One 2 One, No. 3: Your true needs

“When somebody is asking, “What is the purpose of my life? Why am I here?” Then of course there’s a question behind that question. And that question is, “Why are you asking this question? What is inspiring you to ask this question? What is not hitting home? Why does this question even crop up?” —Prem Rawat

Prem Rawat:

All stories begin with “Once upon a time.” The story that I really want to tell you also begins like this, but there is a small difference—and the difference is, “Once upon this time there lives you.”

ONE 2 ONE WITH PREM RAWAT
NO. 3

Prem Rawat:

Hello, everyone. I hope you’re all doing good. So, again, just to take a few minutes and say a few things that somehow could help you in this life. Sometimes I really feel that every little bit of help that we can get really makes a big difference.

Because somehow when we get lost, one of the things about getting lost is you have no idea when you’re in the process of getting lost. Everything seems fine; everything seems great—till something comes along and it’s like, “Well, jeez, ah, all this looks a little unfamiliar”—or “I should have been at my destination, and I’m not. Ah, where am I going; what is happening?”

And then, of course, that’s a big, big realization: “Where am I?” And then that question turns—and that question turns to “Who am I? What is the purpose of my life?” When I first came to the West, that was, that was big! “Well, what is the purpose of life?” People would ask.

And one thing that I learned (answering a lot of questions, especially when I was very young) is that it’s not so much that you try to answer the particular question—but what you have to ascertain is, “Why the question? Why is that question being asked?”

If somebody asks you, “Is this, you know, Number One Street?” Well, you can obviously say “No!” or “Yes,” depending on if it is or it isn’t.

But a more relevant question would be—“Obviously, you don’t know that this is First Street or it’s not First Street; you’re asking that question—are you lost?” And if you don’t even want to put it that way (“are you lost”), you can put it this way: “Where would you like to go?”

So, this is my approach (and has been) towards the questions, the question behind the question: “What is the question behind the question?”

So, when somebody’s asking, “Well, what is the purpose of my life; why am I here?”—then, of course, there is another question behind that question. And that question is, “Why are you asking this question? What is inspiring you to ask this question? What is not hitting home? Why does this question even crop up?”

When you know what your home looks like and you are at home—and there’s no question about “you are at home,” it would be very rare for somebody to sit there and go, “I wonder if I am at home. Where is my home?”

Because you look around and yup, there’s your dog and there is the carpet you purchased and there is your sofa and there is your, you know, picture and there is the, your wife’s picture or your children’s picture or whatever—and it’s obvious.

But what has happened where you are looking at it, but it isn’t so obvious? It doesn’t feel like it is obvious? So, this is the big question: “What happens?”

So, we get involved in this world; we—we hear all the definitions of everything. And don’t you think it’s a little curious that everybody wants to sit there and give us definitions, definitions after definitions after definitions, knowing full well that those definitions are wrong.

The world actually is really, really, really terrible at defining things. Because whatever knowledge they have is only up to that certain point—then science discovers something more, and those answers change.

So, what is the need for these definitions? “Well, so that I can build my map!” Well, that’s a great idea! But do you want to build your own map? Or do you want a map that actually reflects the reality?

So, if you’re in a boat, would you like to just build your own map? Or would you like to have a map that truly lets you know where the rocks are, where the shallows are, where the deep is? And all those details that would be pertinent to you?

Or do you just want to go along with a little knife and a little pen, and just draw things up and say, “Oh, yeah, this is fine; this is fine; this is fine”? Because I think that would be a useless map. What would be the point of that map?

So, before we can even go towards what kind of a map it should be, and what does that “reality map” really look like…? Because of course, I would like my map to very clearly say, “Okay, when I get to this intersection, I become successful. I become rich. I become wise. When I get to this intersection, I become content.” But there will never be a map like that.

But what I have to find out is, “What does my map really look like?” So, it’s a funny map—because it reflects what I need—not what I think I need, but what I need—truly, what I need.

So, I need joy. And this map reflects, “You, because you need joy, that joy is within you.” Funny map—“in you. You need this; this is important.”

I mean, you know, there are many kinds of maps. So, if you’re—if you’re on a boat, and you’re, you know, trying to navigate a stretch of water—and there are rocks there, and there are mountains and islands and different things like that, would you not like to have those depicted?

Because what the boat needs is deep water. And by depicting all the obstacles that are there, you can then navigate and stay in that deep water and be okay.

I mean, what would be the point, on a marine map, to have all the shopping centers that are way inland? I mean, how are you going to get to the shopping center with your boat? You can’t. It’s irrelevant. What’s relevant is the rocks, the shallows—and where the dark is. And that is usually the deep water.

So, the same thing. What do you really need in your life? You need joy. And where is that joy? That joy is in you. Your map would have so much more to do with your existence, with your life, than just ideas. And that is the map that you need—a map that truly reflects the needs that I have.

If I am navigating and I’m flying from point A to point B, I would like to have all the high points, so I don’t run into them. The low ones, I don’t care about so much—the high ones I do. I would like those depicted.

I would like those hazards depicted that would cause harm. And I would also like that area depicted where I can be, and I’ll be fine. So then, the heading changes that I have to make, I can very clearly see, “Yes, this is keeping me away from that obstacle.”

Same thing in my own map. I need clarity. And where is that clarity? It’s not on top of some mountain. It is not a list of requirements. It’s not a shopping list. It’s not in a shopping center—but it is inside of me.

What you are looking for is inside of you. Your map would be very different—because it would say, “Inside: safe harbor. Outside: be careful—obstacles, problems. Issues!” And that’s the way it is.

