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

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

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

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

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

– Prem Rawat

(Prem Rawat) So, because of this COVID-19, this coronavirus, so many things have happened. So many people, unfortunately, have died, gone. So, this, of course, brings about a lot of changes. But the changes that happen are here! Because you think! You think about life. You think about existence! You think, “What does it mean to be facing this challenge?”

And so many people I know, their life has come to a stop. But let’s just take a look, (not zoomed-in but zoomed-out), take a look at the big picture of what is really happening. Do you think that one single wave of the ocean stopped because of this coronavirus? No. You think one cloud slowed down because of this coronavirus? No.

The sun rose like there is no coronavirus. And the moon shone like there’s nothing wrong. Birds, they go about their business. The ants, they go about their business. The trees, they go about their business. Flowers, they go about their business.

Of course, all this time, you are completely freaked out. You’re the only one out of business. “Oh my God, what’s going to happen? Oh, aie-aie-aie-aie-aie.” But nothing! It just goes on, moves forward. Can you take a look at that? Can that be something that can inspire you?

The sun has been rising every single day since you were born. (At least for you, since you were born. Before you, too, it was rising.) But for you, it was rising every morning – whether you looked at it or you didn’t look at it. The ocean did its thing; the rivers did their thing. So many lakes are filled with water because, one drop, one drop, one drop, one drop, one drop.

All these things, they’re going on; they’re not stopping. They’re doing their thing; they’re doing their magic; they’re doing their dance. The question, of course, is, “Are you part of that dance or not?”

By design? Of course you are part of that dance – and you should dance in that dance of your life. Even if you are secluded in a room, that does not mean you don’t have a desire to be happy. Of course you do. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have a desire to be content; of course you do. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have a desire to be in clarity; of course you do.

You see it has nothing to do with coronavirus; this is what you have always wanted – before coronavirus. And you will want this after coronavirus. And of course, you want this during coronavirus.

You are ... I hope – I really hope you get to discover that you are not this world. And what the world is bent over doing? “I want to socialize. I want to be with other people.” You cannot be with yourself; what good is it going to do to you, being with other people – when you can’t even be with yourself? What do you think socializing will satisfy? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!

Sometimes I hear a bird singing, chirping. This time when I went back and I was in quarantine, (for quite a few months, lockdown), around my house, all these birds would come and they would – they would sing a little song. I’m sure they were not singing for me. And I am sure that that wasn’t a song.

But they would sing. Cute little birds, colorful, just come sit down; they would sing. And I would wonder, “Wow. They’re singing away, happily doing what feels good to them: enjoying. Chirping, jumping, flying, darting along, ‘jhee-chee-chee-chee, chee-chee-chee.’”

Something in me also wants to express a gratitude, a song, a chirping, a dance, not for other people, but for me – when I can be in that clarity, when I can be in that place of contentment.

Now you tell me, how should your life be? Should we really be talking about contentment? Should we really be talking about clarity? Should we really be talking about being happy? Well, maybe not. Maybe we should be talking about more serious things.

But then, who is going to convince your heart – your heart – that you can live without clarity, that you can live without simplicity, that you can live in this paradox? Who? Who?! Who?! Who will convince?

This is that time! There’s nothing practical anymore. It’s like, “No, let’s be realistic!” “Well, realistic, what?! What realism are you talking about?” But all this “reality” that people talk about, “Oh, be realistic! We have obligations in this world” – sure, go right ahead. What obligations? What obligations?

And I was thinking about this. And I know a lot of people, and I love them. And then there will be a time when I have to go; I have to move on. And when I do, that’s it. I will never meet those people again, ever. Never, ever. (Never ever, ever? Never, ever?) Ever.

I want you to think about that. If you have family, I want you to think about that. Because this is your time to look them in the eyes. And let them know how much you love them.

It’s so final. So incredibly final. Those who you love need to know that you, you love them. To understand that! You see the importance?

No, but what do you harbor? Anger. You harbor fear. You harbor all those things that’ll do you no good. And you do not allow the love, the kindness, the caring to truly surface. That’s how it has to be.

Look, there is that which is important, and then there is all that that is not important. And what is not important, let it go; shake it off; let it roll off the shoulders. Don’t invite it to yourself. Just say, ‘Go away.’ And what’s important, bring it.

Prem Rawat: There are people on the face of this earth who are very rich. There are people on the face of this earth who are very poor! There are people who are very educated; there are people who are not very educated. There are people who are very nice! There are people who are not very nice.

