Many teachers, one Master - many signposts, one Way

Thinking today about teachers and the Master: I see that there are many teachers and many that have taught me many subjects - maths teachers, language teachers. Science teachers, religious teachers and so on, and many teachers with more than one subject. Even lifestyle teachers and teachers of good or even bad manners or skills.

But even if each teacher had 8000 students it would need a million to teach the world and even with classes of 100 a year it would take 80 years! And how many adults even have a teacher? And how many teachers would remember all their student' s names or students remember their teachers, if that is important?

And how many teachers could actually teach?

It surely takes a student to recognise and appreciate a good teacher.

In many schools we have a head teacher. If the maths teacher teaches maths, what does the head teacher teach?

So what is a Master? Can a person have more than one master at a time?

Ram Dass and others have said that a teacher points the way but The Master is the way

We can surely follow many teachers at a time but maybe best to follow one way at a time to avoid confusion and make progress.

And for me a teacher may instruct through repetition but a Master by example. The student needs practice and effort. For the Master it is natural

So I come to recognise so many can teach me so much but I have only one Master (way).

 

 

1972: A Journey Within

 A Journey Within

1972: Even before my trip to India, which in a way was unintentional, I was on a search.

I was 22 at the time. I had been studying chemistry at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK. I had started the course in 1968, thinking that if I could understand the chemistry and physics of the Universe around us, I would reach an understanding of the meaning of it all, including myself.

By the time I graduated, I had realised that I was wrong. Although science consists of achieving the same results from the same observations or reactions, so much of it was and still is based on theory and belief.

Before I had left the UK in 1972, I had read books that greatly influenced me such as The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra, in which he draws parallels between modern science and ancient religion, Aldous Huxley’s Doors of Perception and John Lilly’s The Center of the Cyclone, which discussed states of consciousness especially on hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD.

By this time I was convinced that there existed a means of heightening my consciousness to some sort of “transcendental” level. I had no guide, no teacher or Guru. I had just my own thoughts and experiences.

One other thing I did have was a copy of the I Ching, a book of ancient Chinese oracles, that I had been given by Diane in 1972, an English girl I had met in Delhi and travelled to Kabul with.

Months later, after returning to the UK, at first I went to my parents in Barry and spent a week or so in hospital, recovering.

Whilst in hospital, one day my mother came to visit and brought me a newspaper and a few letters. Neither she nor I knew what a profound effect they would have on me.

In the newspaper there was a short article with picture about a “Boy Guru” from India. He was born in Haridwar, the place where I had become ill, in an Ashram that I had intended to visit.

In 1972, he was just 15 years old. His name was Guru Maharaji, or Prem Pal Singh Rawat, and he was visiting the UK for the second time, the first visit having been a year earlier when he had spoken at Glastonbury festival.

Guru Maharaji was saying that he wanted to bring peace to the world, as he had promised his late father who, coincidentally, had been his own Guru, called Hans Ji Maharaj. The term Guru, generally understood to mean teacher, more specifically meant “One who takes us from darkness to light”. I thought the world certainly needed that.

Another letter was from Australian Paul! He told me that he and Lorraine had given up smoking cannabis and were now meditating on something called “The Knowledge” and were followers of Guru Maharaji.

What a weird set of coincidences.

I thought the Guru must be some sort of con, being just a boy. Maybe, I thought, he was some sort of prodigy for the Beatles’ guru, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

I began to read scripture – the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, Buddhist works and the Koran, which I admit I struggled with. I can’t say they made much sense and seemed in may ways to contradict each other, as if there may have been a secret key to understanding them.

Whilst it seemed that Christianity was about Love and Faith and a loving God, the Old Testament was about Faith and Trust for a jealous and vengeful God (Jehovah). Buddhism seemed to be about acceptance and karma whilst Islam meant Peace.

I pondered on which path I should take. Transcendental mediation, Hare Krishna, Christianity, Buddhism, drugs like LSD? Islam did not appeal to me and I could not become a Jew as that was by birth.
I started using the I Ching to guide me. I went to a Hare Krishna evening with great food, chanting and dancing. It was a great evening but that route did not appeal to me.

I went to a lecture on Buddhism that seemed quite complicated and a talk by “Jesus Freaks” that did not appeal to me at all. The I Ching also seemed to steer me away from those routes.

Then one day whilst I was sitting in my front room alone, I decided simply to ask the book to give me some guidance – a more general question. I threw the three coins six times and noted down the results which would lead me to the correct “Hexagram” to read.
I was very keen to read the advice but just then there was a knock on the door. It was Paul and Lorraine and a man they introduced as Alastair. That man was beaming and greeted me with hands as if in prayer. He sat on the floor cross-legged.

I was a bit annoyed that they had turned up just then as I knew Paul would do a lot of talking. So I asked them if they could just stay silent and drink some tea whilst I read the Hexagram.

The Hexagram was number 5: WAITING There were a few lines that maybe changed my life more than any other. They read:

‘Entering into the cave
There are uninvited guests,
Three people come.
Honouring them, in the end good fortune.’

I wondered did it mean “father, Son and Holy Ghost” or maybe “Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva” before realising it may well have referred to that very moment and those very three people in the room, Paul, Lorraine and Alistair, who were surely uninvited guests.

So I put down the book and started to listen.

Paul immediately started talking about “The Light”.

