who talk about being in peace, around the holiday times.  I talk about being in peace year-round.  People want to be in joy.  They talk about being in joy around the holiday time.  I talk about being in joy year-round.  And forget about year-round, I actually inspire people to be in joy every single moment of their living life, because it’s possible.  It is possible and it’s possible in your lifetime. 

So, all those wonderful things, I hope they come true for you.

~ Prem Rawat

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Image © Michael B Wood | www.mbwoodphotography.com

On June 22nd, Prem Rawat was honored by local leaders, citizens and officials at Garibaldi Piazza in Sandrio, Italy.  Here is an excerpt from his address. 

The desire to find peace is in the heart of every human being.  Peace is not a state in which you become a vegetable.  It’s not a flower painting.  It’s not two fingers held high. 

What is peace?  When you are close to that god that resides in you, that reality that resides in you. 

People want progress.  People want prosperity.  What is prosperity?  Few years ago, US economics was the best.  Few years later, it’s not so good.  Turns out, the profits were made up.  It seems when a whole bunch of people come together and decide to lie, it is all of a sudden socially acceptable, and it becomes the truth.  That’s not truth.  You want to know what truth is?  Then turn to your self, look in your heart and you will know what truth is. 

Peace is not a social thing.  Peace is the lamp that is lit inside of you.  The lamp of understanding, The lamp of clarity.  The lamp of knowledge. The lamp that has the power to remove the darkness.  That’s what knowledge is – to know.  To know.  Not to guess.  Not to debate.  But see the obviousness of every single living human being on the face of this earth, and understand that they are not any different than you. 

You, like everyone else, has that quest to be fulfilled in this life.  If peace is what we want, we can have it.  If we can go to the moon, we can have peace.  Peace is not impossible. 

A lot of people said to go to the moon - it could not be done.  A trip to the moon was made successful by the efforts of the people who said, “It can be done.”  You being here represent, hopefully, those people who say, “Peace is possible.”  Not, “Peace is impossible, and here are the reasons.” 

I have met people who are very poor and very rich.  Each time, it is the same thing.  “I want peace in my life.”  If each one of us can be that lamp that is lit, lit with knowledge, lit with understanding, lit with clarity, then we hold the potential to light and unlimited amount of unlit lamps.  That’s the possibility. 

One lit lamp can light countless unlit lamps.  Not only is it possible, but it begins with you.  The search within your heart.  That first step is to begin to have access to your heart.  It is in the depths of your heart that lies the thirst that will lead you to the well.  Thirsty can understand the value of water.  Hungry can understand the value of food.  And you need to feel that thirst in your life that dwells inside you.  Your life. 

Your existence means something.  That is important.

~ Prem Rawat, June 22, 2010 Garibaldi Piazza, Sandrio, Italy

Two nights ago, as I was getting into bed, it dawned on me what a pleasure it is to sleep.

The act of getting under the covers, laying down my head, and letting go of the world is an extraordinary experience.

In that state, there is nothing to do. Nowhere to go. No one to call. In that state, breathing is the only game in town -- or should I say being breathed.

One breath in. One breath out. One breath in. One breath out.

Imagine what life would be like if we let go to waking in the same way we let go to sleep.

~ Mitch Ditkoff

Photo

What is immortal?  Can we even perceive?  Can we even imagine what is immortal?  No.  It’s just a definition, “something that never dies.”

What is it that never dies?  Everything that the eyes see, it’s already been proclaimed that’s not real.  “It’s not real?”  The sun is not real?  No.  One day, it will have vanished.  “Oh, surely the Earth is real.”  Sorry.  Once it wasn’t.  Neither was the sun.  And one day it’ll be gone.  “How can you say that?”  It’s the nature of all that that you see.  It is the nature.  All that you thought is permanent, it never was.  It just pretended to be and you wanted to believe it, desperately. 

It’s like the man, the woman, the team, that builds their house out of sand on the edge of the ocean.  Many houses have been built here.  Sand is compressed to give it a shape.  And then it’s disintegrated, put back exactly as it was.  The waves come like a rake, and rake that sand, the great equalizer.  Do not be saddened by this, but awaken.  See that’s the point.  Don’t sit there and go, “Oh, the great equalizer.  I don’t want to be equalized!”  Because that’s not what it’s about.  You can dance.  Great.  But have you learned to dance in your heart?  You can sing.  Great.  Have you learned to sing in your heart?  You can fly.  Great.  Have you learned how to fly with this heart?  Because if you haven’t, it remains incomplete.  The journey remains incomplete. 

It’s a journey to whom, where, what?  People talk about the journey, “journey.”  You know, it’s like, path well walked on, path not so well walked on, path nobody has walked on, the path that hasn’t been built yet, the path that is being manufactured.  Journey to whom, to what?  Journey, journey, journey, journey, journey.  Somebody came up with the word “journey.”  “Are you journeying?”  “Yes I’m journeying.  I’m journeying.  My journey’s afoot.  It’s my journey, my journey.”  What journey, to whom, to where?  Where are we going?

People like to pick up on all these phrases, “Peace.  Oh, yeah, peace, peace, peace.  Peace is great.  We all need peace.  Peace, yes.  The world needs peace.”  Do you understand what peace means?  Do you have any idea what peace is?  “Journey, journey, journey...”  Do you know what journey means?  Where are you going, to whom?  Where is the destination?  Any ideas? 

The day I can recognize, I can reach that feeling within me, the immortal within me, that’s it.  That’s the journey, too, journey home, my trek home, home.  Home, without any regards to anything else, where I can be, where I can be content, where I can be happy, where I can be in that joy, where I can be in that clarity, where I no longer need to be whipped by doubt. 

~ Prem Rawat

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Image © Michael B Wood | www.mbwoodphotography.com