What a Good Teacher Does
"I don't know you. I don't know your name. But I do love you because you are a human being. That is sufficient for me to open up my heart and bring forth to you all that I know." -- Prem Rawat
When people ask me who Prem Rawat is, I usually describe him as a "teacher." Which makes me, I guess, his student -- though he has no school, no curriculum, and no exams.
What he does have is an extraordinary knack for accelerating a person's education. About what? About life. And how to get the most out of it.
A clue about Prem Rawat's approach comes from the word itself.
"Education" comes from the Latin word "educare" -- meaning "to bring out." That's what a good teacher does -- brings out, from the student, the desire to learn -- the thirst to know.
A good teacher does not stuff the student with facts, formulas, and information. A good teacher unstuffs. A good teacher removes the obstacles that get in the way of learning -- then finds a way to encourage, inspire, and guide his students to find out for themselves.
What Prem Rawat brings out of a human being is innate wisdom -- direct contact with the inner experience of knowing -- or what some people refer to as "knowledge of the self."
Here's the paradox:
Even though Prem Rawat teaches and has a lot to say, he'll be the first to admit that what his message is about goes far beyond words -- words, amazingly, that have been translated into more than 70 languages and considered daily by thousands of people worldwide who pay no tuition -- only attention.
Because what he teaches is free.
Which makes perfect sense when you stop to consider that what he's teaching is all about the fine art of becoming free.
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May 24, 2013Prem Rawat in Amaroo: 9/13/12
Words of Peace Global
Photos: Juan Xavier-Borja
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May 23, 2013MY LAST DAYS: Meet Zach Sobiech
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May 21, 2013You Get More Beautiful
Daya singing Stuart Hoffman's "You Get More Beautiful" -- one of the many wonderful songs from Dance in the Dance. Great visuals in the accompanying slide show.
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May 20, 2013A Chance to Vote for Prem Rawat's New Book
If you've enjoyed Prem Rawat's new book -- The Greatest Truth of All: You Are Alive!-- and want to recommend it to others, here's how.
Simply click this link, type "Prem Rawat" in the space provided, click on the book title, and vote for it.
BestBookRead is a new website that makes it easy for people to vote for books that have moved them. The site has about 2 million subscribers and will be sending all their subscribers a list of the top 100 books recommended by the visitors to their site.
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May 19, 2013It's All About the Love
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May 13, 2013A Different Kind of TED Video
Funny. Charming. Engaging
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May 11, 2013The Importance of Laying Fallow
Click the link below
for a brief
blog posting
on the importance
of laying fallow
sometimes --
renewing,
restoring,
and rejuvenating.
We are
human beings first,
human doings second.
From the
Words of Peace Global blog.
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May 10, 2013Intro to Prem Rawat's New Book (Spanish Translation)
Please forward this link to all your Spanish speaking friends. It contains excerpts from the Spanish translation of Prem Rawat's new book -- The Greatest Truth of All: You Are Alive. Gracias!
English version on Amazon
Words of Peace (in Spanish)
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May 06, 2013Peacebeats in England
Peacebeats is a new intiative, in England, attempting to spread a beautiful message of peace through music, spoken word, and creative expression. The beat goes on!
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Spanish Excerpts from Prem Rawat's New Book
Please feel free to forward this to your Spanish speaking friends.
Order, in Spanish, from Amazon
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May 02, 2013The Phoenix of Love
A few weeks ago, my wife and I had a huge fight. A doozy. The Superbowl of all fights. If you're married -- or ever were -- I'm sure you've had at least one of these. Probably more.
You think you're right. They think they're right. You attack, they deflect. They attack, you deflect. You get hopeless and weird. They get hopeless and weird.
And both of you -- self-appointed judges in a supreme court of your own creation -- feel diminished, abused, blamed, hurt, ignored, dissed, damaged, and demonized.
The love? Out the window. And the window? Stuck in a half-closed position.
