Maharaji: Brighton Aspirants, 1988

Maharaji: Brighton Aspirants, 1988

(soundtrack) Oasis of Love - If I should ever lose sight of you, please find a way to open my eyes again, I fell into a heavy dream a long time ago

I'm not here to try to infl-ooo--ence your life. I want you to look at the fact. Because if you could look at the facts, just simple, nice, wonderful facts, it says a lot right there. The sun rises and the sun sets. It's very simple. Very simple. That is a fact. Not a deep thought, but it is a fact. You breathe. You exist. This is a fact. You exist when you're feeling good. You exist when you're feeling bad. You were born. One day you will die. Just every cycle, every cycle is the same. What will happen afterwards? Because you have the capacity to think, you can think about that. It doesn't mean you can alter it. It doesn't mean you can change it. It doesn't mean you can even understand it, but you can think about it. There are thoughts that can only fall in the category of a waste of time. And human beings derive a lot of pleasure from thinking about those things that are an absolute waste of time. To understand Knowledge, to understand life, to become ready. Ready. And we'll get into it. What does it mean to be ready

But you just need to look at it as simply as you exist. And since you have existed, a breath in and a breath out, your heart has been beating. There's a pulse inside of you. And a desire, a sweet, strong desire to be open. It has been overshadowed. You have at times gone out and done things and said, "Wow, it doesn't get any better than this." You have done things thinking this is it. You have created for yourself a fantasy, a desire, and you have said, If I can just fulfill this, I'll be satisfied. And you have looked at a house and said, I want that. And if I could only have it, I'll be happy for the rest of my life. And you have gotten that house and turned around and it's okay. It's alright. It lasts. The enthusiasm lasts maybe one day or two days or three days. And then after that, it tapers off. There are people who have looked at somebody and said, Oh, if I could marry that person, I would be the happiest person. People have married that person and things settle down.

"If man could only go to the moon, my God, look at all the problems it would solve." So he did. Walked around, looked around, brought back a few rocks. So, all of this technology has come. Promises go on. Someday it will be better. Someday everything will be wonderful. Things get a little better. Then they get a little worse. Then they get a little better. And I like the way Shakespeare puts it. A little wheel that goes round and round. You know, if you're having all your pain, wait a little while, it'll go away. If you're having too much fun, wait a little while, it'll go away too. But, for all of us, to listen, to listen to what we, not me, not me, not the book, not other people, but what you have to say to you.

Because buried deep inside of you is truly a very simple solution. Something that has calling out to you and always has. Inspired you, molded you, folded you, pushed you. That very thing, when you were down, that pushed you up. That now, need to get out. Need to be content. Go on. Move on. Move along. Every time you were able to accept a mediocrity in your life, something that came along and pushed you along. Move it. Listen to it. Listen to what it has to say to you. Because right there is the most profound message anybody could utter, any book could ever describe. This is the most profound message. Listen. To listen to it, you have to bow quietly. Things have to be quiet, because the voice isn't on a PA system. It is not 80 decibels. It is different. When there is all the other people talking, it is very hard to hear what the silent partner has to say. Because your silent partner isn't really all that silent, but just has a very smooth, beautiful voice.

The real know-how, the real know-how is to be able to really go this way. Of course the techniques help, but to follow, to use the bridge created, to walk on the road that has been created, to allow oneself to understand the priority of this existence. That, my friend, is what Knowledge is all about. If you have come, in passing, to learn the beauty of this life, because it may help in your endeavors, go on with your endeavors then you're wasting your time. But if your endeavor is only one, it is to enjoy this existence. Like that person said to me in Dallas. He said, Maharaji, I want that in my life. Because I was in Denver, I was giving a speech, and I said, you know, what do I want in my life? When I die, whenever that moment comes, I want to be thankful. I want to say thanks. It was wonderful. It was precious. It was divine. It was good. I'm not going to say, let's do it again. No. It was perfect. I want to say it was perfect. Am I in a position to say it's perfect? I mean, you know, you got to mean it.

