Prem Rawat is in Paris talking with Florence de Vulpillières. He discusses how you must know yourself to love yourself. Prem uses an analogy of a special map to getting to where you want to go. It is most important to first know where you are. The directions from there are all relative to your understanding. Knowing who you are is critical or you get lost and disoriented. Otherwise the questions of self doubt will keep you from loving yourself as you get caught up into needing approval from other people.
Prem echoes Socrates in saying “know yourself” because it is the most important thing you will do. The map cannot take you anywhere until you know where you are and where you want to go.
Prem describes a funny story of a man who is playing the saxophone on the streetside and he thinks the musician is poor and wants money, but in reality he just needed a place to play where he would not disturb his wife. What we think we see is not necessarily the story.
The wisdom you seek from the world is actually inside of you. If you knew yourself you would know your strengths and how you can go forward. Everyone has stresses and problems, but don’t get caught in the wheels turning round and round. Use wisdom over paranoia to stay calm and get rid of the worry.
Everything you are looking for is inside of you yet we don’t know ourselves. The strength we are looking for is always there if we call on it. Even in prisons, people can find hope and clarity within themselves when they learn where to look.
We do not control everything in our lives and we have to learn to be patient. The seed in the desert must wait for the rain. Trees have patience to wait for the sun. They know the rain will eventually come and there is nothing that can be done until this time, expect to prepare. They must be ready for the rain and have the strength to withstand the wait.
While we are waiting we need to appreciate that we are alive and to get on with the joys of living. Know the rain will come and be ready to bloom. In the meantime, we have to invest in the seeds of self knowledge we want to grow.
Prem tells a story about the Shop of the Divine found one day by a man passing by. It was the most beautiful shop he had ever seen in his life. Every detail was perfect and the shelves were filled with amazing objects the man had never seen before.
Listen to this great story and learn about how much greater your life can be.
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