Prem Rawat (Prem Pal Singh Rawat) whose devotees call him Maharaji (meaning Ultimate Ruler) first came to attention in the West as Guru Maharaj Ji - the self-proclaimed Perfect Master and Lord of the Universe ridiculed in the media as a fat, squeaky-voiced God boy. He had inherited his titles and position as the Satguru, The True Revealer of Light and Spiritual Master of the Divine Light Mission, India (Divya Sandesh Parishad) when his father died in 1966. His father, Hans Rawat, was a successful Indian guru, self titled HRH (His Royal Highness) Yogiraj Param Sant Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. As a child the youngest Rawat son was informally called Sant Ji, more formally Balyogeshwar ("Born King of the Yogis") and even more formally Param Sant Satgurudev Shri Sant Ji Maharaj. In the West Rawat dropped these more verbose titles in the early 1980's and instructed his followers to call him Maharaji. He has also changed the names of his organisations many times: Divine Light Mission (DLM), World Welfare Association (WWA), World Peace Corps (WPC) and Divine United Organisation (DUO) became Elan Vital in the early 1980's and in 2001 The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) was created and from 2010 his major orgs are Words Of Peace Global (WOPG) registered in Holland, Words of Peace International (WOPI) in the USA, HDSK (Human Development through Self Knowledge) in Great Britain and Raj Vidya Kender (Royal Knowledge Society) in India. He no longer claims to be an Incarnation of God but an internationally famous humanitarian leader and teacher of peace. He's neither.
Prophecies of the MillenniumProphecies have a way of coming true. That's why people are so interested in them. From the Book of Revelation to Edgar Cayce, from American Indian folk myths to the hieroglyphs on the wall of the Great Pyramid everyone is fascinated by predictions about the future, everyone has a favorite prophecy to trust. When we take a good look at prophecies from all over the world, we begin to see a pattern emerging. In the Book of Revelation, St. John talks about a time when the Lamb (Christ) would return to this earth, and after a period of destruction, peace would reign for a thousand years. This thousand year reign of peace is called the Millennium, and prophecies from every corner of the globe refer to it. It is one of the main themes of every religion that a divine Person will come on earth to restore goodness in a time of widespread corruption. In the greatest scripture of the Hindu religion, Krishna tells his disciple Arjuna:
The Buddha said before his death:
And in the Old Testament book of the prophet Daniel it is written:
There are a great many non-scriptural prophecies which echo this theme. King Djojobojo of Java successfully predicted, in the twelfth century, his island's subjugation under the Dutch, the Japanese invasion that took place in World War II and the subsequent turmoil of Independence. He said that when these things had taken place, a great Spiritual King would come from the West, who would unite all religions, races and social groups, and bring a thousand years of peace. Quetzalcoatl, the prophet-king of the Mexican Indians, foretold that he would return. He promised that his reappearance would herald the beginning of a better world, in which justice. peace and love between men would be the rule. The Buddhists are waiting for Maitreya Buddha, the Coming One. The Hindus expect the appearance of Kalki Avatar. The Jews are looking for the Messiah, and Christians for the return of Christ. Even the Moslems expect Mehdi, the twelfth Imam. People from all over the world agree that a great spiritual leader will come, but when? Many modern seers, among them Edgar Cayce and Jeanne Dixon. suggested that the Lord would return in the late twentieth century. So did Surdas, a blind medieval poet from India (see box at right). Isn't it a coincidence how the prophets of every age and time agree? What specific details do the prophecies tell us about this great Savior? Many prophecies speak of a child. Here is a passage from the Book of Isaiah:
And this prophecy of the Iroquois prophet, Deganawida, was passed down by word of mouth:
Predictions that the Lord will return as a child appear in almost every part of the world. Nowhere is too remote. The Inga Indians, a tiny tribe in the Amazon River Basin, have a culture which revolves around a child called the Nino de Oro, the Golden Boy. According to legend, the Golden Boy has come before, and will come again. It is said that if he touches someone, that person never leaves him, because the gift he brings is the highest gift of all.
This great deliverer shall Europa save. From "King Arthur. by Sir Richard Blakemore, 1695
Surdas the Blind
the sun and the moon dance and blow the trumpets.
Marpa of Tibet Many prophecies say the Savior will come from the East: "As the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man." (Matthew 24:27) The Old Testament prophecy of Ezekiel tells us: "The glory of the God of Israel came from the cast: and the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters: and the earth shone with his glory." Many American Indian prophecies also speak of the coming of the Savior from the East. Quetzalcoatl was expected to return from the East on a strange raft. The famous Sioux holy man Black Elk, said, "A great light would grow in the East," and that "many would become like flames of fire, spreading a New Message of Love." And Deganawida, the Iroquois prophet, said that, "In time a great light would come from the East, a light so glorious that the serpents of hate would flee before it." and that "a wondrous new song would be heard among all people, a song of love." On the other hand. Buddhist prophecies from the Himalayas state that the Lord will come from the West. Djojobojo, the Javanese king, said the same. The Pattern
So when we look at all these prophecies, we can begin to see a pattern emerging:
Is Guru Maharaj Ji the great Savior that all peoples of the world arc expecting? That is something everyone must decide for himself. We all have our own interpretations of the various scriptures and prophecies, so if we really want to discover whether Guru Maharaj Ji is the Perfect One, we must each make our own investigation. We should talk with people who have received the Knowledge which Guru Maharaj Ji reveals. We should listen to what Guru Maharaj Ji has to say: when we are ready, we should receive the Knowledge ourselves, and find out by direct experience whether Maharaj Ji is the Master of perfection that his disciples claim he is. And then we will know for sure who Guru Maharaj Ji is. There will he peace in our hearts, and there will be peace on earth. 39 |
Prem Rawat's "Knowledge" has three parts: regularly listening to his speeches, doing voluntary work for organisations serving him or donating money and daily meditation correctly practicing the four techniques he recommends. The techniques are so simple it's hard to see how they could be practiced incorrectly. First technique ("Divine Light") involves sticking your thumb and middle finger on your eyeballs (NB: with eyes closed) and your index finger between your eyebrows. Second technique: ("Heavenly Music") poking your thumbs into your ears and listening. Third technique: ("Holy Name") thinking about your breathing (NB: continue to breathe). Fourth technique: ("Nectar") curling your tongue backwards and tasting. Rawat's father taught slightly different techniques but either way it's difficult to see how these could produce the benefits claimed for them especially as Rawat claims His Knowledge is the only method of attaining real happiness and love in this life.