Prem Rawat's Teachings about the Guru - In His Own Words

Prem Rawat or Maharaji (the Ultimate Ruler) spoke far more often of himself as Guru Maharaj Ji than as just a guru. He stressed that 'guru' was a word misused and abused and that he was the only true guru (the Satguru) deserving of the name. As he said, "I believe that the books that are used in America are quite different than the ones they use in India. But still they say that any word showing an action that takes place, that is a verb. And to me, 'Guru' is a word that shows action. But to me, 'Guru' is not a noun. It's not a name. It's the function of a person, of somebody who comes into this world to save us. And the particular meaning of the word 'Guru' is 'gu' meaning darkness and 'ru' meaning the Light. The one who takes us away from the darkness that we are in and puts us into the Light is called 'Guru'."

As he sat amid papers marked "Top Sacred" at the crowded Divine Light Mission house last week, some of the faithful who came daily to sit at his feet sought to define his relation with God. "You give your devotion to God through me," the Maharaj explained. "I multiply it many times and then send it to Him." Did that mean, asked one disciple, that they should call him God? "I am human - hands, bones, lungs," the boy responded. "But guru is greater than God because if you go to guru, guru will show you God." - Newsweek magazine, 2nd August 1971

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Hans Rawat aka Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj
"I prostrate before the Master who is God in human form, whose words are like the sun in eradicating the darkness of delusion". So-called gurus nowadays bestow a rosary or teach some words or a verse of a scripture to their disciples and tell them to remember it as the True Name of God and people accept such gurus as real Masters. But St. Tulsidas says that such gurus are not true Spiritual Masters. Only the one who wipes out darkness and kindles the Divine Light within the heart is the true Spiritual Master. 'Gu' means darkness and 'ru' means light. The Word of the Master is as powerful as the sun. Darkness goes away immediately when the sun rises. Similarly the Word of the Master removes the ignorance of lust and attachment and wipes out sins.
Online Magazines: Manav Dharam (September 2007) downloaded 1st April 2010

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Hans Rawat aka Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj
Lord Krishna said," Attain this Knowledge by all means. If you prostrate yourself at the feet of the tatwadarshi (seer or enlightened soul), serve him in every way and ask him sincerely for this Knowledge, when he is pleased he will impart it to you." This is the only way of getting that knowledge. There is absolutely no other way. But the problem is how to recognize the enlightened Guru? The word 'Guru' means 'the person who can show the Light within'. The term 'gu' stands for darkness and 'ru' means light. Hence, one who can show self-effulgent Light within you, and thereby instantaneously remove the darkness, should be taken as the real tatwadarshi guru. Thus we see that the only way of bringing about an improvement in human behaviour is the acquisition of this true Knowledge with the help of a living realized soul. The aims of human life - unalloyed happiness, deliverance from all suffering and salvation from the bondage of death and rebirth - can be attained by immersing the mind in the Divine Light and constantly meditating on the Real Name. Non-stop meditation on the Name gives mental equanimity, stability, tranquillity and complete concentration which in turn brings true peace.
Online Magazines: Manav Dharam (September 2008) downloaded 1st April 2010

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker teaching about Manifesting

Hans Rawat aka Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj
But without finding his Satguru, he will never know the secret of Truth. After he has found his Satguru, a disciple should serve Him as a son serves his father, opening his heart, and regarding Him as God personified. The Lord God has said, "Know your Guru as Myself, the Lord." We should understand that Guru is the most powerful manifestation of the Lord. If we understand this, our minds will automatically turn to our Guru before we start to do anything.
Hans Yog Prakash

Prem Rawat Teachings About the Divine Light

Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj Originally Published by Divine Light Mission, B-19/3, Shakti Nagar, Delhi 7, India - 1970, 8th November, 1970
Guru and God are one and the same entity. One is given form while the other is formless. "I and my father are one." (John, 10; 30) Thus, the knowledge of the self can be attained only at the feet of a living spiritual master. … It is possible for every man to experience this Divine Light through the grace of the living master.
Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker teaching about the Guru

India, April 12 1971
Now, I meant to say this, that Guru is that true Almighty Power who makes us see God face to face. That action is your goal. So I say, "Don't believe in Krishna, don't believe in Ram, don't believe in anyone. See God face to face. That's all. This is the aim of your life."
Guru Maharaj Ji Picture Book - 1975

