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Prem Rawat (born Prem Pal Singh Rawat, Dec 10, 1957, in Haridwar, northern India)[1] also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji). On the death of his father Hans Ram Singh Rawat in 1966, Prem Rawat succeeded to the spiritual leadership of a northern Indian religious movement.[2] After coming to the attention of various travellers on the Indian ‘hippie trail’ in the late 1960s this movement became recognised outside of India under its organisational name Divine Light Mission.[3]

In June 1971 Prem Rawat, then still only 13 years old and known as Guru Maharaj Ji, traveled to Britain and the US.[4] Formed by US adherants, a religious charity named Divine Light Mission (DLM) was registered with the IRS in December 1971.[5] In 1974 Prem Rawat married an American follower and adopted US citizenship.[6] The marriage was the catalyst for a schism within Rawat’s following which split along an East–West divide.[7]

Divine Light Mission organisations were set up in many countries and a level of adherence outside of India as high as 50,000 has been claimed.[8] From 1983 the name under which the organisations operated was gradually changed to Elan Vital and Rawat asked to be called Maharaji rather than Guru Maharaj Ji. Elan Vital organisations continue to operate in North America, Britain, and Australia while a related organisation Raj Vidya Kender operates in India. Prem Rawat is promoted by these organisations as a teacher of an exceptional form of meditation and as an inspirational speaker. A new organisation The Prem Rawat Foundation was created in 2002.[9]

Childhood[edit]

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.[10] When Hans Rawat died in 1966 the eight year-old Prem Rawat was accepted by his family and his father's followers as the new Satguru and de facto leader of the Divine Light Mission.[11] Thereafter on weekends and during his school holidays, Rawat emulated his father by addressing audiences on the subject of inner experience.[12] From 1968 onwards the Divine Light Mission began to attract interest from outside of India, primarily from those following the ‘hippy trail’ and in 1969 a mahatma (a senior devotee) was sent to London.[13] 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.[14][15]

Adolescence[edit]

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.[16][17][18] A number of Americans were initiated into the Knowledge meditation some of whom became committed followers, setting up an organisation called Divine Light Mission Incorporated. This entity was registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a church with its headquarters in Boulder, Colorado.[19][20] A separate DLM was created in the UK in 1972,[21] subsequently other Nationally independent DLM organisations were created in Australia, South Africa, and Canada, as well as in several European and South American countries.

In October, Prem Rawat returned to India to celebrate the anniversary of his father's birth, and in 1972 came back to America, this time accompanied by his mother, eldest brother Satpal, and an entourage of mahatmas and other Indian supporters. A festival which the newly formed American Divine Light Mission held in Montrose, Colorado was attended by 2000 people. An article in Time Magazine reported that his mother and three older brothers kissed his feet when they were in his presence as a demonstration of worship.[22][23][24]

An event in August 1973 threatened to destroy the Rawat movement’s claim to be concerned with ‘peace’. Following an incident in which the young Rawat had a shaving foam ‘pie thrown in his face, the pie thrower, radical journalist Pat Halley was viciously attacked with a hammer by devotees of Guru Maharaj Ji.[25]

In November 1973, Divine Light Mission booked the Houston Astrodome for "Millennium '73", a three-day celebration of the birthday of Prem Rawat's father. The attendance was estimated at twenty thousand. The event was covered satirically in the award-winning U.S. documentary Lord of the Universe broadcast by PBS Television in 1974.[26] The documentary featured Rennie Davis, a former member of the Chicago Seven, speaking for the group,[27] counter-pointed by Abbie Hoffman, another Chicago Seven member, who commented: "If this guy is God, this is the God the United States of America deserves." When asked in 1971 if he was God, Rawat replied: "No. My Knowledge is God."[28]

Schism[edit]

The rapid growth in Prem Rawat’s following presented challenges both to Rawat and to his followers. According to Foss and Larkin, by 1973 the American Divine Light Mission had developed a centralized bureaucracy with “rampant titleism and a penchant for office forms and organizational charts” and that while “failures and bungling were repeatedly demonstrated on the part of the Mission staff the symbolic form of organizational seriousness and managerial competence had a compelling emotional appeal to both the Mission staff itself and to many potential converts”. Foss and Larkin go on to say that “the significance of the activities of the Mission lay in "service" to and execution of the "Divine Plan" of Guru Maharaj Ji, Perfect Master and Lord of the Universe. But Guru Maharaj Ji was himself a supremely incongruous divinity: chubby, squat, enamoured of expensive cars and other gadgets, and in no way saintly in his dealings with his followers.”[29]

Rawat’s own role within the Mission organisation was poorly defined, part honorary CEO, part source of divine wisdom; Foss and Larkin quote from a DLM board meeting: “Once we had a board meeting with Maharaj Ji and we had all these reports from him. Michael (Bergman), who was treasurer at the time, said to Maharaji Ji, "I remember just before Millennium you told me that if I had only told you about the money shortage you would have given me grace to get the money together. I'd like to officially ask for grace now because we really need it!" Maharaj Ji laughed and said, "Don't ask for grace officially because if you do I'll give you what I have in my pocket-two cents. Work hard and grace will come."[30] This ambiguity in Prem Rawat’s role within the Mission organisation was reflected in the minds of rank and file followers.[31]

Prem Rawat, along with his brothers and mother was able to set, or at least influence Mission policy; Foss and Larkin describe how abrupt changes brought about by competing decisions made by different members of the Rawat family were rationalised by followers in terms of ‘Divine Lila’, essentially a game played by supra mortals whose motives were incomprehensible to mere devotees.[32]

