The Golden Age

INTERNATIONAL

On tour

Prem Rawat aka Maharaji in Sao Paolo, Brazil in 1976 Guru Maharaj Ji in South America

Last month The Golden Age carried a report of the first leg of Guru Maharaj Ji's tour of South America. Programs held in Brazil and Argentina gave the local premies and those from nearby countries the much-appreciated opportunity to see and hear Maharaj Ji. From Brazil, the tour continued on to Peru and Colombia.

Approximately 600 premies from Peru and a handful of premies from Ecuador and Bolivia came together for a program in Lima, Peru. After Durga Ji gave satsang, Guru Maharaj Ji spoke to the group about the importance of realising the opportunity that this human life presents. He gave examples of how the people of this world often waste their life in patterns which prevent them from penetrating to the essence of their existence. He called upon premies to see the importance of using the Knowledge which has been revealed to them as a means of being conscious and warned them of the dangers of sleeping this life away - dreaming we're awake.

Since most Latin American premies don't speak English, Maharaj Ji's satsang was translated into Spanish, and broadcast to each premie through headphones with which the hall was equipped. The final program of the tour was held in Bogota, Venezuela. 1,000 Colombians and 200 Venezuelan premies attended. The anticipation here was perhaps the strongest of that at any program of the tour, since many of the premies present had received Knowledge three and even four years before, and had never seen Guru Maharaj Ji. After satsang, everyone received darshan. Moving into the waiting area afterwards, spontaneous premie ecstasy was quickly focused inside, as each person who came through the line sat down and meditated throughout the rest of the program.

All in all, the tour was very successful - a good start for 1976. With the inspiration and direction of Guru Maharaj Ji's satsang, the Latin American premies are all set to keep on trucking, to keep themselves and Maharaj Ji's Mission steadily growing.

During the last week in January, Maharaj Ji returned to International Headquarters in Denver, where he attended a conference to discuss the Mission's plans for 1976. He stressed the opportunity of service, and when asked about the difference between doing service and not doing service, explained that it's all a matter of surrender. Someone who is truly surrendered does service, someone who isn't, does not.

Two weeks ago, Guru Maharaj Ji left Denver to rest in Malibu, California.

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