Somebody taught me a language so I could understand the words that were coming from within. And when I heard them, it was, and it still is, and it always will be the most incredible, sweetest poetry anybody could ever write. And I carry that within me wherever I go. I carry within me something that never dies, something that has always been there, in good times and bad times. It is so wonderful, I mean, it is so wonderful to actually know and see the difference between me and the bad times and the good times. It is incredible. To actually know that this bad time, whatever this incredible bad time may be, has come and will go. And to know that whatever this good time is, don't dangle your hands in it too much either, because it's coming and it's going.

But where I am is the best. The best. Because there is fulfillment. There is gentleness, there is kindness. There is a sweet reality of its own. Not a reality that is created and destroyed. Not a reality dependent upon other people. Not a reality that is dependent upon other people's mood. Fulfillment of desires. Because everything… If I build my house on poles, then to check for termites is a good idea. It really is. If termites eat the poles, poles, the house is on. Poles go, house comes. It's not like the poles will disappear and the house will stay suspended. No way. Gravity still works the same basic way it always has.

But when I build my house, my house, the house that Kabir talks about, the house of Kabir that cannot be destroyed, the fire cannot burn. Meera's gift, Meera talks about her gift, that the thief cannot steal. The gift that a thief cannot steal? The gift that cannot be cut? Cannot be aged? Cannot be stolen? The gift. Meera's gift. Kabir's house not built on silt like ours, but built somewhere else. And that is the house that belongs to me. And I'm here. I can touch through this feeling machine. I can touch immortality. So close. I am that hairline thing between infinite and finite. On one side of me is completely infinite. And on one side of me is completely finite. And I can touch both. And one day this privilege will be gone. But while it is, I want to see it. And I enjoy it.

You are my oasis of love in a world of make believe, fantasy, an oasis of love, draw me nearer

Is it for everyone? Yes. Inherently, yes. Perfectly, yes. But, after having grown a little wiser, I would say it is only for those, truly for those, who are willing to make a commitment to us. It is not for the ones who are uncommitted. It is not for the ones who are just seeking a thrill in their life. It is not for the ones who are just saying, why not, I've got all the medals, here's a little place, you can put it right here. It is not one of those things, a medal. It is not for those who just want to say, oh it would be wonderful to socialize. It is not for the ones who say, well after receiving Knowledge, I'll know everything, right? You will know something That is worth everything. True. But will you know everything? I don't know. It is for those who are clear. Who want to pursue. Not hanging in the middle, going this one or this one.

There's a little story. A man came to town once. Remember in the old days, he used to have these doctors, the traveling doctors. And he came and he set up shop. And he said to everyone, he said, I have this powder here. It will clean your teeth. Guaranteed. It will make your teeth beautifully white. People came, didn't believe him. He said, you know, for 25 cents, I'll sell it to you. People came, and he was having a demonstration. There was this one guy, and his teeth were really black. Really black. And he wanted to buy it. So he reached in his pocket, and he got a, you know, a 10 cent piece, and a 5 cent piece, something like that. For 15 cents, he was going to sell them away. And he stood in the back of the line, and he would see a man being, being demonstrated on a person, and they would come, and they would open his teeth, and show his teeth. They were all black, and they would put the powder on, and his teeth would be shining. And he would stand there in the back of the line, going, should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? Should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? Should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? Should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? And as he was doing this, making this little gesture with his hands, and he had one coin in one, and one coin in the other. He was rubbing the two coins together. Should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? Should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? And everybody was coming, and they were buying, and they could see, and people were very happy with it. And he was standing there, should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? Should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? Should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? Finally, there was one bottle left. Just one bottle left. And he was standing there, and he looked at it, and he says, ah, I'll buy it. And he took the money, and he threw it at the guy, and he says, I'll take it. And the guy picked up the money, and he said, I've seen you standing back there, going, should I buy it? Shouldn't I buy it? Should I buy it? In all your indecision, you've ruined these two coins completely. They're worth nothing. You have rubbed the sides off. So, here's your money back. The bottle, somebody who had the money. Indecision! Indecision! Knowledge is not for you. Should I? Shouldn't I? I mean, they're people.