Maeve Price, writing primarily about the UK DLM has suggested that the rapid growth of a large membership had left organizers (and by implication the Rawat family) without a clear idea where to lead the following and as a consequence “the mission moved into a recessionary phase which lasted until the Autumn of 1975". Price identifies the most significant contribution to the weakening of the mission (in terms of loss of members and decline in recruitment), as being the marriage of Prem Rawat and the subsequent conflict within the Rawat family.[33]

Despite being only 16 Prem Rawat was able to marry without his mother’s permission having achieved emancipated minor status in California and in May 1974 he married 25-year-old Marolyn Johnson, one of his American followers.[34] The marriage was disapproved of by Prem Rawat's mother and two of his elder brothers, as well as by many of his Indian devotees and it provided a focal point for a schism within the international Divine Light Mission. The movement split into Eastern and Western branches with the majority of American and European adherents remaining faithful to Prem Rawat.[35][36][37]

Interregnum[edit]

Prior to Prem Rawat’s marriage, the Rawat family had collectively formed the DLM movement’s international leadership hierarchy.[38] The family conflict and consequent religious schism was accompanied by a period of doctrinal instability in the American and European DLM. Prem Rawat’s mother issued a damning indictment of her youngest son and series of legal claims were pursued by the administrators of the Indian DLM to ensure Prem Rawat was denied any claim on Mission property and the eldest Rawat son, then know as Balbagwan Ji, now Satal Maharaj was declared the new DLM satguru.[39][40][41]

Separated from its Indian root the portion of the DLM movement loyal to Prem Rawat underwent a series of fluctuating changes, there was an attempt to smother its Hinduistic background and Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat) was emphasized as a personification of ideology with a consequent diminution of the significance Hans Ram Singh Rawat, the movement's founder. Initiation policy underwent change, before 1975 it was sufficient to have a desperate longing for "Knowledge", after 1975 one had to accept Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat) as a personal saviour in order to become a member.[42] Although Prem Rawat's marriage had precipited the crisis in which change was engendered Prem Rawat was not the only originator of change and leadership competition within the American DLM movement was only resolved by the departure of among others, the DLM president Robert Mishler[43]

Charismatic leadership[edit]

With his mother and eldest brother having no legal claim within the US, and with opposition from within the American organization neutralized, Prem Rawat was free to exercise the role of lone charismatic leader to the Western branch of the Divine Light Mission. The first evidence of assertion of his control came in late 1976 when a policy of ashram closures that had been begun earlier that year under Mishler’s influence was reversed, while at the same time moves towards democratisation within the DLM following were curtailed[44] Devotionalism became an even greater aspect of Prem Rawat’s ‘teaching’ and the millenarian ideology of the early 1970s fell from use.[45] As the single charismatic leader, unencumbered by competing family members or challenged by assertive officials Prem Rawat reprised, albeit in a north American context, the distinctive role of a Sant Mat Guru.[46][47][48]

Membership of Prem Rawat’s following had begun to change from 1975, according to Derks and Lans pre 1975 followers had been attracted by DLM’s Hinduistic ideology which “offered them an opportunity to legitimate their already existing rejection of the Western utilitarian world view”, while after 1975 new members included those who “had been very religious in their preadolescent years.” Derks and Lans suggest that this preadolescent religiosity, primarily Christian had been lost in adolescence but refound in the ‘satsang’ of Divine Light Mission. The new followers came to see Prem Rawat and their relationship with him as a source of continuous religious experience making Rawat much more important for them than he had been for many of the pre 1975 members.[49]

From guru to inspirational speaker[edit]

Price writing in 1978 stated that “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.”[50] However the finance was achieved the lifestyle that Price describes appears to have become the norm for Prem Rawat, enhanced by the provision of a private jet in 1980[51][52]Academic treatment of this period in the history of the DLM movement provides a number of contradictory presentations:

Miller suggests that in 1983 Divine Light Mission changed its name to Elan Vital, and Rawat closed the last western ashrams, marking the end of his use of Indian methods[53] Melton states “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 essential to his future role as teacher."[54] while Chryssides writes, "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".[55] and Geaves states that “In 1982, the ashrams were finally closed, Divine Light Mission was deactivated throughout the world and a series of national organisations under the umbrella title of Elan Vital were created.”[56]

Official documents show that Miller is correct in writing that national DLMs changed their name to Elan Vital, however this was a gradual process with one of last name changes not occurring until 1993[57] The contention respectively made by Melton, Chrysiddes and Geaves that DLM was disbanded, dissolved or deactivated wholesale is erroneous but is perhaps based on the unique circumstance of the UK DLM which was indeed closed down in 1993, two years after the creation of a separate UK Elan Vital organisation.[58] The US Elan Vital was subject to a name change in 1985 but retained its religious designation with the IRS.[59]

Levels of adherence to Prem Rawat have never been certain with the only consistent observations coming from the USA. Rudin & Rudin give a world wide following of 6 million prior to the family Schism of 1974, of which 50,000 were in the US; these figures had fallen to 1.2 million for Prem Rawat's personal worldwide following in 1980, of which just 15,000 were in the US.[60]Petersen states that Prem Rawat claimed 7 million followers worldwide in 1973, with 60,000 in the US.[61] Melton & Moore suggest a US following of a mere 3,000 committed followers in 1982 out of some 50,000 who had been initiated into the Knowledge meditation.[62]

Prem Rawat continued to tour internationally throughout the 1980s and 1990s, speaking publicly in over 40 countries, and mostly piloting the leased executive jets himself. In December 1998, he spoke live via an interactive 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 soon after in other countries.[63][64]Between January 2004 and June 2005, Prem Rawat delivered 117 addresses in Asia, Europe, and North America. Rawat concentrates on what he calls a "universal message of peace" and speaks of "self-fulfillment." His message is currently distributed in eighty-eight countries in print and on video, 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.[65][66] 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. TPRF also funds humanitarian efforts[67]

Beliefs and teachings[edit]

Prem Rawat was inculcated in the system of belief and teaching developed by his father; while the techniques of the Knowledge meditation were and are considered secret, there are two publications which provide a presentation of the teaching of Hans Rawat.

