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.

The following is an excerpt from Durga Ji's satsang at the Shower of Grace Festival in Malibu, June 10, 1978.
(Reprinted from Divine Times, August 1978)

We sing the song, "Teach Me Devotion."And Maharaj Ji said, "You know why I like that song? Because that's exactly what I want to say to my Guru Maharaj Ji." It's so incredible. Because it's not like, "That's what I want premies to sing to me," It's just like, "That's what I feel for my Guru Maharaj Ji." And when Maharaj Ji gives a little satsang about Shri Maharaj Ji, I can just barely begin to feel that devotion that he has for Guru Maharaj Ji, because it's limitless, it's endless. It's boundless.

Sometimes feel a little devotion for Guru Maharaj Ji, and even though I feel the most beautiful feeling could ever feel, also feel at the same time that's it's so small, it's just, just so small. And yet, to me its the most precious thing I've ever felt in my life - ever. Or that ever could feel. That devotion that be has given me, that he allows me to feel, is just beyond anything. And yet, at the same time I know it's so small. But know by his Grace that that's the right track, that's the experience that be wants us to have, and its so possible to go deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper. It cannot end, You cannot draw a bottom to it.

Sometimes maybe we feel like, "Oh, Maharaj Ji, my devotion is so shallow." But when we are experiencing devotion, real true devotion for Guru Maharaj Ji, isn't it the most amazing, beautiful, graceful, wonderful, divine experience that we could ever feel? And yet, we know that its just: "Please, Guru Maharaj Ji, help me have that devotion for you."

The other night at Navlata's birthday, Maharaj Ji and I were just having a little satsang. And you know, I can never repeat, I can never begin to try and convey the way that Maharaj Ji expresses himself when be speaks of Shri Maharaj Ji. I can't even imagine what that experience must be like, because he is Guru Maharaj Ji, and he knows what his Guru Maharaj Ji is. He knows what his Guru Maharaj Ji has really given him, and is to him. And be wants us to have that same experience. That's all Guru Maharaj Ji wants. Because he knows that it's for us, not for him. Of course, he wants devotion. But, why? Because it's for us, When the experience devotion, we experience everything.

And he was just saying: What I would give to be able to touch his Lotus Feet one more time!

It's like, wow! Here we are, and here Maharaj Ji is. We have him here now. And I don't want to get heavy, but sometimes I feel like it's so serious; it really is. Its so beautiful; it's so light; it's so fantastic; it's so wonderful; its so blissful. And yet, at the same time, we can't just get carried away and go, "Oh, Maharaj Ji is going to take care of everything. I can just space out a little. Yeah, I feel devotion, l feel love for Guru Maharaj Ji. But I want to do this, and I want to do that. I'll still go to satsang. I'll still do service and meditation, but, oh yeah, my life … " We have to see the real depth to this life, to Guru Maharaj Ji, and why he has given us Knowledge.

Maharaj Ji said: For me, what's Knowledge? For me, what is Knowledge? Guru Maharaj Ji is everything, Guru Maharaj Ji is everything!

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.