There're aspirants go through this. Should I? Shouldn't I? Should I? Go to the beach. Take a vacation. Learn how to dive. It's probably not a safe thing, if you have that much indecision. Because you need to be fairly committed, because once you get underwater, you've got to be committed. You know, go, go, go do something that doesn't take decision. Sharpening pencils. There's this one guy in America, and his hobby is to add numbers on a printing machine. He has a little printing machine that takes a paper roll, and he started with one, and now he has gone to something like five billion or something like that, and he wants to just keep going. And so he has tons and tons of these paper rolls, and that's his hobby. Find something like that. But get off this whole thing of Knowledge, if that's the kind of indecision you're going to have. Because the commitment that I'm talking about is really not to Knowledge. You cannot, you see, most of you don't have Knowledge right now. How can you make commitment to it anyway? But I'm talking about a commitment that you have to make to your, to you, to your existence. Then Knowledge makes sense. Then it will happen. Okay. Any questions? Yes?

Do you think that we should, or that we can control our life by giving our destiny? Do you think we should just let it blow, or we should control it?

You are my oasis of love in a world of make believe, fantasy, an oasis of love, draw me nearer

What is destiny? What is destiny? Yes.

I mean, if you think that something, you would like to do something in your life, and you don't do anything to make that happen, you're procrastinating. I'm not saying that what eventually you do is going to make you happy, but you want to do that in your life.

What do you mean? Like if I wanted to go do a movie?

No, I mean a bigger thing than that. Like what? You want to, you want to travel, or you want to do business, your job, you have to work for that, you have to fight for that. If you don't, you're not going to arrive there. It's not going to maybe make you happy. You do something to make that happen. You know?

You are my oasis of love in a world of

Well, what is our destiny? This is, this too is, what I had actually said was because we can control the temperature of the room, we think we can also control our lives. Okay? Not just because we think that, anyway. So we try to control it. What is our destiny? And this is an interesting thing. If you think our destiny is to accomplish something, like become a big movie producer, or produce a great movie, or do something fantastic, or whatever it may be, then yes, of course, learn how to make movies, and make a really good one that everybody likes, you know, get some fancy actors in it, then you may have a success story after all. But if the destiny is to fulfill that one place inside of us, a code, a genetic code, if you will, just like in a dung beetle, to make the little ball, a genetic code inside a human being to be fulfilled. Fulfillment. Because without that fulfillment, a human being is not fulfilling his own. Very much so. I mean, first, if, I mean, for instance, a cat, every time it goes, it throws dirt over itself, or stuff. It does it in the carpet, it still tries to throw dirt over it, because there's no dirt there. It's a behavior, that inside a cat. To me, here comes a very simple thing. What are you trying to control your life for?

If you don't do the things that you think you want to do, you're going to end up being… I know what you're saying. I know I'm falling into a trap when I'm speaking.

No, I'll tell you where the trap begins. Make a distinction between life itself and the things we do in this life. Can you make that distinction?

Yes. I think you can. Yes.

But my life goes on. You see, I cannot control it. The one breath in, and one breath out. The existence, the pulse of every moment. I cannot stop the moment from coming. And I cannot stop the process of it being converted into a past. It's happening. The pulse of my existence. My life. As it clicks away. Every moment. I could not control that I was going to be born. And as much as I would like to control when I die, I won't be able to do that either. So we try to control existence when it is uncontrollable. What you can control is what you do, because you exist. That is controllable. But those two separate things, the things you do and the things that are happening. Two tracks. Track A. Things that are happening. Period. And things that I have control over. Those are the things I can do. At the end of which track lies my fulfillment? Because all the things that I do will give me momentary pleasure. Everything that I do in this life is driven by my desires, my needs perhaps, my necessities, or my desires. And as soon as they are filled, a new one will be created and a new one will be created and a new one will be created.

None of the stuff from track B will I be able to take with me? None of the stuff from track B is ever what I came with? Everything, I mean, and this is the whole thing. Because you are a creature, if you were a creature of things that you do, and that's what your composition was, your name means a lot. You exist, your whole identification is your name. John so-and-so, and it's like, John, that's me. Me, I am John, I am this, I am, but you're not. You are not your name. And it gets weird, and it starts to become almost spiritual, but it's not. Because if you can make the two distinctions, you have created for yourself a heaven right here, right on this earth. Because what I am, my composition is not these things. I do these things, and I want to be good at doing those things, and I enjoy them, and I take pride in doing them, I take pride in flying, I take pride in flying a glider, I take pride in creating music, I take pride in doing this, I mean, all the stuff. But I am not those things. I am something. And knowing that is, to me, my destiny.