Published posthumously, although claimed to date from 1936, Hans Rawat’s philosophy is expounded in the book Hans Yog Prakash, in which Hans Rawat gives pre-eminence to four principles: the essential nature of the relationship between devotee and Guru; the notion of ‘benevolence’, the highest form which is the “bestowing of Spiritual Knowledge”, the need to carry out good actions to avoid evil thinking and evil acts, and the achievement of a state of detachment.[68] Also published after Hans Rawat’s death, the hagiographic book ‘Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj’ describes a philosophical position equivalent to Universalism and makes prominent reference to the ‘Divine Name’ and ‘Divine Light’. The teaching of Hans Rawat is described as ‘Raj[a] Yoga’ and reference is made to ‘mana’ (mind), ‘’prana’ (life-breath), the four techniques of meditation referred to as Knowledge are described as ‘Kryas’ of which the object is said to be the “control of the mind”. The yogic credentials of Hans Rawat are claimed in references to Japa, Ajapa, Gayatri, to Ajapa Jap, and to Mahamantra.[69]

Academic opinion on the origins of the Rawat philosophy is divided. Geaves traces Hans Rawat’s teaching to a purely Advait Mat source[70] however Juergensmeyer contends that the teachings of the Divine Light Mission were essentially those of Radhasoami.[71] Juergensmeyer saw a very specific relationship between DLM and Radhasoami in the forms of meditation common to both groups, notably the Word technique of the early DLM, now Technique number 4 in Prem Rawat’s system.[72]Rife states that the impact of Sawan Singh of the Radhasoami Satsang Beas can be directly seen in the teachings and writings of the Divine Light Mission.[73] Melton avoids the Radhasoami controversy simply stating that “The Divine Light Mission is derived from Sant Mat (literally, the way of the saints), a variation of the Sikh religion which draws significant elements from Hinduism"[74] Hummel considered that neither Hans nor Prem Rawat possessed a systematically developed set of teachings but that Hans Rawat veiwed himself primarily as the Guru of the Poor, using discourses rich in metaphors that could be understood against a background of Hindu tradition, in contrast the discourses of Prem Rawat employed a minimum of Hindu terms and concepts yet remained vague for the non-Hindu listener.[75] Pilarzyk writing of the transfer of DLM to the United States paints a picture of a belief system that was chaotically in flux, a situation to which Prem Rawat was induced to respond by seeking to assert his own authority as leader.[76]Downton considered that Prem Rawat conformed to a paradigm of guruism in which the goal of the guru was to transform their followers' perceptions of the world through deconditioning. Downton ascribed many of the beliefs noted by Pilarzyk as originating from sources other than Prem Rawat but did not address the inheritance of Hans Rawat’s teaching nor of the beliefs inherent in the devotionalism encouraged by Prem Rawat.[77]The ideological change noted by Derks and Lans[78] in the DLM in 1976 saw a lessening of the relevance of Hans Rawat and from that point a teaching distinctively Prem Rawat’s own came to the fore. Hann, writing in 1981 states that the Divine Light Mission had hardly any philosophy and its central beliefs were reflected in the Hindu devotional song called arti.[79]

The knowledge mediatation[edit]

According to Hadden, Rawat claims that the techniques of Knowledge, with the help and guidance of the Guru 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”.[80] Hunt says of Rawat “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.”[81] The techniques of Knowledge are supposedly secret, however Finch, who was for a time an officiate in DLM initiation sessions, confirms that the various descriptions and demonstrations of the four techniques now found on the Internet are accurate representations of the techniques prescribed by Prem Rawat.[82] Finch provides descriptions of the techniques. Technique number 1, or the Light technique, involves pressing the index finger of one hand against the middle of the forehead while the thumb and middle finger rest on the eyelids. Technique number 2, or the Music technique, involves the use of both hands, the thumbs being used to close the ears while the fingers enclose the forehead. Technique number 3, or Holy Name, or the Word is a breath technique, essentially it involves simply concentrating on inhalation and exhalation, Technique number 4 or the Nectar Technique involves attempting to flip the tongue back on itself so that the tip become inserted into the soft palate.[83]

Both Kranenborg and Melton respectively confirm the descriptions given Finch, and that techniques are secret and were originally called "Light", "Sound", "Name" or "Word" and "Nectar" but Maharaji now refers to them as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th techniques. Kranenborg is of the view that the techniques originate from Surat Shabda Yoga[84][85]Galanter, writing from a psychiatric persective and based on research predicated on testing the hypothesis that: “a relationship existed between the perceived emotional relief and fidelity to the group” observes that “I was struck by the significant role of alterations in consciousness when studying the Divine Light Mission. From my first contact with this group, members mentioned the importance of the four "meditations" to their personal commitment. Each drew on a different sense, causing unexpected visions, tastes, and music. The sect itself was named for one of these sensory experiences, the "Divine Light", that members reported seeing during their personal meditation.” Galanter concluded that DLM adherents experienced a reduction in symptoms of psychological distress as a function of becoming a ‘group member’. Galanter did not ascribe significance to either Prem Rawat or the Knowledge meditation beyond their respective roles in maintaining group cohesiveness, other than to identify a positive correlation between time spent in meditation and reduction in neurotic distress which Galanter compares to a ‘tranqulizer’ and suggests an addictive effect.[86]Galanter et al, found a positive correlation between reductions in drug use and adherence to Divine Light Mission, again the results were predicated upon group cohesiveness rather than any direct benefit from the Knowledge meditation.[87]

