Michael Bolton's Review of Prem Rawat's New Book
Michael singing To Love Somebody
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January 30, 2022A Review of Prem Rawat's New Book from Someone Who Knew Nothing About Him
NOTE: A few months ago, as an experiment, I posted a message on my Facebook page inviting anybody living in the US who wanted a free copy of Prem Rawat's new book (and didn't know much about him) to contact me. About 50 people responded, one of whom was Patricia Savitski, a woman I only knew from Facebook. A few days after getting her request, I shipped the book to her. Below is Patricia's review of the book.
"What a blessing of a book -- so enlightening and engaging -- a book with the genuine power to stir and comfort you at the same time as you pursue self-knowledge and learn how to free yourself from chaos and celebrate each breath.
Prem Rawat has given us a gift to treasure which I guarantee you will want to keep by your bedside to read and reread time and again.
Hear Yourself is a great reminder to think outside the box, be easy on yourself, and become acquainted with the light we often forget to hold, not just in ourselves, but in every living being.
Prem's book is a beautiful teaching about our pure potential to live life consciously. It was, to me, a kind of magic taking me by the hand and introducing me to myself in a most real way.
I am not new to mindfulness and spiritual teachings. I have had many teachers and have read many books, but I am new to Prem Rawat and the amazing way he communicates his message and takes people deeper into knowing the place within themselves where there is always calm. Being in touch with that calm place helps a person see everything around them with new eyes.
For me, reading Hear Yourself felt like a good, warm rain that feeds the earth and generates an electric wide-eyed freshness. It made me want to dance with gratitude.
Prem Rawat talking about his book
How Hear Yourself became a best seller
Buy the book
PremRawat.com
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January 29, 2022Words of Wisdom for Anyone Dealing With a Life Threatening Health Challenge
If you or any of your loved ones or friends are dealing with a life-threatening health-challenge, this five-minute video of Prem Rawat talking with a woman dealing with cancer is a breath of fresh air. Excerpted from one of his events in 2015.
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January 28, 2022Easy to Love
PremRawat.com
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January 27, 2022Without Your Love
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January 24, 2022Prem Rawat Quotes
The quote above is one of many juicy ones from Prem Rawat's new book, "Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World." Here's a simple way to view and download others from the book. Simply scroll down the page until you find what you're looking for.
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January 21, 2022It's a Real Love
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January 20, 2022One Person at a Time
Just published on PremRawat.com -- a fascinating story about Prem Rawat's father, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj.
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The Latest from PremRawat.com
If you are interested in Prem Rawat's message of peace, one good resource for you is his website. What follows are some recent postings in case you missed them. If you find any particularly moving, please feel free to share them on social media or forward them to friends.
12 Ways to Learn More About Prem Rawat's Message of Peace
The Wisdom Quotes of Hear Yourself, Part 1
The Wisdom Quotes of Hear Yourself, Part 2
The Wisdom Quotes of Hear Yourself, Part 3
The Information Overload Phenomenon
About TimelessToday subscriptions
How You Can Support TPRF's Food for People Program
TPRF's Peace Education Program Continues to Make a Difference
OTHER LINKS OF NOTE
PremRawat.com
Photo: Courtesy of TimelessToday
How to subscribe to his newsletter: Scroll to the bottom of the page
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January 19, 2022The Seventh Noun
"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." -- William Shakespeare
I first heard about Prem Rawat in 1971. He was 13 then and known as "Maharaji." I was 24 and known as "Ditty." A long-haired, earnest seeker of the Truth, I was astounded by what this young boy from India had to say and how he said it, stunned by his clarity, wisdom, and ability to engage my attention in such a heart-opening way. Now it is 50 years later. He is 64 and I am 74. I am still astounded by him.
