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Prem Pal Singh Rawat
BornDecember 10, 1957
Haridwar, India
SpouseMarolyn Rawat[1]
ChildrenPremlata Rawat, Hans Rawat, Dayalata Rawat, Amar Rawat[2]
Parent(s)Shri Hans Ji Maharaj, Rajeshwari Devi


Prem Rawat,also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji) has spoken on the subject of "inner peace" since the age of three and offers instruction in the four meditation techniques he calls Knowledge.[3][4]

In 1971 Rawat traveled to Britain and the US where he was the subject of substantial media attention.[5]Formed by Rawat’s US followers a religious charity named Divine Light Mission (DLM) was registered with the IRS in December 1971. Rawat returned to the US in 1972, accompanied by his mother and elder brother. Tens of thousands of people, largely drawn from the hippie culture, were initiated into the Rawat Knowledge and Indian style ashrams were established. Rawat was criticised by religious scholars on the basis of his youth, his behaviour and his teachings.[6][7]

A separate DLM was created in the UK in 1972[8],subsequently other Nationally independent DLM organisations were created in Australia,South Africa, and Canada, as well as in several European and South American countries.

Rawat's desire to manifest his own vision brought him into conflict with his mother and two eldest brothers, and Rawat’s marriage to an American follower in 1974 caused a permanent split.[9][10] In the early 1980s Rawat personally renounced the trappings of Indian culture and religion and the Divine Light Mission was renamed Elan Vital, the title under which it continues to operate. The Prem Rawat Foundation was established in 2001 to promote Rawat’s message in video, print, and television, as well as to support humanitarian efforts.[11][12]

Childhood

[edit]
Further information: Hans Ji Maharaj
Prem Rawat at age 6

At the age of three Rawat began speaking at his father's meetings, by the age of four his addresses contained references to satsang, satnam and satguru[13] . In 1964 Shri Hans taught Rawat, then aged six, the meditation techniques called "Knowledge." Rawat’s father died in 1966 and the eight year-old, despite some initial differences of view, was eventually accepted by his family and his father's followers as the new Satguru and de facto leader of the Divine Light Mission.[14][15] Thereafter on weekends and during his school holidays, Rawat traveled in much the same way that his father had, addressing audiences on the subject of inner experience.[16]

From 1968 onwards Rawat began to attract the interest of non Indians, primarily those following the ‘hippy trail’ and in 1969 a mahatma (a senior devotee) was sent to London.[17] A number of committed non Indian followers were present at a gathering at India Gate, Delhi where on November 8 1970 Rawat announced that he was ready to begin the task of bringing peace to the world. This speech, became known as the Peace Bomb[18][19]

Adolescence

[edit]
Los Angeles, 17 July 1971, Maharaji arrives for the first time in the United States. Known then as Guru Maharaj Ji, he dropped the title "Guru" in the 1980s.

On 17 June 1971, at the age of thirteen and during his school holidays, Rawat flew to England without his family. His arrival attracted substantial media interest. On 20 June, he spoke at the Glastonbury Fayre, and on 17 July, after brief trips to Paris and Heidelberg, flew to Los Angeles to begin an American tour.[20][21]

In September 1971 the U.S. Divine Light Mission was established in Denver, Colorado. In October, Prem Rawat returned to India to celebrate the anniversary of his father's birth, and in 1972 came back to the West, this time accompanied by his mother, eldest brother Satpal, and an entourage of mahatmas and other Indian supporters. A festival which DLM held in Montrose, Colorado was attended by 2000 people. An article in Time Magazine at that time reported that his mother and three older brothers kissed his feet when they were in his presence as a demonstration of worship.[22][23]

By 1972, DLM was operating in North and South America, Europe and Australia and by 1973 tens of thousands of people had been initiated into the “Knowledge” and several hundred centers and dozens of ashrams had been set up..[24]

In November 1973, DLM booked the Houston Astrodome for "Millennium '73," a three-day gathering coinciding with Shri Hans' birthday. Rawat called it the most significant and holy event in human history. [25][26] The attendance was estimated at twenty thousand and according to Thomson Gale, "the rapidly developing movement ran into trouble, beginning with its inability to fill the Houston Astrodome in a highly publicized event." [27][28].

Millennium '73 was covered satirically in the award-winning US documentary "Lord of the Universe" broadcast by PBS Television in 1974. The documentary featured Rennie Davis, a former member of the Chicago Seven, as a spokesman for the group and Abbie Hoffman, another Chicago Seven member, who commented: "If this guy is God, this is the God the United States of America deserves."[29]

Millennial beliefs amongst Rawat’s followers were actively fostered by Prem Rawat’s mother, whose talks were full of references to her son's divine nature, but also passively by Rawat himself when he let others cast him in the role of the Lord." Rawat was said to "generally encourage whatever view is held by the people he is with" and although he certainly appealed to initiates to give up their beliefs and concepts so that they might experience the Knowledge more fully this did not prevent followers from adopting "a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity and the coming of a new age."[30][31]

Young Adulthood

[edit]

In April 1974 Rawat then aged sixteen became an emancipated minor and in May married 25 year old Marolyn Johnson, one of his American followers.[32]The marriage and differences over behaviour and lifestyle caused the severance of Rawat's relationship with his mother, who disowned him and returned to India with his two elder brothers. The DLM in India came under the effective control of the elder brother, Sat Pal Maharaj. Rawat took control of the Western DLM and declared himself its sole spiritual authority.[33] [34] [35]

