The Many Lives of Prem Rawat

Nearly anyone's life can be thought of as being in different parts: baby, school student, parenthood, old age. Prem Pal Singh Rawat's life is defined far more strongly than most, especially as he has even changed the names by which he is known or at least, wants to be known. In his case, those transitions from one part of his life to another are far more dramatic than in nearly every other possible example.

• He is Sant Ji, the baby/toddler/young boy, living a privileged life as son of a successful Indian guru who calls himself Guru Maharaj Ji
  
  
• He becomes Guru Maharaj Ji, the Satguru through a somewhat controversial inheritance/spiritual incarnation and the acclamation of a significant number of his father's followers. He lived as a schoolboy, with a domineering mother and as an Indian Godman on weekends doing tours and making speeches.
  
  
• He is Guru Maharaj Ji, in the right place at the right time, to attract Western hippie followers who pave His way to the West. There are 4 phases in this time:
  
  
  • 1971 - 1973 He preaches a simplified/popular form of Sant Mat influenced by the counter-culture Age of Aquarius ideas of his new followers in his poor English. He often makes outrageous claims about Himself in small groups while skirting such claims in public forums. In this time of astonishing success he gradually evolves his speeches adding new personal concepts and ends up replacing metaphors, encapsulating the search for God and Peace, from a Queen's lost necklace and musk deers to looking for a special Superman Comic at the Millenium 73 festival to much media hilarity.
  • 1974 - 1976 He quickly becomes Westernised in actions, expression and lifestyle marrying an older blonde California airline stewardess, driving luxury cars at dangerous speeds and indulging in sex, drugs and rock n'roll. His speeches become more down to earth while always stressing his own importance, the need for obedience and satsang, service, meditation and darshan. His administrators try to make Divine Light Mission an organised, well financed institution though this is difficult. In 1976 his lack of oversight and the failure of the Knowledge to "work" causes a mass desertion of the ashrams on which the finances depend. At the last moment he returns to his father's methods and stresses his Divinity, the importance of devotion and worship and creates a Pentecostal wave of devotion that immediately turns into:
  • 1977 - 1980 the Supa Puja period of regular, if not constant, festivals at which all premies were expected to attend. These are somewhat similar to Christian revivals though the participants are inhibited from doing anything more than shouting "Bolie Shri Satgur dev Maharaji Ki Jai and dancing and singing along with the band.
  • 1979 - 1983 In 1980 the focus shifts to preparing a Boeing 707 in Miami for his exclusive use in total secret. Mant premies are moved to Miami and the funds raised cripples Divine Light Mission. Maharaj Ji begins to do public programs, the 707 is a white elephant and satsang meetings and the ashrams are summarily closed.
    
    
• He tries to have evidence of his career so far destroyed, goes further underground and segues into being Maharaji, who without the overt Hindu garb and bankrolled by his still devoted 1970s converts, tries to attract new Western followers for the next 20 years, unsuccessfully.
  
  
• After a period of dual names, he drops the 'Maharaji' completely and still bankrolled by still devoted 1970s converts, tries to become a well known internationally respected Teacher of Peace through phony PR

The transition from Guru Maharaj Ji and Divine Light Mission to Maharaji and Elan Vital happened relatively quickly at a time when "Guru Maharaj Ji" was attempting (mostly successfully) not to attract any publicity at all and even the premies themselves had to learn of the changes through word-of-mouth in most cases. Fifty years later, the former DLM administrators could not even remember how the decision was made or by whom. As far as I know, to the press "Guru Maharaj Ji" was forgotten but was mentioned once in the Guardian 20 years later as background to a story about the death of his astrologer who donated millions to Him.

In those days the guru described himself as the Lord of the Universe and the Exploding Love-Bomb. Since then, the Divine Light Mission has changed its name to Élan Vital, and its leader now prefers to be known as Maharaji, Perfect Master.

Post 2005, Maharaji apparently decided that more resources should not be wasted in attempting to gain a larger following in the West through the continued scheduling at small venues of videos of himself speaking. These programs were arranged and financed by small groups of his followers partly organised into local communities. More resources should be spent trying to gain himself the reputation of a respected, even famous, international speaker for Peace and as a small but significant part of this process, this name change should be gradually released by his followers in his organisations' media productions. Virtually of his activities became based on the internet.