Thought and Feeling

While thinking is the right tool for problem-solving, it's no good for understanding what will satisfy the heart, says Prem Rawat, a long-time voice for peace also called Maharaji.

"Tools are very important," Maharaji says. "But more important than the tools themselves is knowing which tool works on what. The wrong kind of screwdriver will not work; the wrong wrench will not work."

Similarly, he says, in life it's important to know whether thinking or feeling is appropriate to what we're trying to do. "Thought is a tool. Feeling is a tool," Maharaji says. "Thought satisfies our curiosity, satisfies our mind. Feeling satisfies what we are yearning for from our heart."

Maharaji has been urging people not to forget the importance of feeling since he was very young. Feeling is the tool we need, he says, to unearth the feeling of peace necessary to a full experience of what it is to be alive. He has dedicated his life to introducing the possibility of feeling peace within, and to offering his encouragement and assistance to those who wish to pursue it. Although his efforts have earned official recognition from many governments, he reminds people that the need for peace is individual, not institutional.

"I travel the world to bring this message to people," he says. "I'm not preaching, nor am I teaching. All I'm doing is presenting a possibility. Peace is important to me, and I hope that peace is important to you."

"Once we have understood that it is important in this life—that it is necessary in this life—to achieve completeness, to achieve fulfillment, that is the day we begin to understand the necessity of peace. You have to feel peace in your life."