From the end of 1973 DLM was moving in a more secular direction and Rawat is seen to have inspired greater autonomy amongst the DLM membership when in January 1976 he expressed the hope that residency in the western ashrams would be of a temporary nature. Terminology, previously Indian style, was westernised and staff numbers at DLM's Denver HQ were reduced from 250 to 80. Rawat became financially independent through the contributions of his Western devotees which allowed him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire and support his wife, his brother Raja Ji, and his wife, Claudia. Continued donations to DLM financed the world travel of Rawat and his staff.[36][37]

While there were still residues of belief in his personal divinity, by 1976 the vast majority of non Indian followers viewed Rawat primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide and inspiration. Rawat’s appearance at an event on December 20th, 1976 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wearing a Krishna costume however signaled a resurgence of devotion. Rawat was elevated to a much greater place in the practice of Knowledge, many followers returned to Ashram life and there was a shift from secular tendencies back towards ritual and messianic beliefs and practices.[38][39]

In 1979, Rawat moved to Miami Beach, Florida with his wife and three children, and DLM headquarters relocated there. Following the move to Florida the resources of DLM were committed to plans to refurbish a Boeing 707 that would be used to facilitate Rawat’s international mission. A plane was acquired and work took place at a facility subsequently acquired by Aircraft Modular Products (AMP), a company which was in turn sold to B/E Aerospace.[40] Work on the 707 was completed in 1981 and with a co pilot, Rawat flew the plane to South America, Europe, India, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.[41]


Rawat returned to India in October 1980 after an absence of five years, and on land newly acquired by the Divine United Organization in Delhi he spoke to over 38,000 people. Rawat revisited South America and went to Mexico for the first time. Large, multi-day events where held in Colombia (Cartagena), Miami, Rome, London, New Delhi and Kansas City, Rawat also spoke at programs in Cancun, Lima, Sao Paulo and Leicester (UK)..[42]

Adulthood

[edit]
Prem Rawat speaking to the public at the Royal Albert Hall, London. October 12, 1981

In the early 1980s Rawat personally renounced the trappings of Indian culture and religion. Documents held by the IRS show that there were moves in the US to replace the religious status DLM with a public foundation [43] however the US DLM in common with DLMs in other countries was simply renamed Elan Vital, the only exception being the UK Charity which closed in 1995. [44]. An educational Charity called Elan Vital was created in the UK in 1993, its legal settlor being the Elan Vital Foundation[45][46] Rawat traveled widely and regularly addressed audiences in places as culturally diverse as India, Japan, Taiwan, the Ivory Coast, Slovenia, Mauritius and Venezuela, as well as North America, Europe and the South Pacific.[47].[48]

Rawat continued teaching the four techniques of Knowledge and affirmed his own status as a master rather than a divine leader. Scholars such as Kranenborg and George D. Chryssides describe the departure from divine connotations and a new emphasis that the Knowledge was universal, rather than Indian in character. According to America's Alternative Religions, in this new role "he may be reaching more listeners than ever, especially abroad, but his role is that of a public speaker".[49][50]

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Rawat continued to tour internationally, events were held in over 40 countries, in 1990 alone Rawat spoke at over 50 public events across the world. In December 1998, Rawat spoke via a live, interactive global satellite broadcast from Pasadena, California to 86,600 participants at 173 locations in 50 countries. 1999 saw the commencement of regular satellite broadcasts to North American cities, with similar initiatives started in other countries soon after.[.[51][52]

Recent Years

[edit]
June 30, 2003. Prem Rawat speaking at the University of Salamanca's first "Conference on Peace".

Between 1965 and July 2005 Rawat spoke at 2,280 events around the world. Between January 2004 and June 2005, he delivered 117 addresses in Asia, Europe, and North America. His message is currently distributed in eighty-eight countries on video and in print, and is broadcast on TV channels such as Canal Infinito in South America, Channel 31 in Australia, Kabel BW in Germany and Dish Network in the U.S.A.[53]

In 2001, The Prem Rawat Foundation was founded as a Public Charitable Organization, largely for the production and distribution of materials promoting Rawat's message. It also funds international humanitarian efforts, providing water, food and medical relief to war-torn and impoverished areas.[54]

TPRF reports that during a tour of India, Sri Lanka and Nepal in March and April 2007, Rawat spoke at 36 events, addressing over 800,000 people, and that live satellite broadcasts reached an additional 2.25 million.[55]Rawat travels internationally by air, flying in a Grumman Gulfstream G5 which is leased via the Wilmington Trust, and is operated by 'Prem Rawat and the Premier Trust'. [56]

Beliefs, Teachings and Meditation Techniques

[edit]
Further information: Techniques of Knowledge

Scholars have claimed that Rawat's teachings spring from the traditions of the Indian Sants, who praised the "Divine Name" for its power to save, dismissed religious ritual, emphasised inner spiritual experience and honour for the guru or Perfect Master as an embodiment of God on Earth[57][58]Rawat claims that the meditation that he teaches, together with his guidance, will enable the practitioner to experience the divinity within..[59][60]Although essentially Hindu in origin, Rawat’s teachings, have been described by some scholars as lacking in substance, and as resembling a "Christian evangelical campaign.".[61][62][63] Rawat himself, who frequently acted like the teenager that he was in public, was seen as immature and hence unfit to be a religious reader.[64]

