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 OXFORD DICTIONARY OF WORLD RELIGIONS
EDITED BY John Bowker
1997
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

287 Divya-siddhis

Divine Light Mission. Religious movement founded by Sri Hans Ji Maharaj in 1960. When he died in 1966, his son (8 years old) is reported to have said to the mourners, 'You who have been deceived by *maya (illusion): Maharaj Ji is here in your midst: Recognize him, worship him and obey him.' He was acclaimed Guru Maharaj Ji (often Maharaji) and Satguru. The movement was largely run by his mother, Mata Ji, until a schism, with Maharaji renaming his part of the movement Elan Vital. Central to the movement's teachings is a belief that *Buddha, "Krsna, *Christ, *Muhammad, and a number of lesser masters have taught what is termed the Knowledge, which consists essentially of techniques of *meditation. This Knowledge is transmitted from one master to another, each one being the only perfect or true teacher, satguru, during his lifetime. Followers or 'premies' believe that Guru Maharaj Ji is the present satguru.

Admitted to the movement through a secret initiation ceremony conducted by an '*apostle' or '*mahatma' authorized by the Guru, premies are introduced first to satsang, and to discourses on such matters as spiritual realization, and then to the Knowledge, both of which, it is claimed, bring mental peace and tranquillity, and in time God-realization. Some premies live in *asramas, others with their families or a small group of devotees, and all are obliged to renounce *alcohol, drugs, and the eating of meat. The movement is strictly controlled from the top, with little room left for debate or discussion regarding decisions made by the leader.

307 Eleazar

Elan Vital (name of religious movement): see DIVINE LIGHT MISSION.

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.