Prem Rawat's Teaching about Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence - In His Own Words
In his public speeches Prem Rawat displays virtually no understanding of religion or religions apart from Hinduism and boasts he has never read a scripture though he can quote from the Ramayana, Gita and some songs of Sant Mat poets. He remembers one quote from the Bible, "In the beginning was the Word …" though he brazenly states that this refers to his so-called "Holy Name" which is whatever his followers feel when they are attempting to think about nothing but their breathing and which he says is the Élan Vital, the energy that is keeping you alive which does not exist according to modern science but to Rawat is analogous to the jiva or atman of Hindu philosophy. One of his catchphrases in referring to God's qualities is "omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent" in various word orders. As he once said "Look at it, we open the Bible and it says God is omnipresent, God is omnipotent, God is omniscient." Of course Rawat has never actually done that or he would know that the word 'omnipotent' is used once in the Bible in older translations in Revelation 19:6. It is usually translated as 'almighty', which is another of Rawat's favourite words and he has even used it to describe himself or should that be Himself. If he was omniscient he would know that 'omniscient' and 'omnipresent' are not mentioned in the Bible.
Boulder Colorado, 28th August 1971
In the same way, if you want Knowledge, I have come here to give you something. I have brought with me something very precious. Because of that, the East was shining like anything. India was one of the holiest country because of that thing. And I have brought that thing here now to give you. For there has never been a time when a Holy Master never dwelt here. But if you want, you will have to search. You will have to look for him. I am a well and if you want to drink water from me, you will have to come to me. I am a light. If you want to see me, you will have to come to me. I am a road. If you want to walk on me, you will have to come upon me. Same way the God is. If you want to see God, you will have to first realize Who is God for God is not, we know that God is omnipresent. But if we want to see Him, we will have to see Him by the omnipresent eyes.
Perfect Master Audio Tape 017
Redrocks, Colorado, August 6 1972
To understand this Knowledge, to understand Who God is, first of all we can take guidance from scriptures. Scriptures tell us God is within inside us and that God is made of three natures -- G for Generator. 0 for
Operator, D for Destroyer -- He generates us. He operates us. He destroys us. God is made of three natures. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. And scriptures can tell us so many things. But how to realize it?
They don't tell us.
Élan Vital, Winter 1977, Volume I, Issue 2
Los Angeles' Embassy Hall, July(?) 1973
And God is everywhere at all times. He is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and with us every moment, every second, of our life.
Then how can he come and how can he go? Can anyone explain to me? What we need of him is not the body. We need the Word of him. We need the Knowledge.
… So we ourselves are always confused, you see. And we are waiting for God, but God is in our heart and we have to realize him here, in our heart. He's everywhere. He's omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent; and we have to realize him. This is something I want to explain to people, that if you're waiting for Jesus, fine, you have to wait for him. But if
you are to realize him, realize him in your heart. Waiting for him is something else; realizing him is something else. If
you want to realize Jesus, if you want to really understand who Jesus is, which is, of course, not his body but he
himself, which is the Word.
And It Is Divine Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 10, August 1973
Guru Puja, Caracas Venezuela, July 25th 1975
You see, these examples prove that the Lord is Almighty, he is All Perfect. He can come in any form, any way, any time, any second, he wants to. We cannot say, "Well, that is the time he is gonna come," because if we can limit him, then it's a little bit funny. Because then he is limited. Then where is his perfectness? Every time, a Perfect Master has shown us that he is unlimited. He can do anything he wants to do. Be crucified, be dead, and still be able to come back. So, premies, besides all the prophecies of this world, one thing we have to realize is that he is always with us. He is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. But because of our crazy mind, we always contradict ourselves by saying, "Lord is going to come," comma, "he is omnipresent." If he is omnipresent, then where is he going to come from? That means he is not omnipresent. Or if he is, then he is always here. That is what we have to realize, that form of him that is omnipresent!
Divine Times, Millenium '73 Edition
Public Program, Hans Jayanti Festival, Orlando, Florida, Afternoon, 9 November 1975
That Lord, that power that we are all so desperately searching for, we also call it 'omnipresent' and I am pretty well aware that all of you understand the meaning of 'omnipresent' except people who do not speak English and 'omnipresent' means 'omnipresent,' present everywhere. So, when it is omnipresent, why go look for it outside? We are also a part of Him. That power is also within inside of us because it's everywhere, it's also within inside of us …The question is, do we ever get up ourselves and face this question: If the Lord is omnipotent, if we all understand that He has the power to do anything in this world, and He controls everything in this world, He controls us, and it's because of His Grace that any structure is here (because you have seen the movies of earthquakes, haven't you?); if because of His Grace this earth is here, and the sky is here, that power can adapt Himself. Because it's infinite, it can adapt itself to any shape, any form, any time, in any way. Have you ever thought of that? We know He is all-powerful and He is all-graceful.
