Yogi Bhajan Lecture: Winning the Game of Life

Here are excerpts from a lecture given on July 7, 1992, Women’s Camp, New Mexico, which were published in Aquarian Times, May 2009.  Scroll down to watch the full video lecture.

Life is your own grace. What is grace? I have asked this question of many people. Grace is when you are not for sale, for any value direct or indirect, or for any offering or temptation. Totality and your reality, equal your value. The totality of this world, and your reality as you know it, you don’t give in.

If you have that basic character, then you have grace. And there is no introduction required. When people know that you have grace, they start saying, “Your Worship,” “Your Grace.” Then your personality works. That’s where the personality starts functioning– you don’t have to utter a word– you don’t have to say anything. Then people have reverence and love and trust and understanding for you.

It boils down to when you don’t let yourself down, you don’t let others down, and you don’t let others let down others. It works three ways; it has three dimensions to it. You have to have that deep understanding. What we are trying to do in this course is to give you actual preparation for the Age of Aquarius, give you this basic knowledge which will work. Piscean knowledge won’t work. Your gains won’t work, your obnoxious or very fundamental excuses won’t work. Because the Aquarian Age is the Age of Knowledge: “I know, I can deliver you.” The Piscean Age was, “I want to know, deliver me.” 

It’s totally one hundred eighty degrees opposite. You’ll be surprised. We are only a couple of months into it. Just tell somebody, “I’m sorry.” He’ll say, “Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. How many times have you been sorry?” People’s attitudes have changed — no fault of anybody. Promises, excuses, games, moods—they will eliminate you out of your life very fast. When the Age changes, that’s what happens to people. If they don’t change fast enough to match up to the requirement of the psyche of the time, their psyche becomes non-functional, non-communicative, mute. Then finally, they are left in a corner.

The Aquarian Age is going to corner all Pisceans. It’s natural. Winter has to freeze everything. Spring has to sprout everything. Summer has to ripen everything. And Fall has to let everything fall. So there’s no reason to be upset with it. It’s a natural phenomenon. That’s why we’re trying to make the effort that if you can prepare yourself for your homes there’ll be no divorce. Moreover, the children are growing up, you have to prepare them. And you have to change your attitude toward the whole household. Even if you’re single you have to change your attitude toward your own personal household so you can survive better.

The economy has changed. Geography has changed. The politics are changing. You’ll find changes, unbelievable changes. There’s no reason for you to worry about those changes. All they’re inviting you to do is to change too. It is so shocking to me when you say, “Oh, unfortunately my mother did this to me.” “Oh, as a child it happened to me.” You do not know that you have a teacher. His name is Yogi Bhajan. He said one thing, “Those who live in the past have no future.” How blunt a statement can be made? One statement is made so loud and clear, without any reservation or argument and still you don’t understand what you are doing to yourself?

The past is yesterday, that’s your memory, that’s your glory. You can talk about it, it doesn’t mean a thing. That’s yesterday. You can remember it, you can repeat it, you can propagate it, you can learn about it, whatever you say. But it’s already gone. Today you can’t stop, it is already going. Tomorrow, if you are not prepared, is on you. And all the energy you put in the past, you take away from tomorrow. That’s where your sorrow lies. That’s why you don’t have the energy to make everything possible.

This life of yours is enjoyable, but you can’t enjoy it. Because if you play it right, then you can enjoy it. It is a game. You’ll be happy when you win. If you can’t win in your own life, when are you going to win? What does any other victory mean to you?

Some people are afraid of commitment. They think it is slavery, going into the dungeon. No, you are meant to commit commitment. It is meant to commit. What you commit to is your choice. If you are married to fun and loyal to none, that is your commitment. Then enjoy it. Be cheap. What price you put on yourself is your price. And the only life that is worth living is graceful, which is priceless. Pricelessness is deathlessness. Then you ultimately become a very reputed person.