The Heart of the Matter
May 02, 2022
Prem Rawat on Self-Knowledge

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Prem Rawat doesn't just talk about personal peace. He offers people a practical experience of how to access it within themselves. He calls this experience "self-knowledge" and it is, quite simply, the core of his message. In the months to come, PremRawat.com will be publishing a wide variety of compelling content that will make it much easier for you and the other 7.9 billion people on the planet to understand what self-knowledge is all about and how you can experience it for yourself. What follows are selected excerpts from Prem's new book, "Hear Yourself", that further elaborate on this most fascinating topic.

"I find there is a lot of confused intellectual noise around the topic of understanding the self, but the purpose of gaining self-knowledge could hardly be simpler; it's about us experiencing that refreshing clarity, deep fulfillment, and profound, immeasurable joy -- and many, many other wonders -- by being at one with the universe of peace within us."

"Self-knowledge is a route to personal peace ... Practicing it enables me 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."

"Self-knowledge is like music -- as you start to understand yourself you being to hear the many beautiful sounds this life can play for you. It's as if your ears are becoming attuned to more and more frequencies."

"Every day brings a new opportunity for us to express ourselves -- a new blank page waiting to be filled. Self-knowledge can help us write something memorable, something joyful, something true to who we truly are. Something full of meaning. Only I can write the story of my life and only you can write yours. Each day we need to pick up our pen and write what is in our heart. Let the ink flow."

"Gaining knowledge about the self is a process of discovery, of uncovering who we are."

"What's at stake when we allow our inner self to remain hidden -- when we live unconsciously? Well, we forsake the most precious thing we have: our experience of life itself. We can also suffer all sorts of mental and emotional pain. And we might also project our pain onto those we love, and on the world around us. Self-knowledge connects us with the opposite of all this: all that is good in us."

"Allowing self-knowledge into your life can bring challenges. For some, it requires that they go against the flow of their social or professional situation. Family, friends, and colleagues can be suspicious and dismissive. We can find ourselves surrounds by those who believe there's nothing to the inner world, and they're often keen to keep sharing their opinion with us."

"Great pleasure and progress can come from our interaction with the world, but it's only one part of who we are. For someone to say, 'There are two worlds -- outer and inner -- and they both matter to me...', well, that requires courage. It takes a brave person to say, 'My mind and my heart can be at peace with each other.'"

"As a human being, your peace, clarity and goodness emanate from your heart. You have an inner power generator, an inner source of light, an inner sanctuary of calm -- and you take all this with you wherever you go."

"Understanding how to connect with that place of peace inside and feeling gratitude for it: this is called Knowledge, and it's something we all can learn. What is learning? It's experiencing the gift of life in a new way."

"Some people can take the journey of self-knowledge alone; others benefit from guidance. There are many teachers and speakers in the world; if you need a little guidance now and then, find the person or people who feel right for you. Having someone there with you -- someone who truly understands the self -- can be reassuring. They can point the way in the dark."

"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 miracles of existence, and to help point the way towards 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."

"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 it's 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.'"

"I learned about self-knowledge at the feet of my father, quite literally. When I was a child, I would sit on the stage when he spoke, and I'd listen to what he was saying and to the questions people asked. That's how I came to understand that we are born with everything we need to experience peace, but the busyness of everyday life can obscure those strengths within."

"Over the years, I have learned that understanding cannot be put into somebody; we must accept it for ourselves. To do that, we need to be open to what's new. If you have an empty water glass and a bottle containing water, you must place the bottle above the glass and let gravity draw down the water. Water cannot flow upward into an empty glass. Knowledge cannot flow from an open heart into a closed mind."

"Often people will want to question everything about self-knowledge with their head. Exactly how does it work? How can I be sure it's working for me? What is the proof? In other aspects of life, smart questions like this can be helpful, but you can only really learn about yourself through experience, not theory."

"Sometimes we need to let go of thinking -- there's a time for believing and a time for knowing."

"If this book and the PEAK program resonate with you, there's also an option to learn some practical, but powerful techniques of self-knowledge. These should help you tap into your inner strengths and take your focus from the outside to the inside. It's these techniques that my father taught me.. when I was six years old."

"In my experience, the techniques are best passed on from person to person. They are something precious that should be learned from someone who truly understands them."

"The key that unlocks the door to a deeper sense of consciousness is your thirst for self-knowledge... It's like learning a language: you must have that curiosity and driver to begin with, then follow up with the determination to practice. Knowledge is the language of the self."

"There are often great expectations attached to gaining self-knowledge and peace, too. 'When I have peace, this is what it should feel like. When you have peace, this is how you should act.' So go the expectations. I suggest a different approach; feel your thirst, explore self-knowledge, and allow whatever happens next to unfold naturally."

"Having a strong connection to inner peace has been an incredible blessing in my life -- through the good times and the rough times. For me, it doesn't matter what problems I have or what's happening in the world; when I cross that threshold and connect fully with my self, all concerns vaporize. And this is the possibility for every human being; to be in that place where the heart sings and they simply enjoy the music of being."

"I often speak about the clarity that comes from self-knowledge because it can transform how we feel about ourselves and how we encounter life."

"Self-knowledge can enable you to develop a set of inner instruments connected to your true self. And that's where you find your reality. That's where you truly get to orient yourself."

"Once, when I was talking to people who were learning the techniques of Knowledge, a man said, 'I feel afraid.'
'Afraid of what?' I replied.
'I can't let go: I can't get into this feeling.'
'Why?' I said. 'You are only turning inside. Don't be afraid of yourself. Fly!'

"Turn within, and you can fly far within yourself. Turn within, and the noise of the world settles into silence, enabling you to listen to the divine music of now. Turn within, and you will hear yourself. Begin!"

Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World
12 Ways to Learn More About Prem Rawat's Message of Peace
An introduction to Prem's online course, PEAK

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at May 2, 2022 02:37 AM

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