And It Is Divine Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 1 and Light Reading, 1980
Hans Jayanti Festival, Orlando Florida, Evening 9 November 1975
And what our approach is, what we are trying to do, is bring that Knowledge to you that all the scriptures talk about, through which peace can be with you all the time. Because it is
within inside of you. That Lord, that Power that we are all so desperately searching for we also call "omnipresent." And I am pretty well aware that all of you understand the meaning of
omnipresent. "Omnipresent" means present everywhere. So, when it is omnipresent, why go look for it outside? We are also a part of Him. That Power is also within inside of us. Because it's
everywhere, it's also within inside of us. … If Lord could ruin this world, flood it, like this (snapping fingers), then I ask you: couldn't He do it in 1975? Have we got a contract between us and God that He is not going to flood the world in 1975? We certainly don't. Or I haven't heard about it. But probably we don't. So when Lord comes to us, accept Him. And Lord is here. He has always been here. How can we make a statement, "The Lord is gone," and then turn around and say, "Lord is omnipresent"?
Divine Times, December 1975 Volume 4, Number 10
Development '76 Fundraising Conference, Executive Towers Hotel, Denver, January 25 1976
Is it possible for us to stay in constant contact with that God who is omnipresent, to be constantly in contact with the source?
Maharaj Ji: Well, the thing is, we already are.
I mean, consciously.
Maharaj Ji: Then there's a difference. And the difference is, if you want to know consciously, "I am doing meditation, I am doing meditation, I am one with God, I am one with God," then you won't be one with God. You will be one with something else. See, those things are so tricky because they sort of look like they come on at the same angle, but they don't; they are quite a bit different. We can always be in that Holy Word. And if we are one with that Holy Word, why would we want that to pause and another idea to come in telling us constantly that we are one with God or one with that omnipresent power? It's just that, when that happens, we know it. We know it. We don't even have to make an effort to try and figure out, "Am I doin' meditation or not?" We are doing it.
I don't sit down and say, "Am I doin' meditation?" or even try. Because, so far as I am doing meditation, I'll know I am doing meditation, and it won't be with my mind knowing it. It's just because I'll feel it, I'll really see that. When you become one with it, you'll find out the way it works. It's very tricky, because, see, we are always used to our external perceptions: "Is it cold or is it warm?" But when it's the perfect temperature, just that right temperature, which is not cold and not warm, then what do we say?
Divine Times, Brotherly Love and Sacred Journeys
Munich, Germany on April 10, 1977
And it's just like, okay, mind and trips and so on and so forth. You can look at it any way you want; but to me, satsang, service, and meditation are food, you know? To keep me alive, when Guru Maharaj Ji is my life. So, if I leave Guru Maharaj Ji, and I keep on eating, then it's like a corpse trying to eat food: what would be the point? But if my life, if I could stick to my life, then automatically those things will be provided. Because what I'm dealing with here, what I am trying to realize in my life, what I am trying to become one in my life with, is a far more superior person, and is far more superiority there; that omnipotent, omnipresent; and omniscient - so what is a piece of apple, you know? What is a piece of banana? What is this and what is that? And everything can manifest for me; it has, you know? And this is why I'm here. This is why my realization is where it is at, is because I've surrendered myself.
The Golden Age Number 39
London, England April 19, 1977
And it's present, what we talk about being omnipresent, being omniscient, being omnipotent; everywhere. That power - I mean, there are different concepts. People call it God. What we have to look for now is the one solution that we have within inside of us. … What is God? You know? What is that omnipresent power? What is that omniscient power? What is that - I mean almost - you know, it's just like, you feel like, somebody says, "Oh, this is omniscient power," you feel like there's eyes everywhere, you know? But no. There is a power. And people have conceptualized it as God, as Allah. …
But to me. God is an experience that can be experienced within inside of us all, because It's omnipresent. And God is very powerful and we can feel that power, because It's omnipotent. And that
realization, that intimacy can be there, because He's omniscient. And so, it is all possible.
Light Reading, June 1979
Denver, Colorado, 25 February 1979
What prevented those people from recognizing Jesus Christ as the Lord? Their concepts. I mean, the all-powerful,
all-merciful, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient isn't going to dwindle with our little itsy-bitsy little concept that
comes from nowhere. The concept was "Look, he just cannot be the Savior. This is impossible."
I think it's completely stupid to think that God's going to do whatever you think you want Him to do. But that Almighty is going to do whatever He wants to do. That Power is going to manifest Itself in any form It wishes
to, any time It wishes to, anywhere It wishes to. Who's going to tell It, "You can't do that"? Who? And yet there is a fact related to that, and the devotees dictate that. The devotees in fact dictate. Because they are the
receivers who want to tune into the frequency. Manifestation of a Savior is going to happen to save the ones that have to be saved. That omnipotent Power will manifest Itself, establish devotion, for devotees, period. It
cannot for Itself, because there has to be a two-way transaction. The devotees have been the single most strong, powerful thing.
- Divine Times, Summer 1979, Volume III, Issue 2
Marbella, Spain, Thursday, 26 April, 1979
And just a few of these things are simply very, very hard for some of the people in this world to understand. Look at God. God is one. God is one, and yet God is omnipresent, and God is omnipotent, and God is omniscient. This is believed by literally every religion. What are you guys doing then? Why are you so divided? What's up? You know. Look inside your heart. Look at the people in this world. Just look at it. Look at every religion that exists. Every religion is different. Every religion is varied. Why? Why? Every Perfect Master who came in this world came for one single purpose: Establishment of Peace. To give that Knowledge. To give that realization to his devotees. If God is omniscient, I mean what are we doing on this Earth anyway, having so many factions?
