Prem Rawat/Maharaji Speaking at the Knoxville Convention Center, 28th August 2005

Prem Rawat/Maharaji Speaking at the Knoxville Convention Center, 28th August 2005

And now, ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Maharaji.

Well, it's a pleasure to be here to talk to you about something that is so simple and yet so profound. A lot of people always wonder what's he going to say. Well, I'm going to talk about the same thing that I always talk about. And what I try to tell people is to remind them of something they already know. And if we think about it, it is those things that we do know that we put them aside. It is amazing how in our lives we take all that is good and we save it for the last. Who came up with this idea? It is the stupidest thing. It is the stupidest concept to take the best and save it for the last. Maybe it started from desserts. And I can understand that because maybe the food is so pathetic that a sugar hit at the end is what you really need. But life is not like that. Life is a beautiful journey that takes place every single day. It is dancing. It is calling you. It wants you to participate with it, not away from it, not divorced from it, but to actively accept every single gift that is placed before you every single day, every moment. Without judgment. Without the judgment of good and bad. Without the judgment of right and wrong.

Recently, somebody was driving me and it was one of these days this person was having, like we all do, and it was a total disaster. I mean, every road he went on, he lost his way. And this is with a navigation system. And so the next day when he was driving me, I just started talking about that. And he said, oh, yesterday was a disaster. I said, no, it wasn't. It was not a disaster. Why wasn't it a disaster? Because you were alive. That's why it wasn't a disaster. How easy is it to judge from all the things that happen in our lives, to throw away the value of breath, to throw away the value of existence. Not too long ago, I went to a funeral. And I am not a fan of funerals. In fact, this person that I knew, I knew that time was coming close. So before I left on a very big trip for India, I went and met him. And I wanted to say goodbye whilst he was alive, because I really don't think you can say goodbye after he's gone. People say that. Well, I have to say my goodbyes. So one-sided goodbye. So I went to this funeral. And it was, in a way, it was shocking. And it wasn't that this person left that was shocking, because that's what's going to happen to everyone. Because finally, when we went to the cemetery, it was very obvious there were these little headstones and that's what they were representing. Here lies a person. Here lies a person. And I just had to stop. And this isn't just a headstone.

This is a history. There was a person. And he was alive. He was alive. And good things happened. And bad things happened. And there were rough days. And there were smooth days. And there were confusing days. And there were clear days. Days that went this person's way. Days that seemed so opposed to him. A journey was made. A journey was made. And what is the difference between this headstone and me? What is the difference? If I don't awaken to something, if I don't awaken to my possibility, then I too one day will be converted into a headstone. And a name and a few dates and a few messages will be chiseled out. And that's it. And that's it. But am I more than that? Peace, is it more than that? Life, is it more than that? Isn't it? Isn't it? Of all the things, the good, the bad, the rights, the wrongs, all the judgments, isn't it that there is this thing called existence that rides above it all? That there is a kindness to be here. That this is a special moment. And this moment is called being alive. And how aware am I of that moment? How much do I recognize that moment? How much? What am I concerned about today? Of all the things that will happen, and I'm in the least bit concerned about this fine... It's finer than the finest hair. It cannot be measured in width, in height, in weight. And it is the only difference between me and that headstone. And you know what it is?

It's this breath that comes in and out of you. That, my friends, is the difference. And it cannot... You cannot take a picture of it. You cannot paint it. You cannot make a statue of it. You cannot give it. You cannot buy it. You cannot trade it. You cannot sell it. And it is all the difference that you are. You are. And because it comes, you're intelligent.

Because it comes, you're Mr. So-and-so, Mrs. So-and-so, Miss So-and-so, Doctor So-and-so, Captain So-and-so, Professor So-and-so. And you have the capability to understand, and you have the capability to question, and you have the capability to reason, and you have the capability to observe, and you have the capability to learn, thanks, thanks to this gift of breath that comes to you. People say, people say, I've had my job for 27 years. People say, I have been flying for 11,000 hours. I said that to somebody. Yeah, I've got 11,000 hours of flying. Then I started thinking about it. I remember how many hours I've flown, but I do not remember how many breaths I've taken. And every hour that I flew, that I'm so proud of, was the courtesy of this breath that was coming in and out. Why do I forget what is important? What am I saving for the last? The possibility of being in peace. Am I saving it for the last? Because if I am, time out. Change of plans. Change of plans are required, because that is not what I need to put off at the end, for the last.

