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

Prem Rawat, or Maharaji ("Ultimate Ruler") as he cal himself, rarely used the word 'reincarnation' or it's forms after his early initial, successful phase of proselytisation in the West. He defined 'reincarnation' in a very specific, personal and unique way. Of course he claimed to be the unique incarnation of God on the planet at this time as well. Later he claimed to know nothing about the possibility of 'reincarnation'. Why Rawat has chosen to remove this explicit explanation of the source of the power he claims to embody is unknown. However, he continued to use other phrases he originated such as "come(s) in(to) th(e/is) world", which had an identical meaning, many times. He sometimes uses the word embodiment to describe the relationship between himself and God. 'Embodiment' was often used by his followers, including his wife, to describe him.

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.

Guru Maharaj Ji answers questions in Boulder, Colorado on August 18, 1971 Q: Would you speak on the subject of reincarnation? A: See, reincarnation means that a realized soul, which is one at a time, comes and reveals that Truth to people. Ram, Krishna, Buddha, Kabir, Nanak, Guru Govind Singh ... and also Christ - and there are many. They are all called incarnations. They come to give this Knowledge to people so that they may be done with all the sufferings of this world. Like Krishna says, "When there will be a decline in the true religion, I will come to save it and form one religion." Which he did. And "religion" means realization. "Religion" has started from a word "realization." Élan Vital, Volume 4, Issue 1, Spring 1980
Denver Ashram, Colorado, 18 September 1971 Hell and heaven are on earth, and liberation is just beyond all these points. There are two types of liberation. One is not to be concerned with this world. The other liberation is to be concerned with this world, but not this world directly, but to the Perfect Master: to be a devotee. Devotion. When you go to the Judge and He weighs your balance, right? and only your one balance is good, only good, and bad has been finished away with this Knowledge, He will ask you, "Okay, what do you want, liberation or devotion?" People who ask liberation just go there and sit there. They can do nothing. But people who ask for devotion come again onto this earth, but they don't suffer. It is always heaven for them, and they always stay with Perfect Masters. It is so very beautiful to be with the Lord. Whenever a Perfect Master will come, they'll come with Him. And It Is Divine, Volume 1, Issue 1, November 1972
Hans Jayanti Festival, Orlando, Florida, 7 November 1975 "Not only do premies feel, but we feel that Grace, that power, just lighting up our hearts, our souls. It's so beautiful because we have waited for such a long time for this to happen. We have waited for years; we have waited for centuries. Who knows how many people there are right now who have reincarnated into this world for the very purpose of realising this Knowledge? And who knows why the Lord has to come into the darkest of all times? But something sure happens. And the Lord comes, and we realise the Knowledge. We feel that experience and we realise that experience. Premies, this is what all our festivals are all about. " Golden Age, Number 27
Hans Jayanti Festival, Orlando, Florida, Evening 9 November 1975 "How many times are we going to deny our Lord? I mean, I can't even imagine how man can be as crazy as he is! The Lord Himself reincarnates, reincarnates, reincarnates Himself for the very purpose of saving us. And we do not even realize who gave us the authority to refuse Him! Who are we anyway? From which field do we come that we can reject, that we can refuse, that we can deny our Lord? That is something that I cannot answer. And we do it every time! Because we have got a stupid ego. Because of one simple reason - we have got our stupid mind that's always telling us. For one simple reason - we do not understand, we cannot comprehend His beauty, His perfection. " Divine Times, Volume 4, Issue 10
Argentina, 7 January 1976 "We come and we go, we come and we go. But never do we really sit down and look for ourselves and say, "We come and we go." We have this lifetime now, but we might not have the next one. Who knows? A lot of people come to me and say, "Guru Maharaj Ji, what about reincarnation?" My answer is, "Look I don't know, because I have never died and come back again. I don't know, I am living right now, and that's about all I know. And what the Scriptures say, I don't say, because I don't know. I haven't written them, and I am not going to guarantee what they say. I can guarantee Knowledge, but I cannot guarantee anything about reincarnation." So, why don't we just forget about reincarnation? Knowledge is not going to hurt you. We all need salvation, we all need this Knowledge anyway. Whether or not we are going to be reincarnated, we all need this Knowledge - in this lifetime, now. And so let's do that." And It Is Divine Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 2

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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.