Now, as I understood it, “seeing the light” meant understanding and was not to be taken literally. Of course I knew about light and the speed of light in a scientific sense and I knew that scriptures said that “God is Light” but “God” was not so much in my realm of belief. I had also read that God was omnipresent and therefore God was “in me” although I had never see him, her or it. The only light I had seen was through my eyes. But I listened to Paul for a while and then asked him.

“When you talk about seeing the light, do you mean understanding something, like when you suddenly get the answer to a question or riddle?”

Paul explained that he did not mean that, he meant looking inside, meditating, through the “THIRD EYE”.

Paul said “If thine eye be single the whole body will be full of light.”
He explained that his Guru Maharaj Ji had shown him four techniques of meditation, ways to look inside to see the light, hear the “music”, taste the “nectar” and feel “peace”.

So I attended some Satsang meetings and then went to London a few times to listen to the Mahatmas. I did not get to see the Guru himself as he was not in the country. It still did not seem to make much sense; there was a lot of praise for “Maharaji” but not really any explanation of what this “Knowledge” was. I realised that it had to be experienced and for that one had to ask a Mahatma. Despite my University education and travels, I was still quite shy, and even though I was sometimes gently pushed towards a Mahatma, I just couldn’t ask.

By this time it was approaching Christmas. I remember one day back in Norwich, I shook my fist at the sky and said “If you are real God, I want Knowledge on Christmas Day.” Of course, I didn’t believe that was going to happen, but …

A few days before Christmas I was staying with a “Premie”, a “devotee” of Maharaji, in London. Premies are named after Maharaji’s given name, Prem, which means love. I was staying with this guy in Earls Court. In those days some Premies volunteered to accommodate “aspirants” (people that wanted the Knowledge) and I was sleeping on his floor.

I also started going to an Ashram in Muswell Hill, where a Mahatma spoke. That one was a lady from India called Prakash Bhai. I didn’t like her, she seemed rather stern and I did not want to ask her for Knowledge.

After one session, a guy came into the room and said “All those who Mahatma Bhai has said can have Knowledge, go into the other room and write your name on the list.” Well, I had not even asked but I went and wrote down my name anyway. That little bit of dishonesty did not bother me as I still though it was all a con and probably at some stage, I thought, we’d be asked for money.

Actually, that never happened.

It was December 24th that we went to a hall for Satsang in the Swiss Cottage area. Several Mahatmas spoke and at the end one of them announced that there was to be a “Knowledge Session” the next day, Christmas Day, for fifteen people. He had a list of the names of the people that could go along to the house in Muswell Hill. Maybe my demand would be met, I thought.

As he read out the fifteen names he asked the people to shout out if they were there. By the time he reached number fifteen, only thirteen of them were there and I was not one of them. So he told the people that if they knew the other two, tell them to come tomorrow, but if not then numbers sixteen and seventeen could go.

But only fifteen could get the Knowledge as Guru Maharaji had stipulated a maximum of fifteen.

I was number sixteen! Would I get Knowledge on Christmas Day after all?

I was very embarrassed when almost everyone in the hall started shouted, “let him have Knowledge” but the Mahatma said only if the others did not turn up.

The following morning, Christmas Day, I got up at about 5 o’clock and walked all he way to Muswell Hill. When I got there all fifteen of the others were there. They and I sat in a room waiting for the Mahatma Prakash Bhai to arrive. She spoke for a while and asked me to read a few lines from The Bible. I was thick with a cold, nose running and sneezing, but I read the lines which I remember to this day.

“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

“For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

“What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

That was heavy stuff. Although written about the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Mahatma said it was the same Knowledge. It was a warning!

After that she said that the fifteen named people would receive Knowledge that day but the other two would have to wait! In other words, I would not be one of the ones to be shown anything that day!

I did argue. I told her “but Guru Maharaji said not to put off til tomorrow what one can do today!”

“That’s right,” she said, “but I cannot give you Knowledge today because Guru Maharaj Ji says maximum fifteen, and if I give to you one of the others will have to wait. You must come back in three days!”

I was not at all pleased. I was quite angry. Some sort of divine joke? That God I had made my demand to had let me down.
I stormed out of the house and found my way to the start of the A11 road, intent on hitch-hiking back to Norwich, however hard it was going to be on Christmas Day.

I stuck out my thumb as the first car approached. It stopped. “Where you going mate?” asked the driver. “Norwich,” I said. “Oh I’m going there. I can take you all the way!”

The journey took about three hours and by the time we reached the outskirts of Norwich it was starting to get dark. Moreover, I was starting to feel very silly to have reacted like that. I asked the driver to stop at the ring-road roundabout, which he did. I got of the car, crossed the road, stuck out my thumb to go back to London and the first car stopped!

“Where you heading?” asked the driver. “London,” I said. “Oh I can take you there! What part of London?” “Earl’s Court,” I said “near the tube station.” “Oh that’s exactly where I’m going! I can take you all the way!”
Some hours later, I was back in my mate’s bedsit in Earl’s Court, sleeping on his floor, telling him about my day, listening to his Satsang, and waiting three days to head back to Muswell Hill where I hoped to receive the Knowledge..

Being sceptical though, I was determined not to be drugged or hypnotized, so I refused to eat or drink anything and pinched myself all though the “Knowledge Session”. There were fourteen other aspirants.