I need to experience that every single day that I'm alive. And peace needs to be just that, not an abstract concept. Peace. I go talk about peace. I go around the world talking about peace to people. I have understood one thing. People don't even know what it is. Nobody has a clue. Some think, oh, this gets very funny. Some think peace is where everybody is going to put hair around their, you know, flowers around their hair, and dance around the streets. And when you meet somebody, you will hug each other. And no more tips. You go to the restaurant. If the waiter was good to you, then after you're, you know, finished, you pay the bill, you get up, and you give the person a hug. That is their concept of peace.

Other people think peace is when all the fighting will stop. Everybody will just sit home. They won't fight with anybody. Your neighbor does something, you'll just sit there and pout.

I think some people think that peace will be the day the train stops running and dogs stop barking. That's peace. Some people think peace will be everybody will be on top of a mountain overlooking a beautiful lake with the sunset. And you will be able to hear crickets. You and you hear crickets. This is what you say. God is so peaceful. Next time you see a cricket, don't just shoo it away. It's associated with peace for some people. Of course, if that same cricket ends up in your bedroom, then peace is over because you declare war on that cricket. And it is not a question of dead or alive. Dead.

Peace, without which we would lose the very fabric of who we are. Peace that dances in the heart of everyone. That's the peace I'm talking about. The reality, the beauty, the joy, the true peace, not an absence of something, but the very presence of something. That is what is alive. That is what is possible. And yes, even in the middle of the war, a person can experience peace. The freedom that I talk about, the freedom that I talk about is not the kind of freedom that people think is freedom. People think freedom is when you get away from your house for the weekend. Free, I'm free. To teenagers, the freedom is when they leave their parents' house. I'm free. Freedom to parents is when their teenagers actually leave. Not just threaten to leave, but actually leave. Now we are free. Is that freedom? Freedom from my troubles, is that freedom? Freedom from my concerns, is that freedom? Freedom from my responsibilities, is that freedom? I talk about a freedom that can be felt in the prison. That's the freedom. The freedom that no one on the face of this earth can take away from me. No one. That's freedom. Peace, that peace that cannot be disturbed, that is peace. That is real peace. And one that cannot be taken away, that is real freedom. And so people think they're free. And sometimes they're trying to free themselves from their concepts of freedom. Am I really free? If I think differently, I'll be free. If I'm open to everything, I will be free. A lot of people are very shocked when they spend some time with me.

I'm a nice, easygoing person. Jokes are just fine with me. Joke here, joke here, joke here, joke here. Then they start going about something, this is this way, this is this way, and I go, who told you that? Oh, well, I read it. So, never heard of a printer? A computer? QWERTY keyboard? Type whatever you want? You think the printer really cares? Have you ever seen an error message on a printer which said, this ain't the truth. Non-truth detected. Turn printer off. Remove paper jam. Try again. No. Printer doesn't care. And once the printer prints it, the only way you can get it is if you read it. Watch the historians talk about how people sat down and wrote the history, whatever they felt like. God, I'm having a bad day. Let's make everybody have a bad day. Let's write something, you know, that they'll go crazy trying to follow. We. It's us. Don't you see? It's us. It's about us. We, the human beings on the face of this earth, we need, we need peace. Do dogs need peace? I don't know. I think if we left them alone, they would have it. Do deer need peace? I think if we left them alone, they would have it. But we need peace.

We create our systems. We define our systems. We have to sit there and define and define and define and define and define. And people are still trying to define what God is. And so one of the definition is God is undefinable. Let's define that. And the world gets caught in the middle of definitions, ideas and concepts. And one person says, be free of those ideas and concepts. And the other one says, no, but I like my concepts. I love my concepts. There's nothing wrong with my concept. And everything becomes very personal. And then the world engages in fight. No, my God is better than your God. Oh, by the way, there's only one God, but my God is better than your God. Logical. You find that illogical? Because it's about us. You see, it's about us. And we have two ways of taking in information. Two ways of taking in information. One is theoretical. And the other one is practical. And what lies between the theory and practical is this big mountain called understanding. On one side of the mountain of understanding is theory. Keep talking. Keep defining. Other side of the mountain of understanding lies this wonderful thing of feeling. Feeling. And what is the difference?