Communicating the techniques of meditation[edit]

Prior to 1982 initiation via a "Knowledge Session" was carried out in small groups with instruction provided by an officiate, variously named a Mahatma, Initiator or Instructor, thereafter Prem Rawat conducted the sessions in person and as of 2001 the techniques are taught via a multimedia presentation featuring Prem Rawat. In this presentation, Rawat explains the techniques step-by-step, the process takes 2½ hours, of which one hour is dedicated to practicing the techniques, 15 minutes each. At the beginning of the presentation starts Rawat ask for three promises of the participants: a) to keep in touch, b) to give Knowledge a fair chance, and c) to not to share these techniques with anyone. If attendees agree with these three promises he invites them to stay and receive "the gift of Knowledge",[88] a program of five DVD sets which prepare the student for receiving Knowledge. The techniques are taught in Key Six, a multimedia presentation produced in fifty languages. Rawat advises students that for maximum benefit the techniques should be practised daily for at least one hour.

Personal[edit]

A U.S. citizen since 1977,[89] 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.[90] 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.[91] He reports that he supports himself and his family as a private investor, and that he has contributed to the success of startup companies in various industries, including software.[92]


Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Goring, Rosemary (Ed.). Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (1997) p. 145, Wordsworth Editions, ISBN 1853263540
  2. ^ Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj Edited C. L. Tandon. Published by Divine Light Mission, Delhi 7, India - 1970
    “Yogiraj Shri Hans Ji Maharaj left His mortal frame on 19 July, 1966, transmitting His power potential of the secret Yoga to His Holiness Shri Sant Ji Maharaj.”
  3. ^ 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,
    "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'" Note Geaves was one of the “four young British members of the counter-culture”.</
  4. ^ Finch, M. "Maharaji's Start in the West"
  5. ^ Pilarzyk, Thomas "The Origin, Development, and Decline of a Youth Culture Religion: An Application of Sectarianization Theory" Review of Religious Research, Vol. 20, No. 1. (Autumn, 1978), pp. 23–43
  6. ^ The Times, London, WEDNESDAY MAY 22 1974 - Perfect Master gets married to US woman
  7. ^ Derks, Frans, and van der Lans Jan M. Subgroups in Divine Light Mission Membership(1984), ISBN 0-86554-095-0
    "“However, in 1975 there was a schism within the movement. Guru Maharaj Ji’s mother did not approve of his marriage to his American secretary and dismissed him as the movement’s leader. The American and European adherents did not accept his dismissal and remained faithful to him. The movement split up into an Eastern and Western branch. The Western branch tried to smother its Hinduistic background and started to emphasize Guru Maharaj Ji as a personification of ideology.” The majority of the Indian following transferred their loyalty to Prem Rawat’s older brother, now known as Sat Pal Maharaj, while Prem Rawat continued as the spiritual head of the rapidly growing western Divine Light Mission.”.
  8. ^ Melton, J. Gordon & Robert L. Moore. The Cult Experience: Responding to the New Religious Pluralism. New York: The Pilgrim Press 1982
  9. ^ "The Prem Rawat Foundation website".
  10. ^ 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".
  11. ^ 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."
  12. ^ Guru 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."
  13. ^ Ibid. 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
  14. ^ 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."
  15. ^ Kranenborg, Reender Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen ("Eastern faith movements in the West") (1982) (Dutch language) ISBN 90-210-4965-1 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."
  16. ^ Pryor, The Survival of the Coolest, p. 148.
  17. ^ The Daily Telegraph 21 July 2007 Available Online
    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.
  18. ^ Ibid. Finch, Michael 11.02.2003 "Maharaji's Start in the West".
  19. ^ Colorado Secretary of State Corporate Record
  20. ^ California Secretary of State Corporate Record
  21. ^ Charity Commission Registration Number 264682 Available Online
  22. ^ J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America. (New York/London: Garland, 1986; Revised edition, 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 which housed approximately 500 of the most dedicated premies, had emerged."
  23. ^ Time, 2 November, 1972. "Junior Guru"
  24. ^ Time, April 28, 1975. "One Lord Too Many".
  25. ^ Fifth Estate magazine. "Guru's Secret" September 14, 1973
  26. ^ "All Movie Guide profile".
  27. ^ J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America. (New York/London: Garland, 1986; revised edition, pp. 141–145. Copyright 1986.
  28. ^ "Interview with John Wood of The Boston Globe with Guru Maharaj Ji in Newton, Massachusetts", August 3, 1973. Published in And It Is Divine. Dec. 1973, Volume 2. Issue 2.
    "Question: Guru Maharaji Ji, are you God? Answer: No. My Knowledge is God."
  29. ^ Foss & Larkin "Worshiping the Absurd: The Negation of Social Causality among the Followers of Guru Maharaj Ji" Sociological Analysis, Vol. 39, No. 2. (Summer, 1978), pp. 157–164
    Foss and Larkin spent 30 months observing the DLM between 1973 and 1975
  30. ^ Foss & Larkin Ibid.
  31. ^ Pilarzyk, Thomas The Origin, Development, and Decline of a Youth Culture Religion: An Application of Sectarianization Theory by Thomas Pilarzyk. Review of Religious Research, Vol. 20, No. 1. (Autumn, 1978), pp. 23–43.)
