Maharaji first spoke at an event in Kanpur in 1966. In 1970 he spoke to a crowd of several thousand people over the course of three days. He was just twelve years old, and some found it hard to believe that a child could inspire people to experience the self within. Yet that is what many said happened. Four years ago, in April of 2005, he came again, this time to address over 250,000.

When he returned this year, people came early to be ready for the event, which was to begin at 9:30 a.m. Another huge crowd of people had come to listen to Maharaji. Every moment, the number of people was increasing because, once again, the Ambassador of Peace was coming to Kanpur. Before the event began, over 185,000 people had gathered on the event grounds, having first heard that Maharaji was coming less than two weeks earlier.

The venue was the Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) grounds, approximately 10 kilometers from Grant Truck Road. Many people had come from as far away as 200 kilometers, but they were all exhibiting a spirit of enthusiasm. The volunteer staff did a wonderful job maintaining an atmosphere of calm and order so people could listen peacefully to Maharaji without distraction.

Mr. Pranav Mohapatra, a professor at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, came with students from the university who had been listening to Maharaji for the past five years. He seemed to echo the sentiments of all when he said, with a big smile, “I am eagerly waiting to hear Maharaji.”

As soon as the MC announced Maharaji’s arrival, the crowd started clapping and cheering, and everyone gave him a warm welcome when he came on stage. Maharaji talked about what really belongs to each person. “The idea of ‘mine’ and ‘yours’ is in itself illusion,” he said. “All this differentiation of ‘this is me and this is mine’ and ‘that is you and that is yours’ is an illusion because you are not what you think you are. What you think is yours is not yours. What you think about others is not what they are, and whatever you think belongs to them is not theirs. It is all illusion, delusion. Saints and masters have said, ‘There is something that is yours, and you are somebody, but not what you see. You are something else.’ Who are you? You are a temple where the highest of the high resides within…. The peace that you are searching for is there within you. Come to me, and I’ll take you to that place.”

Here are a few of the many appreciative comments from people at the event:

Prerna, one of the volunteers who helped organize the event: “I am proud to be a part of this event. It has given me great joy and peace.”

Anuj Kumar Vishwakarma, a student: “This event has improved the potential of my understanding of life. Maharaji inspired me about Self-Knowledge. One of the things he talked about was that if the average life span is 70 years, a person has only 25,550 days in his lifetime. However many have gone, have gone. However many are left should be spent wisely. Life is a gift of God.”

Smriti Pandley: “I have no words to express what I feel from this event. Maharaji does not talk about any particular society, religion, or caste. He talks about knowing and realizing one’s own self. He talks about experiencing peace within. I hope he will continue to inspire and guide me in my life.”

Govind Tiwari: “I came to the event because of my friends, but now I am inspired to find my real friend within. Till now, I was ignorant of my true friend. I will try to find that friend now.”

Shailendra Kumar Soni: “I felt a unique kind of delight and joy, which I have never felt before. Maharaji has given me a true direction in my life.”

Watch this event