If somebody told you, you went to a restaurant, sat down, ordered a sandwich, and the guy waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and then brought you the bill. And he said, "Well, where's my sandwich?" "You ate it. I brought you the sandwich. You ate it." And there are people in this world who will go, "Oh," and pull out their credit card and pay the bill and walk totally confused all day long. "Did I eat the sandwich? I'm still hungry. Maybe it was a little sandwich. Did I really eat it?" Go home, sit down with your wife "Honey, is it possible to eat a sandwich and not know it?" Go to the library "Can I have a book on something that, like, I think I had a sandwich, but the guy told me I think I had a sandwich, but I really didn't have a sandwich? Do you have a book on that?" "No." "Okay, I'll go look at self-help section. That'd be a great book. You thought you had a sandwich, but did you? It'd be a good seller. Why? Because people can relate to it. That's what happens.

The police officer pulls you over. You were speeding. Was I? It's your car. You paid for the speedometer. You did. It was not free. You decided not to look at it? Or are you just trying to get away with it? And all the justifications make sense. Or there are other people who say, "Well, yeah, well, if I ate the sandwich, how come I'm still hungry?" I did not eat the sandwich.

"Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace." "Oh, that was a wonderful speech. Thank you. I think about peace every day." People have bumper sticker. Give peace a chance. I've seen those. Peace on earth. Peace. Peace of what? Of that one feeling in which you decide. You. You decide whether you have that feeling or not. No, somebody doesn't come out and say, by the way, you're experiencing peace. So shut up. No. You. You. You have the last word. You have to feel that feeling in your life. You have to feel that freedom, not going around and writing 300 times on a board. I feel free. I feel free. I feel free. I feel free. I feel free. I feel free. I feel free. I feel free. How many times have you seen when a student is given that punishment? I will not talk in class. Write 300 times on the board. I will not talk in class. And the student is sincere. Sincere. After the 250th time, man, I'm gonna talk so much. I don't care.

The reality that dances in front of you. Your existence, this breath, this heart, you know about the heart. People say, where is it? What difference does it make? Why? What difference does it make? What difference does it make? Do you know some people are born with this rare thing where their organs are flipped? It's a rare thing. So, the liver ends up over here. This ends up over there. But they're alive. Should they be condemned? Hey, wait a minute. The liver is on the wrong side. The difference isn't which side. A lot of, there are parts of body, the name, somebody said, where is that? I don't know. That means you don't have one. Of course you do. You've got to know what is important to you. And that just you have a heart. And not the one that just beats. That the heart that inspires us, moves us, for that peace, for that clarity, for that understanding in our lives, not just theory. That heart that has been telling us since the very childhood to be happy. To be happy, and that is what is important.

To be content, and that is what is important. To be fulfilled, and that is what is important. And somehow, through all the rhetoric and all the theory, we have taken and said, okay, that's a good thing, so I'll put it for the last. Peace is an important thing, I'll put it for the last. Happiness is a good thing, I'll put it for the last. Please, don't do that. Don't do that. Begin in your life with the simple steps of understanding. People will say, you know, I heard his speech, it was nice, but he didn't give us anything concrete. What can I give you? What can I give you when you already have all that you need within you? All I could ever give you, all I could ever give you, like to a beautiful woman, what could you possibly give if she's really beautiful, is a mirror. See what I see every day. See what I see every day. I think that would be a romantic compliment. Maybe it is possible the woman will take it the wrong way, why are you giving me a mirror? What's wrong with me? You know, it's a funny thing, because that's why we look at ourselves in the mirror, not to see. But to see the faults. What is wrong? Is my tie crooked? Have I got something here? Something stuck in my teeth? Next time. And I was saying that at one of my events, people go and they stand there, you know, where Mona Lisa's painting is, and they all gawk. Beautiful. That should be a mirror. Look at, look at this, look at this existence, look at this little thing happening. It is amazing, it's unique.

