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The facts say, “For peace you don’t have to do anything.” Like, “What? For peace you don’t have to do anything? How can that be?” I mean, after all, everything ... you do, you have to something for it.... (Program your phone to turn on the coffee!)

Everything you do, you have to do something for it ... and for peace ... you have to do ... nothing? [Indicates something going over his head] Whssssht!

“How can that be?” How can that be? Because the peace is already inside of you!

In the core, in the core of your being, that’s where peace is!

When ... there is a possibility ... to be human ... to truly achieve what it is to be human ... then the question becomes, “What ties and holds back a human from achieving that? (What is the rope?”) There is a saying ... “To fly, you don’t need to sprout wings; you just need to cut the bondage....”

What binds us? What holds us back ... from achieving ... that simple thing called peace? ... when peace is inside of us?

It truly is a great honor to be here and to take a moment and talk about peace. I have been coming to Rome for quite a long time. In fact, when I left India, when I was a teenager, the first stop outside of India that I had ever come to was Rome. [Paolo Masini: Welcome back.] And then, of course, the flight continued on to England.

But my challenge, in the few days that I had, which was a vacation, a summer vacation—and I came, really, to explore the possibility of what would happen: “How would people react to my message?” I didn’t know if the West was going to be open to the message of peace.

And this is where I would like to clarify—we use the word “peace.” Having talked about this subject for over forty-nine years, I can tell you that the word “peace” does not mean the same thing to everyone. To some people it’s absence of war; to some people it’s a place up on a mountain.

And I don’t care what people call it. You know, when you are really, really hungry and you’re dying of hunger and you come across food, you don’t say, “What is this called?” You eat. If you come across water and you’re dying of thirst, you don’t ask the person, “What do you call ‘water’ in your language?” You drink.

It doesn’t matter what we call peace. But away from the ideas of peace, there is an understanding of peace. In fact, yesterday this is what I was talking about to the students, that, “Let’s just forget about the word ‘peace,’ and let’s just try to understand what it is.”

A place from where a person flourishes, where a human being comes to their full potential as a human being. Fulfilled, not filled with doubts and questions, but with clarity—in an understanding deep within themselves that emanates from their heart.

– Prem Rawat

And for the leadership that you have to provide, it is quintessentially important that you know where you are—otherwise you will not be able to! The leadership requires that not only you know where you are—because that’s the whole crew! That’s your crew onboard your yacht, depending upon you to say, “Ah, we’re here!” Or not going, “Um, I, I, I think we are here...” No. “I am here.”

Do you practice, every day, having a recognition of yourself? The fact that you are alive offers the opportunity for the highest potential to be fulfilled. Let’s just look at a situation, a possibility in which a human being is at that utmost state where the potential of that human being is fulfilled.  

 – Prem Rawat

People have dreamed of possessing something of value that replenishes itself whenever it is used. That possibility exists. We hold within us a wealth of resources that never diminishes.

In my life, in your life, the quintessential miracle exists. Just because we have an inability to see it, experience it, feel it, does not mean it isn’t there. And having said that—having said that, you are quite capable of feeling that miracle in your life every single day.

What does it take? There is a subtlety. There is a subtlety. We always assume when something is good, it’s the big flashing lights; it’s the big driving sound. But actually, if you want to feel what is within you, you are going to have to be very, very quiet. Do you know how to be quiet? Have you ever been quiet?

See, for most of us, "Yeah, I didn’t speak for five minutes; I was quiet." Something else was speaking! "De-de-de-de, de-de-de-de, de-de-de-de, de-de-de-de, de-de-de-de, de-deh. Did you, we, what-what about this? Well, I have.... Have you been quiet; have you been quiet? Are you really quiet? I—are you really quiet? Are you quiet; are you quiet? Ah.... Do you feel quiet? I’ve been—you’re not speaking, so you must be quiet...."

We look at this world, we look at ourselves, we look at our lives, and the first thing we do is we compare: "How come that person is like that? How come I am not like that person?" Oh, it—oh, by the way, it goes both ways!

Oh yeah! There are people who are looking at another person for want of being rich—or they’re looking at a very “spiritual” person....

Because a lot of people come to me sometimes, and they say, “Oh, I wish I was like you.” And I’m like, “Why? Why do you want to be like me? You have no clue who I am! You have no clue what goes on in my head! Why do you want to be like me?" But, that's it: “Oh! You can talk about peace. I want to be like you."

That’s exactly the point—peace is nothing to talk about; peace is something that needs to be felt. Do you feel peace? Have you ever been quiet enough to feel peace? What if I was to tell you that, peace does not come from somewhere else; it comes from within you. And right now it is within you. With all your problems, it is within you.

First thing you must be dedicated to, is the joy that dances in your heart. The first thing you need to be dedicated to—is to be certain, not in doubt. To favor clarity in your life, rather than confusion. To be dedicated to knowledge, instead of ignorance. To be dedicated to being fulfilled, rather than empty.

And if you were dedicated to these, surely they will reward you by bringing you the most exquisite gift of peace, of joy, of understanding.

- Prem Rawat