In the early days, I used to refer to him as a "Guru" -- a Hindi word that translates as "the dispeller of darkness and the revealer of light." I liked that word a lot. It had a nice ring to it and satisfied my need to think of myself as a deep soul on the spiritual path. But soon I realized that word carried too much baggage, conjuring up stereotypical images of the East: incense burning, saffron robes, and little red dots on the forehead. My experience of Prem was none of these. But it didn't matter what I thought. What mattered was how my family, friends, and neighbors related to the word and, if they didn't, the word "Guru" had to go. And so it did.
Realizing I needed a better way to refer to him, I moved on to "Master." I liked that word a lot, especially since I experienced Prem as someone with a whole lot of mastery. And besides, I reasoned, the concept of "Master" was known to many people. Hey, there were Master carpenters, right? And Master musicians. And Master chefs. And Master mechanics, too. Using the word "Master" to describe someone with extraordinary abilities was not hype or a con job. It was both fitting and accurate.
Be that as it may, I noticed that the word sometimes made people uncomfortable. For example, they assumed I was referring to a person who thought he was superior to the average bloke -- someone who wielded Mastery over others. This was not my experience of Prem. No way. Not then. Not now. But hey, if my choice of the word "Master" created doubt and fear in the minds of others, it was time to let it go -- or at least only use it in the company of people who were not triggered by it.
Which brought me to the word "Teacher" -- a descriptor, which, for most people, was far less polarizing than Guru or Master. Everyone, somewhere along the line, has had a teacher, no? Then again, for some people, the word "teacher" carries some negative connotations -- old memories of boring Professors or cranky elders giving too much homework.
OK. No "Guru", no "Master", no "Teacher".
Well, then, how about "Guide" -- a word that's about as non-threatening as they come -- simply a title for someone who helps you get to your destination. Is that such a bad thing? I don't think so, unless, of course, it conjures up are images of slick tour guides quoting robotically from prepared scripts and extending their hand in your direction for a tip.
Bye-bye "Guide".
Which brings us, I guess, to the increasingly popular "Friend", or more specifically "The Friend", a phrase the Sufi poet, Rumi, often used to describe Shams a Tabriz, his ___________ (fill in the blank, folks).
Personally speaking, I've always resonated with the word "Friend", not just because I love Rumi's poetry, but because everyone knows how important it is to actually have a friend -- someone you can count on, someone who's there when you need them, someone you are so connected to that even if you don't see that person for ten years it feels like no time has passed.
Then again, when most people think of "Friend", they usually assume it's someone you have lunch with regularly or text five times a day. Since none of these behaviors come close to describing my relationship with Prem, I guess I'll need to retire that word, as well.
Most recently, I am hearing the words "educator" and "peace educator" used to describe Prem. Very intriguing. An educator, as I understand it, is a person who facilitates the process of learning, making it easier for people to acquire knowledge, skills, values, and develop their full potential. And its etymological roots are compelling, going all the way back to the 16th century Latin word "educare", meaning "to bring out or lead forth" -- which, for me, describes a huge aspect of Prem Rawat's value -- his ability to bring out, in people, their innate thirst to learn, grow, and experience the best of life.
Could it be, that after 50 years of looking for the perfect noun for Prem I have found it? For some people, the answer would be YES. But for others, the word "educator" is too mental -- conjuring up an overly intellectual person in a book-lined office thinking about "pedagogy" and government grants. And while, it's true that Prem does have an approach to his work -- his approach is not "pedagogical," not lockstep, not formalized, pre-cut and dried. No, his approach is way more organic than that -- more emergent, spontaneous, and in the moment.
So there you have it. Six imperfect nouns: Guru, Master, Teacher, Guide, Friend, and Educator But wait! There's more! Why limit it to six, especially since last night, while showering, a seventh noun came to mind. Ready?
Marigold.
What? Huh? Really? Marigold? Like the flower? Sure, why not? A marigold is not only beautiful to look at, but positioned next to a tomato plant, it radically increases the odds of that plant ripening all the way to fruition. Marigolds, by their very nature, keep aphids, mosquitoes, nematodes, beetles, and even rabbits away. In other words, just the proximity of a marigold protects a tomato plant from common obstacles to growth.