She told us we had to make some promises to Maharaji and to ourselves. First was not to reveal the techniques. Second was to practice the techniques twice daily and “give yourself a chance” and third was to “leave no doubt in your mind.”

One thing I want to say is that from the first time I ever read anything he said, Prem always said that he is not a god, that he is a human being, and that he is here to show us how to find the Knowledge of God and self within. It is not his knowledge, he does not give it to us, he just shows the way to find it.

Now , in 2024, I feel fulfilled and grateful for the Knowledge that peace and love and joy are within inside of me and for the techniques for finding that place.

Taken from: My Piece of Peace
ISBN 9781838440121

Happy Birthday PREM RAWAT

Happy Birthday PREM RAWAT

It's Prem Rawat's 65th birthday, Dec 10th. I found this page where people can send greetings, messages, express themselves or ask question, although he obviously does not have time to respond to them all, he says he reads them all.

 https://www.premrawat.com/contact 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/006307074X/ref=nosim?tag=webbooks05

50 Years of Practising Self-Knowledge

 Taken from My Piece of Peace by Alun Buffry
ISBN 978-1838440121

One of the many things that I have learned is that it is more important how one reacts to the events in the world around us than the events themselves, in particular events that we cannot control or avoid. Obviously it makes sense to get out of the way of a car that is speeding towards us, to look both ways before crossing the road, to take precautions, look before we leap or whatever. Whilst it makes sense to try to avoid illness and injury, we cannot avoid the inevitable.

Prem talks about the two walls we encounter. The wall of birth and the wall of death. We have been born and we will die. It's the bit in between that is called life and that is the bit we should enjoy.

In the present we experience the point where the future becomes the past. Rather than wallow in the past in regrets, guilt or sorrow, rather than fret and worry about the future, it simply makes more sense to enjoy the present, as “the present is the gift".

That is not to say that we should not learn from our mistakes or make good plans for the future. It is to say that everything is really about now, the eternal now.

In one of his recent talks, Prem mentioned the finite and the infinite. To summarise, he said that we were not, we are and we will not be, but the universe was, is and will be. We are the finite and the universe is the infinite and our life is the time when the finite and the infinite meet. What is more sensible than seeking the infinite. Prem never speculates or tries to tell us what will happen when we die, just that we will.

When he was still quite young, somebody asked him precisely that “What will happen when I die?” “Die and find out,” he answered.

Another thing I have realised is that the answer is mostly in the question. That is, if we can really understand the meaning of the question, what the words mean and what is behind them, we will often see the answer. I think that is how the likes of books such as the I Ching work.

I have met many people that ask questions such as “Why are we here?” “What is the purpose of life?” “How do I find peace and fulfilment?”

Well it seems to me that if somebody is thirsty then they need a drink. Yet even when a drink is offered, people may refuse it if they lack trust. They need to trust whoever is offering the drink that it is not poisoned. The more thirsty and desperate they may become, the more likely they may be to accept the drink.

Likewise those people unable to find their answers need to trust someone offering the answers. There are certainly a lot of people offering answers in this world, some genuine and some not. There are many different paths to peace or enlightenment being offered. Some offer immediate sensory gratification whereas others tell us we will get what we want in heaven or some sort of afterlife. My thoughts are that it is a shame if we have to live our lives in ignorance, dissatisfaction, confusion and fear, just so we can get to heaven when we die.

If people want to believe that, then so be it. I think whatever, we should try to enjoy our lives so long as we do not deliberately harm others or the environment. We all make mistakes but out of those mistakes should come wisdom, not regret.

Prem often talks about gratitude. That’s not just saying thanks but something deeper.

For instance, a child that wants a specific item as a gift for a birthday may well say “Thank you” for anything that is given but will feel real gratitude for the gift he or she really wanted. A person may say “Thank you” for a drink or a bite to eat whenever it is given, but a person dying of thirst or hunger will feel true gratitude for just one cup of water or morsel of food. When a person takes their last breath what would most give for another.

I am not saying that we need to be dying to feel gratitude, but that we need to appreciate this life and the fact that we get each breath without effort, as if it is a valuable gift (which it is). Appreciation of that above all else, above all our ambitions, desires, memories, possessions, beliefs – well, in my experience that does bring inner peace and a sense of fulfilment. Just being thankful that we are still alive. Gratitude not fear of what may happen or guilt over what has happened, or wishful thinking for how we would like the world to be. Simply feeling gratitude for the next breath! Without gratitude what else is there?

I remember going on holiday, for example to India. At one stage we were on a coach going from Delhi to Kashmir. I cannot say it was a comfortable ride. It was jerky. It was hot. It went on and on.

Whilst some of the views were incredible, for many hours it was dark and I got little sleep. Then, during the night, the bus broke down. We had to sit on the bus for ten hours in the middle of nowhere with just a small chai shack nearby, whilst they brought another bus from Delhi.

So, did I enjoy the bus ride? Did I enjoy India. On the whole, yes, but overall I was glad we went. I think life is like that. I wrote a poem about that bus ride.

RAM RAM BUSES

From Delhi on an Indian Tourist bus,

We left thinking they'd take care of us.

An Indian video humbly plays and we're

Told in 24 hours we'll reach Kashmir.

The journey goes into the darkest night,

As jungle and hills slowly dodge our sight,

The road now is just long and straight,

No bumps and bends or jerks to hate.