The Golden Age, July 1979, Number 54
Guru Puja festival, Lingfield, England, 21st June 1979
Look at it, we open the Bible and it says God is omnipresent, God is omnipotent, God is omniscient. What is the purpose to go to the church for? Why do we go to the church? … that's what the religions do, they abduct God, they steal Him, get a copyright on Him. If you don't do things a certain way you don't believe in God. You have to go to a church every Sunday. If really we knew, us human beings knew a place where God lived, wouldn't we all move there?
God, the Creator, the omnipresent, the omniscient, the omnipotent. If we really knew He lived somewhere, wouldn't we all just move in?
Don't you all want to be there? And yet I mean here there are a lot of premies but even ask that question to people who don't have Knowledge
in their own painting and yet that's not the way it is, is it?
Lingfield Guru Puja video, 21st June 1979
Olympia, London, Guru Puja, 23rd August 1980
Within us lies that ultimate experience. Within us lies that thing called omnipresent, everywhere, present everywhere, within me too and yet I do not know perhaps the way to get inside
and that is why I need a Master. A Master who can show me how to connect myself within, that's all. Maybe that's all there is to it, you know, you don't have to study any books and you don't have to, you know,
go to any college and you don't have to go to any school and you don't have to do anything. A Master who has the Key, who can help you, who can guide you,
because somehow in the jargon of this world which is very truly described as Maya, illusion, we get lost in it.
Olympia 1980 Guru Puja video
Public Program, Manchester England, 28th September 1981
He's one, He's everywhere, everywhere, He's omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He's in this microphone, He's in this carpet, every little molecule of this hall, and it's hard to believe that, isn't it? … He's in me, He's in you. And and this is, this is I guess where the whole table turns because what I say to people, I say to you is "But don't take my word for it. See for yourself, see for yourselves that He is in you too. See for yourself that He exists completely within inside of you and He is the one that is that is that energy, that is that perfection, that reality and that reality was never, was never, is, never is going to be away from you and yet you're gonna miss out on the complete heaven that you've been looking for outside which was all all the time inside of you." Completely miss out on it
Élan Vital audio tape?
Follow-Up Program, Washington DC, 26th November 1981
It's coming and talking about because I worship something and everybody worships something. I worship my that truth that is within me I worship that truth, that truth that's omnipresent, that truth that's omniscient, that truth is what I want to worship. If there is any such thing as worshiping at all yet I don't kneel down in front of it and I don't light a candle in front of it and I don't go around putting flowers on it because I can't. My worship to it is "Thank you very very much." That's my worship.
Perfect Master Tape #216
New York, 10th November 1982
I don't see why - because we are alive, there is something that sustains us, there is something that has made us, there is something that keeps us alive and that power obviously that keeps us alive is not a piece of joke (junk?), it's nothing trivial, it's nothing small and to be able to experience, to know the manifestation of that omnipresence we repeat it every day. Omnipresent God. Omnipresent power. That incredible thing, that incredible energy that is everywhere, that is omnipresent, omnipresent, omnipresent meaning being everywhere. Present everywhere. Omnipotent. Powerful, all powerful. These are words you see these are words and their meaning and their explanation only makes so much sense to us. If this was to be said to kids in kindergarten obviously they would say "What?" Wow omnipotent. Omniscient. I bet you the kids are gonna ask you "Omni what?" There's a magazine Omni and in Miami they even have a huge building Omni and all the kids hang out there, they have all this one floor kinda dedicated to the carnival stuff that happens out there, the rides and this and Omni? Omni? Omni? God has something to do with Omni? No, God has nothing to do with Omni but here we are intelligent supposed we've been to schools at least or at least know the word of or the meaning of the word omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent. To now we know but do we know on the basis of our experience that God is omnipotent and what does that mean? Not in the textual sense or do we merely know this because somebody told us that, omni, omniscient, omnipresent. To me it's like when I was in school I was given this smaller Bible, very tiny and little Bible and the of course the thing was you know you did really well and you would get this little Bible and I wanted the little Bible so I did really well. I got the little Bible and we also every morning for 15 minutes of the whole periods that we had 15 the first 15 minutes of our school that started was dedicated to Moral Science, that's what it was called, Moral Science and we had a book called the ABC of the Moral Science and believe me that is the first time I ever heard that word omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. I wasn't in a high grade and so when I read these words they were huge words to me and this is what I am saying to you that there is a big difference in us and going and repeating the words omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient and so on and so forth, God. Everybody says God, well not everybody but at least I'm hoping that the people that are here at least are familiar with that word, God. What does it mean to us? Is it something that has been passed on or do we have an experience of such a thing? Do we know this thing to exist by our own experience or by the information that has been passed down to us from generations after generations after generations.
Perfect Master Audio Tape 253