"Companion planting" it's called -- nature's way of pairing two forms of life in a way that ensures the best possible result. The marigold does its thing and the tomato plant gets the benefit -- having a much greater chance of growing to its full potential.
A few mozzarella slices. A little salt. A glass of wine. Yum!
PremRawat.com
Photo: Courtesy of TimelessToday
Letter photo: Sven Brandsma
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January 18, 2022The Wisdom Quotes of Hear Yourself: Part 3
Just published on PremRawat.com -- the third in a series of wisdom quotes from Prem's new book, "Hear Yourself." This post includes quotes from Kabir, Benjamin Franklin, John F. Kennedy, Lalla Ded, Rabia al Basri, Tulsidas, Simone Weil, Ganesh, John Kenneth Galbraith, and the always popular Anonymous.
PremRawat.com
Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World
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January 16, 2022Going Beyond Words
This just in! This morning, after breakfast, I began writing an article about the challenge of communicating anything meaningful via words -- how to give voice to the ineffable, how to give shape to that which has no form, how to evoke the deepest feeling of wonder beyond the limitation of language. It would be way easier for me to wash the dishes in my sink (which I will get to later today), but I am moved to write this piece -- the ultimate Zen Koan -- trying to see my eye with my eye.
I know it cannot be done, but I am going to do it, anyway -- kind of like John Cage's definition of poetry: "I have nothing to say; I am saying it, and that is poetry."
And yet words, at least sometimes, have value. They do. As does music, art, dancing, photography, and a myriad of other forms of self-expression. Indeed, that is a big part of what it means to be a human being -- to step up to the plate or off the cliff and make the effort to give voice to that mysterious, deep-seated, beyond-language essence of who we are at the core of our being.
What follows are some inspiring quotes I found this morning on this fasinating topic. If you have a few minutes, please take a look and let me know, in the comments box below, which quotes move you the most. Merci! Gracias! And a big thank you from the bottom of what I have no words for.
"Words have no language that can utter the secrets of love." -- Hafiz
"Words are the voice of the heart." -- Confucius
"In spite of language, in spite of intelligence and intuition and sympathy, one can never really communicate anything to anybody." -- Aldous Huxley
"Silence hides nothing. Words conceal." -- August Strindberg
"Words are the mind's wings, are they not?" -- Helen Keller
"Prayer is an act of love. No words are needed." -- Teresa of Avila
"True words seem false." -- Lao Tzu
"The reality we put into words is never the reality itself." -- Werner Heisenberg
"Teach me to go the country beyond words and names." -- Thomas Merton
"Experience is the truer guide than the words of others." -- Leonardo da Vinci
"My words itch at your ears until you understand them." -- Walt Whitman
"Your hand is a warm stone I hold between two words." -- Margaret Atwood
"O goddess, bestow on my words an immortal charm." -- Lucretius
"There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen." -- Rumi
"Men who have much to say use the fewest words." -- Josh Billings
"You had better run from me. My words are fire." -- Rumi
"It is the stillest words that bring the storm." -- Friedrich Nietzsche
"Enough of words. Come to me without a sound." -- Rumi
"I rarely think in words at all." -- Albert Einstein
"The highest truth cannot be put into words." -- Lao Tzu
"Much wisdom goes with fewest words." -- Sophocles
"It's only words unless they're true." -- David Mamet
"Freeing oneself from words is liberation." -- Bodhidharma
"Where words fail, music speaks." -- Hans Christian Andersen
"Words like nature, half reveal and half conceal the life within." -- Alfred Lord Tennyson
"My task, which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel -- it is, before all, to make you see." -- Joseph Conrad
"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." -- Ludwig Wittgenstein
"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence." -- Ansel Adams
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost." -- Martha Graham
"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I have no desires, save the desire to express myself in defiance of all the world's muteness." -- Vladimir Nabokov
