Prem Rawat's Teachings about Darshan - In His Own Words

The Glossary of mainly Hindi terms use by Prem Rawat's defined 'darshan' as: Coming into the presence of the Perfect Master or a member of His Holy Family. However, the Holy Family were demoted by Prem Rawat in 1974 and no longer considered holy or family. His mother and elder brother held out the possibility of his return to their bosoms but not as a Perfect Master as he had forfeited that role due to drug abuse and meat eating and other behaviour they condered unacceptable for a Satguru. "Darshan stories" were a regular part of 1970's Divine Light Mission gatherings with some premies who had regular personal dealings with the young Rawat, such as John Hampton, becoming quite famous (within the very restricted circle of Rawat's followers) for the magical extravagance of their tall tales. 'Darshan' is part of the Hindu tradition and is defined by by Kushwant Singh former editor of the Illustrated Weekly of India and author of many books on poular Indian culture including Gurus, Godmen and Good People as "the blessing which flows from the sight of a saintly person".

Prem Rawat, or Maharaji ("Great King") as he likes to be addressed, rarely, if ever, used the word 'darshan' after his early initial, successful phase of proselytisation in the West. Why Rawat has attempted to hide his continuing use of this ritual is unknown. It is probably the most controversial of the public practices of his followers and certainly doesn't fit well into the description of them that he uses: 'students.' The language he uses to decribe what his power is and who he is has changed but this group of pages that collect Rawat's teachings about the Master, the Savio(u)r, Guru Maharaj Ji, the Perfect Master, the Lord, the Living Master, the Incarnation of the Master who come(s) in(to) the world show that Rawat uses all these descriptions to refer to himself. His public claims about himself have become more circumspect and vaguer in language but have remained the same throughout his career.

NB: In Rawat's career he refers to his father in English as "Shri Maharaj Ji". In the "'Peace Bomb" speech of 1970 and in his accession speeches he uses "Guru Maharaj Ji" probably because he is still living in his dead father's shadow and as a school boy has not yet made his own mark.