    " The distribution of power and authority in the movement in the early 1970s was officially and symbolically based upon the somewhat ambiguous charismatic appeal of guru Maharaj Ji. Many "rank and file" followers were uncertain about his position in the whole organizational scheme of the movement as well as the claim that he was the only true spiritual master. Devotion to him allegedly was based in his ability to inspire a connection between himself and the "spiritual energy" or "divine light" experienced in meditation.
  32. ^ Foss & Larkin Ibid.
    " Abrupt changes in Mission policy apparently due to decisions of Guru Maharaj Ji or other members of the Holy family were also defined as lila by premies in the provinces. Following Bal Bhagwan Ji's (Guru Maharaj Ji's eldest brother) visit to Denver in April 1973 the Mission made some public gestures toward "relevance." And It Is Divine magazine started to print articles on subjects of major concern to the broader youth population, such as the fad for Quaaludes and the feminist movement. The July issue featured a cover story on lesbian women (though it is suggested with great delicacy that the demands of the women's movement could be satisfied through celibacy and meditation). Rapprochement with feminism was sought through a Divine Organization of Women which raised women's issues within National Headquarters and planned propagation activities using a feminist-tinged approach. In June Mata Ji (Maharaj Ji's mother) and Guru Maharaj Ji arrived in Denver. Guru Maharaj Ji reportedly examined the July issue of AIID (the two women on the cover whom the reader was to take to be lesbians were actually celibate ashram premies) with great disgust, saying "This is divine?" The cover photo of the August issue, which was to show a premie dressed up as a Palestinian guerrilla, was scrapped in favor of a picture of a little girl licking an ice cream cone; the editorial content was correspondingly changed to sugar-n'-spice pablum. The Divine Organization of Women was disbanded. Meanwhile, back in New York one day in June we were doing service at an ashram by washing the dishes and mopping the floor. We heard some premies making some remarks about lila; it seemed that they were now prohibited from using certain materials for purposes of propagation. We asked whether different members of the Holy Family represented divergent policy positions within the Mission. The housemother pointed out that members of the Holy Family could do whatever they pleased because "they're not human", and therefore speculation about their possible motives was entirely futile and presumptuous.
  33. ^ Price, Maeve (1979): "The Divine Light Mission as a social organization". Sociological Review, 27, Page 279–296
  34. ^ Cagan, Peace is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat. Mighty River Press. ISBN-10: 0-9788694-9-4 p. 197.
    "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." Note. Cagan’s Book is promoted on many Rawat associated websites and is in effect an authorized biography.
  35. ^ Björkqvist, K (1990): "World-rejection, world-affirmation, and goal displacement: some aspects of change in three new religions movements of Hindu origin". In N. Holm (ed.), Encounter with India: studies in neohinduism (pp. 79–99) - Turku, Finland. Åbo Akademi University Press.
  36. ^ Derks, Frans, and Jan M. van der Lans. 1983. "Subgroups in Divine Light Mission Membership: A Comment on Downton" in the book Of Gods and Men: New Religious Movements in the West. Macon edited by Eileen Barker, GA: Mercer University Press, (1984), ISBN 0-86554-095-0 pages 303–308
  37. ^ Pilarzyk, Thomas "The Origin, Development, and Decline of a Youth Culture Religion: An Application of Sectarianization Theory" by Thomas Pilarzyk. Review of Religious Research, Vol. 20, No. 1. (Autumn, 1978), pp. 23–43.)
    " guru Maharaj Ji's marriage in 1974 to an older American woman premie in a Western civil ceremony also held important implications for his leadership position and for grass-roots commitment to his authority. It represented an important break with Hindu tradition and caused greater dissension among the movement's leadership hierarchy, especially with members of the holy family and some traditionally-inclined mahatmas.
  38. ^ Pilarzyk, Thomas Ibid.
    " In addition, by April, 1973, the Divine United Organization (DUO) was established as the financial arm of the movement. While guru Maharaj Ji began to participate in the development of the movement's publications, most major organizational decisions were still made by the premies at the Denver headquarters in conjunction with the guru's older family members.
  39. ^ Pilarzyk, Thomas Ibid.
    " This internal friction within the DLM authority hierarchy was evident in a written denouncement of the guru as the "perfect master" by Shri Mataji, the movement's "holy mother." His mother claimed that Maharaj Ji, "under the instigation of certain bad elements in the United States Divine Light Mission, has continuously disrespected my will by adopting a despicable, nonspiritual way of life."
  40. ^ Civil Proceedings: C. L. Tandon v. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, AIR 1978 Delhi 221
    " "One valuable touchstone for determining whether the matters in issue are directly and substantially the same is whether the decision in the prior suit will bring the principle of res judicata into operation in the subsequent suit. Because the removal of Prem Pal Singh Rawat by Mataji and the nomination in his place of Satya Pal Singh Rawat and the competence of Mataji to do the same, issues of utmost importance, are alien to the Patna suit, the disposal of the suit at Patna will not stand in the way of the trial of the said issues by the appropriate courts."
  41. ^ Manavdharam
  42. ^ Derks, Frans, and Jan M. van der Lans Ibid.
  43. ^ Price, Maeve Ibid.
    At the conference in Frankfurt in November I976, Maharaj Ji had announced that the International Headquarters were dissolved and that henceforth he would guide the mission, with his brother, Raja Ji, as his ambassador. In fact what had occurred was the removal from power of his closest adviser [Mishler], who had been the International President since the headquarters were set up in the United States. It is apparent that Maharaj Ji resented the advice given to him by his chief subordinate and dismissed him when a clash of wills occurred.The dismantling of the International Headquarters did not in fact take place, although staff numbers were greatly reduced, at the national level as well, and officials are very cautious now, afraid to take initiative while they try to guess what it is their Guru really intends.