Knowledge. Because I trust you, and because I believe that Knowledge comes from the heart.(mostly unintelligible)

Well, do you know how to trust yourself? It takes a lot of trust in you. It takes a lot of clarity. Clarity to be open. Clarity, you know, to be… This canvas that you are, needs to be free of good lines. Knowledge is not paint by numbers. It's an empty canvas. And it has to be very empty. Bare, white, pure. It is easy to say, well, let me just put a dividing line, so you can define the left and the right. No. It's an empty canvas. When this heart is like that empty canvas, then it can be painted. And then the most magnificent painting will be manifest. When it's paint by numbers, it's a little stupid. Because that's just mass produced. And to have that canvas empty, and not have it filled with something, takes a lot of trust. And in you. In you. I'm really glad we're having this time, because I think a lot needs to be scrubbed. Cleaned. You've heard, you know, Knowledge, Knowledge, Knowledge, Knowledge, wonderful Knowledge, known for Knowledge, wonderful Knowledge.

It is wonderful. But now here, how you have to be. Yes, you have to be humble. Maybe you have never been humble. But you have to be humble. Why? Because you have to be honest with yourself. You cannot fight this one out. Humble to whom? I wouldn't mind if you showed it a little towards me. But at least humble to yourself. Humble to your heart. Understand and recognize its presence. As you have lived for such a long time without it, in its absence. Now, to be humble enough to say yes. Stay with me, stay with yourself. Just let go. How can I say it for you? Let the magic unfold. Don't push it. Don't push it. Don't pull it. You know, I know you've tried to control everything. Don't do it to this one. If you try to control this one, you're going to wreck it.

If I should ever lose sight of you, please find a way to open my eyes again
Fell into a heavy dream a long time ago, God only knows the kind of shape

That, that brings you that pain. Believe in the source of joy, don't believe in the doubt maker. Believe in this reality, this simple beautiful reality that allows you to take every new breath. Don't believe in the stupid doubt maker. And people, don't see that. Of course, after an incident, you know, you can kick somebody's behind and say, well, it's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Two days later, everything is back to normal. Two days like it never happened before. And I see good ones, going, going, gone. What are we dependent upon? That's the clue. That's the clue to the whole mystery. What are you dependent upon? When we become dependent on everything else, then that will be the result. To listen, like I was saying, to listen to the Master, who speaks from inside. To you, to your heart. And awakens something wonderful inside. I see it so many times.

Not too long ago, somebody wrote me a note. You know, my wife is dying, what should I do? And I feel for the guy. Believe me, I do. I was in a very similar situation. And it was bad, it was not pleasant. And the contrast, I suppose, was incredible. Because something inside of me, still wanted to feel that feeling, that joy, that beauty. And that's all it cared about. It had its own logic. Simple logic. I mean, I remember, when the doctor came and told me, well, we don't know what's going to happen, he may not wake up. There was a part of me that was like, oh my God, why is this happening? And then there was another part, that was so simple. Trust. Let go. There is no ride here. Just let go. Simple logic. If this is what is meant to happen, will happen. What is meant to happen, will happen. I'm not the director. And I don't have to be the actor. I can be in the audience, enjoying every note. Enjoying every play. Enjoying every movement of this beautiful drama of my life. And the drama isn't on the outside, the drama is on the inside. And even though I felt for the guy, and it was like, well, what can I tell this person, exactly? Okay. It's alright. If it's their time to go, they'll go. Nothing you can do. If it isn't their time to go, he's not going to go. And there's nothing you can do. The sorrow. You know, and I always see this. People who are alive, it is much harder for them to accept somebody's death. It's very easy for the person who just died, to accept his death. And our little drama, trauma of coming together and saying nice eulogies and saying, that's for the living. Not for that person. That person better not be listening to this. Because if he can, and actually understand it, you're doing this a little prematurely. He's gone. We come and we do our little drama, and we, oh, this is terrible, and this is this way, and this is this way, and this is this way. But that's not your drama. These are the things that will happen. The curtain has to be lifted and the curtain has to be closed. That will happen. The doors will be opened and the doors will be closed. If you came into the hall, you're going to leave too. That's that part of the drama.