"Peace Bomb" speech, 8 November, 1970 in front of 1 million people at India Gate, Delhi But what is the purpose of this human life? It is to know something more than this - it is to know God. By obtaining the human body, you can receive Knowledge and meditate on God, and this is the unique purpose. There is one famous poem in which the poet expresses his feelings in very simple words. Which is the blessed home, he asks. That home where there is talk about God. Which ears are blessed? Those that hear words about God. Which eyes are blessed? Those that have the darshan of Guru Maharaj Ji. Which foreheads are blessed? Those that bow down to Guru Maharaj Ji. So, dear premies, receive this Knowledge, and those who have received this Knowledge must meditate and have Guru Maharaj Ji's darshan. He who learns to love Guru Maharaj Ji, Guru Maharaj Ji gives him peace. Subash Chandra Bose used to say, "Give me your blood and I will give you independence." Likewise, I too have a slogan: give me your love and I will give you peace. Surrender the reins of your life unto me and I will give you such peace as will never die. Come to me, and I will give you liberation. Place the reins of your life in my hands, and I will relieve you of your suffering. First, be capable of giving the reins of your life to me, then give them. And if I do not give you peace, I will give them back to you. Look, doesn't Guru Maharaj Ji give you darshan from time to time? It is for you to sacrifice every drop of blood for Him. Look! I often notice that those people who received Knowledge at the time of Guru Maharaj Ji do not even come now. Fortunate are they to have received Knowledge at the time of such a great saint, so how does this happen? Why are they ashamed? I do not feel shy of anything. It is not because I am a boy or because I have a manly heart within me. Mata Ji has also sacrificed her social position and respect. Look at Mata Ji! So many Gadwalis have come from Gadwal. What must they be thinking? They see that Mata Ji speaks - people touch her feet - she moves around, sits on the stage, and gives discourses and darshan. But dear premies, Mata Ji is not bothered by all of this. She says that until the work she has undertaken is accomplished, she will not sleep restfully at night. The Golden Age November 1978 Number 49
Patna, Bihar, India, December 25, 1971 Only the Supreme Lord, Saint of all saints, Omnipotent and Almighty, can close the mouth of the whole universe and shower the Knowledge of self-realization. Otherwise, the small whistles are not heard in the midst of such big drums. Therefore, my dear aspirants, now that you know that Knowledge of Self, fulfill your aim. That is the only aim; that is the only goal. If a man knows that goal and recognizes it perfectly, he can come in perfect contact with God Almighty, his own Supreme Father, whom he has forgotten. If you have got the Knowledge of that Word, then meditate constantly. Do service under the Lotus Feet of your Lord, and listen to satsang patiently. It is written in the Ramayana that when a man is very fortunate, only then does he find satsang, and when he finds satsang and attends it, he is liberated without any effort. Again, it is said, "Have darshan of Guru Maharaj Ji." Why? Because it is written in all Vedas and Ramayanas to have darshan. So touch the Lotus Feet. "Lay yourself down in the vast, unbounded ocean of Mercy underneath. Bathe and swing on the waves and sink inside. Drink the nectar of Mercy and Grace and Blessings, and be free from all sins." Elan Vital magazine, Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 1977
Kansas City, January 21, 1978 But that experience of Guru Maharaj Ji - yes, maybe one day the physical manifestation of Guru Maharaj Ji has got to go because it's physical. And yet that experience that we experience in darshan is not physical, and therefore it's never got to go, and it never goes away! It's the same experience, it's the same joy that all the saints have described in seeing Guru Maharaj Ji and experiencing darshan. And okay, of course, "darshan" is a Hindi word. You might have a different interpretation to it. Now, what are you going to use? "Homage"? What are you going to use? Anything. I mean - and yet, simple enough: "Darshan," if you can understand the meaning of it. Because it really is an experience. And when we experience that, we realize. Then it's very, very clear to us. And we have to be open for that. And yet, to be able to experience darshan, we have to be open to Knowledge. Because without Knowledge, darshan is nothing. And how does the Knowledge in itself grow? How does the Knowledge in itself manifest? How does that satsang, service, and meditation in itself manifest? And that's the most important thing in our lives now. Because that's the point that we have come to: To know what satsang, service and meditation is. And to completely merge with it, to completely become one with it, with that satsang. Divine Times, November 1979, Volume 8, Number 6 and The Golden Age, March 1978, Number 43
London, England at the Wembley Hall, March 3rd, 1978 The reason is to come, sit down, and to experience that bliss and that Grace that comes out of that satsang, of that company of Truth, of that what we experience inside when we can let that flow, and to see our brothers and sisters, to see that growth happening within inside of us, to see that bliss and to get blissed out about it. And to have Guru Maharaj Ji's darshan. And to just let go for that one moment. The Golden Age, May 1978, Number 45
Durga Ji (Prem Rawat's wife), Holi Festival, Miami Beach, Florida, Sunday, 9 April, 1978 Every time I see a darshan line I think, "Oh man, this is just the most beautiful thing that I could ever witness." And this program, I thought, "This is the most beautiful darshan line I've ever seen." Because I saw so many of us just really, really wanting Guru Maharaj Ji to take us; just really, really experiencing Maharaj Ji. And I just felt like, what mercy Guru Maharaj Ji has for us to allow us to experience him like that. What incredible mercy he has. And how kind he is. Divine Times, May/June 1979, Volume 8, Number 3
Durga Ji (Prem Rawat's wife, Marolyn Rawat nee Johnson), Hans Jayanti, Kissimmee Florida, November 10, 1978 What's making all this that has a beginning, and has an end, what's making all that happen? This is what we have to know. This is where we have to really he in tune. That thing that is forever. That thing that is always, that infinity. Guru Maharaj Ji. My Guru Maharaj Ji is within my heart. And my Guru Maharaj Ji has taken a form to save me. And each one of us, this is the marvel, this is the marvel for each one of us it's like that. Guru Maharaj Ji is perfect for each one of us. Guru Maharaj Ji has come for each one of us. Guru Maharaj Ji is Lord for each one of us. Because Guru Maharaj Ji is within inside each one of us. I feel like Guru Maharaj Ji is giving us such an incredible feast, of satsang, of service, of meditation, of his darshan --- of himself. These days he still says, "I still want you, I still need you, please: give me your love." And not like give me your love and you won't get anything back; but you get everything. Give me your love and I'll give you peace. Give me your love and I'll give you peace. Give me your love and I'll give you myself. I am the source of peace in this world. What more can our ears hear? What more could we ask for? For every human being in this world, Guru Maharaj Ji is. But we, right now, all of us who are hearing this satsang, who have come together, who have come to see Guru Maharaj Ji, to hear his satsang, to have his darshan, we are his lovers. The Golden Age, February 1979, Number 51 and Affinity, January 1979 and Divine Times, January/February, 1979, Volume 8, Number 1 (heavily edited)
Hans Jayanti, Monday, November 6th, 1978, Evening Program Because it is not in this crazy mind's ideas that that Peace lies. But it's in Guru Maharaj Ji's blessings that this Peace is. And that's where we're going to find it. And that's where we have to find it. That's where we have to look. That's the right place to look. So premies, there's this whole world and here we are. And it's incredible. What can you say? It just is incredible. It's beautiful. And so now it's getting pretty late again. And tomorrow there's going to be some more darshan. And the day after tomorrow there's going to be some more darshan. And hopefully everybody will be able to have darshan. Affinity, June 1980
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 10, 1979, Evening In Shri Maharaj Ji's satsang, he was saying that one day he locked himself in a room and he just said, "If you are really Guru Maharaj Ji, if Guru Maharaj Ji is really real ..." -- and this was before he was Guru Maharaj Ji and he had his Guru Maharaj Ji -- he said, "If Guru Maharaj is really real ... "I guess for him devotion was that strong, his love for his Guru Maharaj Ji was strong, that even when he prayed from his real heart, "I want to see you," Guru Maharaj Ji came and gave him darshan in that way. What is a miracle? You cannot call this a miracle. You have to call it Guru Maharaj Ji's Grace. Because it is a little bit one step beyond it. Affinity, February 1980

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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.