Reflections on Peace, Philosophy, and Life

Three truths: the eternal, the illusion, and the fleeting self—insights inspired by Prem Rawat and a lifetime of my own experience.

There are three simple yet profound statements that, when contemplated, reveal a deep understanding of existence:

1. It always was, it is, and it always will be.

2. It never was, it isn’t, and it never will be.

3. It wasn’t, it is, and it won’t be.

These three phrases might seem cryptic at first glance. But in their simplicity, they point to the essence of life, illusion, and individuality. They also resonate with what Prem Rawat has expressed over decades of sharing his message of peace: an invitation to see clearly what is real, what is not, and where we stand in between.

1. The First: It Always Was, It Is, and It Always Will Be

This describes what cannot be created or destroyed: the divine essence.
Call it life, call it energy, call it the eternal, call it the unnameable – it is the foundation that makes everything possible. It has no beginning, because “beginning” itself requires time, and the divine is beyond time. It has no end, because endings belong to things that decay, dissolve, or transform. This presence is timeless. It always was, it is right now, and it always will be.

This is not a matter of belief or theory. As Prem Rawat often says, “If you experience it, then you know.” The breath we take is the most immediate reminder of this truth. Every inhalation and exhalation ties us to the infinite. We may not see it with our eyes, but we feel it as life itself moving within us.

Philosophers across ages – from the Upanishads to Spinoza – have tried to describe this eternal. But their words, like all words, remain limited. The direct experience is what matters. And that experience whispers, again and again: it always was, it is, and it always will be.

2. The Second: It Never Was, It Isn’t, and It Never Will Be

This describes what appears to be real but is not: the illusion of reality.

Reality, as we normally use the word, is made of memory and projection. What we call “the past” is no longer here – it is a trace in memory, reconstructed each time we recall it. What we call “the future” does not yet exist – it is a construction of imagination, a projection shaped by hopes and fears. And even what we call “the present” slips away the instant we try to hold it, always in flux.

This is why Prem Rawat insists that clarity means seeing through illusion. The world of shifting appearances can feel heavy, urgent, overwhelming. But when we examine it closely, it is like mist. It never was in any absolute sense, it isn’t now because it cannot stay fixed, and it never will be because the future has not yet come.

This does not mean the world is meaningless. Illusion has its role. We live within it, interact with it, and learn from it. But mistaking illusion for reality traps us. We argue over stories, we cling to identities, we fear the future as though it were already written. To see illusion as illusion is to free ourselves from unnecessary weight.

In my own life, I have seen how much energy is wasted chasing shadows: reputations, possessions, dramas that vanish in time. When seen for what they are, they lose their grip. Then the real – the presence of life itself – comes forward more clearly.

3. The Third: It Wasn’t, It Is, and It Won’t Be

This describes the individual human being.

Before birth, “I” did not exist. The soul may be a drop of the infinite ocean, but the person – with their name, body, history, and memories – simply was not. Now, in this brief span we call a lifetime, the individual exists. You and I live, breathe, think, feel, and act. But after death, this individual no longer exists. The personality dissolves, the body returns to the elements, the soul merges back into the ocean.

This perspective is humbling and liberating at once. It was not, it is, and it will not be. The self we cling to so fiercely – “my story, my success, my failure” – is temporary. Recognizing this does not mean life is bleak or meaningless. On the contrary, it sharpens the focus: while I am here, what do I want to experience? What truly matters?

For me, this question always circles back to what Prem Rawat emphasizes: peace, clarity, and joy in this moment. If the individual self is temporary, then it makes sense to spend this brief window of existence in alignment with what is real – not chasing illusions, not drowning in fear, but celebrating the gift of breath.

Weaving the Three Together

So, we have three truths:

• The divine essence: it always was, it is, and it always will be.

• The illusion of reality: it never was, it isn’t, and it never will be.

• The individual self: it wasn’t, it is, and it won’t be.

Each of these coexists in the life we experience. The divine provides the foundation. Illusion provides the stage. The individual plays out their brief role. Understanding these relationships brings both perspective and relief.

Without this understanding, life easily becomes tangled. We mistake illusion for permanence. We mistake the individual self for eternal truth. We neglect the divine, though it is the only thing that truly lasts. With this understanding, a kind of clarity dawns: I am temporary, living in a shifting play, yet connected at every breath to what is eternal.

Why This Resonates

I have come to see these three statements as not only philosophical but deeply practical. They help untangle confusion. They give me a compass when I am lost in memory or projection. They remind me not to be fooled by appearances. And they encourage me to treasure this brief existence, because while the individual is temporary, the gift of being alive is astonishing.

Prem Rawat’s way of putting it often feels so simple: life is a gift, the breath is the reminder, peace is possible. But behind this simplicity lies a profound structure, echoed in traditions across time. Whether we look at mystics, poets, or philosophers, we find variations of the same theme: the eternal, the illusory, and the fleeting. Each has its place. Only one is unchanging.

Conclusion: Living the Insight

What does it mean to live these truths?
It means recognizing the divine essence in every breath.
It means seeing illusion as illusion and not letting it dominate.
It means embracing our individuality while it lasts, without clinging.

This balance allows us to live fully, without fear, without illusion, and without forgetting the eternal that carries us. For me, this is not theory – it is what I have seen, again and again, through decades of practice and reflection.

So the three truths remain:

1. It always was, it is, and it always will be.

2. It never was, it isn’t, and it never will be.

3. It wasn’t, it is, and it won’t be.

And in their light, life becomes both simpler and richer.