It's a privilege and honor to be here this evening. And it's a greater privilege and honor to address the issue of peace.

Peace begins with every single human being.

It is not an issue of institutions. It is something that has to be felt. It is something that has to be experienced in the heart of every person.

We do so much in this world to try to make ourselves comfortable. We do so much in this world to make a better life.

Everyone who can, in his or her life, tries very hard to better themselves. And yet, we spend so little time understanding the dynamics of what causes this to happen.

What is it inside you and me, what is it inside every person in this whole world, that is pushing them, forcing them, to evolve into a better situation? To be more content, to be more joyous, to be more in peace?

But what it does care about is that water. Just like in the desert. All these seeds that are lying in wait. Waiting for that right time to come. Waiting for the opportunity when, indeed, water will come.

In your heart, in your heart also lies the seed, wanting and waiting for nothing else but to be fulfilled. To be fulfilled. For the thirst for peace to be quenched. To once again feel whole. And not segregated, not separated by all the other issues that penetrate our lives.

Breath comes, and each breath brings the possibility of being fulfilled.

To me, that breath coming into so many on the face of this earth, so quietly, so silently, is screaming a message so loud and clear. And what is that message? Now!! NOW!! In your life, be fulfilled. Now, in your life, find that peace. Now, in your life, find that joy. Joy! The joy that doesn't come from the catalysts outside, but that is triggered because one has found their fulfillment within. 'Cause that's what peace is. It's not on the outside. Peace is within the heart of each being.

Absence of war is not peace.

Because it is people, it is us - we're the ones who start the wars. When the differences become so great, and the intolerance - intolerance - reaches epic proportions, wars will happen. When I fail to see another being as I see myself, then wars will happen. When the causes and the reasons become greater than the sanctity of peace, wars will happen. When I fail to realize what is the value - the value - of being alive, wars will happen.

And believe me - believe me - ever that the war begins outside, it would have begun on the inside first. And the war on the inside is far more dangerous, because it is a fire that may never be quenched. And it can rage on and on and on and on. In the battle outside, at least you will hear a noise, but in the battle inside, you may not hear a peep. That battle outside may have strategies, but the battle inside may just be going on and on and on and on, and no one is even negotiating.

Hey! Stop! This is your time on the face of this earth. This is your opportunity to be alive.

This is about appreciation. This is not about formulas. This is about waking up in the morning, and not because you have a label on some wall, going: "Be thankful for today!" You will read the label and you will go: "Ho. Hum. Right."

So, address the war here. Make peace here. And watch peace unfold.

Because, you know, of all the things we have tried in this world, there's one thing that we've never given a chance, and the one thing that has not been tried in this world is peace.

And I'm not going to say: "This is the time for peace." Because it is always time for peace. Always was, always is and, guess what, always will be. Peace is welcomed any time, because I am the seed lying dormant in the desert, and I am waiting, any second, any minute: Come rain, come. I am ready. If it doesn't happen in the morning, I have no agenda. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I am waiting for you. That is my agenda!!

Again, thankful is a feeling. Which one do you believe in? The feeling or the word? Because if you have the feeling, you don't need the word. Who cares? You feel!! And if you have the word, it doesn't mean you have the feeling. They have nothing to do with each other. That's why people go around saying: "Peace, peace, peace, peace - peace" and nothing happens.

So the seed is the expert, not me.

Like that seed, I want to learn too, about that rain of peace coming to my desert. Because ultimately, my life depends on it too.

And if I want to be an expert, maybe I should be an expert in peace. And if I want to study something, maybe I should be studying peace. And if I want to be fascinated by something, maybe I could be fascinated by peace. And have the trust in my heart, like as that rain does come, that peace will come in my life too.

That's my message. That's what I go around telling people: Look within you. And if you need help to look within, I can help. I can help. But the trust has to come from within you.

And yes, peace needs to be in everyone's life.

So, thank you very much. And it's been a great honor and a privilege to speak here to you tonight.

Thank you.