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Alta Loma Terrace, Hollywood, California, August 15, 1971
Q: To whom should we give our devotion? GMJ: Guru.
Q: Shouldn't we give our devotion to God? GMJ: What is God?
Q: Well, Guru is a personification of God in this Earth, right? GMJ: I told you yesterday: Who is Guru? The highest manifestation of God is Guru. So when Guru is here, God is here, to whom will you give devotion? I want that the general should sign some papers. I needn't go to his office when he is sitting in my home. Is it necessary to go in his office when he is sitting in my home? When God has come here, then what is the need to give devotion to God there? We have to give our whole devotion to Satguru, because He Himself is full. … Satguru is divine. Guru is divine. The most divine.
Q: Is it not true that the Satguru is within us all, within our hearts? GMJ: God is within your heart. Guru is outside. God is within us all, but His highest manifestation takes place outside. … I was telling you yesterday that Guru will take devotion and multiply it and give it to God. Remember, I was only saying that for your mental satisfaction. Guru is Himself God! Look at Him; what is God, you will see in Him. Look at Him first. See in Him, and you will find God. The full power of God that you have seen in Light, that you see in Light.
Élan Vital, Spring 1978, Volume II, Issue 1

Maharaji's Teachings About Liberation

Questions & Answers, Morgantown, West Virginia, August 31 1971, Noon Session
In reincarnation, does the soul alternate reincarnating as male and female, or does it stay one sex for awhile? What do you mean, incarnations? After you receive liberation, why would you do that? You never come back again. Liberation. When your consciousness goes to the Supreme Consciousness … When you are going and merging with this consciousness, what are you? What is that? You lose everything! You lose your senses here. In the graveyard. Mind - your "I" - remains in the graveyard. Sleeping. Will you think by yourself, "Yes. This is that; that is this"? In the graveyard your senses will be resting.
Élan Vital, Volume 4, Issue 3, Fall 1980

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Central Hall, Westminster, London, England, November 2, 1971
I am a servant of God and you know I have completely devoted myself to God, and how I was able to do this? Not by going to a, a place, putting my hand there and saying "Oh God, I am taking the oath that I am your servant." And so on and so on and then come out and go into ashram and then, you know. That is - I never did that. How to become an instrument of God? Just experiment. Realize which is that thing which is stopping you from being a instrument of God. And I experimented it and I was able to realize, it was my mind. I said okay, I took this knowledge and meditated and all this mind came out. When it came out I thought I was a completely different man. To realize this knowledge even I have to go to a guru. Guru is a Hindi word and you may be surprised to know that "gu" means darkness and "gu" means light. That is called "guru." In English you can translate this "guru" into "teacher" or "guide" - a guide who can take us away from the darkness of this materialistic world into the bright light or the holy light.
Reflections on an Indian Sunrise and Perfect Master Tape #004

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Prem Rawat's Birthday, 10th December, 1971, Prem Nagar Ashram, India.
So remember: we are part of Him who Has manifested Himself as a Guru and who has come into this earth, and now we have to be one with Him. We have to completely merge and make our souls one with Him because He is perfect, and once we merge with Him we will also be perfect.And all the human beings that have been created and are living in this world, or on any other planet, have to be united in one cord, only one cord. This cord is of love, and that perfect love is only given by the Perfect Master of the time. No one else is able to give that love to you. You think that your wife, your husband, your children will give you love? No. It is the love of selfishness. Baby loves mother because mother gives milk, not because they have a connection. No. Just because of selfish love. In the same way, you love everything because of selfishness. But we love guru without any selfishness. It is pure and perfect love, it is that love which cannot be disturbed by mind at all. So be perfect, be in love, do meditation, run smoothly, have a good life, enjoy yourself, be one with Him who has created you, who had created you and who will create you. Because this is what you have to find in the world. … And my guru also taught me first of all this thread of love. And then I was able to realize the importance of guru, this embodiment of love.
Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji?, 1973

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

During the Celebration of His Birthday, December 11 1971, Prem Nagar Ashram, Hardwar
All the saints of India, even Jesus Christ, even Mohammed, have emphasized love because love is the greatest cord in the world that can unite you and the Lord, Who is perfect, perfect for all. And he who goes to Him and asks Him for His love, He never hesitates to give this love to him. Maybe he is the lowest person in the world; maybe he is the highest person in the world. The Lord is the embodiment of love and you must realize Him. Not only realize Him, but be one with Him; because He can create you as many times as you like. And my guru also taught me this first of all, this thread of love, and then I was able to realize this embodiment of love.
Reflections On An Indian Sunrise, © Divine Light Mission 1972, Price 50 cents

