Prem Rawat (Prem Pal Singh Rawat) whose devotees call him Maharaji (meaning Ultimate Ruler) first came to attention in the West as Guru Maharaj Ji - the self-proclaimed Perfect Master and Lord of the Universe ridiculed in the media as a fat, squeaky-voiced God boy. He had inherited his titles and position as the Satguru, The True Revealer of Light and Spiritual Master of the Divine Light Mission, India (Divya Sandesh Parishad) when his father died in 1966. His father, Hans Rawat, was a successful Indian guru, self titled HRH (His Royal Highness) Yogiraj Param Sant Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. As a child the youngest Rawat son was informally called Sant Ji, more formally Balyogeshwar ("Born King of the Yogis") and even more formally Param Sant Satgurudev Shri Sant Ji Maharaj. In the West Rawat dropped these more verbose titles in the early 1980's and instructed his followers to call him Maharaji. He has also changed the names of his organisations many times: Divine Light Mission (DLM), World Welfare Association (WWA), World Peace Corps (WPC) and Divine United Organisation (DUO) became Elan Vital in the early 1980's and in 2001 The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) was created and from 2010 his major orgs are Words Of Peace Global (WOPG) registered in Holland, Words of Peace International (WOPI) in the USA, HDSK (Human Development through Self Knowledge) in Great Britain and Raj Vidya Kender (Royal Knowledge Society) in India. He no longer claims to be an Incarnation of God but an internationally famous humanitarian leader and teacher of peace. He's neither.

Effort And Grace

This 1995 Visions International short film was sold on a Video CD distributed at Elan Vital "events". It includes pictures of flowers unfolding and colorizing as a somewhat obvious metaphor for the effects of Prem Rawat's "Knowledge." There a some black and white clips of Rawat, with moustache, walking, apparently in India by his clothing and some of him, in colour and colourful shirt, at Ivory's Rock Conference Centre in Australia, his cult headquarters there. His daughter, Dayalata, sings a song while Rawat speaks about "the Heart", "the magic", "the Master", "the Truth" etc.

Over the past 30 years Maharaji has addressed millions of people around the world. Responding to requests for him to speak in over 50 countries, he travels most of the year. As a result of his efforts, hundreds of thousands of people have received Knowledge.

Prem Rawat, or "Maharaji" or Ultimate Ruler as he calls himself, probably has spoken before millions of people because any Indian Godman can have an audience of hundreds of thousands, even a minor one like Rawat. In the West he has a core following of maybe 10,000 who come to hear him speak again and again and again. He probably has taught hundreds of thousands his so-called "Knowledge" in India but only a few thousand in the West where people apostasizing from his religion and new adherents number much the same.

The only thing that remains real is the heart. Untouched by human beings, ever since time. And that is where ... the Truth exists. Truth. THE Truth. The only place where it's pure. Click on a picture to see a clip of Rawat (with moustache) walking while this speech is voiced over.

And that is the only place where the real love resides. The only place. And that is the place where the Master comes to take you to. And the magic happens again and again and again on the face of this earth. There is one that brings the promise alive. There is one that brings out the cry of the heart. Click on a picture to see a clip of a flower unfolding and colorizing and Rawat (with moustache) walking while his speech is voiced over.

When I feel the power of life inside me Everything changes Feel the celebration from my heart Love is a restless bird crying out for the sky Time gonna let this bird take flight Take flight Don't you know this love has wings he said Don't you know this love has ??? innovation Don't you know that there's a secret there Everyone was borm to share And he said How many storms is it gonna take until you bring your love back home? You've been in this hungry state too long Love's gonna wrap you up ntil the darkness fades Just as sure as the night will turn to day To day Don't you know this love has wings he said Don't you know this love has ??? innovation Don't you know that there's a secret there Everyone was borm to share (Click on a picture to see a clip of Dayalata Rawat's song at Ivory's Rock Conference Center)

Life. The existence of each breath - in this instrument. And each breath that comes, plays the instrument. It's a divine instrument. An instrument that plays - day and night. Never ceasing - plays and plays. Playing a rhythm for you. Have your heard it? Have you heard it? Have you gotten to a point in your life where that matters to you? It is important, what is taking shape inside of me. It is important that I am in touch with this magic of life that is beating, pulsing inside of me. Click on a picture to see a clip of Rawat at Ivory's Rock Conference Center walking while his speech is voiced over.

In this life, there is an incredible balance. There is ignorance and there is Knowledge. There is darkness and there is light. There is a mind, and there is a heart. You - in your life - in YOUR LIFE - have to choose it. To understand this dance of life and allow it to overwhelm you. To seek joy and to find it. To seek truth and to find it. To seek consciousness and to find it. There is one that brings the promise alive. There is one that brings out the cry of the heart. And something from within reaches out and says, "Yes, fulfill this promise. Fulfill this destiny. Fulfill this life, fulfill this existence..." Because such a show, such a drama will never play again. Never. (Click on a picture to see a clip of Rawat walking while his speech is voiced over.)

You are alive and the Master is alive. It is the living thing that is taking place. Be a part of it.

See  Site Policy  for statement regarding copyright for these videos.

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.