The other drama is the drama that unfolds in that beauty, in that divinity. Divinity, and I don't mean it in the religious sense again. I meant divinity. It is divine because it is so simple. It is perfect. It is real. And for those of you who have Knowledge, and you better all have Knowledge sitting here, this is the opportunity. This is the door. You have been brought to this threshold. And I kid you not when I say that. This is the threshold you have been brought to. Between you lies a door. That's only a metaphor. There is really no door. No physical, you know, door. That's just a metaphor. And what is this door? What is this door made out of? It's your reluctance. It's your doubt. Lest you become dependent on that one real thing, what would happen to you?

Lest you awaken to that reality, what would it be like? A doubt comes. The classical, classical, classical example that I can give is mothers, their children, and Knowledge.

And they say, well we don't have the time to practice. I've got to get up in the morning. I've got to see my kids off to school. Make them lunch, make them breakfast. Make sure they leave for the school. How many kids have you got? Five hundred? Six hundred? You've got to get up at two o'clock in the morning and make breakfast for seven hundred kids? Make lunch for seven hundred kids? Get seven hundred kids ready? I mean if that's the issue, yeah, you really don't have any time. And for everything you are doing, be forewarned, this same kid isn't going to want to get caught with you. There comes a time when kids don't like to be seen with their parents. Too weird. Too strange. Now, I have seen this. I must say I have never experienced it. I have seen it. I have seen it. My own kids with their own mother. But I have never experienced it. And I always have to tell them, this is stupid. You don't want to do this. For all the things you do, you want something in return for that? You're not getting it. And will you ever? No. It sounds funny, doesn't it? It's damn serious when you've got to go in your closet and go, what is this all about? The doubt that people think they have to have is, what would happen to my kids if I really went with the flow inside of me? All you parents want to know about raising children, just feed them.

All you have to do is feed them. And they raise themselves. They don't actually have to sit there and yank on their head. The teenagers, they get to the teenagers, and my definition of teenagers, I was talking about in Montreal about it. Prototype. Untried, untested brain. It's like having an airplane that has never been test flown, was manufactured, was brought out, passengers put in it and launched. And nobody has a clue what this thing will do. That's a teenage brain. Untried, untested, no documentation, and it's going. I remember that. I remember that. It's not any different for anybody. As soon as they become parents, they have the perfect right to forget everything. Sure, you did all the things your kids are doing. And all the things you would never tell them you did. Because they may scold you for doing those things. But that's not the point.

The doubt comes in, what will happen to them? Nothing. Everything will be normal. They'll probably grow up being very happy.

Now, me, I have never pushed Knowledge on my kids. They want to hear, they come. They don't, they don't. They want to watch videos, they do. When they do, they enjoy. And it's no different for them than anybody else. When they watch the videos, when they hear something centers, and you see them, and they're just beaming, and they're just so happy, and everything is wonderful. And then they go back home, and their environment, and their friends, and everything else, and boom, it's all gone. The pride phase takes over. Then they go to another event somewhere, and it's just like, yes, this is what is real. I know, I watched a little drama happen, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again. The doubt maker comes, what would happen? Nothing would happen.

Try to be dependent upon the that is in your life. Try to be dependent on that joy that is in your life. Try to be dependent on that beautiful, beautiful magic that is taking place inside of you. Try. And when you are dependent on that, there are no barriers. Roads open, doors open. Reluctance is gone, and acceptance walks in. Doubt disappears, and understanding takes over. Agony is gone, and joy replaces it. Darkness is gone, and light comes into this place. The confusion goes, the clarity comes. Is there really just one key that can do all that? There really is. There really, really is a key. Just one. Turn it. And all of those things magically begin to happen. And then the most wonderful thing takes place. The heart begins to fill. And it begins to fill with gratitude. And when it does, I can tell you, there is no feeling like that in this whole world. And you listen to me.

I have done a lot of things. I go to a lot of places. I mean, I have driven crawlers, and I have driven backhoes. And I have flown airplanes, and I have flown gliders, and I have flown helicopters, and I have flown jets, and propeller airplanes, boats, and hovercrafts. And I have painted, and I do computers, the artworks. And I have made videos, and I have edited videos, and I make music. I compose music, I play music. And all of those things have something, basically. But when the heart begins to overflow with that gratitude, there is nothing like it.