But what do we all share in common? I’ll tell you what we share in common. And there is no exception, no exception whatsoever. One day we came in this world; one day we have to go from this world, regardless of who we are.

So, now that we have established those two points, (the beginning and the end), this defines this period of time that we have on the face of this earth. And this time that we have between those two points of when we came, to when we have to go, it’s called “life.”

And here is something that I would like to tell you. Contrary to what you may believe—contrary to what you may believe, you and you alone are responsible for what happens between the two points. (Oops. I said something really intense, didn’t I? Whoa.)

Even if you lived between those two points for a hundred years, that’s only 36,500 days. Thirty-six thousand five hundred days? You have time for gadgets? Do you really have time to go around and go in “envy mode?” Do you really have the opportunity or the luxury of FOMO? (Fear of missing out?)

Even if you are ninety-eight years old, your scale should not change. Your scale should still say, “How happy was I today?” Not “How fried I am today.” “How happy was I today? How much peace did I feel today?”

This could be in the worst of the circumstances. “How fortunate did I feel today”; these are the tools you need to start gathering the good. Because you ask, “What is wrong,” right? You ask “What is wrong?” Your whole focus is “Something is wrong. What is wrong? What’s, what’s wrong?!”

You don’t come into a circumstance going “What is right?” What is right? Look at what is right. Even in the direst circumstances, you are not abandoned. There’s an incredible thing happening. Only happens once.

Never since the history of this creation was there one like you. No one. You’re it. You’ve got to take care of yourself. Because never again for as long as this earth is going to be, there is ever going to be another like you.

Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, you are irreplaceable. Seven-point-nine billion people, (actually, it’s 7.89 but they rounded it off), 7.9 billion people on the face of this earth. And you are unique. Capture that. Capture that uniqueness. Take pride in that uniqueness. Don’t try to be “normal.” Be who you are, the exception to the 7.9 billion people; you’re the exception.

More than enough food is produced to feed the whole world. Do you know that? Do you know that? The earth actually produces more than enough food to feed the whole world, every single person, comfortably! So why are people hungry? Greed. Greed. “Throw away food. Throw!” People throw away food.

Do you know what is also one of the largest contributors of methane gas to the atmosphere? Do you know? Food—that’s how much food is thrown away; it actually affects the atmosphere. They bury it, and it rots, and it produces methane, and it goes into the atmosphere.

There are solutions; there are solutions. But the solution begins with you first. When you are happy, then the happiness is contagious. That’s why you like being around people who are happy—because happiness is contagious! You don’t like being around people who are mad, angry, always crying, because it’s contagious too. Sadness is contagious. Joy is contagious.

Find the source of joy in you, and hopefully it will infect you. Infect you! And, enjoy this life. Enjoy this existence. Enjoy this being.

– Prem Rawat

Prem Rawat:

You are pure. But your purity is contaminated by the noise that you allowed to echo between your ears. You memorize that which causes you pain and suffering. You ignore that that can bring you comfort. Comfort. In your hard times, there is something so precious in you that wants to comfort you: “It’s okay! You are alive.” And so far you are alive, believe you me, everything is okay.

Your life, my friends, cannot possibly be, nor is it about what is wrong—but your existence is because of what is right. Do you accept that? (Not everybody.) I’m not saying there aren’t things that are not right! There may be a lot that is wrong! But should that define you? Or what is right define you?

And if this breath comes into you, this is right. It’s not wrong; this is right. If you feel the peace in your life, this is right. If you thirst for joy, this is right! This is right. If you want to feel good, (now we can talk about, “Should that be called ‘happiness’ or this or that,” whatever). But if you want to feel good, that’s right. That’s right.

What are you looking for? What do you want? However old you are, whatever you’ve been through. I’m sure things have happened to you that you want revenge for. Fine. You won’t hear that. You would hear, like, “Oh, oh, oh, oh, you shouldn’t have those feelings.” I’m like, “Yeah. Sure.”

Because what is wrong is wrong, is wrong! And you cannot just simply wish it away! But you can focus—and choose to be with what is right! Because when you choose the wrong, that doesn’t make the right go away!

Choose the right, what is right. This will have an impact on your life. This will empower you to live your life consciously, to stay away from the noise and accept the truth of your existence. This will give you the context you need to value each breath that comes into you. This will give you the context to have gratitude for every single day that you are alive.

And that gratitude has a way of putting a smile on your face like nothing else can make you smile. Because that gratitude is the final result of everything being right. Not about wrong. Everything being right.