After the split with his family in 1974, Rawat declared himself the sole spiritual authority in the Mission, changed the style of his message and relinquished the Hindu tradition, beliefs and most of the eastern religious practices inherited from his father.[65]In the 1980s the ashrams were closed and Rawat asked to be called Maharaji and not Guru.[66][67]

What Rawat calls Knowledge is attained through initiation, now formalised as the sixth Key, which provides four techniques of meditation which is claimed allows the practitioner to "go within".[68].[69]Introduced in 2005 The Keys is a program of five DVD packs which Rawat says prepares the student for receiving Knowledge. The meditation techniques are taught in Key Six, a multimedia presentation available in fifty languages.[70]Those who participate in The Keys programme as well as those who practice the meditation techniques are referred to as ‘students’.[71]

Personal

[edit]

A U.S. citizen since 1977,[72]Rawat lives with his wife in Malibu, California. They have four grown children. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot License and has type ratings for a number of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.[73]His résumé lists skills in computer graphics, computer-aided design and the development of aviation software. He is listed as co-inventor on a U.S. patent for a world-time aviational watch..[74]He reports that he supports himself and his family as a private investor, and that he has contributed to the success of several startup companies in various industries, including software, although he does not identify these companies by name. [75]

Footnotes and references

[edit]
  1. ^ Cagan, A. Peace is Possible, pp.200
  2. ^ Cagan, A. Peace is Possible, pp.206, 215, 219 and 233
  3. ^ Cagan, A. Peace is Possible The Life and Message of Prem Rawat -Mighty River Press -ISBN -10: 0-9788694-9-4
    Peace is Possible is recommended on websites which support Rawat’s mission
  4. ^ Hadden, Religions of the world, pp.428
    "The meditation techniques the Maharaji teaches today are the same he learned from his father, Hans Ji Maharaj, who, in turn, learned them from his spiritual teacher Sarupanand, 'Knowledge', claims Maharaji, 'is a way to be able to take all your senses that have been going outside all your life, turn them around and put them inside to feel and to actually experience you... "
  5. ^ Goring, Rosemary (Ed.). Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (1997) p.145, Wordsworth Editions, ISBN 1853263540
  6. ^ Melton. Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America pp 141-145.
    In 1970 Maharaj Ji announced his plans to carry the knowledge throughout the world and the following year, against his mother’s wishes, made his first visit to the West. A large crowd came to Colorado the next year to hear him give his first set of discourses in America. Many were initiated and became the core of the Mission in the United States. Headquarters were established in Denver, and by the end of 1973, tens of thousands had been initiated, and several hundred centers as well as over twenty ashrams...The teachings of the Mission, particularly the public discourses of Maharaj Ji, were condemned as lacking in substance. Maharaj Ji, who frequently acted like the teenager that he was in public, was seen as immature and hence unfit to be a religious leader.
  7. ^ Stephen A. Kent From Slogans To Mantras
    "I found his poorly delivered message to be banal".
  8. ^ Charity RegistrationRegister of Charities
  9. ^ Downton, Sacred Journeys - " Nearly sixteen, he was ready to assume a more active part in deciding what direction the movement should take. This of course meant that he had to encroach on his mother's territory and, given the fact that she was accustomed to having control, a fight was inevitable."
  10. ^ J. Gordon Melton, Christopher Partridge (Eds.), New Religions: A Guide: New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities pp.201-202, Oxford University Press, USA (2004) ISBN 978-0195220421 -
    ]As Maharaji began to grow older and establish his teachings worldwide he increasingly desired to manifest his own vision of development and growth. This conflict resulted in a split between Maharaji and his family, ostensibly caused by his mother's inability to accept Maharaji's marriage to an American follower rather than the planned traditional arranged marriage.
  11. ^ a b Melton, Encyclopedia of American Religions-"In the early 1980s, Maharaj Ji moved to disband the Divine Light Mission and he personally renounced the trappings of Indian culture and religion, disbanding the mission, he founded Elan Vital, an organization to his future role as teacher".
  12. ^ "The Prem Rawat Foundation website".
  13. ^ "Hansadesh" magazine, Issue 1 Mahesh Kare, January 1963
    "Listen to satsang. It is a very good thing. God created day and night. After that He created excellent things to eat, and then he landed us in this world. Isn't this human body beautiful? There is a nose to breathe with. Tell me, could we have survived without it? See what a good job of seeing these eyes do. Look how beautiful are the hands and the feet. If no seva is done, then these hands are of no use. These two ears have been given, if we don’t listen to satsang with them, aren’t they useless? If you do not go to satsang walking with these feet, they are also worthless. God has created all the parts of this body quite well, but if we don't use them properly, it is our fault, not the Creator's. The river flowing over there is the Ganga, but it is not flowing for its own use. It is we who drink its water, wash our clothes in it, and irrigate our fields with it. By bathing in it only the dirt of this body is washed, but by bathing in the Ganga of satsang, all the evils are removed. What I am telling you is also written in the Gita. But Gita cannot make you understand. Only the satguru can make you understand the satnam (true name), so do practice Knowledge. Look at Lord Shiva sitting with eyes closed [pointing towards a fountain with a statue of Shiva]. He always stays in the contemplation of Guru Maharaj. Whenever I see him he doesn’t do any other work. I don’t know whether he doesn’t like doing any other work or what. Therefore, you too should also practice Knowledge like this".