Whenever I'm embroiled in this kind of dynamic and (hallelujah!) manage to make it out the other side, I get majorly humbled -- all concepts of myself as a conscious, loving, evolved human being completely blown to smithereens.
And yet... no matter how painful the experience, something good always comes out of it. A phoenix rises from the ashes. Like the list below, for example -- my wishes for my dear wife, Evelyne, (the day after) and, by extension, you, me, and all the other 8 billion people on planet Earth.
THE PHOENIX OF LOVE: My Wishes for You
1. Gratitude every day
2. Deep inner peace, especially during tough times
3. Kindness 
4. Patience
5. Forgiveness
6. The courage to be yourself
7. Rest and renewal
8. The vision to see God in everyone
9. Letting go of self-righteousness
10. Simplicity and ease
11. The willingess to let go of worry and doubt
12. Allowing yourself to be nurtured
13. More fun
14. Plenty of time to do nothing
15. Spaciousness
16. Heartfelt self-expression
17. Health and vitality
18. Moving through the tasks of your life as if you were a dancer
19. Relating to each person you talk to as if they were the only person on earth at that moment
20. Laughter from your core
21. Appreciation of your family
22. A "live and let live" mindset
23. Waking up each day with gladness
24. Humility
25. The experience of community
26. Full responsibility for your own projections
27. Trust
28. Honoring all of the teachers in your life, past and present
29. Slowing down, going deeper
30. The ability to order a very rich dessert in your favorite restaurant without enrolling someone to share it with you
31. A wi-fi connection whenever you want
32. The end of lower back pain
33. Living the St. Francis Prayer without making a big deal of it
34. Knowing you are loved
35. Good sushi within a five-mile radius
36. Appreciation of other people's "spiritual path" -- with absolutely no judgment
37. Foot massages
38. Fresh air
39. Understanding what Krishna meant when he said: "The world is an illusion, but you have to act as if it's real."
40. Random acts of kindness
41. Nights on the town
42. The ability to be alone, but not lonely
43. Accepting the aging process with dignity and delight
44. Fabulous dinners with friends
45. Nights in front of the fire
46. Having no regrets
47. Cranking up the music
48. Not judging your kids for texting or being on Facebook
49. Seeing the blessing in every challenge that comes your way
50. Loving yourself when you look in the mirror
51. Not having to look in the mirror to love yourself
52. New adventures
53. Endless learning
54. Giving up complaint
55. A dependable plumber
56. Snow angels!
57. Working smarter, not harder
58. Looking up at the stars
59. Never going to bed angry
60. Being happy for other people's successes
61. Realizing you are everything and nothing both at the same time
62. Unconditional love
63. Reframing aging as "becoming an elder" instead of "getting old"
64. Weekends in exotic places
65. Someone else to wash the dishes
66. Enjoying the poetry of Rumi, Kabir, and Hafiz
67. Did I mention foot massages?
68. The commitment to immerse in the projects that most fascinate you
69. Deep listening
70. Longer vacations
71. Reaching out to those less fortunate than you
72. Holding hands with someone you love
73. Taking on an impossible project -- and making it happen
74. Really good chocolate
75. Unforgettable celebrations
76. Going beyond your limiting assumptions
77. The discipline that comes from love, not duty
78. Spontaneous generosity
79. One remote for all your electronics
80. A hot bath on a cold night
81. Wonderful surprises
82. The laughter of children
83. Realizing you have enough
84. Timelessness
85. Understanding this quote: "When you're on the path it's a mile wide, when you're off it, it's razor thin."
86. Giving flowers to absolute strangers
87. A wardrobe you like
88. Resilience
88. Making a clear distinction between longing and desire
89. No fear of death
90. Dancing around the living room for no particular reason
91. Howling at the moon
92. Knowing how to say "no" without being negative
93. Completing what you came here to do
94. Experiencing life as a beautiful play
95. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
96. Forgiving everyone who has ever wronged you
97. Passion
98. Compassion
99. The peace that passes all understanding
100. Sweet watermelon on a summer day
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