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.

Divine United Organisation

The young Prem Rawat openly enjoyed creating and naming organisations and proclaiming proclamations and DUO or Divine United Organization allowed him to enjoy both. "Divine United Organization will feed and clothe the world. It will save humanity. Yet its success will not depend upon an external system of organization, but rather to the extent that it acts as a practical channel for that one thing which can save humanity: love." He named the third day of the Millenium '73 festival or fiasco as it eventuated, "The Founding Convention of Divine United Organization, the organization that will feed the world and provide clothing and shelter for all humanity. The dream of mankind to end suffering and bring peace will become a reality through DUO." As we are all well aware none of these well-meaning but absurdly impractical visions came true.

DUO Proclamation 1974 Whereas, the one universal belief of all people hold to be true, is the belief in life itself; and yet due to ignorance of the aim of human life, the world continues to be filled with misery; and Whereas, even with the advancements of the technologically expanding twentieth century, humanity has continually failed in all efforts to find a solution to misery and suffering; and Whereas, Knowledge of the aim of human life is being revealed to all people of the world by the living Perfect Master and spiritual head of Divine Light Mission, Paramhans Satgurudev Shri Sant Ji Maharaj thus eliminating the cause of ignorance and misery; Therefore, the people who have experienced the Knowledge of Shri Sant Ji Maharaj with full awareness of the difficulties of living without knowing the aim of human life, are compelled to reach out to the rest of the struggling humanity to spread the solution to strife and suffering by a commitment to work in all fields of endeavour for the elevation of humanity, manifesting an exemplary alternative to be known as the Divine United Organisation or D.U.O.  -- Guru Maharaj Ji The Golden Age, No. 4, Thursday, April 24, 1974

DUO Proclamation 1974 This is the organisation which is going to help the whole world to get out of misery and suffering. And I challenge this to the whole world, that by Divine United Organisation, and by the grace of Almighty Lord, and the power of Knowledge, the bliss of the Knowledge, peace in the world can again be established, in the same way as people have dreamed of And the Kingdom of Heaven on this earth will be possible, and is possible if you work together, with cooperation and in the manner of Divine United Organisation that I have explained to you. Everyone will have shelter, even a small ant, and then lions and goats will drink water in the same pool and will be satisfied. The sayings of Guru Maharaj Ji, © Divine Light Mission 1974

References:

• DUO introduction and article from Divine Times, Millenium Edition
• The young Prem Rawat talks aout DUO in a speech
• DUO introduction and article from Divine Times, Millenium Edition
• DUO article and satsang from Divine Times
• DUO Proclamation
• Golden Age magazine publishing DUO proclamation
• Golden Age magazine publishing article about DUOand WWA
• Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji? book contains DUO proclamation

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.