  14. ^ Melton, Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America, pp.141-2 entry Divine Light Mission
    "Just six years after the founding of the Mission, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj was succeeded by his younger son Prem Pal Singh Rawat, who was eight when he was recognized as the new Perfect Master and assumed the title, Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji had been recognized as spiritually adept, even within the circle of the Holy Family, as Shri Hans' family was called. He had been initiated at the age of six [...] He assumed the role of Perfect Master at his father's funeral by telling the disciples who had gathered. [...] Though officially the autocratic leader of the Mission, because of Maharaji's age authority was shared by the whole family."
  15. ^ Fahlbusch , Lochman, Pelikan, Vischer, and Barret The Encyclopedia of Christianity p.861
    "At the funeral of Shree Hans, his son Prem Pal Singh Rawat [...] comforted those who mourned his father's death with the thought that they still had perfect knowledge with them. The son himself had become the subject of this knowledge, the perfect master, in the place of his father, and took the title of "guru" and the name of Maharaj Ji, or great king, a title of respect of which other titular names were added. The honors paid him by his followers gave him the characteristic of a messianic child. These were supposedly his by nature and they helped him to eliminate rival claims from his own family."
  16. ^ Wikiquote Prem Rawat 1960sGuru Maharaj Ji, Ram Lila Grounds, Delhi, India, October 29, 1966 (translated from Hindi) - Published in Divine Light (UK) April 1, 1973, Volume 2, Issue 7
    "Today I will speak about love. What is love? How can one get love? Why should one get it? There are two kinds of love. One is the worldly connection. The other is attained through Knowledge. In this human body exists the love we have to discover. You should love one another and behave lovingly because when love comes, everything comes. You should speak to one another with love and humility. Love is the essence."
  17. ^ Geaves, Ron, Globalization, charisma, innovation, and tradition: An exploration of the transformations in the organisational vehicles for the transmission of the teachings of Prem Rawat (Maharaji), 2006, Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies, 2 44-62.
    "There had been a presence in the UK since 1969, located in a basement flat in West Kensington and then in a semi-detached house in Golders Green, North London. This had come about as a result of four young British members of the counter-culture, taking the ‘hippy trail’ to India in 1968 discovering the young Prem Rawat and his teachings and requesting that a ‘mahatma’ be sent to London who could promote the message and show interested individuals the four techniques known as ‘knowledge’. Geaves was one of the "four young British members of the counter-culture" and has remained a lifelong follower of Rawat.
  18. ^ Navbharat Times, 10 November 1970 (from Hindi original)
    "A three-day event in commemoration of Sri Hans Ji Maharaj, the largest procession in Delhi history of 18-miles of processionists culminating in a public event at India Gate, where Sant Ji Maharaj addressed the large gathering" Hindustan Times, 9 November 1970 (English)"Roads in the Capital spilled over with 1,000,000 processionists, men, women and children marched from Indra Prasha Estate to the India Gate lawn. [...] People had come from all over the country and belonged to several religions. A few Europeans dressed in white were also in the procession."
  19. ^ Kranenborg Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westenpp.64
    English translation "This prediction came true very soon. In 1969 Maharaj Ji sent the first disciple to the West. In the next year he held a speech for an audience of thousands of people in Delhi. This speech was known as 'the peace bomb' and was the start of the great mission to the West." Dutch original "Deze voorspelling gaat al snel in vervulling. In 1969 stuurt Maharaj ji de eerste discipel naar het Westen. In het daaropvolgende jaar houdt hij een toespraak in Delhi voor een gehoor van duizenden mensen. Deze toespraak staat bekend als 'de 'vredesbom' en is het begin van de grote zending naar het Westen."
  20. ^ Pryor, The Survival of the Coolest, p. 148.
  21. ^ Available Online Daily Telegraph
    Nick Lowe on Maharaji's visit, 1971 I played the Glastonbury Fayre with Brinsley Schwarz to about 1,500 people in a field. It's heresy to say this, but I couldn't bear it - it was so cold and muddy. My abiding memory is of Maharaji, the teenage guru, turning up in a flower-bedecked Ford Zephyr, followed by all these weird Americans. He wanted to address his people while we were in the middle of a really good gig. There was no security in those days, and when we wouldn't get off, the flower children became more and more nasty. We'd finish a tune, and they'd say "The master is here!" Then huge chunks of metal started being dropped on us from the pyramid by his more enthusiastic followers, and eventually they drove us off the stage. He got on, asked the audience for money, got back in his car and cleared off.
  22. ^ Time Magazine 2 November, 1972. Junior Guru"
  23. ^ Time Magazine. April 28, 1975. One Lord Too Many.
  24. ^ J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America. New York/London: Garland, 1986; revised edition, pp.141-145
    "Many were initiated and became the core of the Mission in the United States. Headquarters were established in Denver, and by the end of 1973, tens of thousands had been initiated, and several hundred centers as well as over twenty ashrams, which housed approximately 500 of the most dedicated premies, had emerged."