You become still. When the confusion is gone, when you become so clear, it becomes so obvious that you become so clear. When the darkness is removed and light is there, it's all visible. When it isn't the doubt maker, but the understanding is the thing, is the dance that is going on. The rhythm becomes obvious, and the feet begin to dance. That matters. That's one key. And make that possible. The heart only turns and overflows in gratitude when that appreciation is taking place. Nothing else. The heart never fills with gratitude. And you think it does, you haven't experienced it. It's quite a kick to feel that feeling in your life. It's worth it. Not just one day, not just two days, but every single day. That, as a human being, is what you should strive for. That's your profession. That's something you can actually do. That is the highest state of being for a human being. And I won't get you a certificate to hang on the wall, but the certificate hangs in here. Achieve that.

And how beautiful, how amazing, that it is possible. You know, people used to talk about this. And always, those people who felt that feeling in their life, they would say, rejoice, the Master is here. Why do you think? Why? Because the Master carries the key. And that's the only, the only sign you have of the real Master. The Master carries the key. Everybody else can carry the philosophy. The explanations, the explanations. The ideas, the Master carries. And maybe there is a lot of steps you have to walk, and yet they are not out there, they are in here. So open that door. Knowledge makes that happen. And Master makes Knowledge happen. Otherwise it's just going to be abstract things. An idea, a philosophy. And you see, we are not talking about, wouldn't that be nice? That's the difference. We're not. We're not here to say, wouldn't that be really cool? No, we're talking about, it should be, can be, done. In the simplicity, not in the complex, in the simplicity. Perfection, that's the only thing perfection can come at. Anything else, it would be complicated, it wouldn't be perfect. This joy inside comes in the simplest of forms. To get to it comes in the simplest of forms. To become ready for this Knowledge comes in the simplest, simplest of forms.

Like I always say, and I quote myself, when you clean a shirt, what do you do? Do you put cleanliness in it? Is that how you clean a shirt? No, you remove the dust. Cleanliness. When you clean your hands, what do you do? Put cleanliness on them? No, you remove the dirt. What do you have to do to go to sleep? What do you do? Oh, people say, oh yeah, I have to brush my teeth and I have to put my pajamas. No. When you stop doing everything else, that's all it takes. You don't do anything. That's all it takes. Just let go. Lie there, close your eyes. Even if the eyes are not closed, they'll be closed automatically. And sleep will come. Simplicity. To understand Knowledge, just to become simple. That's who you are. Each one of us, we pride ourselves on some kind of strength. Some of you, maybe you pump iron. This is a song that was written by Surdas. And he says that there are people, Surdas means somebody who's blind, but there was a guy who was blind who wrote this song.

And he says, there are those who are dependent upon the physical strength. There's a lot of people here. You look at them, the way they carry themselves, it's like, yeah, I can, you know. A little bit of that.

So one kind of strength for some is just that. There are other people who don't have that, but they still walk like, you know, they're carrying a porcupine in their pocket, back pocket that is. To them their strength is in what they think they are, who they are, what they have accomplished. And the new words I guess that would be self gain. That's what I'm proud of. I've done this, I've done that, I've got this degree, I've got that hanging on my wall, I've got that hanging on my wall. And then there is the strength of what people think in this life of the wealth they have accumulated, all the things that they have done, people have that strength. And so that says, and then there is the strength of my Lord, dependent upon Him, dependent upon, again, that feeling, upon that divinity, that's what that is. Once again, two different poets, talking about being dependent, dependent on that what? Dependent on my breath, dependent on that feeling. Become dependent on that feeling within you and you will become independent. The formula for this world, when you become dependent on this world, you don't become independent, you become its slave. When you become dependent on that feeling inside of you, you become independent. You are then set free. So how close? How close are you? You are very fortunate, very fortunate. You have this gift of knowledge, practice, bring it into your life, bring it in, embrace it.