  44. ^ Price,M. Ibid.
    At the same time the stress on the community premie, which had led to what was now viewed as excessive democratization, which was strongly repudiated by Maharaj Ji at Frankfurt, has now been controlled by the simple device of blocking public communication channels upwards to the head office. For more than twelve months now, the national publication which carried letters from premies, often extremely critical of other premies and the head office, (but never of Maharaj Ji), has not been printed. Instead premies receive an exclusive diet of full transcripts of Maharaj Ji's satsang at various festivals across the world. Maharaj Ji made it known that he disliked his satsang to be edited and only extracts of it published. At present then, premies have neither a public platform for discussing the mission's policies nor a vehicle for receiving an interpreted policy via the mission's officials. Such a situation, though increasing Maharaj Ji's control over the movement, does so at the cost of expansion and middle-management confidence.
  45. ^ Björkqvist, K Ibid.
    During the latter half of the 70s, the movement clearly returned towards greater world-rejection, although perhaps not reaching the same level as in 1971–73. The millenarian ideology had lost its credibility owing to a slowdown in the expansion rate, and the millenarian jargon gradually disappeared completely. Emphasis was placed on devotion to the guru, ashram life was again encouraged, and satsang meetings were arranged every evening.
  46. ^ DuPertuis, L. (1986):How people recognize charisma: the case of darshan in Radhasoami and Divine Light Mission. Sociological Analysis, 47, pp. 111–124. University of Guam
    Charisma in Sant Mat / Radhasoami / DLM tradition can best be understood in terms of darshan for which, according to Bharati, "absolutely no parallel" can be found "in any religious act in the West ... " (1970:161, cited in Eck, 1981:5). Darshan means "sight" - of the deity or the guru who embodies him/her, usually for the purpose of imbibing his/her divine powers or grace (Babb, 1981; Eck:1981). It implies sight on a rich multiplicity of symbolic and spiritual levels which demonstrate a complex mix of doctrinal and mythic, perceptual and visionary, interactional and experiential dimensions in the relationship between a charismatic spiritual leader and his or her followers.
  47. ^ Downton, James V., Sacred Journeys: The Conversion of Young Americans to Divine Light Mission, (1979) Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-04198-5 p199
    "Although there were still residues of belief in his divinity, in 1976, the vast majority [of premies] viewed the guru primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide, and inspiration but his appearance at an event on December 20th, 1976 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wearing a Krishna costume for the first time since 1975, signaled a resurgence of devotion and Indian influence. Rawat was elevated to a much greater place in the practice of Knowledge, many people returned to ashram life and there was a shift back from secular tendencies towards ritual and messianic beliefs and practices.
  48. ^ Downton, James V., Ibid.
    "Signs of rededication both to Guru Maharaj Ji and the inner guru became quite apparent. 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.
  49. ^ Derks, Frans, and Jan M. van der Lans. Ibid.
    One of the characteristics of these new members is that they had been very religious in their preadolescent years. In those years their religiosity had been characterized by the experiential dimension; they had felt a warm personal relation with Jesus. But this religiosity had disappeared, partially because they had been taught by their religion teachers at secondary school to think in a rational way about religious matters. They lost their capacity for religious experiences, and as a result, the Christian religion lost its plausibility for them. In Divine Light Mission they recognized, during "Satsang", the religious experiences they had had during their childhood. They came to see Guru Maharaj Ji and their relationship with him as a source of continuous religious experience. This made Guru Maharaj Ji much more important for them than he had been for the pre 1975 members.
  50. ^ Price, Maeve Ibid
  51. ^ Cagan Ibid
  52. ^ Galanter, Marc. CULTS: Faith, Healing, and Coercion Oxford University Press, 1989. ISBN 0-195-12370-0.
    The pattern of devotionalism and Rawat’s relationship to his followers remained stable until 1982 when Rawat announced an abrupt change in how his movement would operate, ashrams were to be closed and he would no longer be called Guru.
  53. ^ Miller, America's Alternative Religions, p. 474
  54. ^ Melton, Encyclopedia of American Religions.
  55. ^ Chryssides, George D., Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements pp. 210–1, Scarecrow Press (2001) ISBN 0-8108-4095-2
  56. ^ 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.
  57. ^ Divine Light Mission. Records of the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs, Attorney-General's Department, Government of South Australia
  58. ^ Charity Registration
  59. ^ United States Internal Revenue Service. Cincinnati, Ohio
  60. ^ Rudin, James A. & Marcia R. Rudin. Prison or Paradise: The New Religious Cults; Fortress Press: Philadelphia (1980); pg. 63.
  61. ^ Petersen, William J. Those Curious New Cults in the 80s. New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing (1982); pg. 146.
  62. ^ Melton, J. Gordon & Robert L. Moore. The Cult Experience: Responding to the New Religious Pluralism. New York: The Pilgrim Press (1984 [3rd printing; 1st printing 1982]); pg. 142.