  25. ^ Brown, The Spiritual Tourist, pp. 197-198
  26. ^ 'Special Millennium '73 Edition' of the DLM publication Divine Times, page 2, under the heading 'A Festival for the Whole World': A LETTER FROM GURU MAHARAJ JI Bonn, Germany September 31, 1973
    "As you all know Millennium '73 is being prepared for now. This festival has been organized by Divine Light Mission each year since 1967, in the memory of the late Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaji on His birthday. This year the most Holy and significant event in human history will take place in America.”
  27. ^ Carrol, Nothing Happened, pp. 248
    "Divine light Mission attracted twenty thousand devotees to the Houston Astrodome in November 1973."
  28. ^ "Guru Maharaj Ji", Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Michigan., Thomson Gale. 2007.
    Through the mid-1970s the rapidly developing movement ran into trouble, beginning with its inability to fill the Houston Astrodome in a highly publicized event, Millennium 73.
  29. ^ "All Movie Guide profile".
  30. ^ Downton, James V. Sacred journeys: The conversion of young Americans to Divine Light Mission,(1979) Columbia University Press. ISBN # 0231041985
    “During 1971, there were social forces encouraging the development of millenarian beliefs within the Mission. They were developed in part by the carryover of millennial thinking from the counterculture; by the psychological trappings of surrender and idealization; by the guru's mother, whose satsang was full of references to his divine nature; and partly by the guru, himself, for letting others cast him in the role of the Lord. Given the social pressures within the premie community which reinforced these beliefs, there was little hope premies would be able to relax the hold that their beliefs and concepts had over them....From the beginning, Guru Maharaj Ji appealed to premies to give up their beliefs and concepts so that they might experience the Knowledge, or life force, more fully. This, as I have said, is one of the chief goals of gurus, to transform their followers' perceptions of the world through deconditioning. Yet Guru Maharaj Ji's emphasis on giving up beliefs and concepts did not prevent premies from adopting a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity and the coming of a new age.”
  31. ^ Collier, Sophia, Soul Rush: The Odyssey of a Young Woman of the '70s Morrow, 1978.
    "There are those who sincerely believe that Guru Maharaj Ji is the Lord of Creation here in the flesh to save the world. And then there are those who know him a little better than that. They relate to him in a more human way... to them he is more of a teacher, a guide, a co-conspirator in their personal pursuit of a more heavenly way of life. Guru Maharaj Ji, though he has never made a definitive statement on his own opinion of his own divinity, generally encourages whatever view is held by the people he is with. Addressing several hundred thousand ecstatic Indian devotees, prepared for his message by a four-thousand-year cultural tradition, he declares, 'I am the source of peace in this world . . . surrender the reins of your life unto me and I will give you salvation.' On national television in the United States he says sheepishly, with his hands folded in his lap, I am just a humble servant of God.
  32. ^ Cagan, Peace is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat. Mighty River Press. ISBN -10: 0-9788694-9-4pp.200. p197.
    "In Denver in April 1974, Maharaji applied to become an emancipated minor, because he and Marolyn were now engaged and he knew his mother would not condone his marriage at sixteen (or any other age, considering the American wife he'd chosen). With his emancipation, he could obtain a legal marriage licence without his mother's signature. After spending about forty five minutes with a judge, he was granted his request."
  33. ^ Cagan, A. Peace Is Possible, 2007, pp.200: "At the wedding, in keeping with Indian tradition, he gave his new wife a new name — Durga Ji, an Indian goddess seen as the embodiment of feminine and creative energy."
  34. ^ "Guru Maharaj Ji", Biography Resource Center, Thomson Gale, 2007: "Then in 1974, Maharaj married his 24-year-old secretary, whom he described as an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga. [......] The marriage further disrupted his relationship with his mother and older brothers. A lawsuit in India gave control of the Indian branch of the Divine Light Mission to Maharaj's mother and led to a complete break with her son, who maintained the complete support of the Western disciples."
  35. ^ "Guru Tries to Take Control of Mission" in The Ruston Daily Leader, April 9, 1975: "Earlier this month, the guru's mother issued a statement in New Delhi saying she had disowned her son because of his pursuit of 'a despicable, nonspiritual way of life.' [...] Sources close to Rajeshwari Devi said she was upset because of her son's materialistic lifestyle, including a fondness for expensive homes and sports cars, and because of his marriage last year to his secretary."
  36. ^ Price, The Divine Light Mission as a social organization. p.279-96
    "Immediately following Maharaj Ji's marriage a struggle for power took place within the Holy Family itself. Maharaj Ji was now sixteen years old. He had the knowledge that his personal following in the West was well established. It is likely that he felt the time had come to take the reins of power from his mother, who still dominated the mission and had a strong hold over most of the mahatmas, all of whom were born and brought up in India. Another factor may well have been the financial independence of Maharaj Ji, which he enjoys through the generosity of his devotees. Note 27: Contributions from premies throughout the world allow Maharaj Ji to follow the life style of an American millionaire. He has a house (in his wife's name), an Aston Martin, a boat, a helicopter, the use of fine houses (divine residences) in most European countries as well as South America, Australia and New Zealand, and an income which allows him to run a household and support his wife and children, his brother, Raja Ji, and his wife, Claudia. In addition, his entourage of family, close officials and mahatmas are all financed on their frequent trips around the globe to attend the mission's festivals.
