Guru Maharaj Ji's address to world leaders for 1976

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.

What is in store for 1976?

In America, people will be trying to rediscover the ideals of a country celebrating its bicentennial.

"That, all men are created equal, and have unalienable rights, including Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That, to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men."

Isn't it the same for all people of the world? Don't we expect our governments, regardless of the systems, to secure the rights to pursue life's goal?

For this reason, I must address those who have accepted the responsibility for securing the needs of the people, the World Leaders, on the eve of this new year.

How is it possible to rationalize the contradictions our ideals as human beings encounter when contrasted with the current world situation?

What is the importance of ideals, unless they can be realized?

How realistic is it to approach the human community as the "Three Worlds," "Four Worlds," or "Five Worlds", given that we are all on the same world and are all part of the same dilemma?

The leaders of this human race must not limit their perspective if they are to have the understanding necessary to meet the challenges of these difficult times.

In 1976, not only in America, but all over the world, we must call upon people to re-examine how we are to achieve our ideals.

And, most importantly, in the full awareness of our future life on this planet we must decide what is our goal, what is the aim of life.

— Guru Maharaj Ji

Guru Maharaj Ji's address to world leaders for 1976, filmed in Denver, Colorado and released on the eve of the new year.

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.