We're speeding along, ever so fast,

As if this journey is our last,

The road the driver's trying to keep,

Me - I'm just trying to fall asleep.

Suddenly, we swerve, a crash, a jolt,

Us thrown around, bus comes to a halt,

We look through windows only to see,

We hit a small tractor and just missed a tree!

Spite driver's brave efforts to curve and sway,

One side of the bus has been torn right away!

Amidst cries of Oh God!" - in Hindi "Ram Ram",

And in my own mind "Oh shit, oh damn!"

No one here seems able to tell,

Whether we're earthly or in heaven or hell.

But nobody's hurt, so we all get out,

A policeman a sweeper's given a clout.

For without thought he's just learned that he'd officially signed

A statement unread because he was blind.

There's nothing to do now but sit and wait,

Arriving Kashmir we know we'll be late.

Then mosquitoes surround us and all rush in,

"There's three dozen humans in a half open tin!"

They must have shouted and told their friends,

"We can buzz all about them and insanity send!"

Well I know it's our blood they are trying to drink,

And "Kill the bastards" is what I think,

And now the sun has gotten bright,

People are gathering to smile at our site.

Apparently the tractor driver was drunk,

The cop wanted baksheesh or he'd be sunk.

Ah, now they're trying the bus to fix

With hammers, wires and broken sticks!

It'll be midnight tomorrow before we arrive,

If just 36 hours more we can somehow survive.

But surprise, surprise we weren't there all day,

For two hours later we were on our way.

I read somewhere that as they die, many people think or say something like “Oh shit!” or “Oh God!! or the equivalent in their religion or language, such as "Ram Ram!” How much better if it was “thanks!”

How much better to appreciate life than to feel bitter about it. Gratitude that we were still alive and that we had reached our destination was better than worrying about the next bus ride or moaning about the last. That does not, of course, prevent one from telling the tale and enjoying the telling of it!

So, it seems to me, how important to seek the source of love, peace and joy. Obviously in those times we feel those feelings, we feel them inside ourselves, not in the other person or the sunset or good meal. It may be that those external things stimulate the feeling temporarily, but the feelings themselves are within.

In fact, they are always within. So it makes sense if we could somehow “tune in” to them despite outside events.

It’s obvious that riches, fame, even health and glory, what the world thinks of us, having a good job or family may help, yet some people with those things live in misery and confusion, even kill themselves, or stop caring even about themselves. They play roles, we all do, but in public they may seem happy and successful. In private maybe not.

It took the Universe almost 14 billion years to make you and you are a success. Success is not about reputation, fame, achievement or the opinions of others. It is recognition and acceptance of who you are. That does not mean that we should not make effort to improve ourselves or the world around us, just that we ought not be controlled by those things.

Personally I don’t think we should spend time trying to change what we cannot change.

For example, we may not be able to dig everyone’s garden, but if we can dig our own (or get somebody to do it for us!), maybe it will influence our neighbours and they will dig their own. In that way it may be possible to change the neighbourhood.

I hope I am not sounding like a preacher, by the way, just telling you about what I think and how I feel!

Then there is greed. We all know about greedy people. Not just people that want more and more, but people that want more at the expense of others, Yet they are seldom satisfied.

There was family living in a tent. They had few possessions. They got their food day-to-day. Nobody tried to steal from them. They had little to steal.

One day the father got a job, He was better able to provide for his family, Eventually he managed to build a hut and get some items of furniture, some toys for the children and some jewellery for the wife. They built a fence around their hut and put a lock on their door, There were thieves about. That man became an oil mogul millionaire. He moved into a mansion, sent his children to a good school, was driven around in an expensive limousine. He hired body guards, bought security systems, lived his life in fear of being robbed or conned. He was seemingly more comfortable but was he really more content? Was he so truly happy knowing that one day time itself would take away everything he had? Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. All that he had was just dust. In truth he never ever had anything except his life and he only had that for a while. Did he appreciate life for what it was, or was he distracted by all that dust?

Now I am not saying that one should not have ambitions or try to improve the quality of life. I am saying that maybe we should understand what the priorities should be. If only the priority is to appreciate more the life itself. That is one thing that Prem has taught me through The Knowledge.

My friend asked me what it’s all about. I say maybe he should focus more on enjoying it than asking questions that only he can answer. He says he does. He asked me what is the purpose, then tells me there is a purpose in everything he does. He tells me he can look after himself. So why does he ask me questions? It is obvious to me that he doesn’t want to listen to what either I or Prem says. To me he seems to be living in confusion. He says he is just waiting til he dies. I have learned that all I can do is listen.

Don’t fret because on cannot change what one cannot change or that you cannot have what you cannot have!

Television can be fun, entertaining even educational and inspirational. It can also be fearful, annoying, misguiding and indoctrinating. What I dislike is the news, which usually consists of fear-mongering, and advertising which creates dissatisfaction. So I try not to watch that. I don’t mind fiction that claims to be fiction but I detest fiction that claims to be fact.

Prem recently said that most of us look for the truth in the lies and the lies in the truth.