  37. ^ Cagan - Peace is Possible Mighty River Press. ISBN -10: 0-9788694-9-4.-page229
  38. ^ Downton, James V., Sacred Journeys: The Conversion of Young Americans to Divine Light Mission, (1979) Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-04198-5
    "The end of 1973 saw Guru Maharaj Ji breaking away from his mother and his Indian past... he became more fully westernized... many of the movement's Indian traditions and rituals were eliminated...the Mission was moving in a more secular direction. ... The guru had inspired greater autonomy by saying in January 1976: 'Don't expect that all these premies who are in the ashram right now are going to stay in the ashram. I hope they don't.' This comment had the effect of producing a widespread exodus from the ashrams that year, which gave rise to an individualistic attitude ....Changes in terminology were made in an attempt to divorce the Mission from its Indian trappings. 'Festivals' became 'regional conferences.' 'Holy Company,' a term used to describe the state of being in the presence of other premies, fell from use, as did the customary Indian greeting. ... at the close of 1976, Guru Maharaj Ji appeared in his Krishna costume, a majestic looking robe and crown he had not worn since 1975. The sight of him in his ceremonial best brought premies to their feet singing, as nostalgia for the early days caught them up in feelings of devotion once more. ... With so many premies coming out in support of devotion, there has been a shift away from secular tendencies back to ritual and messianic beliefs and practices....elevating the guru to a much greater place in their practice of the Knowledge. Most of the premies who left the ashrams in the summer of 1976 began to return in 1977, when more than 600 signed up to enter the ashrams in just a few month's time".
  39. ^ Cagan, Peace is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat.Mighty River Press. ISBN -10: 0-9788694-9-4. p228
  40. ^ The South Florida Business JournalB/E Aerospace to buy Aircraft Modular Products. The South Florida Business Journal, April 1998
  41. ^ Cagan, A. Peace is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat. Mighty River Press. ISBN -10: 0-9788694-9- pp255,266
  42. ^ Cagan, A. Peace is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat. Mighty River Press. ISBN -10: 0-9788694-9- pp 266
  43. ^ Internal Revenue Service Letter dated 06.02.1985 Reference No.s 1045(00) (6-22)
  44. ^ Charity RegistrationRegister of Charities
  45. ^ Charity Registration Register of Charities
  46. ^ Elan Vital Foundation EVF Website
  47. ^ Melton, Encyclopedia of American Religions.
    "In the early 1980s, Rawat moved to disband the Divine Light Mission and personally renounced the trappings of Indian culture and religion, disbanding the mission, he founded Elan Vital, an organization to his future role as teacher." [...]Maharaji had made every attempt to abandon the traditional Indian religious trappings in which the techniques originated and to make his presentation acceptable to all the various cultural settings in which followers live. He sees his teachings as independent of culture, religion, beliefs, or lifestyles, and regularly addresses audiences in places as culturally diverse as India, Japan, Taiwan, the Ivory Coast, Slovenia, Mauritius and Venezuela, as well as North America, Europe and the South Pacific.
  48. ^ Miller, America's Alternative Religions, pp.474
  49. ^ Kranenborg, Neohindoeïstische bewegingen in Nederland: een encyclopedisch overzicht, pp.178
    "Zij [Mata Ji, Prem Rawats moeder] onterfde hem spiritueel, in feite werd hij de beweging uitgezet. Maharaji ging zelfstandig verder, zij het met minder pretenties dan voorheen. Zo sprak hij sindsdien niet meer in goddelijke termen over zichzelf, maar noemde zich 'humanitarian leader'" (translation: "She[Rawat's mother, Mata ji] disinherited him spiritually. In fact, he was expelled from the movement. Maharaji continued on independently, with less claims than in the past, no longer speaking with divine terms about himself, but calling himself instead as an 'humanitarian leader'."
  50. ^ Chryssides, George D., Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements pp.210-1, Scarecrow Press (2001) ISBN 0-8108-4095-2
    "Maharaji progressively dissolved the Divine Light Mission, closing the ashrams, affirming his own status as a master rather than a divine leader, and emphasizing that the Knowledge is universal, non Indian, in nature"[...] "This Knowledge was self-understanding, yielding calmness, peace, and contentment, since the innermost self is identical with the divine. Knowledge is attained through initiation, which provides four techniques that allow the practitioner to go within."</small.
  51. ^ Cagan, A. Peace is Possible -pp 255, 266
  52. ^ Contact Info Website
  53. ^ http://www.tprf.org/prem_rawat.htm
  54. ^ Guidestar report for non-profit organizations.Available online
  55. ^ http://www.tprf.org/Prem_Rawat_press_releases/Prem_Rawat_addreses_over_3_million_in_India_events.htm
  56. ^ Eurcontrol Navigation Domain Available Online
  57. ^ Melton, J. Gordon The Encyclopedia Handbook of Cults in America. p.143, Garland Publishing (1986) ISBN 0-8240-9036-5
    "Maharaj Ji, as do many of the other Sant Mat leaders, claims to be a Perfect Master, an embodiment of God on earth, a fitting object of worship and veneration."
  58. ^ Geaves, Ron, Globalization, Charisma, Innovation and Tradition: 2006. Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies, 2 44-62.