You know, there's no one like you on the face of this earth. Not even if you have a twin. Slightly different. There's no one like you. And there will be no one like you after you're gone. This is your time. To make that understanding happen, to begin to understand. To begin to understand, and here's the concrete thing. To start to realize that all that you ever want, you have. You have that freedom inside of you. And this is what I go around giving people, is a mirror. Knowledge is a mirror. What can you give to someone who has everything that is real? That is real. That is true. By its very nature, it is divine. By its very existence, it is the most beautiful symphony. By its very existence, it is the most beautiful play ever written. You are the actor, and the most incredible script was written for you. Most incredible script. And there's love, and there's a little bit of action, and there's a little bit of clarity, there's a little bit of confusion. Amazing script was written for you.

How well are you playing it? How well do you know your lines? How well do you know this play, or do you have to have somebody in the orchestra pit read you the script? When you don't know, then you need somebody in the orchestra pit going, how many of you know about those guys down there who are going in your life? And it's hard enough to look at one. When two of them start going at the same time, what happens? You know what happens. Family feud? Galore. Like always somebody, somewhere, somewhere. I mean, it's like, I want you to be this way. I want you to be that way. I want you to be this way. I want you to be that way. I want you to do this for me. I want you to do that for me. I trusted you. No, no. You expected, not trusted. You expected that from me. Don't bring trust into it. You don't even know what trust is. Trust is the coming and going of the breath in you that it will come and it will go. That is trust. Not an expectation. And will tomorrow come? Are you expecting it to come? Or are you trusting it to come? Think about this one. Because if it doesn't, that's that. You can do. Can't pout. Can't complain. Wise are the ones who begin to understand the value of what they have been given while it's still being given. Those are the wise ones. Understanding the value of something when it is gone is too easy.

Ah, begin to acknowledge this existence in the simplest way possible. To go within. Not ideas, but from my understanding. From my understanding. Not measuring with the scales of I do not have. I mean, can you imagine having these scales where you get on them and they don't tell you how much they weigh. They just say you're 50 pounds overweight. That's all. They don't tell you you only weigh 100 pounds. It just says you're 50 pounds overweight. You're too fat. Slim down. No chance. Broken. No. Do not have scales in your life to measure what you don't have. Understand what you do have. It's what you have. It's right here within you and everything. It's everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. What is everything? What is mine? What is mine? What is mine that will be there till the very end? What's mine? What's not mine? We'll go. We'll go. And we'll go. For me, this is my opportunity. This is my time. This is my chance. Because I'm alive. To understand. Every step of the way.

Understand. I'm not a parrot. I cannot be a parrot. Yes, this is true because of this. That's true because of this. There was a guy. This is one of these stories I tell. You know, a lot of times in my sleep, I'm at events talking. And sometimes wonderful stories come out. And if I've got the time to get up and write it down, I kind of save it. And this is one of those stories. I was telling this at an event. And this guy was into parrots. So he got himself these eggs, hatched these parrots. And right from the start, right from the get-go, he started training them. And he taught them math, and he taught them about music, and he taught them about science, and English, and all of these things. Incredible formulas. These parrots were good at it by the time they got older. They could just recite, just roll off all these incredible formulas. One day the guy died. He died. So people came, picked up his body, saw these parrots. So what's going to happen to the poor parrot? Somebody said, well, let him go. He opened up the window. There was a tree there. The parrots climbed onto the tree. Sitting there, looking around. First time out from the cage. Having a conversation. Intelligent conversation. Grammatically correct conversation. Do you see things out there? How lovely they look. Up top, there was another parrot. Wild parrot. Hey, guys, you know, how have you been? Oh, you know, ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. What do you know? We know everything. We know all this incredible stuff. The parrot sitting up there was pretty impressed. Well, as all this conversation was going on, back and forth, the parrot on the very top looked down and you see a cat starting to climb up the tree. The parrot said, oh, by the way, guys, do you know how to fly? Flight? Of course we know how flight happens. We've never flown before. He said, well, I wish you'd learn that too. Because you're going to need it. Here comes the cat. And that parrot flew off.

