Prem Rawat: Frequently Asked Questions

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As an American journalist, Sara Sidner noted about Prem Rawat during a CNN interview with him two years ago, “Prem Rawat is one of the most famous speakers in the world that you may never have heard of.”

There is a lot of truth in her observation.

Even though Prem Rawat has been addressing millions of people in more than 100 countries since he first began sharing his message of peace at the age of four, many people still don’t know who he is.

And so, in service to this shortfall of public awareness, what follows is a selection of his responses to Frequently Asked Questions (selected from the FAQ section of this website). If, after reading his responses, you are inspired to learn more, feel free to view the introductory videos below and/or log onto any of his websites noted at the bottom of this article.

“Living Legacy” (3:28)

What is your message?

My message starts with the fundamental truth that peace is in every one of us without exception. This is an important statement in the face of so much confusion, cynicism, fear and despair in our world. You’ll find my approach simple, practical, and easy to apply. It’s not about studying for years and years—you have what you need inside you right now.

But Self-Knowledge can only begin when you take responsibility for your own well-being and choose to explore within. From Self-Knowledge and peace flows a deliciously sweet feeling of joy, clarity, fulfillment, love, resilience and many other things.

What is your role?

This is how I see my role. It’s not my place to tell people what they should or should not be; I’m here to offer reminders that we’re blessed by the miracle of existence and to help point the way toward inner peace. Only you can decide if that’s the direction you want to go. Only you can decide if this is the route you want to take to get there.

A good teacher doesn’t try to sing your song for you, or perform your instrument for you, or lay down the rhythms of your life. You play your raga; you set your own rhythm. I’m just here to help you stay in key and feel the inner momentum of the music of life. I can help you hear yourself.

Prem Rawat meeting with schoolchildren, Kyoto Japan, October 19, 2024

My father, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj, once expressed the role of the teacher of Self-Knowledge through a wonderful metaphor. He talks about the Master, which is what people often call their main teacher, especially in India.

Here’s what he said: “Knowledge, they say, is like a sandalwood tree, and the Master like a breeze. The entire sandalwood tree is filled with fragrance, but even if it wanted to give its fragrance away, it could not. Yet, when the breeze blows, it carries the fragrance to the whole forest. As a result, other trees become as fragrant as the sandalwood tree. In the same way, the entire world could be fragrant with Knowledge.”

Who are you?

A while back, I was in Sri Lanka to speak, and the master of ceremonies for the event introduced herself to me backstage: “Good to meet you, but I was expecting a man who’s floating a foot above the carpet!”

She had an expectation of how someone connected with inner peace looks. Well, I’m not like that. Do I have peace all the time? No! Do I have problems now and then? Yes! Do I have extraordinary experiences of the world within me? Absolutely! Have I ever floated a foot above the carpet? Not yet.

Prem Rawat speaking at a “Hear Yourself” author event

How can I learn more about the path to peace?

You have choices. If you haven’t already read my new book, Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World, that would be a good place to start. A selection of my videos, audios, podcasts, stories and transcripts are available on this website and others. If you are interested in learning the techniques of Self-Knowledge that I teach, I invite you to register for PEAK (Peace Education and Knowledge), my free online course.

Prem Rawat: “A Decade in the Media” (7:39)

What is Self-Knowledge?

Self-Knowledge is a route to personal peace. Practicing it enables a person to stay centered and grounded. With Knowledge, there’s no need to be anywhere else or think anything else – no need for an awareness of anything other than the sweet delight of being. Learn more here.

What is the Peace Education Program?

The Peace Education Program is a series of video-based workshops that help people discover their own inner strength and personal peace. Based on my presentations, The Prem Rawat Foundation provides access to the course materials to organizations and volunteers – free of charge – making the program readily available to diverse populations in 84 countries and 42 languages. Learn more on the Foundation’s website here.

What is the “noise” you write about and speak about?

I find there is a lot of confused intellectual noise around the topic of understanding the self. Many people say they feel challenged by the rising volume of noise going on around them. In our crowded cities and busy, digitally enhanced lives, it’s often difficult to find time and space for the quiet simplicity of being.

Actually, the noise going on out there is nothing compared to the noise we generate within our own minds: the problems and issues we can’t seem to solve, the anxieties and self-doubts we can’t seem to soothe, the ambitions and expectations we can’t seem to satisfy.

Or perhaps we feel we’re held back by a lack of focus or a sense of being overwhelmed by confusion and procrastination or by the mental acrobatics we perform each day in search of pleasure and security.

Prem Rawat’s bestselling book, now translated into 16 languages

What do you mean by “heart”?

My heart is the place inside me where I am deeply happy, not because of anything but happiness itself. There are oceans inside my heart which I sail, not to go anywhere but because it’s such an incredible voyage. The heart is where we develop the courage to seek clarity in the midst of confusion and where we can enjoy clarity for itself. I am in heaven when my heart is content, when it sings with gratitude for its existence. That’s when I really feel alive.

Are there any costs involved?

Knowledge is free. There are no fees. How can I charge for something you already have? The cost of knowing joy or not knowing joy is how one can measure our real return on “free.” Our time from birth to death is finite. While there is this opportunity of life, there is a cost of not knowing one’s self. Cost is not always measured in financial terms. Indeed, one could view time as more precious than currency. 

Sara Sidner interviews Prem Rawat on CNN September 7, 2022 (7:12)

Where does the money come from to support
your efforts?

The vast majority of the financial support for my efforts to bring my message to as many people as possible around the world is thanks to the incredible enthusiasm and generosity of thousands of individuals.  These are people who enjoy attending my events and who want to support the international outreach of my message by providing financial help to local and international organizations with similar objectives, including Words of Peace Global and The Prem Rawat Foundation.

How can I ask you a question?

The simplest way to ask me a question or send me a message is via premrawat.com. You can also contact me via mail:  PO Box 6110, Malibu, CA 90264. Because of the number of requests I receive, I am not able to answer everyone, but I do my best. Also, in my public talks, I do make an effort to address some of the questions I receive.

Prem Rawat’s websites

PremRawat.com

Prem Rawat Official YouTube Channel

TimelessToday

The Prem Rawat Foundation

Words of Peace Global

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Self-Knowledge    Peace Education Program    Books