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.

Story Teller

This Visions International short film was sold on a Video CD distributed at Elan Vital "events" and was produced in 1997. It is a slideshow of photos of Prem Rawat, mainly from his childhood when he was still cute before over-eating, lack of exercise and puberty transformed him into ugly, flabby obesity. The soundtrack contains a haunting, slightly oriental sounding violin tune with Prem Rawat "telling the story" of the Master (Click here to hear .mp3) and the 'student' and the 'thirst' and the 'heart'. Prem Rawat is the Master he extolls, also the Living Master, the Perfect Master, the Incarnation of God and the Saviour, etc,etc.

"The Master is a storyteller of sorts. And he tells the story of my life, of my existence. But there is a difference. He doesn't criticise it, he doesn't put it down because he doesn't tell the story of my life of how it has been but he tells the story of my life how it can be. And this story my heart longs to hear, wants to hear. It is the story that comforts my heart, my soul, my being, my existence. I can understnd this story like nobody could because the story is true, it is real, it holds the aspiration that I have in my own heart. It's a true story because it can transform me, it can transform you into this beautiful simple place. It isn't complicated, it isn't strange, it's not full of fantasy but it's very real. And it's about this one life. To me it always fascinates me how that connection between a Master and a student clicks. It always amazes me because here are two individuals who are so very different and yet they share something not on the surface but they share something very deep within and when they step into that realm of the heart, miracles happen. He's no Master, it's pure fantasy and there is no connection. Worshipping a "Master" who doesn't know you exist is quite common. There are hundreds. Do you really think poking your finger and thumb in your eyes, your thumbs in your ears, concentrating on your breath and rolling your tongue backwards can create a deep connection and miracles of the heart?

Because it is the ultimate acknowledgement of the heart. That thirst is the acknowledgement, then who comes and tells me about that thirst. Voice that is never been heard and yet it is so, so, so, so familiar. Words that have never been heard but completely like you heard them yesterday and day before yesterday and day before yesterday. Yes to the world this would be very strange, how could this be? But it is, it is just that, that touches that home, that touches that heart and that's the only indication any human being has that it's real. The story that my storyteller tells is a very real story, it's a very beautiful story and it's a story about me, about you, about every being on the face of this earth."

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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.