Narrator:

30 years ago, in June 1971, Maharaj Ji arrived in the Western world for the first time.

In India, he had been a teacher of a practice called "knowledge",  and his arrival in London was in direct response to invitations to come and speak in England.

Since that time, Maharaji has been talking about, and revealing an inner experience called "knowledge" to people from over 80 countries.

A two-day event with Maharaji was held in Nottingham, England to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Maharaj Ji's first arrival in the West.
 
 
 
 

(applause)
 

Mr Rawat:

Thank you.

Well today - is the 30th anniversary.  30 years ago I came ... to London, and I know that some of you have already heard what it was like from different people.

For me, there was always a want and a wish to do this propagation - to speak ... to people - about ... this possibility.  In fact that's something that I guess I have been doing since I was very, very young.  Many times my father would be having an event and people would be kind of waiting to come, and yet there'd be very few people.

So ... what I would do is I'd get on the stage and I'd start speaking.  They would see a little boy speaking and everybody would just kind of filter in and, when the place would be packed I would leave, for him to come, and be able to say what he had to say.

And what is this want, this desire?  Because ... you see, ... I definitely see one thing.  It's not like I don't see peoples' pain.  I have seen people in incredible pain - I have seen people in incredible joy - I have seen people who have been so lost, they don't even know they're lost.  And I have seen people who have just come out of ... a "knowledge" session and they're like ... "wow".  And I have seen so many people.  And wherever I go - and it doesn't matter whether they are sitting there, watching the world go by - but I see that in each and every human being, always, always, there is that potential to be able to connect to that joy.

And this is something that we have been given, and it is the most profound gift that there is.  This is the only thing that touches the heart.  There are so many answers out there that tackle the intellect.

What would be the definition of truth?  When truth is spoken ... when truth is spoken, would it tackle your intellect, or would it touch your heart?  Which one would it be?  What, what do you think?  What do you think?  To me it is very simple.  When I have come across that truth, when I have come across my reality ... my reality ...  My reality isn't being humbled all the time, you know that happens ... human beings - they know how to praise themselves.  We all know how to praise ourselves.  We do one thing right, I mean it could be this big, (indicates small gap between fingers, laughing)  and it's like ... see?

I know so many people who cook - and it's totally by accident - they come up with something good, in fact, you know, I ask my cook sometimes, I say "So where did you buy it from?"  'cos I figure, you know, they go out to a restaurant, get the food catered, put it on the ... you know, pots and pans, ... "oh, we've been cooking this".  It's just a joke, I know they do...  But it's like - immediately - yes, I did that.

Do you know - how important it is for us, and how important it has subsequently become, for us to be right?  We'll do anything - to be right.  We think that way - I want to be right.  Nobody wants to be wrong.  Even when they're wrong, they wanna prove that they reeeeeealy weren't wrong.  Is this wanting to be right, wanting to win, wanting to succeed - a misplaced energy?

Y'know, once there was a man, and he decided to find out what people do.  So he started walking along this road, and he came across another person, and he was standing there, and he said "What are you doing?"

- said, "Oh, I'm waiting for the bus"

He walked a little bit further, he saw a beggar, - said "what are you doing?"

- he said, "I'm waiting for somebody to come and put money in my bowl"

Walked a little bit further and he sees this guy, y'know and he'a looks like ... quite enlightened, he's got his robes on, flowing ... and he says "What are you waiting for?

"Oh, I'm waiting for enlightenment"

And it goes on and on, and subsequently the person decides that everybody is waiting.

Somebody is waiting to be born, somebody is waiting to be die, somebody is waiting to get cured, somebody is waiting to get sick, somebody is waiting to go, somebody is waiting to come and everybody is waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting...  And one thing - NOT to wait.

This has got to be one of these incredible paradoxes.  Everyone is waiting , and NOBODY wants to wait.

And in that waiting - do we know - somewhere in our depths, do we know that we are losing?  Losing.  Losing.

Do we know that in our depths, somewhere, something knows ... something knows ... all the days that we have lost, and something knows ... our habit, and something knows all the days YET to be lost.

No.

It knows.  Y'know, there ... there are people, y'know, you talk to them, and "oh, you're getting old" and they don't like that, it's like "kuh...  No".

There's even this thing "I am fifty years young"  Like come on!  Give up the ghost!

And some people put up quite a fight with me - "I'm not old"  and "Yay you are" - "No I'm not" - "Yes you ARE".

