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What happens when a person is in peace? What happens? There is a recognition; there is a simplicity; there is an appreciation. There is a gratitude. This is what happens: recognition of each other; recognition that “my need is like yours.” That it isn’t about power. That it isn’t about destruction. But it is about preserving that which is precious. It is about appreciating the gift that we have been given. It is about being alive.

You think being alive is to walk? No! Being alive is that person that has a heart full of gratitude, that has an understanding, that has the aroma of kindness, a passion for peace, and a singularity—not confusion, but a clarity to the objective of being alive. That’s when the reason why sun is where it is makes sense. That is when being on this earth makes sense.

When I say, “The knowledge of the self, knowledge of the self,” this is connecting to the message, the very message that Socrates said. “Know thyself.” He could have said anything. He could have said anything. He could have said, “Dates are too expensive.” You know?

But he didn’t say that. What did he say? “Know thyself. Know thyself.”

What effort do we make in a day to know yourself? Everybody else? “Oh, I want to know that person, I want to know that person, I want to know that person, I want to.... Can I have your phone number?”

What is your phone number? What is really your phone number? The one that goes to you? That number that nobody else can pick up? That only goes to you? You don’t know, do you? Area code? “Human being.” Human being. Need? Peace.

That’s your nature. And when you understand that, then you begin to feel the thirst, the thirst for peace. And do you know, the day you find peace begins with the day you feel the thirst for peace. Once you feel the thirst, water is there.

You know, before you come into the desert, people go...people go with the tents into the desert. “Oh, look at the stars.” I’ve done this, see. “Look at the stars. Oh, look at the sand. Oh, look at the sunset. Oh, look at the sunrise. Oh, listen to the quietness.” But when you get thirsty, “Bye, stars. Bye, this. Bye, that. Water. Water. Water, water, water,” till you find it.

There’s good news. And the good news is that the peace you are looking for is inside of you, is inside of you. Always will be. And the day you recognize it, the day you experience it, you will start living.

– Prem Rawat

To be rich requires two things. To be rich requires two things: one is that you have something precious and the second part of it is you have a lot of it.

See, if you have gold about the size of a pinhead, that won’t make you rich. But if you had a lot of it, that’ll make you rich. Two things to be rich: you have something precious and two, you have a lot of it.

Now, the second question becomes: “Do you feel rich? Is there something that you have that is precious and you have a lot of it?”

And I will tell you that there is something that is incredibly precious, and you have a lot of it. And it is this breath that comes and goes in you. Is it precious? Of course! No monies of the world could buy it. And do you have a lot of it? Oh, yeah! Day and night, it comes, goes; comes, goes; comes, goes….

Every second, if you can understand its preciousness—and every second is precious—and do you have a lot of those? Yes! Yes! But do you know it? Not think it, know it?

Peace is for those who know. Peace is for those who know.

So, I’m talking about the real peace in your life. This is what people want. This is what you have to want. This is what you have to need in your life.

Do whatever is necessary to bring peace in your life, because when you bring peace in your life, not only will it bring you peace, it will also bring you an immense amount of happiness—and a gratitude: thankful to be alive.

– Prem Rawat

Do you know what today is to you? It’s the day that goes by too quickly—right?

People say, “I don’t have enough time during the day.” It’s not that you have enough time or not—because the days are exactly the same. It’s your wants, your wishes; they keep multiplying, multiplying, multiplying....

It is what takes you to the shop, “I want to see the dresses. Oh, yes, this blue one would look perfect.” You buy the blue one. By the time you get home, “I wish I would have bought the red one.”

How many of you have closets that are overfilled? Why? (Oh, me too, believe me.) But, yes! All these, all these, all these keep rotating and rotating, and the desires keep going: “The days get shorter.” Not the days get shorter; the desires get longer.

And all you have to do is then remember that which is important, that which will produce gratitude—not confusion and anger and fear and doubt—but gratitude, because a heart filled with gratitude will dance. And as a consequence, peace will reign in your kingdom. The drought will be gone, and prosperity will come.

There’s prosperity on the outside, and there’s prosperity on the inside. A person who prospers on the outside but not on the inside, that’s a house that’s going to fall one day. (Physics!) Termites, they eat the inside; then that house falls.

But when there is prosperity on the inside, then there will be prosperity on the outside. And when there’s prosperity on the inside and the outside, everything goes fine. Everything goes fine.

This is not about sacrifice. This is about discovery. This is not about confusion; this is about clarity. This is not about believing; this is about knowing—because that is the only way that peace will ever come to you—ever.

– Prem Rawat

You know, in our lives, we have learnt a lot of things. As we are today, this is not the way human beings used to be. We have learnt how to make buildings; we have learnt how to make airplanes; we have learnt how to make cars; we have learnt how to make this, have that—everything that you have in this world—even wars. We have learnt how to make wars. And we have learnt how to make the instruments for the wars, but we have not learnt how to be in peace...how to be in peace.

Not how to make peace. You have to be very careful what words you use, because if you have to make peace...? If human beings were responsible for making peace, they would do something so completely bizarre with it, that it would be unbelievable.

How to be in peace—because peace already is in the heart of every single human being. Being so close, and being so far.

But for those who are interested in peace, there is a whole another chapter. There’s a whole other field. There’s a whole other thing to understand, of how we can be fulfilled. That this life is not about just birth and death. That this life is about fulfillment; that this life is about peace; that this life is about understanding; that this life is about clarity; that this life is about feeling that gratitude.

Gratitude is the highest expression of a human being. But it can only happen when there is truly a reason for it. If you’re not thankful...? Just by saying it, it’s empty. What are you thankful for in your life? What are you thankful for?

Oh, see, it’s very strange. You tell people...they sit down in a room. You ask them, “What are you thankful for?” And it’s, “Oh, I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for my family; I am thankful for my job; I am thankful for this, and I’m thankful for that, and I’m thankful for that, and I’m thankful for that, and I’m thankful for that.” And all I have to say is, “Really? Really? Really? Really, are you thankful for being alive? Are you?”

How many times during the day do you say, “My goodness! I am alive. Thank you for this life”—during the day? Do you really, really, really, really—you get up in the morning and the first thing you say is, “Oh my God. I am alive.” Or is it, “What time is it? What do I have to do?”

How many times during the day do you feel gratitude for being alive? How many? Once? Once a day? Twice a day? Three times a day? Four times a day? How many times a day do you feel thankful for being alive?

How many? Once a day keeps the doctor away? At least...and sometimes not even that? At least he’s honest. If he is honest, he can learn! He can learn. Because that’s the reality. Once is not enough; two times is not enough. Every time you feel alive, your heart will fill with gratitude. You see, you don’t have to make your heart feel full of gratitude. It needs to be naturally filled with gratitude. And naturally being filled with gratitude only happens when there is a focus in your life.

– Prem Rawat