Decades ago, people talked about war in Europe or war in Vietnam. More recently war in Iraq or Ukraine. Years ago people talked about the ozone layer or nuclear radiation. More recently it’s about pollution or Covid19. We all know about overpopulation and world poverty. Many people run their lives on credit cards and mortgages. Every country in the world is in debt, well maybe not some of those that own all the oil. Many young people live their lives like there’s no tomorrow as many don’t think there is. I didn’t when I was at their age. Many older people live in fear of streets (their world) full of drugs and thugs, whilst others find solace in alcohol or antidepressants. Few seem to realise and appreciate or accept the availability of a practical way to get above all that. Most people want to blame the parents for the way the youth can behave or the Government or even God or Devil for their problems. Talking about positivity makes one weird!

POSITIVITY (2015)

by Alun Buffry

Always to be found in this the same place,
Throughout our universe of time and space,
On I will travel, at my own pace,
Can you now see it, in my face?

Never to question how or why,
Upon this earth I find I,
Content and amazed beneath earth's sky,
Yet soaring above white clouds on high.

Hidden within us there is a clue.
It looks like I, it looks like you
For once we were one and that is true,
Now one of so many amongst quite a few.

There is a Love, there is a Light,
Forget any guilt, ignore any fright,
Focus within on a wondrous sight,
The future is now and it's ever so Bright.

How can one find positivity? Positivity and negativity are attitudes. They are inside us, always. So we need to look within. That is what Prem has helped me to do. Not just in my head but in my heart. I am forever grateful for that.

Smoke.

Well I cannot deny that cannabis has played a major part in my life. I smoked and enjoyed it for most of fifty years. It was through cannabis that I met Australian Paul and Lorraine in 1971, and it was through them that I heard about Knowledge. Through cannabis I met probably thousands of people in many countries, all sorts of people, different ages, cultures, jobs from the unemployed to the criminals, from drivers to doctors, lawyers and of course musicians. All sorts. That incudes Premies.

I don’t regret any of that, even the time in prison. I stopped smoking in February 2020, out of choice, first for two weeks, now it’s been over two years. I do not miss it at all. The only difference is that I get and remember more vivid dreams, some good, some bad; it depends on my day and to a large extent the TV! I don’t regret stopping smoking (I stopped using tobacco in 1999 and that did me good) and I would not say I will never smoke (toke) or eat it again. It’s just that right now, I don’t need it.

Also over those years I campaigned for a change in statue law to stop the punishment of people that have done no harm to others and to protect their Human Rights and Freedom of Choice. I believe in “No Victim, No Crime”. I even founded a single issue political party in 1999, called the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, which had candidates in over 80 elections in seven years; I stood for Parliament myself in 2005 gaining 620 votes in Norwich South. I spoke at many events including Hustings, at Universities and a girls school. I debated at the Oxford Union, testified before a Parliamentary Select Committee and spoke on radio and TV. It was a tremendous experience. Having the Knowledge helped me cope with all that too. It also helped me let go when the time came. No regrets.

I have also always wanted to help spread Prem Rawat’s message and the Knowledge, believing that it will make the world a better place by bringing peace and fulfilment to more people. Of course not everyone listens, it seems that Knowledge and its practice is not for everyone, at least for now. What to do about those that do not even want to listen?

In the Gospel of St Mark in the New Testament, one version says quite clearly, quoting Christ (as it has been interpreted) “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.”

For me, having been one of those people who, for a while, did not listen because I did not understand, I am not sure I go with that. In fact, in one version, it said to leave a curse!

Then there are people that received Knowledge and never practised, or practised and stopped. There are even people that have turned against Prem, or Guru Maharaj Ji as many still call him.

There are even ex-Premie websites on line. Mostly written by people that criticise his personal life or got caught up in the concepts of what sort of life he or they should be living.

Yet Prem himself has never said, as far as I have heard, how to live one’s life, what to do or not do, whether or not to eat meat or smoke cannabis or take drugs or get married; he has just said that true peace is not in those activities and lifestyles, that we should see peace inside first, that we should give Knowledge time, trust it and be focussed. In fact many people have said that Prem drank alcohol, ate meat and took drugs. We know he got married and has had four children. Many times, since his first speech at Glastonbury Festival in 1971, Prem has said quite clearly that he is a human being, not a god!

Prem’s marriage, at the age of just 16, was announced thus:

“On May 20th 1974, at 8 pm, Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat) was wed to Marolyn Lois Johnson in a small chapel in the Colorado Rockies.”

That did cause quite a stir, not just because he was so young and it was not expected by most people but also because she was American and several years older than him.

It didn’t really bother me, but I heard that his mother (who was referred to as Mata Ji or Holy Mother) was upset as were many of the early Mahatmas. I heard a story that one Mahatma took a plane back to India but upon his arrival took a plane back to the US.

The couple went on to have four children. Prem has continued in his efforts to spread peace throughout.

“"I am simply offering an experience of life. God is in you. You can experience the Knowledge of God, you can enjoy it. It's a practical thing. Incredible. Life. And there's an experience to it. There is love of the Creator to enjoy.”

For me that is indeed simple. Knowledge is not about the world around me. It is about an inner experience. Like everything we do, if the experience is enjoyable, do it; if not stop. I know a lot of people that have stopped and they all told me that they found something beneficial in it. For whatever reason they stopped or maybe just distracted for a while, bless them so long as they do no harm to others. There are many routes to London, some direct, some can go many miles even in the opposite direction. The key is in the journey. London is still there, even if you go via Sydney.

Well maybe that’s enough preaching from me for now, not that I set out to preach, even if it comes across as that.