And I KNOW (chuckles) that when they go into that bathroom (laughter) and stand in front of that mirror, they don't have to say "Mirror, mirror on the wall ... who is the oldest of them all?" (laughter).  They know.  They know.

And they work on it.  You polish this and you polish that, and you blacken this, and you blacken that - and ... do this and you do that, and so that - nobody looking at you will obviously know.  Nobody looking at them will know how old they really are.

Why?

That which was unevitable (sic), ... that which you wanted so badly when you were younger - remember - it's like, the kids, ... I've seen this, y'know, I seen this with my own kids, ... they can't wait to be older.  Like, "I'm so much older than ... I am".

And you'd laugh - I just laugh at it - laugh at it.  It's cute.

But why the fear?  I know that if I am driving in a city where I have never been before, I drive slowly - I don't know where I'm going.  And I'm at the mercy of somebody telling me "turn left, turn right", so I'm driving cautiously.  But where I KNOW the road, where I know for sure where I'm going, I know it, I know the area,  I know the road, I know the turns, I know the bends ... I know, I know.  I don't have to sit there and go "do I turn left here? ...do I turn right?"  I don't have to he-si-tate.  I ... I ...

Not that I speed.

But I don't hesitate.

And the hesitation comes when there is uncertainty.

And so - what is certain in your life, and what is uncertain in your life?  What are you sure about?  What are you absolutely - hey, it's a ... it's a big question, I know - and don't scratch your head too hard.  Those hair are precious. (Laughter).

Certainty.

I know what it's like when there's that certainty.  It glides ... everything just glides.  It's like ... it happens.  Beautiful.  It happens,  it takes shape.  It evolves.  It manifests.  'Cos you're certain.

From a very young age I have admired that.  I have admired in those people - and I was very, very fortunate - fortunate - to have the company of such people.  I loved their company, I really did.  I adored their company.

My life, growing up was not exactly (chuckles), quote unquote - I'm not going to say normal or abnormal, - same as other kids.   It wasn't.  The other kids,  y'know, they'd like to hang out , they'd like to go to these parties.  I didn't.

And people would come - and some of them were instructors - always beaming,  - certainty, a clarity.  Not waiting.  (chuckles)  People in action.  Not people going "oh ... la la la la"

"Oh what's up?'

"Oh I'm waiting.  I'm waiting."

You ask them - "what are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm waiting"

No.  I'm enjoying.  I'm enjoying. I'm enjoying this gift that I have been given.  I am enjoying this existence.  I am enjoying this love.  I am enjoying this moment.  And it's like - it's so different.  It's so different.

Once in a while, I would come across these - what I would consider them to be - hyper-intellectuals.  There was one guy, y'know, he knew his shastras and he knew his shlokas, and his Sanskrit and he'd lay it on thick.  Like ... peanut butter.  On a bread.  Put it in your mouth and it's like "cloumph" (laughter) .  Clogs up the entire mouth, clogs up the palate, clogs up the teeth and your tongue is going wild trying to scrape it all off and ...  Forget about chewing it, forget about swallowing.

And to me it was like: "Wow, this person knows so much - and yet has so little"

So the person who carries ... a book ... of stubs - y'know, you write a check.  Sometimes there is a  stub, and you can write what the check was written for.  It's the person who carries the stub with him trying to prove indeed that he was rich at some point.  "Look how many checks I have written, ha-hm".  "Yeah, but what ya got left now?".  "Well, not much".  "But look at this".

I want ... I want my heart ... to be a part of my existence.  Not learn the ways ... of throwing that away.  Not learn the ways of how to mask my reality.  Not learn the ways of how to anaesthetise myself from this beautiful, beautiful gift that I have been given.

I tell you this because ... you also know this is real.  There is nothing in this life that will go with you 'til the very end.  The only thing is:  your breath - that will be there, 'til the very end.  That's it.

No science, no technicality, no technical publications, no ... (yells) NOTHING! ... will put you in touch with that breath except the gift of "knowledge".  It's the only thing that addresses that breath.  It is the only thing that acknowledges your existence as you are - UNJUDGEMENTAL!

If you want to be accepted without judgement, then there is only one person who can do that.   To accept without judgement.

And in turn give you a gift which would free you from waiting.

To receive that gift in your life is the greatest honour.  It is the greatest reward.  It is the greatest medal.  To accept that knowledge and to practise that knowledge in your life is the greatest achievement that a human being can ever have.

And you can quote me on that.  (applause).

Nothing more.
 
 
 

( ... to be continued)