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

Prem Rawat or Maharaji (the Ultimate Ruler) as he prefers to be addressed or Guru Maharaj Ji as he called himself until the 1980's had no compunction stating he was the one and only living Perfect Master. He now refers to himself as "the Master", a vaguer description which is less controversial. However while he is more circumspect with his public claims there has no been no real change in his teachings about himself, only in the language he uses. In India he stll refers to himself as "Guru Maharaj Ji" and this is translated into English by the Raj Vidya Kender (Raj Vidya Kender is Rawat's main Indian organisation) translators as "The Master". 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.

The following are just some quotes from his speeches in which he discusses this concept. Where possible, the full text of the speeches are linked to each quote and date of the speech and the publication in which the transcript was published are recorded.

Denver, Colorado, August 1, 1972 Guru Maharaj Ji, what would happen if you were to die suddenly, if you were to be killed suddenly in an auto accident or a fall or anything like that? What would happen? What would happen? How should I imagine? This is one of the crazy things that goes on with people. They sit in their chairs and think, "What will happen if I suddenly die?" Isn't it passed on? Would you not have to bestow it upon someone else? That is the difference between a man who has perfected himself in this Knowledge and between an ordinary man. He knows what is going to happen to him next. Are you perfect within this Knowledge? Do you know? I am perfect within this Knowledge, yes. I know this Knowledge perfectly. You are the Perfect Master? I don't say that I am Perfect Master. Why do you try to compel me to say that sentence? I did say I have perfected myself in this Knowledge. What I have heard is that it is passed on. That there is always a Perfect Master on Earth. And that it must be passed on. Like from John the Baptist to Jesus Christ. Now if you died suddenly, you would not have passed this on to anyone else? I just told you. That's the main difference between a Perfect Master and an ordinary man. He knows what is going to happen to him next. Perfect Master does not leave his body by anybody else's will. He leaves his body by his own will. That's why, if there were an ordinary man on the cross, he would have been dead. But Jesus Christ rose back. He got back from there. Because he is the highest supreme authority and even death is under him. Death works under him. Understand? That's why there was no death to him. He was able to come back. If it were you, maybe you would have never been able to come back from there. Elan Vital, Volume 4, Issue 2, Summer 1980
Hollywood, California, August 11, 1971 This is the Knowledge that Jesus Christ gave, that Guru Nanak gave, that Krishna gave, that Ram gave, that Mohammed gave. And I am giving it. Supreme Knowledge. It is sacred. Top sacred! And it dwells within all of us. All human beings. And we are unable to know it without the help of the true Master. That is what I am teaching. Yes? Elan Vital, Volume III Issue 3, Autumn 1979
1972 Why does a Perfect Master have to have a living body to give Knowledge? Why is it necessary? Are you feeling thirsty? Can you see that photo of Lord Shiva? You see the water coming out from the top of his head? Drink that water. Drink, drink! Can You? You can't drink that water. It is a picture. You need everything living. If you have doubts, you cannot ask Lord Krishna questions. That's why you need a living Master, for the circumstances of the world today. When Jesus was here there were no nuclear bombs. But now there are nuclear bombs, and the Perfect Master, the Perfect Savior, has come to save you from nuclear bombs. The Questions, Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji?
Denver, 8th July, 1975 So realize the Knowledge and the Grace. Because Knowledge has always been there; what we want to realize, our goal, has always been there, but sometimes in this world, two things are missing - Our Lord, our Master, and His Grace. It's like the ship is always there, and the destination of the ship is always there, but sometimes the wind and the skipper aren't. When they aren't, it can't go anyplace. Grace is what blows the wind, and the skipper is what guides the ship. So now it's very lucky for us that here we are sitting in this age in the midst of the whole thing, where the worst is worst, and the best is worst. Because if we really look at the whole situation, we couldn't have asked for Him any other time. This is when we need Him, and this is when we need the Grace, and we've got them both now. The Golden Age Number 39

The video opens with a pretty straightforward statement about Prem Rawat's role on earth, a song called 'You Are My Saviour', long version @ 4 :55 or 'You Are My Saviour', a short version @ 1:38. The song is played over scenes of Prem Rawat driving one of his many expensive cars and flying in one of his helicopters.

During the playing of that song Prem Rawat's wife is shown crowning him with the crown of Krishna whose costume he is wearing and then doing full pranam (lying on the ground in front of him) and kissing his feet in adoration.

The Connection video, 1998
"And this one thing called Knowledge, this one thing called the Master, this one thing called the student, this beautiful flower, this beautiful process of growth, this beautiful process of flowering. This Knowledge, this connection, that's what this is all about. When the Master gives, be ready to take. That's what a good student is, the Master gives, the student takes. The Master has to trust the student and the student has to trust the master. This is, this is their relationship. That's all they have. It is so important that each one of you, you have to have the connection with the Master. The trust is the most beautiful, the most delicate, indeed very delicate, the trust is the most beautiful connection between a Master and a student. Indeed trust is the most beautiful connection between anybody. But between a Master and a student it can be glorious.
It's a total package. Physically there is a Master so you can connect and internally there is Knowledge so you can connect on both levels. Make the connection.
The Connection video, 1998

Prem Rawat (Maharaji) Teachings - The Master

Millenium 2000 festival
By putting all the other things aside and focus on the one way, you don't need to run anywhere else, the human being starts to run in that one direction where his Creator truly resides, where his Creator truly resides, where his true bliss is there. He doesn't know what's in front of him, what's behind him, what's above him, what's below him, that person goes to that place, he's in that place where everything is still, everything is beautiful and there's nothing else besides that bliss, besides that peace and the Master (Hindi: Guru Maharaj Ji) has opened that door, opened that path for the person to go to that place. What a beautiful thing, what is the difference? Truly, for that person who has this Knowledge (Hindi: premie) when he realises that every step is so precious and he makes the effort to try and understand this, the world doesn't even try to understand this but people who have this knowledge can try to make this effort, even a little bit of effort every single day that they want to fulfil their lives. Therefore the Saints and Masters have said "Blessed are those, blessed are those whose focus is in that direction of where there is that truth, consciousness and bliss where there is that Supreme Bliss, where is that, where there is that peace but also walk in the remembrance of that.
Elan Vital '4 Days in November' video, 2000

Prem Rawat (Maharaji) End of the Millenium

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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.