Now, 2022, we are (hopefully) coming out of the lockdowns and misery created by the way the Governments have handled (or mishandled) the so-called Corona virus pandemic (Covid19) and people are talking instead of the fear that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could lead to nuclear war, here I am writing this. It’s not the first book I have written. In the last twenty years, in fact mostly in the last eight, I have written many, including poetry, for want of a better name. Many of them are about places I went to, people I met, along my pathway. Some include elements of fantasy or Science Fiction. Although I do of course hope that many people will read them and be inspired to travel think or write their own books or poetry or even seek Knowledge, but the joy has been in the writing. I have heard about many many writers, artists, musicians, that have produced some wonderful work but had no desire to share it widely or be published, many that shun fame. I decided to publish mine of Amazon and Kindle and one can find them there; they are hardly best sellers. To do that I have had to learn how to format a book and set myself up as a publisher, which has enabled me to offer the service to others. That in itself has been a distraction from writing. But I enjoy it, so what!

So that has been my story of my time with Prem Rawat, my personal memories of my experiences.

Now I feel fulfilled and grateful for the Knowledge that peace and love and joy are within inside of me and for the techniques for finding that place.

I have written this, not to sell books, but for the joy of expressing my feelings in the hope that maybe, just maybe, it will help others to find their own piece of peace and enjoy their lives as much as I have enjoyed mine.

>>> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW  <<<

What if the bad wolf ate the good wolf?

Prem Rawat:

It’s been a while, but here I am again. And doing a lot of things, as you can see; this is all a new setup getting ready for the PEP. And, you know, taking care of things, and as slowly, things start opening up, the possibilities of starting off and going different places are looking better and better, whenever that happens....

The most important thing, of course, is to stay safe—for you, for me, for all of us. You know, and if it’s two more weeks or four more weeks, or whatever it happens to be, it’s okay. You know, just stay fluid like water. Remember that tree that knows how to bend, how to flex in the wind—and by that flexibility, it is actually assuring itself a long life—so that’s really wonderful.

Anyways, so what inspired me to come out here and talk to you? Well, I was saving the questions—but there was one question that came up that got me thinking. And let me begin with a little story. So, I hope you’re not bored with this, but this could be, you know, your mouth could start salivating—but let me talk to you about a samosa. And so, what is a samosa?

So, it’s a thin dough—and it’s whole wheat dough, but it’s thin. And you make a filling. And one of the very popular fillings in India is potato. And you add, you know—everybody has their own version of samosa filling.

So, why am I talking about a samosa? Well, so it hit me that there was a time when I was a little boy—and I remember this particular day, because what happened was all my brothers and my mother and some other relatives, they all decided to go to the movies. And they weren’t going to take me; I was too young, I guess.

So I stayed home—but I was devastated. I remember I was absolutely devastated that I wasn’t going to get to go. And I was crying and it was terrible.

So, my father happened to be at home—which was rather rare, because he would always be traveling somewhere—but he happened to be home that day. And he was, you know, a little concerned that I was crying. And so he said, “Why are you crying?” And I said, “Well, you know, they didn’t take me. So, I’m, I’m”—I was heartbroken. (I didn’t tell him that, but I was.)

And he says, “Okay, you and I will go and have a good time.” So I said, “All right.” It wasn’t going to be the good time that I had imagined—because it was a real suffering from my idea of how it should be—they didn’t take me and I was, you know, I was devastated....

So, he took me, and we ended up going to this restaurant—and I was a little boy—and I remember this. And I remember he ordered—he looked at me and he says, “Would you like to eat something?” And I said “Yes,” and he said, “Okay, how about a samosa?” And I said, “Oh, that sounds good.” And I said, “I’m also going to have some ice cream.”

So, believe me, I have had a lot of samosas and I do have ice cream—but that day, that particular day, that samosa and that ice cream, I remember.

Do I remember the filling of that samosa? Absolutely not. Do I remember what kind of ice cream was it that I had that day? Absolutely not. I don’t know if it was vanilla, it was strawberry or it was chocolate. But, boy, I tell you, it was the best samosa and it was the best ice cream that I have ever had in my life.

Now, I had—another time I had samosa, and it was really delicious. And, you know, samosa having that thin dough and then it’s deep-fried, the caramelization happens and it gets crispy. And it’s just, the aroma, the—you know, it’s just amazing. Umami is just amazing.

And this particular day, I was traveling—I was older—I was traveling. And the people where I was, where I had started from had forgotten to pack the lunch—they had packed the lunch but they had forgotten to give it to us.

So I was really, really hungry and so we pulled over, and there was a little place on the side of the road. And this samosa filling I remember—and it was this, just the simplest samosa filling—it was the potato, a little bit of black pepper, salt, little bit of chilies, (chopped green chilies and a little bit of red chilies), and coriander.

And so it was just, when you bit into it, that umami of the fried bread was there; the dough—and the potato, you could taste it, the coriander, the pepper—and the salt and the chilies. And all of these flavors and the smells were there. So, anyways, my mouth is watering; I don’t know about yours.... But it was just something that really hit the spot.

So, now, why am I telling you about samosas? Well, you see, that other one, that other samosa I had that was the best samosa I’ve ever had—and the best ice cream I have ever had—had nothing to do with the flavor, had nothing to do with that particular stuffing. It had to do with the company that I had—and how much it meant to me.

And so, sometimes we don’t understand what “good” is. So, anyways, now let me come back to what caused me to, you know, what—this question that I saw and it really got me going....