We have acquired much. And we have learned much in this life. But if we have not learned about life itself, then all education is incomplete. It is like being in an airplane. And you know the history. Say it's a Boeing aircraft. You know the history of Boeing. You know the whole tree, family tree of your co-pilot. And you know name of every single passenger on board your aircraft. And you know exactly the numbers of oil fields from where the oil came from that is on board this aircraft. But one thing, so you know a lot, but you don't know how to fly the airplane. All that information would connect so nicely. It would be also wonderful if you also knew how to fly that airplane. And that's what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is the difference of one and zero. Place as many zeros you want in front of that one and the one stays one and zero stays zero and nothing changes. Put the one in front, the one, you the one in front. That Knowledge, that understanding, that know-how, that mirror in front and add zeros. And for every zero you add, the value goes higher and higher and higher. That one, put the zero in the right place and it becomes not one, becomes 10. Add another zero and it becomes 100. And before that, add as many zeros as you want and it doesn't change anything. You are the one. Place that one ahead of all the zeros and you will have so much. Place it on the other side. I'm sorry, it'll stay exactly nothing. You have the possibility.

Begin by understanding. Begin by understanding every day, remembering what is important to you as a human being. As a human being, because that's who you are. People say, I'm a father. I'm a human being. I'm a human being. They say, oh, you're a mother. You're a human being. We don't see human beings. We see everything else. We see the clothes. We say, that person is important because he's wearing a tie. I know it. I know it. Hey, I know it. I know this tie business really well. It is a variation of a noose. It is. The long part of the noose is above your neck. The long part of a tie is below the neck. The knot is there, very close to the throat. And this is an amazing tool. Put this on, and you're somebody. Take this off. They won't hold an elevator door for you. Hey, I know. I know. I know. I was just at a place where that exact thing happened. So in my incredible wisdom, the first day I went for some training, the first day I'm wearing my tie. Who am I? I'm important. It's too hot to wear a tie, a jacket. So the next day I'm wearing a tie. Security check, right? Sir, do you have a cell phone or camera? No. Thank you, sir. Next day, let me check your bag. There's nobody. All of a sudden, just evaporated.

It's always funny to me. This is what we have trained ourselves to see. These are the differences. Your color is that. Your color is that. Your color is that. Your height is that. And then people, this new thing that has gotten added. The taller you are, the more likely you're successful. At what? Banging your head? You will do a lot of that. Boom. I mean, you don't know. When I was younger, I used to go, God, I wish I was taller. Then I crawled into a cockpit of a Learjet and saw the other guy crawling. I mean, this other guy, he could put one leg in and try to grapple, put his hand on the floor. And me, I could just glide in. And then when it came time to use the bathroom, there was no competition. Because he came back, he said, I can't go. There was no way he could contort himself into this tiny space. And for me, it was roomy. But we look at all these differences, everything this way, this way, this way, this way, this way. See the similarity. See the similarity that you were born and you are alive. And that's it. You are alive. That is a blessing. Unparalleled. Unparalleled. You exist. Understand that. Understand that.

Not just theory, I'm blessed. I mean, have you noticed nowadays, reading newspapers, and it's a little bit different because, you know, when you're in Europe, news is different, totally different. When you're in India, it's completely different. It really is. But here, you pick up the paper, and everybody says a prayer. Something happens, say a prayer. Nobody is saying, thank you for this life. No gratitude. It's like, hey, going to a restaurant. Hey, waiter, water. God, fix my tire. Oh, what are you doing up there? You know, got nothing else to do. Fix my tire. I pray to you, God. Hey, you knew about this. The demands. Everything, everything, everything. Make my neighbor wake up later. He wakes up too early. Prayer. Prayer is thank you. I pray to you in thanks for what I have been given. Not grasses. Dear God, have you noticed the grass is getting a little taller than we like in our neighborhood? If you see fit, mow it down.