    "Prem Rawat has affinities with the mediaeval Nirguna Bhakti (formless devotion) tradition of Northern India, more commonly known as Sant. With its emphasis on universalism, equality, direct experience, criticism of blind allegiance to religious ritual and dogma, and tendency towards syncretism."
  59. ^ Hadden, Religions of the World, pp.428
    "The meditation techniques the Maharaji teaches today are the same he learned from his father, Hans Ji Maharaj, who, in turn, learned them from his spiritual teacher [Sarupanand]. 'Knowledge', claims Maharaji, 'is a way to be able to take all your senses that have been going outside all your life, turn them around and put them inside to feel and to actually experience you..."
  60. ^ Stephen J. Hunt, Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction. (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8
    "The process of reaching the true self within can only be achieved by the individual, but with the guidance and help of a teacher."
  61. ^ Geaves, Ron, Globalization, Charisma, Innovation and Tradition: An exploration of the Transformations in the Organisational Vehicles for the Transmission of the Teachings of Prem Rawat (Maharaji), 2006, Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies, 2 44-62
    "The teachings were essentially Hindu in origin, embracing a worldview that accepted transmigration of souls, karma, human avatars and imbedded in an interpretation of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. However, a discerning listener would have recognized the radical voice of the North Indian Nirguna Bhaktas, also defined as Sants, notably Nanak and Kabir, especially in the message of universalism, equality and the focus on inwardness rather than the outward forms of Hinduism."
  62. ^ Hummel, Reinhart, Indische Mission und neue Frömmigkeit im Westen. Religiöse Bewegungen in westlichen Kulturen Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-170-05609-3, p79.
    "In a satsang in 1975 in Orlando/Florida, he speaks in a language similar to American evangelical campaigners." Original: "In einem 1975 in Orlando/Florida gehaltenen Satsang spricht er eine aehnliche Sprache wie Amerikanische Evangelizationsfeldzuege."
  63. ^ Kranenborg, Reender (1982) Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen/Eastern faith movements in the West (Dutch language) ISBN 90-210-4965-1 Translation
    "in Maharaj ji's satsangs one can notice a speaking style that resembles very much some Christian evangelization campaigns: a pressing request, an emphasis on the last possibility to choose before it is too late and a terminology in which one is requested to surrender to the Lord, in this case Maharaj ji himself."
  64. ^ Melton, Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America, pp141-145.
    "The teachings of the Mission, particularly the public discourses of Maharaj Ji, were condemned as lacking in substance. Maharaj Ji, who frequently acted like the teenager that he was in public, was seen as immature and hence unfit to be a religious leader."
  65. ^ Downton, Sacred Journeys.
    "The end of 1973 saw Guru Maharaj Ji breaking away from his mother and his Indian past. He declared himself the sole source of spiritual authority in the Mission. And, unlike some gurus who have come to this country and have easternized their followers, he became more fully westernized, which premies interpreted as an attempt to integrate his spiritual teachings into our culture."
  66. ^ Stephen J. Hunt Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8
    "Maharaji transformed his initial teachings in order to appeal to a Western context. He came to recognize that the Indian influences on his followers in the West were a hindrance to the wider acceptance of his teachings. He therefore changed the style of his message and relinquished the Hindu tradition, beliefs, and most of its original eastern religious practices."
  67. ^ Miller, America's Alternative Religions, pp.474
  68. ^ Hunt, Stephen J., Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction. (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8 Br />"The major focus of Maharaji is on stillness, peace, and contentment within the individual, and his 'Knowledge' consists of the techniques to obtain them. Knowledge, roughly translated, means the happiness of the true self-understanding. Each individual should seek to comprehend his or her true self. In turn, this brings a sense of well-being, joy and harmony as one comes in contact with one's "own nature." The Knowledge includes four meditation procedures: Light, Music, Nectar and Word. The process of reaching the true self within can only be achieved by the individual, but with the guidance and help of a teacher. Hence, the movement seems to embrace aspects of world-rejection and world-affirmation. The tens of thousands of followers in the West do not see themselves as members of a religion, but the adherents of a system of teachings that extol the goal of enjoying life to the full."
  69. ^ J. Gordon Melton, Christopher Partridge (Eds.), New Religions: A Guide: New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities. pp.201-202, Oxford University Press, USA (2004) ISBN 978-0195220421.
    "Rawat is insistent that it is not the product of any one culture or the property of any religious tradition and that it can be practiced by anyone. Consequently, Maharaji asserts that he is not teaching a religion and there are no particular rituals, sacred days, pilgrimages, sacred places, doctrines, scriptures or specific dress codes, dietary requirements or any other dimension associated with a religious lifestyle."
  70. ^ The Keys Website The Keys
  71. ^ [ http://tprf.org/Prem_Rawat_press_releases/Prem_Rawat_record_new_students.htm TPRF Press Release] TPRF.Org
  72. ^ "Guru Maharaj Ji becomes a citizen of the US," Rocky Mountain News, Wednesday, October 19, 1977, Denver, Colorado, USA
  73. ^ Cagan, A., Peace is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat, pp.228
  74. ^ U.S. Patent Office
  75. ^ "Maharaj.org". 1999. Retrieved 1999-01-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

