Frankfurt, Germany, 28th November, 1976
GURU MAHARAJ JI: (Looking at Nick and John) Get your communities together and pour out a little more potatoes. You see, it's like - the initiator is the initiator. I can perfectly understand why the person has to be a
single person because it is a full-time job. It isn't just going like this to a person and - period. "Da, da, da, da, you got Knowledge." It's not a part time job. It's a full-time job because you have to hold your horses 24 hours a day. I
don't know what people think about it; people must have a lot of concepts about it, that it's this and that it's that. I'm telling you, I'm really surprised with this initiator bunch that we have now. I'm proud of them because they really
turned out to be pretty good. I didn't think they would at all. (Laughter). They turned out to be a pretty good bunch, you know. I don't know what happened. (Laughter).
Well it's like a lot of people have their concepts, I think. "Part time job, part time they can go and do the initiator service and another time they can go out and earn money and da de da de da..." That's literally impossible to do.
Because you are initiating somebody. You are making a major change in their life. And if you for one second are unclear on doing that, you can ruin a person's life, which you have no right whatsoever to do. And therefore I'm not going to
give this initiator service to anybody. I think I'd be very irresponsible and very incompetent if I let just anybody be an initiator. This service is something else. Yes, it is a different kind of service. It is a service that takes a lot of dedication; it takes a lot of concentration and it takes a lot of effort. And it's like, you see these guys smiling all the
time: 'Yeah, these guys are groovy guys. They get a little of this and that, all the benefits come down, and everybody respecting them and 'mahatma ji' everywhere they go. They
have a lot of direct communication with Maharaj Ji and everything." But maybe someone should look to find out how much it takes to keep 'em together. Look how much craziness they have to face up to: talking to aspirants, talking to
pure mind, facing pure mind every day and being able to discriminate every possible time, right? It takes a lot. It's not a joke. It's just not a joke service.
That is why the screening process is very, very very difficult to do. The initiator has to be as strong as - stronger than - the Rock of Gibraltar. The Rock of Gibraltar's nothing, compared to how strong the initiator has to be. So
people who have concepts about having a part time initiator, whatever you've got concepts about you might just as well dump 'em, because that's not the way it goes. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? Is that clear? Has anybody got
any questions about that? Hmm? That's the way it is. It's a very, very, very, very difficult service. I've discouraged more people than I've encouraged, because it's a very difficult service to do. But if you can manage, if you can pull all your horses together
and come through with the whole thing, it's a very beautiful service to do, it's very enjoyable. It's just like - well, what can be more beautiful than to maybe every day bring a person to Knowledge. Even if you are only able to
bring one person to Knowledge, reveal the Knowledge to one person, that one life that you have saved makes it all worthwhile, makes it all very beautiful.
The Frankfurt Conference
29 November 1976, Frankfurt, Germany
"What do you want to speak about? Sounds like Mister Mind has paid him a visit once too often. Which people should think about becoming initiators? Live ones. People who are live. Dead are no good.
Well, I just started to give my opinion about what I really thought about it, it's a very serious service. A few people thought it could be a part-time service or something - that was the nuttiest idea I ever heard about. It is not a part-time service.
It is a full-time service, because you have to hold your horses all the time, you have to keep yourself together inside all the time, otherwise how can you then give Knowledge? You have to be strong in the experience of Knowledge.
You have to have a lot of understanding, a lot of love and a lot of strength behind you. We have not yet opened it to everybody, because we just tried the O.T. program and we got piles and piles and piles of applications. Some premies, I said, "Okay, you can be on O.T."
and two days later they freak out - that's not the way it goes."
The Golden Age April 1977 Number 37
Quotes From Guru Maharaji's Satsang
The initiator has to be as strong as, stronger than the Rock of Gibraltar. The Rock of Gibraltar is nothing, compared to
how strong the initiator has to be. So people who have concepts about having part-time initiators, whatever
you've got concepts about, you might as well dump them, because that's not the way it goes.
THE INITIATOR SERVICE booklet, 1978
North American Convention, Miami, Florida, July 5 1986
Those interested in applying to become part-time instructors may write to the following address and request an application:
Instructor Application c/- Mailing List
P.O. Box 6130
Malibu, CA 90264
1986 was a year in which Maharaji worked closely with instructors. Four times he participated in training conferences-in Texas, Florida, Los Angeles, and England. By all accounts, the trainings went exceedingly well, increasing both the quantity and quality of instructors. To date, there are approximately 320 instructors worldwide. Most are now "part-timers, " offering their services as volunteers.
While 1986 was a wonderful year, 1987 promises to be even better. in January, approximately 200 instructors and guests met for a three-day "instructor Refresher Course" in Ft. Lauderdale - a training process scheduled to be repeated every six months. Immediately following that, Maharaji addressed more than 200 North American organizers and instructors, focusing on plans at me importance of working together for a common goal. Afterwards, it was off for a three-day recurrency flight training - a chance for Maharaji to continue honing his Lear 55 piloting skills. Next, came a seven-day South American Instructor Conference in Miami.
In View - Spring 1987
North American Convention, Miami, Florida, July 5 1986
Maharaji, I've asked about becoming an instructor. How can I go about doing that?
If you want to be an instructor, apply. If your application is already in, you will either hear appropriately or be invited to one of the instructor conferences. There is no push. A lot of people have applied and it is proceeding. I think the part-time instructor program has been a tremendous success. It has allowed a lot of people to be able to come forward. I have high hopes for anyone who wants to be involved.
In View - Spring 1987
A Voice For Peace Website
1985: Maharaji introduces a prototype training for part-time instructors.
1986: Training programs for part-time instructors continue, beginning with one in Tapatio, TX.
1997: This year is notable for team-training sessions and Maharaji's continued involvement with Knowledge preparation meetings and Knowledge Sessions.
Maharaji reinstitutes the part-time instructor role at one of the team trainings. Instructors are to provide general inspiration and assist in the Knowledge preparation process as needed.
Maharaji continues to conduct meetings for people interested in Knowledge and Knowledge Sessions as time allows.
Two instructors conduct preparation meetings and Knowledge Sessions using a video presentation of the techniques when Maharaji is not available.
A Voice For Peace website downloaded 1st April 2012