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Only when we begin to know ourselves do we realize that the treasures we seek on the outside are the treasures that are within us—that that compassion that we seek from the others is the compassion that is already within us, that generosity that we need in our lives is the generosity that is already within us.

And this generosity—I’ll tell you about it. You know what is the greatest gift, and given so abundantly? And it is generosity beyond belief. Then all you have to do is look at your breath. Generosity. It is the most precious thing, because it is generosity at its best. It is life! And the life dances. It is real!

Do you get scared with your problems? When the problems come, does that scare you? Of course. It scares me. But I have learned...I have learned that the problems come and go. They come; they go. Then they come back again, but then they go. Then they come back again. And they go. And every time they come, they scare you.

This dance of this breath, on the other hand, is with you! It comes in—and this is how it begins; it doesn’t just begin by going out. This is how this note plays. This note, this symphony begins with this gift of breath coming in, and the whole symphony ends with the breath going out and not coming back in.

And that constitutes your life.

– Prem Rawat

Fernando Trezza:

Can world leaders really make a difference to peace in the world? And how do you think your message can impact them?

Prem Rawat:

Well, I must, first of all, apologize to a lot of the leaders, because I have met a lot of leaders and they’re beautiful people, and they want peace in their lives too. It’s not like that they become leaders and they become different.

But I also know that peace will come from every single human being, that global leaders can help by putting an end to the conflicts, by not perpetuating the conflicts, not perpetuating the wars, but helping people understand prosperity and giving people the dignity that they deserve.

But peace is within human beings. They need to discover it. They need to explore it. They need to feel it. And if we keep relying on world leaders to bring peace, I’m afraid that is not going to be anytime soon.

But if we rely on ourselves as the citizens of the earth—that every single human being has the right to feel peace, “It’s a fundamental right to feel peace”—that if we take that approach, then there can be peace on this earth.

- Prem Rawat

There are so many cuisines in this world. You have Indian cuisine; you have Chinese; you have Japanese; you have European. You have so many cuisines. But what is the fundamental thing behind each one of these foods, behind each one of these cuisines? It’s hunger!

Now hunger—does hunger have a language? No. Does hunger have a nationality? No. Does hunger have a time? No. Hunger is hunger. If you feel hungry, you need to eat.

And it’s the same way, even so far that we are looking at peace as an external thing. Yes, likes, dislikes—“I don’t like that flavor of peace; I want this flavor of peace.”

But if you’re hungry and you’re hungry for that peace that is inside of you, then all these barriers go away, and you see only the reality of peace, not the concept of the reality of peace. And that’s important, very important to recognize.

– Prem Rawat

Without peace, this world is going to come apart—there’s nothing, there’s no glue. When a human being starts to hate another human being, you know that it is the beginning of the end.

When one human being gives more reasons of why he does not want to see another human being on the face of this earth, the reasons become more important than the fundamental reality that you are a human being, that the other person is a human being. And eliminating that person is anti-life. It’s not good for life.

Gandhi said, “If everybody took an eye for an eye, the whole world would be blind.” And that’s exactly what’s happening today. The world’s going blind. The terror that is being struck....

When you go in a room, and it’s your house, or it’s your apartment, or it’s your room and you close that door and you sit down on your bed, you feel a certain sense of comfort—that, when you close that door, you shut the world out—and that you sit on that bed, and maybe you are alone, maybe you are with somebody, but there is a certain sense that you’re okay.

When that very sense is taken away from you, and you sit on that bed wondering if you’re going to wake up tomorrow, wondering if you’re going to be able to sleep tonight, then such a fundamental part of a human being has been taken away.

– Prem Rawat

So, people ask, “How do I practice peace? How...where do I find peace?” You have two eyes. What do the eyes do? They see the world. They see everybody’s face. What can’t they see? Your eyes cannot see your face.

Isn’t that true? They can see everybody’s face, but they cannot see your face. If you want to see your face, you need a mirror, and that mirror is knowledge of the self. Not knowledge of how to drive the car, but the knowledge of you!

Who are you? You are alive. The time is going. Cannot stop it, cannot rewind it—it’s going—and it’s gone! It’s gone, it’s gone, it’s gone, it’s gone, it’s gone!

Do you know the meaning of “now?” Now? “Now” doesn’t even represent now! As soon as you say “now,” it’s not now anymore. That’s how fast it’s all going.

Stop! Take account of being alive! Take account of who you are! And take account of what the Divine has given you—given you, without asking, without filling a form—given you, every day. Every day you are given this gift of breath. Do you understand what that means? Do you?

– Prem Rawat