Bibliographical references

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  • Brown, Mick The Spiritual Tourist, Bloomsbury Publishing 1998, ISBN 1-58234-034-X
  • Cagan, Andrea, Peace Is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat, Mighty River Press (2007), ISBN 978-0978869496
  • Carrol, Peter N. Nothing Happened: The Tragedy and Promise of America in the 1970s, Holt, Rinehart and Winston (1982), ISBN 0030583195
  • Chryssides, George D., Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements, Scarecrow Press (2001) ISBN 0-8108-4095-2
  • Collier, Sophia, Soul rush: The odyssey of a young woman of the '70s, Morrow (1978), ISBN 0-688-03276-1
  • Downton, James V., Sacred journeys: The conversion of young Americans to Divine Light Mission,(1979) Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-04198-5
  • Fahlbusch E., Lochman J. M., Mbiti J., Pelikan J., Vischer L, Barret D. (Eds.) The Encyclopedia of Christianity (1998), ISBN 90-04-11316-9
  • Geaves, Ron (2002), From Divine Light Mission to Elan Vital and Beyond: an Exploration of Change and Adaptation, 2002 International Conference on Minority Religions, Social Change and Freedom of Conscience, University of Utah at Salt Lake City
  • Geaves, Ron, From Totapuri to Maharaji: Reflections on a Lineage (Parampara),. Paper presented at the 27th Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions, Oxford. March 2002.
  • Geaves, Ron, Globalization, charisma, innovation, and tradition: An exploration of the transformations in the organisational vehicles for the transmission of the teachings of Prem Rawat (Maharaji), 2006, Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies, 2 44-62.
  • Goring, Rosemary (Ed.). Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (1997) Wordsworth Editions, ISBN 1-85326-354-0
  • Hadden, Jeffrey K. and Elliot III, Eugene M., Divine Light Mission/Elan Vital in Melton, Gordon J. and Bauman, Martin (Eds.) "Religions of the world: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of beliefs and practices" ABC-CLIO (2002), ISBN 1-57607-223-1
  • Hans Jayanti (2000), DUO, New Delhi, Book published in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Shri Hans' birth.
  • Hinnells, John (Editor), The Penguin Dictionary of Religions (1997), ISBN 0-14-051261-6
  • Hunt, Stephen J. Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8
  • Kent, Stephen A.. From slogans to mantras: social protest and religious conversion in the late Vietnam war era, Syracuse University press, 2001, ISBN 0-8156-2948-6
  • Kranenborg, Reender Dr. (1982) Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen ("Eastern faith movements in the West") (Dutch language) ISBN 90-210-4965-1
  • Kranenborg, Reender, Neohindoeïstische bewegingen in Nederland: een encyclopedisch overzicht, Kampen Kok cop. (2002)
  • Lippy, Charles H., Pluralism Comes of Age: American Religious Culture in the Twentieth Century, M. E. Sharpe (2002), ISBN 0-7656-0151-6
  • Melton, Gordon J., Encyclopedia of American Religions 7th edition. Thomson (2003), ISBN 0-78766-384-0
  • Melton, Gordon J., Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America, (1986), Garland Publishing, ISBN 0-8240-9036-5.
  • Miller, Tim (Ed.) America's Alternative Religions (S U N Y Series in Religious Studies) (1995) State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-2397-2
  • Price, Maeve, The Divine Light Mission as a social organization. (note 1) Sociological Review, 27(1979)
  • Pryor, William, The Survival of the Coolest: A Darwin's Death Defying Journey Into the Interior of Addiction (2004), Clear Press, ISBN 1-904555-13-6
  • Rawat, Prem and Wolf, Burt. Inner Journey: A spirited conversation about self-discovery (DVD). ISBN 0-9740627-0-7
  • Rawat, Prem, Maharaji at Griffith University (2004) ISBN 0-9740627-2-3
  • The Prem Rawat Foundation presents: Maharaji at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University (2005) ISBN 0-9740627-3-1
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Official websites of Prem Rawat

[edit]

Other

[edit]
  • Manav Dharam website of Sat Pal, Prem Rawat's elder brother who claims to be a Satguru



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{{Persondata |NAME=Prem Rawat |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Prem Rawat; Prem Pal Singh Rawat; Maharaji; Guru Maharaji; Guru Maharaj Ji, Balyogeshwar |SHORT DESCRIPTION=Addresses people on the subject of finding [[inner peace|peace within]] and says that he is able to offer a practical way which he calls "[[Techniques of Knowledge|Knowledge]]" |DATE OF BIRTH=[[December 10]], [[1957]] |PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Deradun]], [[India]] |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= }} [[:Category:Prem Rawat|*]] [[:Category:1957 births|Rawat, Prem]] [[:Category:Living people|Rawat, Prem]] [[:Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]] [[:Category:Indian Americans|Rawat, Prem]] [[:Category:People from Uttarakhand|Rawat, Prem]]

da:Prem Rawat de:Prem Pal Singh Rawat el:Πρεμ Ραβάτ es:Prem Rawat (Maharaji) fr:Prem Rawat it:Prem Rawat simple:Maharaji

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