Don't be shy. Because it's not going to tell you what you can do on Fridays. It's not going to tell you what you should do on Saturdays. It's not going to tell you what book you should read and what book you shouldn't read, and which temple you should go to, and which temple you shouldn't go to, and what you should do, and not do, and do this way, this way, no. All it tells you is to be conscious. Be conscious of what you do, that's all. Be aware of what happens. That's all. This is a sweet, precious time for all of us. We have been given so much. If we accept the gift, see, till you accept the gift, you haven't been given the gift. It's not just that somebody puts it in your hand, and you have it. That's not true. Just because you have a ticket doesn't mean you are already in England, does it? You have to use that ticket, you have to get on the airplane. So the gift is given, and until it is received, it has not been given. Two people are involved here, the giver and the receiver. The giver has to give, and the receiver has to receive. Receive the gift of this life. You've been given it, but you don't have it, until you receive it. Begin by the simple appreciation of being alive. The Master gives knowledge, enjoy that gift of knowledge, receive that gift of knowledge in your life. Practice it, not because you have to, but because you want to. You know that the whole process of salvation and freedom and whatever you want to call it, isn't complete, till gratitude starts to flow to the other end. That's when you know, you've done well.

You've done well. Same thing, accept, enjoy. Such a sweet time, it really is. You have somebody who will come, who is willing to teach. Then be willing to learn. Be willing to learn. For me, you know, not too long ago I was watching these videos. They're from 1971 and so on. Old stuff. God knows where they dug them out of. I was shocked. One of the things that shocked me, is here I am, saying the same thing. I've done a program in this, this is a new hall, but I've done a program here before. So, what a beautiful thing. All those years, saying the same thing. You've been listening to the same thing. And the amazing thing is, it never gets boring. You know, you have to say that same thing about this. Anything about this world, it gets boring very quickly. Even a good movie, if you had to watch it for 25 years, it'd get pretty boring. And here is one, that never gets boring. I wonder why. The Master's message comes, same message, presented a different way, comes as fresh. As fresh as the dew on the grass. As fresh as that flower. These are the natures of knowledge, of acceptance, of the realm of the heart. This is where people understand what immortality is. The living immortal. Because they begin to understand those things that are timeless. Timeless.

So as long as I speak, I can speak, I can teach people. This is what I'll continue to say. Many before me have said it. It has no name. It's just in the realm of those people, in their heart. Where this is echoed again and again. There's an anniversary event happening in Rome. If you can come, come. It'll be a blast. There'll be one happening in Miami as well. I'm sure, I can guarantee you one thing, they won't be alike. That's always the case. They won't. So, if you can come, I think you know the dates for Miami. And there's one in Rome. And if you can come to that, come to that. You can come to Miami, come to that. Come to both if you can come to them. But, that's up to you. For me, 25 years, 26, 27, 28, however long it takes to reach people. To those who are thirsty. They are in my domain. I can talk to them and they can talk to me. No names need to be said. No letters need to be written. No phone calls need to be made. We talk.

We talk the same language. We have much to share. And that's how it has been. 1996 still continues to be that. That's good. That's good. It's the same people. Same people. Same thirst. Looking. Searching. And they're fine. I go where the thirsty are. That's where I need to be. That's when I do well. That's when, you know, that really, that's when everything is fine. Great. Everything is wonderful. It doesn't matter if I have had sleep or haven't had sleep. That's when the schedules are made that way. Where I am, where I need to be, everything is hunky-dory. And when it isn't, big problem. I get upset. That's a kinder word for actually what happens. The thirsty will seek me. And I'll seek them, and we will meet. Wherever they are in this world.

That's how it has been. I mean, look at it. I was born in India. You guys weren't. Most of you weren't. And what would our chances be to even get together? Here we are, and some of us, you know, we've been around for 25 years, and some of you, I don't even know your name. And boy, have we talked. And our relationship has only gotten better. I mean, everything else goes down the tube. Our relationship has gotten better and better and better and better. And so, that's the magic of what happens. It's amazing. It really is. So hold on to that. Hold it dear. And enjoy this life. Enjoy. All this for what? So you can enjoy this life. That's it. Sounds so simple, isn't it? Not so that we can go to the moon. Not so that we can lift a glass of water without touching it. No. If I can lift a glass of water without touching it, that's what I'm going to do. If I'm thirsty. If I'm not thirsty, I can sit there and go, come here, all day long. Because even those who pretend to lift a glass of water without touching it, do touch the glass of water when they're actually thirsty, don't have the time to sit there and make that thing come to them. But here's the magic. So beautiful.