So, the question was, “What if the bad wolf ate the good wolf?” So for, (if some of you don’t know this story), I’ll just very quickly reiterate the story. A little boy traveling with the tribe came to the chief and said, “Chief, I have a question.” Chief said, “What?” He goes, “Well, why is it that some people who are good sometimes are bad the other times?”

And the chief said, “Because there is a good wolf in us and there is a bad wolf in us, and they fight.” And so the boy thought about it, and then a few minutes later he said to the chief; he says, “Which one wins?” And he said, “Well, the one you feed. So if you feed the bad wolf, it gets strong; if you feed the good wolf, it gets strong.”

So, when I first read the question, I giggled—I mean, I’m sorry but I giggled, because it’s like, well, you know, here I talk about these stories; I give these analogies—and here is somebody giving this analogy back to me, “What if the bad wolf ate the good wolf?” I mean, “Ate the good wolf?” And then I started thinking about it—“Is that even possible—the good and the bad?”

So, that’s where the samosa example comes in—and by the way, samosa is not from India; it’s from Persia, and it was developed at the court. A lot of people used to come and they would be standing all day long to hear the verdict of the king, you know, and in different cases, and so there was nothing for them to eat....

Somebody came up with the idea, “A little bit of bread, fry it; stuff it with something,” and it became samosa. And of course, when—anything that makes it to India becomes Indian very quickly. And Indians have made it their own—and done a fabulous job of it.

So, good is much bigger than you realize. And the bad is much bigger than you realize—it is more than the sum of your life—it’s huge; it’s massive. This unsettled war of the good and the bad has played out on the face of this earth as far back as stories go—they are about the good and the bad. It is all about the good winning over the bad.

And how far does that go? (Not in terms of time), but how big is that good? Because if that good wasn’t good—and that good wasn’t big, then in this life, things become uncertain. If truly it was possible for the bad wolf to ever eat the good wolf, we’re in trouble; we’re in serious, serious trouble.

But then, if you remember what Krishna says, “That even in your darkest moment, I will not abandon you.” There—that’s about the good: “You will not be abandoned,” even if it seemed to you that the bad wolf is eating the good wolf or has eaten the good wolf—as dark as it gets!

Because for me, that day when I didn’t get to go with my family, (my brothers, my mother), I was devastated. You know, there wasn’t the good wolf coming along and saying, “No, it’s, you know, it’s all right; you don’t need to worry about it; you don’t need to be bothered.” I was very bothered; I was crying.

And it had such an impact on me, the bad—and then, going to the good, the most wonderful samosa and the most wonderful ice cream; I mean, my goodness, you know, that flavor.... That you’ve got that hot samosa, the crispy samosa, the salty samosa, and then you take a bite of that cold ice cream. I mean....

You know, and of course, the temperature of the ice cream has to be right. Because if it’s too liquidy, it won’t taste good. And if it’s too cold and it’s like a brick, it won’t taste good—so, everything was just right. But more than that—it was the company.

So there is something that is good that goes beyond the scope of everyday activity that you’re involved with. That everything that happens in your life, for whatever the period is, five years, six years, two years, one day, one minute, one second, whatever, there is a good that prevails. And it’s much, much, much, much bigger than you realize.

Never underestimate the value of darkness; it’s huge. It is very powerful; it’s very potent. But for us human beings on the face of this earth, whatever our challenges may be, there is a good—and that good is more powerful, is backed up by more. There is a power behind it. There is a strength behind it. And this is the strength that we have to, in our lives, latch onto—the strength of the good.

To remember that even in my darkest hour, I am not abandoned. I may feel abandoned, but I’m not abandoned. Because I haven’t latched on; I haven’t made it my home, the goodness that is in me. I haven’t made that good wolf my companion. Not just something that I feed, but that that goodness becomes my companion.

And that that other wolf is something that I stay away from. Not only is a question of feeding it, but I stay away from it—because that’s something that I don’t want a relationship.... I want my relationship with the good, with what is powerful. Because this is who I am.

You know, what is the difference between day and night? Not much. There are the stars; there is the planet Earth, still going around and round and round. But there is a huge difference. And that difference is that during that day, there is the light of the sun and I can see. And that seeing makes all the difference—that I can be, now, awake. It’s not just that I can see, but I am awake too.

And that I have a fundamental need to sleep—and it works very well when the darkness comes because I need that darkness to be able to fall asleep in.

So, one great disadvantage is that when it is dark, I don’t know what’s out there. I need to know that. If somebody is challenged visually, they use a stick to figure out what’s out there. But we need to know what is out there.

And the same thing about the good in our life. That is the beautiful, truly the beautiful, amazingly the beautiful that resides in the heart of every single person that is alive.

Now, you know, of course, there are people—I’m sure they’re going off on this tangent of, “And this could have happened, and that could have happened and, you know, there are people out there that have done horrible things, that have done terrible things.”

True. I’m not saying that that’s not true. But as a human being, we always carry in us the possibility of a change—that we can go from darkness to light. That this war that we engage in can be won. That it isn’t about winning every single battle, but it is about winning the war. And we can win that war. We can win.

I mean, I know that we’re faced with this challenge—and, you know, seeing this, how governments are reacting to it—absolutely unbelievable.