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Patna, Bihar, India, December 25, 1971
There is a great necessity for Guru Maharaj Ji. In any field, such as in the military or in a school, you need a guru (teacher). So for this Knowledge, which is the highest object, you have to have a specialist Guru. Other gurus cannot touch even the shadow of this Knowledge. This specialist Guru is one for His own time. He is the one for the present, commanding the entire age. He is the Supremest Lord of the time.
Why do you have this human body? To know this, we will have to take the shelter of Guru Maharaj Ji. Guru Maharaj Ji knows all. Guru Maharaj Ji is Brahma (Creator). Guru Maharaj Ji is Vishnu (Operator). Guru Maharaj Ji is Shiva (Destroyer of illusion and ego). And above all, Guru Maharaj Ji is the Supremest Lord in person before us.
Élan Vital magazine, Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 1977

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Miami, Florida, U.S.A. 15 June 1972
God is omnipresent, omniscient. God existed, and God exists and God will exist. God is all powerful, God is almighty, so why doesn't this peace roll out? Why doesn't peace come to every man? Just because he is ignorant of it, and because we are ignorant a man comes, an engineer comes. For example, there are many scientists and they want to build this Apollo. There is one main fault in the design of this Apollo. This Apollo is going to be sent to the moon, but before it goes, something goes wrong with it, and then the engineers come out and start mending it. This engineer is known as Guru. Now, of course, 'guru' is an eastern word, but Guru Himself is not eastern, because He is a mechanic who represents God. He is a mechanic from God, and God is not eastern, God is not western, God is not southern.
Divine Light magazineNovember 1979 Volume 2, Number 3

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Swiss Alps Festival, August 26, 1972
One thing you must understand is who is Guru, and who is God? And what is the difference? God is the name of power, God is a sort of noun. Guru is a complete adjective. It indicates a movement from 'gu', darkness, to 'ru', light, and so this word is performing a very great action. And this word 'guru' is an adjective, and a verb too, because it shows us that some work is being done. So who is Guru? When God Himself incarnates in this body, He is called Guru, because only God is the power who can bring us from darkness and put us into light.
Divine Light magazine Volume 2, Number 4, December, 1972

Prem Rawat's Teachings About the Guru

Third World Peace Tour, New York, 28th July 1973
Our face, our face is right with us, but we cannot see us until and unless we have a mirror in front of us and that's the thing. We have to have a mirror and mirror is the Perfect Master and now he is also said in different ways. Some people call him Guru, which, which has become quite a funny word in West and some people call him Perfect Master, which is not a funny word in West. We just call him in different ways, but what he is, is the one who can reveal you Knowledge. See, when a Perfect Master will come to you, he will not be stamped on his forehead saying, "Perfect Master identified and witnessed by God, signed God." No! When he comes here, we have to realize him.
Perfect Master Tape #007

Prem Rawat's Teachings About the Guru

Denver Colorado, February 15, 1974
as a matter of fact there is a, a book I just saw the title cover of it and it says "How to choose a, choose your guru" and you see that is the absolutely wrong. I don't know how to say it really 100% wrong title cover because he does not even know what is the meaning of guru. Guru is one, not a selection of them you can go choosing them but you see for him, he thinks "Hey that's, that's, that's right" but this guru is only one and that one guru you have to go to and realize that Knowledge
Perfect Master Tape 011: "The Missing Link"

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Interview at Lucknow, India, April 14, 1975
"It is funny and ridiculous to say they have removed me from office as if it is is a public office to which I was elected or appointed," Maharaj Ji said. "Nobody creates a guru. He is self existent. Nobody can make a guru except the Guru Maharaj Ji himself." However, he declined to answer his mother's charges that he had started drinking alcoholic beverages, had begun eating meat instead of remaining a vegetarian, and had shown too much interest in sex. The guru, who flew into Lucknow on Saturday after a journey from the United States, showed visible dismay when he talked about his mother. "Mothering means caring and loving," be said "If my mother denies that to me, then my goal becomes supreme and takes over. " I am not leaving my job. These accusations have not changed me. These will result in only further perfecting of the perfect master. The guru said he planned to return to the United States soon without going to see his mother. The Divine Light Mission, which has its U.S. headquarters at Denver, Colo., claims 500,000 American followers and eight million in India.
Associated Press Writer, RANGASWAMY SATAKOPAN

