The Day I Learned to Fly: A Journey from Words to Experience

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Periodically, PremRawat.com publishes first-person reflections from people around the world who are experiencing the benefits of practicing the techniques of Self-Knowledge as taught by Prem Rawat – a simple way to turn one’s attention from the outside world to a place of personal peace. This month’s reflection is from Pathmanathan Prabananda, currently residing in Essex, UK.

Before I met Prem Rawat, I was like a parrot in a cage—repeating “Ram, Ram” without knowing who or what Ram truly was. I spoke the words, but I had no experience. I was longing for freedom, trying to escape the cage of confusion and doubt.

Then, in 1996, I met Prem Rawat.

He said, “I can open the cage.” Through the gift of Self-Knowledge, he gave me the key. From that moment on, I began to fly—free to experience the joy and peace that I had only previously imagined.

The Knowledge that he helped me discover wasn’t a belief system or a philosophy. It was a direct way to feel what had always been within me: the presence of the divine in my own heart. What I experienced brought me to something real, something alive—not worship from a distance, but knowing, feeling, being.

At first, this feeling was like a seed planted deep inside me. As I practiced the techniques of Self-Knowledge, something beautiful began to grow inside me. That seed became a tree—a tree of clarity, strength, and stillness.

The Knowledge he helped me discover wasn’t a belief system or a philosophy.

Its fruits were sweet: contentment, understanding and deep inner joy. And those fruits weren’t just for me. Others around me – my family and friends – began to feel the quiet strength that had awakened in me. The seed that was becoming a tree began to spread. I saw how it could grow into a forest—nourishing individuals, families, communities, and even the world.

What I’m attempting to describe is more than just benefits. It is true inner power.

Today, people are searching for the strength just to get through life. The world feels heavy, and many don’t know where to turn. By practicing Self-Knowledge, I am applying practical, living tools that I use every day — tools that bring me clarity when confusion clouds my mind, understanding when life doesn’t make sense, hope in the darkness, and most of all, courage—the courage to face life as it is, to keep going, and to keep loving.

Practicing this Knowledge is like taking a daily vitamin C tablet—not for the body, but for my true self. It boosts my inner immune system, helping me stay balanced and resilient, even when the world around me is uncertain. It gives me the strength to handle life with grace.

What I’m attempting to describe is more
than just benefits.
It is true inner power.

These tools didn’t come from outside. Prem Rawat didn’t give me something new—he helped me remember what was already mine. He didn’t ask me to become someone else. He guided me back to who I truly am. He showed me the way to my own heart, to that sacred place within that had always been waiting.

And this journey is not mechanical or blind. It’s not about understanding or believing without experience. It’s about knowing. The parrot is no longer in the cage. The door is open now—and I am flying, each day, with joy and gratitude.

The transformation I speak of isn’t limited to just a few. We are all human beings. Though we come in different shapes and colors, we are made of the same five elements. We all thirst for peace. We all long to feel whole. The place of peace lives inside each of us. Prem Rawat’s message is universal. It speaks to anyone who has the thirst for something more, anyone who longs to feel peace in their life.

Even now, my journey continues. Each day brings something new. I keep learning, growing and being surprised by the beauty that lies within me. And for this, I am deeply grateful to Prem Rawat – not for giving me a belief, but for giving me the way to experience the very best of who I am.

– A Decade in the Media: 7:39

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