I mean, here is a moment in which humanity needs to come first, not politics. Humanity needs to come first—that those people who are going off and harping on these politics and politics and making this a game and making this a terrible thing, really need in their lives to understand that they are, first of all, they are human beings.

And their decisions of how they handle things affect so many other human beings. So many people that die—and now, I read, so, and they want to manipulate the data! I mean, okay, they’ve been manipulating the data ever since, so it’s not going to be a big shock to anybody.

Because, you know, one of the things is—and this is true, that not all politicians are like this—but I think they all take an oath, or most of them who are just, have got their head buried somewhere else, take an oath that—they take an oath of telling the truth all the time, that they will always lie. (And something like that.)

Because it seems to be so confusing, with “Do this and don’t do this; do this; don’t do this.” And it’s all about ego....

But here is a chance to do something good. And if—and here is my point of it. If they can’t do it, you can—because you find the goodness in you. And you keep safe—and you keep your neighbors safe. And you keep the people around you safe—because the good is in you.

And what are you doing to do when this coronavirus is no more, and everything goes back to, quote-unquote, “being normal”? Are you going to remember this period? Are you going to bring out your best? Again, not measuring how much, but bringing out your best—because it is in you? Are you going to let that shine? Are you going to let that manifest?

Or are you going to be like, “Well, I don’t have the time for it”—another excuse. You have time to make excuses—and as human beings, we are very good at excuses: “I don’t have the time; I’m too busy; I’m this; I’m that.” And yet, your life; you make the decision.

So, going back to my samosas and ice cream and everything else, just to remember how powerful this possibility is. And one thing that I have to say—and my father used to say this; I’m saying it—that the seed is never destroyed; the seed is always there.

So, yes, the seed of bad is never destroyed—but the seed of good is never destroyed. You can hold your head and go, “Oi, you know, it’s all over,” or “the seed of bad is never going be destroyed,” but the good news here is not that—the good news here is that the seed of the good will never be destroyed. And you carry that good inside of you.

And it’s much bigger. However long you’re going to live, however, whatever is going on in your life, the seed and the cycle of the goodness is more, is bigger than you. It’s huge; it’s massive.

So, I don’t know—I thought that there were so many questions being asked that are actually connected to this question. So, answering this particular question, (which, at first, I thought it was hilarious)—but then when I started thinking about it, I saw the depth of what it means.

This is the drama that’s been playing out—again and again and again and again; this is what Mahabharat was all about; this is what Ramayan was all about—that the good won. The good was victorious.

And at the end of the day, we always, all of us, have to make that effort to make the good win in our lives every day. And if it can be boiled down to that, sure.

Now, when pain comes, when trouble comes, you know, that flattens us. It’s like, pegged against the wall, “What are you going to do? Oh my God, oh, this is terrible; this is horrible.”

But—there is something else too—and that “something else” is bigger than the sum of all the problems that are on the face of this earth. And there are a lot of problems on the face of this earth, a lot; I mean, from small problems to huge problems....

And just imagine what’s happening in this world today. You know, whatever is happening in your little life is happening in your life, but imagine what is happening. Somebody was just born—just born. Another person was just born. Somebody just died. They’re gone—they’re gone forever. They’re never going to come back.

Somebody just became really rich. Somebody just became really poor. Somebody just lost their way. Somebody just found their way. The dramas that are going on all the time out there, they’re not trivial. They affect human beings deeply.

But the way that the good affects the human being is also very unique. And that goes back to “I don’t remember the filling of the samosa but it was the most delicious samosa; I remember that. I don’t know what kind of ice cream it was—but it was the most delicious ice cream I have ever had, bar none.” And I have had some good ones, but nothing as delicious as that.

So, stay safe; be well. Stay fluid. This thing hasn’t played out yet. You know, God knows—it’s, what some of the politicians are doing just to make a name for themselves—they have no interest, human interest in sight. That it’s just about their name, their fame, their two minutes of glory—at your expense. At your expense.

I don’t want to talk about that so much—because I can talk about the good that is in you. And that is much bigger than all those trivial little things that still have to play out with this coronavirus thing—this coronavirus thing has got everybody—it’s got everybody’s attention like you wouldn’t believe.

Now, if we give the attention to the good inside of us, we will have a different world, a beautiful world. So, again, be well; be safe. Take care of yourself. And I’ll talk to you soon. Thank you.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN
by
Alun Buffry (1995)
Dedicated to Prem Rawat

Two thousand years ago, a child was born.

A king He was, a Crown he should have worn.
Yet in a humble stable, in amongst the beasts,
Wise men and shepherds bowed their heads unto His feet.

The child, He grew and travelled forth to learn,
To find and teach the Secret that we yearn,
And Master took from men disciples few,
Though many more would follow if they only knew.

So Master's all-too-short life had to end,
Disciples had to struggle for their lives to mend,
Through faith and hope, they tried not to stray,
From Master's unsophisticated way.

Then men had visions onto paper that they wrote,
Along with Master's words and stories that He spoke,
So men, religious, later read about that wondrous age,
When God Almighty manifested as a sage.

Alas, the words, though, all had double-meanings,
The Truth is not quite always as it's seeming,
And in 2000 years divisions grew,
Of those who thought, had Faith, and those who knew.

If Master only came to us but once, it is a shame,
For men in ignorance need to see Him once again.
Besides the stories of the manger and the crèche,
We need to see The Master in the flesh!