There are needs—and then there are wants. There are needs—and then there are wants. The world today does not know the difference between “want” and “need.” What do people need?
They need fresh air. You need fresh air. Why? Three minutes without air—pfft—you will die. There’s a Rule of Three’s. Three minutes—not fresh air, you’re in trouble. You need clean water. Why? Three days without water, you will die!
You need warmth, shelter. Three hours—hypothermia—pfft—you’re dead. Not want—need. Three weeks without good food?—and you’re dead. Not want. Need.
Why is poverty bad? It’s because it does not give people access to what they need. That’s why poverty is bad, and the world goes, “What do people want?” What do people want?! They want everything!
And they want way too much! And if the world was focused on making sure that the need of the people was met, this would be a different world—truly.
The difference between want and need? That’s why there is hunger in this world. Because of the want, all the food that is actually generated is wasted. It’s totally wasted. Because it’s this want! The need?—this food would never go to waste!
So, in a human being, same way, what do you need? And what do you want? You need to feel good. You need to feel content. You need—you need—to feel the equilibrium. You need to feel the serenity. You need to feel the stillness. You need ... just to feel good.
– Prem Rawat
Understand that you are the flute, and you are the flute player. You are the flute, and you are the flute player. But you are not the song. You would be the song too if you could control your breath, birth, and death. But you don’t.
Life is encapsulated in these two brackets: birth and death. Between these two, you are alive. So play in unison with the song. What is the song? The song is existence.
This breath that comes into you, this fountain that comes into you is the simplest of acts that happens. Nothing can be simpler; it’s the simplest of acts and yet so incredibly profound.
Start understanding that simplicity and the rhythm of that simplicity, and you will play the song—with the song, your tune. And what is the outcome? Hmm! The same outcome that a musician gets when he hits the note just right! It’s called fulfillment. Fulfillment.
– Prem Rawat
You realize, human beings are trying to figure out how to fly. I'm not talking about airplanes. I'm talking, just flying, you know? "Fly, fly!" people say, "Fly, fly, fly in your success, fly in your business." People are trying to fly. And you don't have to sprout wings to fly. All you have to do is cut the bondage. Cut the bondage. That's what's keeping you back.
Understand your nature. Your nature is to be content. Your nature is to be happy. Your nature is to want peace.
Change your focus. It's not that you don't have the ability to focus. You have the ability to focus on the wrong thing. Change your focus from all that, that's not going to bring you peace to something that is going to bring you peace. If you're going to search, search not for questions in your life. Search for that source that contains all the answers. If you’re going to search for something in your life, search for the mirror that will show you you!
Search for the mirror that will show you you, and when you find that mirror in your life, use it! Use that. Because without that, there is no difference in the dirt that doesn’t move and the dirt that does move.
To know others is wisdom. To know others is wisdom. But to know the self is enlightenment. So, you know other people. This is...you...maybe you’re wise. But do you know you?
One of the events, it was in Hindi, and I was saying, "So, what does a hungry person need?” Food, right? Right? Right? Wrong! Absolutely 100% wrong. One million percent wrong, quadri, quadri, quadri-zillion percent wrong.
A hungry person needs to eat the food. Right? Right? Right? If you were hungry, and as soon as you walked into the halva shop your hunger disappears? So if you think...see, this is the.... And you know why you think that way? Because this is what you have heard. And this is what you repeat.
“Like food to the hungry." You’ve heard this. And so you go, "Yes, that's what you need." I used to do the same thing. See, I'm not here trying, "I'm more holier than you," or this or that. I used to do the same thing. And one day I was thinking this: "How can that be? How can that be?”
I was flying. I felt hungry. The food...I was in the airplane, and the food was right there, behind me. But I was still hungry. So, I am bhookha; I am hungry. And the only thing that the bhookha needs, the hungry needs is the bhojan. Bhojan is right there.
But unless I get to eat it…I don't eat it, my hunger will stay intact. The same thing. Just because, just because you have the mirror, if you don't look in it, what good is it to get the mirror?
When you go to your work, don’t think about your family. Think about your work. Get it done! When you come home, don't think about your work! Think about your family. Focus. That’s what "focus" means. Focus.
I told that person who asked me that question in Taiwan. I said, "You know, you want to go party. You're young, you go party, you party. When you're partying, you're thinking about your work. And then, when you're doing your work, studying, you're thinking about partying." I said, "Cut the connection. When you're partying, don't think about studying. And when you are studying, don't think about partying. Focus. Focus, focus. It makes life easy.”