    The Divine Light Mission grew quickly in the early seventies but suffered a severe setback in 1973 [Houston Astrodome event]. In the late seventies the Mission became a low-key organization and stopped its attempts at mass appeal. Recently, Maharaj Ji quietly moved to Miami. The Mission has reportedly initiated over 50,000 people, but only a few thousand remain the chain of ashrams that now dot the nation.
  63. ^ Cagan, A. Ibid
  64. ^ http://www.contact-info.net/broadcasts.cfm
  65. ^ http://www.tprf.org/prem_rawat.htm
  66. ^ "Conversation with Prem Rawat" (Retrieved January 2006)
  67. ^ The Prem Rawat Foundation
  68. ^ Rawat, Hans Ram Singh. Hans Yog Prakash Divine Light Mission, Delhi, India 1968
  69. ^ Tandon. C. L, Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj Divine Light Mission Delhi, India 1970
  70. ^ Geaves, R. "From Totapuri to Maharaji: Reflections on a Lineage". in Indian Religions Renaissance and Renewal Edited by: Anna S. King Equinox ISBN 1845531698
  71. ^ Juergensmeyer, Mark. Radhasoami Reality. pp 206–207 Princeton Paperbacks ISBN 0-691-01092-7
    "The teachings of the Divine Light Mission, led by the boy guru Maharaj-ji, are essentially those of Radhasoami as well, and other spiritual leaders of the time were also influenced by Radhasoami teachings"
  72. ^ Juergensmeyer, Mark. Radhasoami as a Trans-National Movement unpublished, quoted in Shabdism in North America, Rife, D: American Academy of Religion's Western Region Conference at Stanford University on March 26, 1982
    "The most striking parallel between the Divine Light Mission and the Radhasoami Tradition concerns their teachings on the "Divine Word", the inner-spiritual melody. Both groups employ meditational techniques for initiates to concentrate their attention on this current of "light and sound" which is believed to free the soul from its attachment with the physical body. Though both groups have similar theological teachings concerning the nature of this "Divine Word", each differ in their own way on how exactly to approach the Supreme Abode.”
  73. ^ Rife, D Shabdism in North America, American Academy of Religion's Western Region Conference at Stanford University on March 26, 1982
    "After Jaimal Singh's demise in 1903, his chief disciple and successor, Sawan Singh (1858–1948), founded a spiritual colony in honor of his guru. It was Sawan Singh who has been the most pivotal force in the spread of Shabd Yoga related panths in North America. His impact can be directly seen in the teachings and writings of the Divine Light Mission, Mishra's Yoga Society, Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind's metaphysical groups, and the Movement for Spiritual Inner Awareness (M.S.I.A.)."
  74. ^ Melton, J. Gordon The Encyclopedia Handbook of Cults in America. p. 143, Garland Publishing (1986) ISBN 0-8240-9036-5
    “The Divine Light Mission is derived from Sant Mat (literally, the way of the saints), a variation of the Sikh religion which draws significant elements from Hinduism. It is based upon a succession of spiritual masters generally believed to begin with Tulsi Sahib, an early nineteenth century guru who lived at Hathrash, Uttar Pradesh. It is believed that the person mentioned as Sarupanand Ji in Mission literature is in fact Sawan Singh, a prominent Sant Mat guru. In any case Hans Maharaj Ji claimed a Sant Mat succession which he passed to Maharaj Ji. 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.”
  75. ^ Hummel, Reinhart Indische Mission und neue Frömmigkeit im Westen. Religiöse Bewegungen in westlichen Kulturen Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-170-05609-3
    “Eine systematisch entwickelte Lehre hat die Divine Light Mission weder zur Zeit des Vaters Śhrī Hans noch des Sohnes besessen. Beide haben darin eher einen Vorzug als einen Mangel gesehen. Hatte der Vater sich vornehmlich als >>Guru der Armen<< verstanden und sich in einer bilderreichen Sprache mehr um praktische Anwendbarkeit als um theoretische Durchdringung bemüht, so blieb doch der Inhalt seiner Satsangs auf dem Hintergrund der Hinduistischen Tradition klar verständlich. Die Satsangs jedoch, die der Sohn im Westen gehalten hat und die mit einem Minimum hinduistischer Terminologie und Konzepte auskommen, müssen für den nichthinduistischen Hörer vage bleiben. Der junge Guru erklärt das konzeptionelle Denken, das auch in deutschen Übersetzungen mit dem englischen Wort >>mind<< bezeichnet wird, als Hauptfeind der unmittelbaren religösen Erfahrung. So ist es nicht verwunderlich, daβ von seinen Anhängern nur wenig Handfestes über die DLM-lehre zu erfahren ist. Andererseits eröffent ihnen der Mangel an vorgegebenen Konzepten einen Freiraum für Äuβerungen einer spontanen Subjektivität, die wohltuend vom unselbständigen Reproduzieren autoritativ verkündenter Lehren absticht, wie man es vor allem dei den Anhängern der ISKCON antrifft. Wie auch immer die Bewertung ausfallen mag - die geistige Konturlosigkeit der Bewegung fällt allen Beobachtern auf." Neither in the time of the father, Shri Hans, nor in that of the son, did the Divine Light Mission possess a systematically developed set of teachings. Both saw [doctrines] as presenting more problems than advantages. Although the father saw himself primarily as the Guru of the Poor, and his discourses that were rich in metaphors were more concerned with practical applications than with penetrating theory, yet his satsangs could always be understood against a background of Hindu tradition. But the satsangs that his son held in the west, which he managed with a minimum of Hindu terms and concepts, still remain vague for the non-Hindu listener. The young Guru explains that conceptual thinking, translated with the English word “mind” in German translations also, is the main enemy of direct religious experience. It is therefore hardly surprising that little firm information about DLM teachings can be obtained from his followers. On the other hand, the lack of professed concepts allows them a freedom of expression which is spontaneous and personal, and which makes an agreeable contrast with the unexamined reproduction of received teachings which one especially finds in the devotees of Iskcon. Whatever judgment one may have about the movement, its intellectual lack of contours is clear to all observers.