"You must forget all your theories, all your ideas before the subject. What part of these is really your own will be expressed in your expression of the emotion awakened in you by the subject." -- Henri Matisse
"Our self-expression is meant to be a manifestation of the silence of our hearts." -- Matthew Fox
"We talk about self-expression, but need to pause and remember that self-expression requires a self to express." -- Julia Cameron
"To the poet fated to be a poet, self-expression is as natural and as involuntary as breathing is to us ordinary mortals." -- Octavio Paz
"Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing." -- Marc Chagall
"Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words." -- Rumi
"If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint." -- Edward Hopper
"Most words evolved as a description of the outside world, hence their inadequacy to describe what is going on inside me." -- Hugh Prather
"When words are both true and kind they can change the world." -- Buddha
"We've been given the opportunity to express ourselves -- to paint beautiful pictures with the strengths we have inside. Each new morning, we can choose to be the most fantastic version of ourselves. Ignore the numbers. Paint outside the boxes. Paint what's in your heart. Paint the most dazzling version of who you are." -- Prem Rawat
"Those who know do not speak, and those who speak do not know." -- Lao Tzu (PS: This is something he said!)
Photo by Marc Schaefer on Unsplash
PremRawat.com
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:45 PM | Comments (2)
January 15, 2022Give the Timeless Gift of Inspiration, Peace, and Self-Discovery
If you are thinking of what to buy a friend, family member, neighbor, or co-worker for their birthday, consider giving them a subscription to TimelessToday -- a great way to access Prem Rawat's multi-lingual livestreams, on demand videos, recorded interviews, Intelligent Existence trainings, and surprise celebrations. One-month, three-month, and 12-month subscriptions available.
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January 14, 2022Law of Nature
From Prem Rawat's series of One 2 One videos. Available on PremRawat.com
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January 13, 2022PREM RAWAT: "Paint the Most Dazzling Version of Who You Are."
"We've been given the opportunity to express ourselves -- to paint beautiful pictures with the strengths we have inside. Each new morning, we can choose to be the most fantastic version of ourselves. Ignore the numbers. Paint outside the boxes. Paint what's in your heart. Paint the most dazzling version of who you are." -- Prem Rawat, page 115 from his new book, Hear Yourself.
Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World
PremRawat.com
Photo: Courtesy of TimelessToday
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2022The Wisdom Quotes of Prem Rawat's New Book: Part 1
Click here for a sampling of third-party wisdom quotes that Prem Rawat cites in his new book, Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World.
People quoted include: Albert Einstein, Socrates, Rumi, Isaac Asimov, Kabir, Marcus Aurelius, William Blake, Swami Vivekananda, Leo Tolstoy, Mike Tyson, Seneca, Mirabai, Brahmanand, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj, and Lao Tzu.
These wisdom quotes are the first in a three-part series that will be published in PremRawat.com in the next week or so.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:46 PM | Comments (0)
January 10, 2022The Information Overload Phenomenon
Click here for a new article on information overload just published on PremRawat.com. Please feel free to forward it to friends of yours you think might find it useful.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:53 AM | Comments (0)
January 07, 2022A Shout Out for Hear Yourself All the Way from Bordeaux
In Bordeaux, France for a presentation of her latest book, Premier Sang, Belgian author, Amelie Nothomb, speaks glowingly of Prem Rawat's new book, Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World.
A prolific author since the publication of her first novel Hygiene and the Assassin in 1992, at the age of 26, Ms. Nothomb has published a book a year. Her novels are among the top in literary sales and have been translated into several languages. She is a Commander of the Order of the Crown and has had the title of Baroness bestowed upon her by King Philippe of Belgium.
NOTE: Ms. Nothcomb is not a student of Prem's -- just someone who encountered his book and was very moved by it.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:39 PM | Comments (0)