I'm talking about that presence of that beauty that is inside of you, through which you have everything, without which you have nothing. Nothing. That is simplicity. That is real. And my friends, you are so fortunate that you are alive. And I just wanted to come and remind you of that. Because in times of trouble, we forget. And what do we forget? We forget the most important thing. The most important. And that's what gets us into trouble. That's what gets us into trouble. We push the gas instead of the brake. Then we intend to push the gas instead of the brake. The car accelerates. It doesn't decelerate. Bunk. What happened? We forget the most important thing. You know this. Everything that I have said, you know. You know. And not only do you need to know, but now is the time to understand that. You know peace is beautiful, but now the time has come to actually feel that peace in your life. And nobody is too young and nobody is too old. Never.

Nobody is too old to understand. Understand. Then you don't need all that paraphernalia. When understanding kicks in, you got it. You got it. There are people who cook by looking at cookbooks. I have cookbooks at home. But I don't look at them. Because I know how to cook. There are people who read those books and salt to taste. It needs more. You know, no one single cookbook says, wait. Let the salt dissolve. You got to let it dissolve. Don't over salt the soups because they will reduce and they'll get over salted. Salt to taste. Appropriate thing, of course, if you don't know how to cook, go ahead. Destroy the dish. That's why you keep those popcorns in the refrigerator, in the freezer section. That's your emergency. But don't do that with life. Don't do that with life. Life, no. In life, understand. Let every step be real in your life. Not somebody's instructions from the orchestra. But now say this. Because this is a matter of life. One. One existence. One incredible gift that you have been given. So my journey continues. I learn.

I love to learn. I love to understand. Long time ago, my father gave me that mirror and said, look within. And I did. And I'm happy that I did. And I'm thankful that I did. And I'm thankful for every day. Every day. And yes, I'm still learning the art of unlearning and how to be distracted. Because it comes so easy. Sometimes it's all for a good cause, so let's do it. No, no, no, no, no. Confusion is confusion. It doesn't matter what kind of clothes it's wearing. It's still confusion. And it's wonderful. Take every step and take it in that understanding, in that reality. I hope you've learned something. There's a lot of people here who do have the gift of Knowledge. This is what I call it, Knowledge. Know how to be able to access the feeling within. A lot of people here who have the gift of Knowledge. You know what is important. Keep remembering what is important. It is important to remember what is important. And more important it is, it is more important to remember that which is important. And the more important it is, you must also understand that you're most likely to forget it. (laughter)

That's how we are. I'm not passing judgment. I'm not passing judgment. That's why I go place to place and it is my privilege to remind people, my privilege, my joy, my honor to go around the world and tell people about the possibility of being in peace. Peace is not some abstract concept. Peace is a feeling. Peace is real. And it isn't about when every flower gives off a blue hue. It is about feeling that feeling inside and saying, yes, because I have felt it. Not I think I ate the sandwich. No, no, no. I know I ate the sandwich. And can I have a toothpick? I'd be happy to pay the bill because I enjoyed my sandwich. Not walk around going, did I really eat that sandwich? Where is that sandwich? No, there's no room for that in this life. For those of you who've come for the first time to see me and to hear what I have to say, thank you for coming. Thank you for coming to listen to what I have to say. Because this is important to me that your life be fulfilled because it is possible. It is important to me. It is the same syndrome that when the favorite song comes on the radio, the volume goes up. You could already hear it. You wish the whole world could hear it.

And believe me, some stereo speakers in some cars are getting fairly close to that. I mean, you're seven miles away from this car. Where's that music coming from? Your car is starting to go thunk, thunk, thunk. They got bass. They're literally taking out the engines. Pistons have been taken out and replaced by subwoofers, and they're just blasting, and this car is going. Okay, I get the message. You like this song. And I go around the world without the subwoofers saying, listen to my message, because it is a message of the heart.

I did not prepare a speech. I don't. I come here. What am I going to talk about? If you asked me, I wouldn't know. Because I come and I open my heart. The sense of clarity, the sense of understanding, and hopefully with humility, I present what I have to say. I have nothing to sell. People always go, oh, there must be some hidden motive. Okay, so you live like that. Every time you're nice to somebody, maybe there's some hidden motive. I met a guy, oh, three days ago. I went into a shop, and I came out of there, and my first comment was, that was a really, really nice person. I'm not shocked. That's how people are, really. Take away these veils of doubt and fear, anger, and we're not that bad. Really, we're not that bad. But when comes the anger, the suspicion, people are suspicious. Why? For the same reason that guy has got his stereo turned up so loud, because he likes it. And he wants you to hear the music for free. And you know what would thrill him to death? If you rolled down your window and said, that's all. It would make his day. That is cool. That is good. So, that is what my message is all about.