  76. ^ Pilarzyk, T. Ibid.
    “The DLM's early development was characterized, then, by the organization of numerous local cults in various U.S. cities. Meditative practices and discussions concerning the mystical knowledge were individualized. The movement lacked both centralized control of its ideology and a standard interpretation of the religious experience. Rather, the emerging belief system consisted of a loosely-bound set of precarious cultic beliefs and practices which only later were formalized into a simplified version of Vedanta closely approximating the classical Hindu non-dualist philosophical position. First, in the face of growing internal dissension at the grass-root and leadership levels, guru Maharaj Ji delivered a "shape up or ship out" lecture which called for DLM premies in all ashrams to either decide "for or against the mystical knowledge." He stressed that the dedicated premie must believe in the importance of the meditative experience and proselytize. The guru reminded premies of his self-importance as the only authoritative link between themselves and the spiritual knowledge. This re-emphasis upon the aims and purpose of the premie lifestyle also led to a more careful screening of ashram membership and to the anticipation of formalized vows to differentiate between degrees of commitment to the movement. In addition, "knowledge classes" were started for novitiates at thc larger ashrams in order to accommodate the increased amount of time and preparation needed for receiving the mystical knowledge.
  77. ^ Downton, James V., Ibid.
    "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."
  78. ^ Derks, Frans, and van der Lans Jan M. Ibid
  79. ^ Hann, W. "De missie van het Goddelijk licht van goeroe Maharaj Ji: een subjektieve duiding from the series Religieuze bewegingen in Nederland": Feiten en Visies nr. 3, autumn 1981. (Dutch language) ISBN 90-242-2341-5 available online
  80. ^ Hadden, G. Religions of the World, p. 428
  81. ^ Hunt, Stephen J. Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction(2003), pp. 116–7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8
  82. ^ Finch, M. The Knowledge Techniques, and Maharaji as a Meditation Teacher
    They are also given very secretively, and at the time of initiation the follower has to make a vow that they will not reveal to anyone what these techniques are. In fact, however, they are widely published on the Internet (including the ex-premie web site). And once you start researching and comparing notes, you find that many gurus and spiritual 'masters' are giving the same, or very similar, techniques.”
  83. ^ Finch, M. The Knowledge Techniques, and Maharaji as a Meditation Teacher
  84. ^ Kranenborg, Reender Dr. (1982) Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen/Eastern faith movements in the West (Dutch language) ISBN 90-210-4965-1
  85. ^ Melton, Gordon J. Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America (1992) pp. 143–4, Garland Publishing, ISBN 0-8153-1140-0
  86. ^ Galanter, M. Ibid
    "Over the long term of membership, meditation also played an important role in supporting a convert's continuing involvement. An analysis of the relationship between the time members spent in meditation and the decline in their level of neurotic distress revealed that greater meditation time was associated with diminished neurotic distress. This association suggests that the emotional response to meditation acts as a reinforcement for its continued practice.' That is, the more a member meditated, in general, the better the person was likely to feel. Members apparently used meditation to relieve distress, both at scheduled times and on an ad hoc basis. This tranquilizer, as it were, had its own reinforcing qualities and no doubt helped cement commitment to the sect. In this way, it had an addicting effect."
  87. ^ Galanter M, Buckley P, Deutsch A, Rabkin R, Rabkin J. "Large Group Influence for Decreased Drug Use: Findings from Two Contemporary Religious Sects" American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Vol 7.1980
    Members of the Divine Light Mission (DLM), many of whom had been involved in the "counterculture" of the early 1970s, reported incidence of drug use prior to joining which was much above that of a nonmember comparison group.Reported levels were considerably lower after joining, and the decline was maintained over an average membership of 2 years. Unification Church (UC) members showed a similar pattern but their drug use began at a somewhat lower level and declined further still; this reflects a stricter stance toward illicit intoxicants in the UC, and relatively less openness to transcendental altered consciousness, which is an integral part of DLM meditation. Data from persons registered for UC recruitment workshops corroborated retrospective reports of the long-standing members. Changes in the consumption of tranquilizers were also considered. Data on caffeine consumption reflected less strict commitment to controls over this agent. The decline in drug use was considered in relation to feelings of social cohesiveness toward fellow group members, which was a significant predictor of change in drug use in multiple regression analysis. The findings are examined in relation to the interplay between behavioral norms in a close-knit subculture and the role of its beliefs and values in determining levels of drug use.
  88. ^ The Keys website. Three promises The Prem Rawat Foundation. Retrieved Sept 2006. In 2005, Prem Rawat introduced The Keys
  89. ^ "Guru Maharaj Ji becomes a citizen of the U.S." Rocky Mountain News, October 19, 1977, Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
  90. ^ Cagan, A., Peace is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat, p. 228
  91. ^ U.S. Patent Office
  92. ^ "Maharaj.org - Answers to common questions)". 1999-01-01.


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