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker teaching about the Guru

Hans Jayanti Festival, Orlando Florida, November 1975
'Guru' is a Hindi word, a Sanskrit word. And I agree to the fact that bringing that word into the West might be an extremely odd thing. But then I also agree to the fact that why even call it "West" and "East" when the whole universe is one? Let the language just be a factor of communication. Let it be just so that we can communicate between each other. And Guru Maharaj Ji, or 'Guru', represents something, means something. It's not a meaningless word. It's not an image of somebody. But it is a meaning. Rather than being the noun, it's a verb. And what it really means is it shows action. I believe that the books that are used in America are quite different than the ones they use in India. But still they say that any word showing an action that takes place, that is a verb. And to me, "Guru" is a word that shows action. But to me, 'Guru' is not a noun. It's not a name. It's the function of a person, of somebody who comes into this world to save us. And the particular meaning of the word 'Guru' is 'gu' meaning darkness and 'ru' meaning the Light. The one who takes us away from the darkness that we are in and puts us into the Light is called 'Guru'.
Divine Times, November 1979, Volume 8, Number 6

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

The Frankfurt Conference, November, 28, 1976
And you look back, at least I look back at the life of Shri Maharaj Ji, my father, my guru, and I see that in his life he knew the two worlds and he was in his own world while he just enjoyed this outer world. It was like, fake, but he enjoyed it, he understood it was there, but he didn't use that as a stick to measure, he didn't pinch himself to measure if he was sleeping or awake by the measurement of this world.
The Frankfurt Conference booklet

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Ventura, California, 21st January, 1979
That is why I guess whoever invented the word "guru," did invent the word "guru" - the person that can bring us from darkness into Light, from not-knowing, from illusion, from confusion. And tell me, how many of us are constantly into Light? … But in the spiritual life, where you are trying to sustain yourself away from the river of ego, from this maya, from this illusion, and you go up to somebody to help him, and he starts drowning you, he starts making that stuff rub out on you; then it is very, very obvious that help will be on its way, but maybe you're not exactly the person who should help him. And Guru Maharaj Ji has come to save exactly everybody, not one person. The people who cannot swim. The point is, if everybody could save themselves, would you really think there would ever be a word called "A Saviour"? The whole reason why there is a word "Saviour" means that there are people who cannot be saved, who would not be able to save themselves. And that is why there is a person who can save those people who cannot save themselves, called a "Saviour". But we have to have that trust
The Golden Age, Issue 52

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Holi Festival, Miami Beach Florida, 7th April 1979
What does Guru Maharaj Ji mean? Guru - the revealer of Light. Gu - darkness; ru - Light. One who takes us away from the darkness and brings us to Light is "Gu-ru." Guru Maharaj -- maha: the ultimate, raj: the ruler. The ultimate ruler. Guru Maharaj. And Ji is like the expression "sir." And you look at it, and by that I mean Jesus was Guru Maharaj Ji. He was! Didn't he take people away from darkness and bring them to Light? So he was Guru Maharaj Ji. Obviously he was Guru Maharaj Ji. And there is a very particular definition. The word Guru Maharaj Ji does not fall into any category of noun, because it is not noun. Anybody may not become Guru Maharaj Ji, period. It is not like Michael. Anybody may be called Michael. Anybody may be called Marilyn. But that is definitely not the case with Guru Maharaj Ji. Anybody is not Guru Maharaj Ji. Anybody just cannot become Guru Maharaj Ji. It is Guru Maharaj Ji himself that is Guru Maharaj Ji.
Élan Vital, Summer 1979, Volume III, Issue 2

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Royal Albert Hall, London, May 28, 1979.
A lot of people have this attitude, "Why do we need a guru?" You don't need a guru. You don't. Because if you are saying; "guru" in the connotation that you have home-brewed, then you don't need that person. Obviously a lot of people think that guru is a person who has a beard, long hair, is old, has wrinkles on his face, and lives in the Himalayas. On every sixth full moon in the year he drops down, sits under the banyan tree, stays there for twenty minutes and then goes back to the Himalayas. If that's your translation of a "guru" then you definitely don't need a guru. Then you need a Perfect Master. … But only that Knowledge is perfect. And the one who can teach us, one who can guide us, is the Perfect Master, the perfect guide, the perfect teacher. And that's what we need in our lives. We need somebody to show us the Light.
Light Reading, 1980