Uh-oh, where have I started? But, you know, that's what my message is all about. And I go, and I talk to people. So, thank you for coming, and I hope you have a wonderful life. And even if in just a little bit in your life you can understand how precious this is, then it would have been worth coming here today. Even this much of a good thing is good. Even though there may be this much of a bad thing sitting in the next room, but this much of a good thing will always be good and better, better than all that is bad in the next room. That's why it's good. That's why it's good. In your life, your breath, your existence, it's good. It is good. It is good. It has been given to you. Don't ever become suspicious of the giver of this breath and say, I wonder why he gave me this breath. I wonder what his motive was. Motive is kindness.

Kindness. Kindness. We have forgotten what kindness is. Somebody replaces our tire, we say that's kindness. We can do that ourselves. We could have done it ourselves. Kindness is something beautiful. Kindness is exercised every single day as this breath comes into you, as your life unfolds. Belong. Be. Exist. Understand. Admire. Be filled with gratitude. Be filled with gratitude. Be filled with gratitude. I mean, if you're going to be filled with something, and most of us are full of something, but if we're going to be full of something, it may as well be gratitude and understanding, because that'll go a long ways, and it always does go a long ways in making something wonderful happen. So have a wonderful day, and a wonderful life, and thank you again for coming, and have a pleasant evening. Thank you.

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An edited version of the speech was published on the website www.voiceofmaharaji.info (2002 - 2009) and is reprinted here:

The Fabric of Life

Not too long ago, I went to a funeral. At the cemetery, there were these little headstones: "Here lies. . ." I just had to stop. This isn't just a headstone; this is a history. There was a person who was alive. Good things happened and bad things happened. There were rough days and smooth days; there were confusing days and clear days. There were days that went this person's way and days that seemed so opposed to him. A journey was made.

What is the difference between this headstone and me? Am I more than a headstone with a name, some dates, and a few messages chiseled on it? Isn't life more than that?

Isn't it that there is this thing called existence that rises above it all? Above all the good and bad, right and wrong - all the judgments? Isn't it that there is a kindness to be here? That this is a special moment called being alive? How much do I recognize this moment? What am I concerned about today? All the things that will happen? Am I the least bit concerned about something that is finer than the finest hair - that cannot be measured in width, height, or weight - and is the only difference between me and that headstone? Do you know what it is? It is this breath that comes in and out of you. That is the difference.

You cannot take a picture of it, paint it, make a statue of it; you cannot give it, buy it, trade it, or sell it. And it makes all the difference that you are. Because it comes, you are Mr. So-and-So, Mrs. So-and-So, Miss So-and-So, Dr. So-and-So, Captain So-and-So, Professor So-and-So. And because it comes, you have the capability to understand, to question, to reason, to observe, and to learn. Thanks to this gift of breath.

People say, "I'm a father, a mother." You're a human being. We don't see human beings; we see everything else. I'm talking about the presence, the beauty that is within you. Through which you have everything, without which you have nothing. That is real. That is simplicity.

There is a peace, without which we would lose the very fabric of who we are. A peace that dances in the heart of everyone. That's the peace I am talking about. The reality. The beauty. The joy. The true peace - not an absence of something, but the very presence of something. That is what is possible, even in the middle of war. A peace that cannot be disturbed. That is real peace. And one that cannot be taken away - that is real freedom.

Begin to acknowledge this existence in the simplest way possible - to go within. Not from ideas, but from understanding. Not measuring with the scales of "I do not have," but understanding what you do have. What you have is right here within you, and it is everything. I mean everything. And it will be there to the very end.

For me, this is my opportunity. This is my time, my chance, because I am alive. My journey continues, and I learn. I love to learn. I love to understand. I'm thankful for every day. It's my privilege, my joy, my honor, to remind people - to go around the world and tell people about the possibility of being in peace.

Maharaji