"Oh, I forgot this ... and I forgot this. And I forgot this. And oh, I have to do this. And I have to do that ... and I have to...." No. Focus. Focus in your life.
That's how you need to live. That's how you need to be.
– Prem Rawat
One day, a wise man and a student were traveling, and they were stopped by thieves. And the student became very afraid. And the wise man was just sitting on his horse, “Fine….” The thieves said, “Give us all the valuables you have.” The wise man said, “Whatever you find of value, please take it.”
They searched…searched the wise man’s pockets—nothing! They searched his box—some clothes—nothing! The thieves said, “You have nothing valuable.” They left. The student said to the wise man, “Weren’t you afraid? Weren’t you afraid of the thieves, that they’re going to steal the valuables?”
The wise man said, “The most valuable thing I have, they cannot steal. Because that’s in me! Not in a box! It’s in me! They didn’t even search for it. They didn’t even ask me if I had it. And what was the most valuable thing I had? They didn’t even ask!”
The most valuable thing you have is within you! That is the beauty. That is the potential, the true human potential. Because when that is correct, then whatever is built on top of that is beautiful.
That is the value of one and zero. Do you know the story of one and zero? Place as many zeroes as you want in front of one, and it doesn’t mean anything. Place as many zeroes as you want after one, and it becomes more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and more. Same zero—no different. Before one? After one.
What is the one? You are the one. Place the zero…of all the priorities in your life, place them before you? Nothing. After? Same priorities—more, and more, and more, and more.
The mistake we make, we put it before. One stays one, and you say, “But look how many zeroes I have.” Ahh…but it doesn’t mean anything. This is the potential. Just re-arranging and you increase the potential.
To understand is your privilege. To practice should be your joy if you understand: “How, where am I putting the zero? Before me? Or after me?” After me? I’m rich! Before me? I’m still one.
– Prem Rawat
One day you start off on this cruise, and whilst you’re on this incredible cruise, the boat sinks—pooh!—explodes. You find yourself on the beach of an island. You wake up; you look around, and basically you’re intact—a little bruised, but intact. And there is this island—beautiful beach, lush green trees.
You look around, explore—and there’s fruit; there’s fresh water; there’s a nice cave. And it’s like, “Okay! I am okay; I’ll survive here. I’ve got water; I’ve got food; I’ve got a cave, and I’m relatively safe here...” And it’s not a big island—small island, so, you know, you do your survey rather quickly and it’s okay—for the short term, it’s okay.
So, you drink some water, and take a bath, and get cleaned up, and, you know, find some nice fruit and..... And you know, it’s okay. Now, days go by—and the fourth, and the fifth, and the sixth day. As you’re exploring, you come across this part of this island and it’s nothing but gold. And how deep the cave goes, nobody knows, but it’s just gold. Then you find there’s another part, and it’s just rubies, diamonds, emeralds.
What are you going to do? The problem is you can’t spend it on anything. You can’t buy anything with it; you’re stranded on this island. And there are no shops. There are no banks—and you have all the gold and more than you could ever imagine, and all the diamonds and emeralds and rubies and sapphires and everything—but there you are.
And, up to this point, you really were hoping to get rescued. You see the problem? You see the problem!? If you get rescued, you might lose all that! So now you have it….
Do you light the fire and let everybody see that you’re on this island: “Come and get me”? Because it’s not a big island, and if somebody discovers all that, you’re not going to end up with it. So now, what do you do? What do you do?
You can say, “Well, I could hide it.” But it’s out in the open! Everybody can see! It wouldn’t take long. And those people coming there would come in droves and take it all away! And you could say, “Well, I claim this bit in the name of myself.” But they won’t respect that. What do you do?
But do you realize this is the same quandary you are in on this earth, in your big city? All that wealth that you have garnered and gathered, you don’t get to take it with you. You can’t take it off the island called “earth.” (This one isn’t surrounded by ocean; it’s surrounded by space.) But you don’t get to take it. So now what do you do? What do you do?
All our life long, we’re enamored by our dreams. All our life long we’re enamored by what people have told us. But we are never enamored by the call of our heart, which says, “Be fulfilled. Experience peace. Experience joy. Experience that feeling that is within you.”
Not in your head; in you—that is always there, in good times and in bad! It is always there, regardless of your circumstances.
Experience what it is to be alive! Because that’s your reality. That’s what makes you, you. This is who you are; this thing called “life” glues it all together. And as soon as that is gone, everything falls apart, and nothing is any more.
– Prem Rawat