A friend of mine, through the expressions, sent me this message. And it was—you know, I like reading what people have to say. People sometimes send me questions; sometimes just, you know, “thank you” and—I like reading it. It’s been very sweet.

And he said, “Well, I’ve been, you know, with this person for a really, really long time. And this person doesn’t want to be with me anymore—you got any advice?”

So, I’ve been thinking about it. And all that time, you can—I mean, there are two things here—all that time you were with that person, you didn’t know it, but it wasn’t going to happen; it wasn’t going to pan out. And that person, ultimately, at the end of the day, wasn’t going to be with you, didn’t want to be with you—and that person told you so.

So, now you can look at it as a total waste of time—it’s up to you. Or you can say, “I had a great time. That was wonderful.” I’m not the one to make that judgment; you’re the one to make that judgment. And “Thank you. Thank you” to that other person for giving you that wonderful time. “Understood! You go your way; I go my way. Not a problem.”

But this can only happen if you have found your strength. If you haven’t found your strength, you are—but you have been leaning on that other person, and now, really, what you’re saying to me is, “That other person has decided to leave—and as that person is leaving, I am falling. What do you have to say?”

What do I have to say? I want to say to you, “If you had a good time, be thankful! And if you haven’t yet learnt how to stand on your own feet, it’s a good time, a good time to learn to stand on your own feet.”

Will somebody else come along? I don’t know; maybe they will; maybe they won’t. If they do, I hope you will stand on your feet, not on their shoulders, because that is the fundamental requirement of the relationship.

What is your relationship—and now, that’s it; that’s it; that’s my answer to that person. (He’s a friend of mine, so, you know, I hope he takes it in stride.) But what is your relationship to this world? Are you leaning on this world? Standing on your feet?

Or you’re totally dependent on this world? And if this world—something happens to this world, (ah, uh-huh, uh-huh, something happens to this world), and it gets shaken up, then so do you. Which one is it?

Are you all shook up? The world got pretty shaken up. The world leaders, nobody was prepared for this thing; nobody was prepared for this thing. And when it hit, it was like, “Eeee-yikes!” People didn’t even know what the extent of this thing is.

There’s been a massive amount of education going on, believe me. “Virus, what is a virus?” God! It’s been over-defined what a virus is. I think everybody knows now what a virus is—not that they can help themselves with it—but they all know what a virus is.

And all the names, “COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2.” (Wow.) A lot of “James Bond-ing,” every…. And, and oh my God, everybody, full of some good information, but mostly wrong information.

Because they’re not the source of the information; they just, they’re going onto these social media sites; they’re going onto all these YouTube’s and this and that and getting all their information from somebody else and “pray to God that they got it right.” Because if they didn’t, you got it wrong too.

And what is it? Oh, yes, people are protesting because of people…. Enough is enough! Enough is enough. And of course, people are going to protest; what do you expect!? They’re still human beings! They have dreams; they have aspirations….

They want to be free. They want to be successful—not just five people in the world, successful, not ten people, not twenty people, not thirty people—everybody, everybody wants to be successful.

You know, and there are all the nomenclatures: “world leaders!” You know, there is a trip that I take, and I do it in a helicopter—and I’m, most of the time, I’m flying the helicopter. And it’s from this place that I take it in UP, and then it is over to Ranchi.

And you fly over this section of India—and I tell you, it is incredibly gorgeous. I mean, you see villages that are pristine, not an iota of garbage. You know, no traffic jams, no pollution, just really beautiful. And you’re flying, and you’re flying, and you’re flying and just absorbing this beauty, this amazing beauty.

And then, on that particular route, there is this rock—so, this river goes by, and so it’s carved out—then there’s this rock. And the rock is approximately, maybe, acre and a half, two acres big. And it’s about seven, eight hundred feet high. And it’s a flat rock on the top, plateau.

And the first time I flew over it, (and I was like, it, nothing made sense about that rock) because I couldn’t see any pathway going up; there were no elevators; (there’s nothing, hmm). And at the very top, there were a few huts. There was a little hut and a, a little lake, and—and it’s like, “My God, somebody lives here. And this person who lives here….”

I mean, there was no satellite dish; there was nothing. And so it’s like, “How does this person survive?” There are no electrical wires coming up there….

And I’m sure that, you know, it’s not every day that he goes shopping; there’s no shopping market nearby. And he has to make his trek—he has to trek down from this seven-, eight-hundred-feet rock, go somewhere…. And I’m sure he does it, you know, maybe once every three months or something like that. But he has what he needs, and he’s okay.

And I can tell you one thing—he has no idea what a world leader is. He has no idea about any of these presidents or prime ministers around the world. He probably doesn’t even know the names of most of the countries in this world.

But he is a human being, and he is very alive. Who is his leader? He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know when a government change happens in Delhi—no idea—he doesn’t care! And he could care less! And this is what happens.

So, you have a need—and it goes beyond what the demands and the wants of this world are. And that need that you have is to feel fulfilled, feel content, feel real, feel the joy. And here’s the good news, and here’s the beautiful news—you can. Even in this most awkward of times, it is very possible, very possible to feel content.

This is what your heart wants. Time has come to listen, to listen to the heart. It’s not about this whole world, but it is about your world. It’s not about the seven-and-a-half billion people, but it’s about this one person who makes up the one person in the seven-and-a-half billion people.

Because of all those seven-and-a-half billion people: just one person. One person, one person, one person, seven-and-a-half billion times. Same aspirations, same wants, same needs, same map. Simple, profound, beautiful.

Stay safe; stay well—and I’ll see you soon. Thank you.

 

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