"Forgotten Opportunity"

I hope what I have to say is going to help you in this journey of life. If it could simplify your life even a little bit, that would make me very happy. I’m talking about something that is so simple—your life, your existence, the gift of breath that comes into you, leaves, and comes again. The fact that you’re alive is so simple.

How did it get so complicated? Even though I can say it’s simple, and it is simple, how is it that it doesn’t feel simple, that it feels very complicated? There are all the things that you have heard, that you think about, that you look forward to or don’t look forward to. How does it get so complicated?

Look at the simplicity, and it’s there. The breath comes. You wake up in the morning, and you find yourself alive. It’s not like you have to put in a bunch of coins: “Let me be alive, I’ve got the money.” You find yourself awake. Then you start thinking about all the things you have to do that day, all the schedules you have to keep, all the things you have to remember, all the things that are important and not important. Thus begins your day. And somewhere, the simplicity of being alive is lost.


Make it simple. Exist, accept, understand this moment now. What’s going to happen, what’s not going to happen—just take it one moment at a time. Begin with the basics of who you are.
Audience

Look around you. Do you realize there is no other planet like earth for light years around? There are planets that are full of dirt, too hot, too cold, too far, too strange, too violent. The one you live on is magnificent. This one glows blue, has beautiful clouds, lightning you can see from outer space.

Can you ignore and not be thankful for even one minute, one day, that you exist on this beautiful planet? That you are who you are? On this beautiful earth you are alive. See the goodness in you; recognize the goodness in others. You and I get to be alive. People say, “Nah, I’ve got this problem, that problem.” You are devotees of your problems. This is what you think about.

We are on this magnificent earth, with technologies you cannot imagine: vapor rising from the salty ocean, wind blowing it and carrying it over land, then sweet fresh water raining down. A planet so incredible that all you need is a few seeds and a little water, and it’ll feed you. It’ll take care of you.


Here, the perfect distance from the sun is a beautiful light for night called the moon; the breeze, the ocean, the birds, the fauna and the flora—divinity dancing in the wind. Beauty. Out of nowhere. A show of all shows. And for me to exist in this time, I cannot help but to feel gratitude. Don’t ask me for whom. The gratitude wells up, a letter that needs no address. It is a matter of the heart from where this letter comes and to whom this letter will go. But it is my letter to express my gratitude every single day. We have forgotten what it means—the opportunity to be alive, to have the privilege to be able to take this breath.

A lot of people say, “That’s too simple. Talk to me about something my brain can dig into.” I don’t want to. Your brain has already done enough damage in your own life. You have forgotten what you were searching for. You look, and every day you hope. Then all of a sudden, everything comes tumbling down. This is what is going on right now. Optimism and dire panic. Failure and non-acceptance of failure. Greed. Economic crises happen because of greed. As long as there is greed, there will be crises happening again and again and again.

When you recognize this breath, your heart will fill with gratitude, and when it does, you will be successful. That’s true success. Not doubt, not fear. But clarity, simplicity, understanding. I want to enjoy every day I have, all the days I can.

"A Seed That Grows"

Almost everyone is looking for something, running after one thing or another. It can get really frantic. But the person who is longing for what the heart wants has everything. That person has no need to be sad. Good wishes come every day in every breath. The person who feels gratitude for that celebrates each breath, each moment.

Traditionally, we celebrate birthdays with a cake and candles. However old we are, we place that many candles. We get very excited to blow out the candles, but what is being represented? If you think about it, it is all the years that are gone that are being blown away. And it's not just one year that's gone, it's every day—every breath—that passed by. How many moments, how many breaths, have we saved and appreciated? What we lose, we lose for a lifetime. Those moments will never come back. And what we save, we save for a lifetime.




This is about hope. You have the possibility to enjoy each moment. Look at the trees and plants that you see around you. They are the ones that made it. They came from the wisdom of the seed that grew. There were other seeds that didn't grow. They were in the same place as the trees you see, but they didn't take. You can be a seed that grows.
Maharaji

The whole world around us is made from what grew, not what didn't. Don't pay attention to what isn't. Pay attention to what is. So, what is? In the middle of our pain, our suffering, we have this life, this body. In the middle of all that, there is the breath that is coming in and out. We need to pay attention to that, to what is, not to the time that has passed. That's gone.

We don't have the time that hasn't come yet, either. We only have today. Tomorrow will come, and what will happen then? A breath will come and then another breath will come. The coming and going of this breath is the gift. It's not about what's gone; it's about appreciating this life, one breath at a time. It's about you—your life—not the life of the other people around you. It's just about you.



What is important is recognizing the gift you have. When you go to an airport or train station to meet someone, you wait until you recognize them before running up to greet them. Recognition is important. When there is no recognition of the heart's thirst to be fulfilled, what I am talking about doesn't make sense. When your heart starts to recognize that thirst, you can move toward joy in your life.
The greatest thing in life is that as human beings we can experience supreme joy. For people who want this joy, who want to fulfill their lives, there will be joy and more joy. Just relax and enjoy the journey of life.

"Giving and Receiving" (Must Read)

Life itself is an opportunity—the truest opportunity. We only have one. The breath coming into us—this is the definition of opportunity. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that to keep our focus clear, to remember what is real.

In this vast jungle, it is not necessary to cut down the trees or learn the art of walking through forests and mountains. Do what you have to do. Go over whatever mountains you need to go over. Go around all the trees that you have to go around. Find your way around the rivers, through the gorges. Build your bridges. Do whatever you have to do. Just remember one thing. Remember your direction. If you lose your direction, you'll go around in a big circle.

So often that's what we do. We don't have a built‑in compass. As soon as we lose our direction, we end up making a giant circle and then find ourselves in exactly the same spot we started. For some people, this happens again and again. The first thing to learn from that is that you have lost your direction. You have forgotten your priority in life—to be content.


Breath brings a sweet message to you again and again: "Keep your priorities straight and be content in this life. This is what you can achieve; this is what you should do." But there's a whole world out there, barking at you, "Ah, but that's not all. You should do this and you should do that. Make more money. Get better at this and get better at that."

What message is there reminding you what each breath means? Think about the Titanic when it was sinking. As long as the hull was not compromised, the beautifully set tables, the music, and the gourmet food were wonderful. When the hull was compromised, and tables and pianos started shifting, it was a different story. When the chandeliers started coming down, no one was saying, "What a beautiful falling chandelier." All these things had become a liability. It can happen in a flash.



When the priority in life is straight, all these beautiful things are assets. When the basics of life are compromised, everything becomes a liability. What do you want in your life?

We just have to remember that life is a beautiful journey. We need to learn the art of receiving and giving. If you only know how to receive love but not how to give it, you cannot love. If you only know how to give love but not how to receive it, you cannot love. You have to know both. When you do, you will know what love is all about.

If you only know how to receive breath but not give thanks, you will never understand the value of breath. Each breath deserves gratitude. It is a feeling. "Yes. It happened." When you can feel that gratitude, you will truly start receiving in your life.

What is so beautiful about this is that it is happening every day. Receive and give. Give your gratitude and receive the ultimate gift in existence. Learn to receive; learn to give. Learn to understand. Then the cycle flows.