Maharaji's Teachings About Coming Into The World

Guru Puja festival, Lingfield, England, June 21 1979
But the thing is, what is Guru Puja? Why have we all come here? Ha, we came for Holi and we'll all come for Hans Jayanti and we are here for Guru Puja. Guru Puja, if you have a guru, if you have a Perfect Master, you can't do anything but worship him every day of your life. You tell me, if you really have that Perfect Master in your life, what can you do except to worship him every day? Get up and worship him, pray, know, surrender. Every day of our lives!!!!!!!!!!
Guru Puja Lingfield England 1979 video

Applause For God In the Bod

Caracas, Venezuela, 4th February 1981
Thus comes the absolute necessity for a teacher who can teach us that, who can guide us there but I know that, especially in the West 'guru', the word guru is like you know really strange. People really accept it and and I mean obviously in America when you say to somebody you know guru it's like "Whoa, you know, stay 2 feet away from me it's like he's got a virus or something. Don't give me that you know" and you will find it, it's amazing, I found it amazing that the American dictionary of American language accepts the word guru and obviously the professor who wrote the book needs to be told the proper meaning of the word 'guru' but they do accept the word and they wrote it down in the the maya, which is the illusion, they write that down in there and yet what does 'guru' mean? Guru is a human being, yes? Can he do things? Should he should he have the power to do things? No, it is not necessary. He's not the one who's gonna make your oranges grow better. If that's what you're pursuing go contact the Agricultural Ministry, they know. You know if you want a child, go contact your doctor. They'll tell you exactly what's wrong with you and how to get about it and if you still can't have one go to an adoption home. They have plenty of them lying around. So what?
PMT 173

Today in the West, there is all this connotation we have a a guru, you don't have to call him a guru, you don't because he is what he is, he's there to help, he's not a guru. You can call him a teacher, you can call him a guide, you can call him a Master, there's so many people who go round putting 'guru' on their lips "Guru guru guru guru." They don't even know what the meaning of 'guru' is. And yet it doesn't make any difference what the meaning of 'guru' is. It's what he can do makes the difference, all the difference in the world and if you want to know what 'guru' means 'g' 'u' means darkness, 'r' 'u' means light, the one who can take us from darkness and put us into light. Very logical name, very, very logical, very straightforward and it has it it it means what it really happens and that what needs to happen for every human being. We don't have to look at him as a guru, we don't have to look at him as in our concepts, in our ideas, "Hey, this is it, this is it, this is it." He's just there to help us period. And that's all, all he wants to do is help. For you, who are ready, who have that desire, who aspire in their lives to make that connection with that reality, who want to see that reality, he's in this world to show and that's it. No more, no less, to help. Really what his name should be is the helper, the ultimate helper, the ultimate guide because he can lead us to that ultimate reality.
Élan Vital audio tape?

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About the Guru

Shri Sant Yogashram, New Delhi, Hans Jayanti celebrations, November 9 1990
Just see, today this word 'guru' has become a ridiculous term, a sort of a joke and people do not know what is a 'guru'. When I fly a plane in India, I often listen to the radio in the cockpit. There are talks going on between various pilots in the vicinity. Somebody would address: "Well guru, how are you?" Because they do not know the true meaning and implications. They don't understand the glory of a guru and Master. Because they have forgotten altogether. They have made such pseudo-guru who have put the whole system to disrepute. … Such so-called gurus have marred the reputation of this institution. It has been ruined. Actually the guru is such a personality about whom it is said: I bow down to the lotus feet of my Guru Maharaj Ji who is the ocean of mercy and is actually Hari (God) himself in human form. And whose words are like sunbeams to disperse the accumulated darkness of gross ignorance. So Tulsidas says that he bows down to such a Guru Maharaj Ji, the Master, who is really Hari (Supreme Power) in the form of man. So the main thing to understand here is that he bows down to the feet of that guru whose utterances, whose expressions are able to illuminate. And what is that which is illuminated by his words? It is the heart which is illuminated. His words are able to sever and dispel the spidery web of illusion, infatuation and ignorance.
'Life Force', Volume 7, Issue 2 April-June 1991