Hans Rawat (Param Sant Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj, Prem Rawat's father)
A Prayer of Shri Hans Ji Maharaj Ji to His Perfect Master Sarupanand Ji Maharaj
I do not behave in the proper way, and I still have not understood why I am living in the shelter of my Satguru. I am ashamed of myself. How can I pray to You? How can I please You when I know I am making mistakes before You? How can I be Your blessed one? Please Lord, grant me the gift of devotion. O my Guru Maharaj Ji, Lord of all Lords, I ask nothing more than to serve You day and night. If only I might see my living Master, I would tell Him all my sufferings, weeping, and rest my head on His Holy Feet. Affinity June 1979

Durga Ji (Marolyn Rawat nee Johnson, Prem Rawat's wife), Guru Puja, Geneva, Switzerland, 10 September 1978
We know Guru Maharaj Ji, we know that Guru Maharaj Ji's perfect, we know Guru Maharaj Ji is perfection. We know Guru Maharaj Ji is our Creator. And if we know and have experienced that Guru Maharaj Ji is our Creator, is the Creator of everything, we are a part of his creation, then just like someone was saying, "What do we do? " When we come to that point of realization, what can we do except bow, bow our heads and pray to Guru Maharaj Ji. Worship him, adore him, like we're meant to do. What an incredible gift that is, to us, that Guru Maharaj Ji has given us himself.
Guru Puja, Geneva 1978

Durga Ji (Marolyn Rawat nee Johnson, Prem Rawat's wife), Orlando, Saturday llth October, 1978
All I can say is, all we can do is pray, please Guru Maharaj Ji, don't let me stray away. You are the answer. You are everything my heart is beating for. Just like the song that we sing.
Affinity, January 1979

"Peace Bomb" speech, November 8, 1970
Shiva Ji left that place, doing his pranam to Guru Maharaj Ji and saying in his heart, "O Guru Maharaj Ji, you are all powerful. What can you not do? You can do anything. I surrender myself at your Lotus Feet. Protect me, please," as you should pray in your heart when you do pranam before Guru Maharaj Ji or His picture.
Golden Age, November 1978, Number 49

Boulder, Colorado, August 28, 1971
I went to my Guru. I used to listen to all the satsangs, all the holy discourses, that he gave, and observe them. In one discourse he said clearly, "Come to me. Come to me and I will give you peace." The next day we were in Dehra Dun. I went to him, prayed to him, asked him, requested him - not with a doubtful heart. Not with, "Oh, will this man be able to give it to me or not?" And he gave me this Knowledge and I was satisfied. I knew all the mysteries of this world in one second. As soon as this Knowledge was given to me, I knew all the mysteries of this world. And it was fantastic. It was just far out! Because it was just completely perfect. And I was reaching that state of perfection which I had never reached in my life.
Golden Age, November 1978, Number 49

Piñata Satsang, December 10, 1971
So one devotee prays to Lord and says, Lord, don't forget me. For You we are many, but for me You are only one. If I get lost, you have got the others who can give You that much love. But in my life, if You get lost, You are the only one who can give me love. So Lord, keep this attachment so firm that the sun may break, fire may break into pieces and the sky may be disturbed. The earth may be moved from there, but this cord of love may not be moved and belong forever and ever and ever. Even if the sun breaks, no matter. But this cord of love should be forever.
And It Is Divine, Winter 1976, Volume III, Issue 4 and Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji?

Guru Puja Festival Caracas, Venezuela, July 23, 1975
So enjoy this festival. Realize. And this is Guru Puja festival, and this is just an idea of a devotee. This is just a dream of a devotee. Really it is a dream, because how can you come up to Guru Maharaj Ji and say, "Thank you?" Because how can you ever thank him with just saying "Thank you," or "Gracias," or "Danyabad," or any word you want to use? You cannot. And it's a prayer you pray. It's Guru Puja festival, when you worship your Guru Maharaj Ji, when you understand, when you get to be … and it's one more thing, one more occasion, where premies can be close to Guru Maharaj Ji. Because how can you worship the Almighty?
Élan Vital, Volume II, Issue 2, Summer 1978

Pacific Guru Puja, Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia, October 18, 1975
To understand more of the glory of the revealer of that Knowledge, we all assemble to worship him, to pray, to understand more because there is never enough of this stuff. There's never enough of satsang, there's never enough of that beautiful blissful experience that we all want to experience. So premies, it's like, it's so beautiful that this Pacific Guru Puja has been held here, you know, and it just shows us that we are just coming together more and more and more and more and more.
The Golden Age Number 24, November 1975

Miami Beach, Florida; July 31, 1977
Request Guru Maharaj Ji. If that's what you really want, request Guru Maharaj Ji. Ask Guru Maharaj Ji. Pray to Guru Maharaj Ji to get you out of that valley, so that you can be clear, so that you can be open. And the rest, I assure you, is incredible. Then everything is great. You can see the whole Grace just taking over.
The Living Master

Guru Puja, Tucson Arizona on Sunday, July 16, 1978
Because what can you do? Even that little effort that you have to make, even those three steps that you have to take, are going to only come by Guru Maharaj Ji's Grace. And all you can do is pray to Guru Maharaj Ji. And I guess if there is a significance for Guru Puja, here it is: to pray to Guru Maharaj Ji to help you. (Premies cry out, "Help!") You have to really say that from your heart.
The Golden Age, Volume 48, September/October, 1978

Hans Jayanti, Kissimmee, Florida, November 5, 1978
And yet we don't know how we are even going to make it. How is it even going to be possible to make it? And we pray. We pray to Guru Maharaj Ji. "Guru Maharaj Ji, please help! Help me, because I don't know what there is ahead of me. Help me, because I don't know! Help me, because I am ignorant! Help me, because I cannot see!"
Our realization is going down the drain. Our precious moments, our life, our understanding is going down. And the only person that can save us from that is Guru Maharaj Ji. And we have to come and pray in our hearts for him to save us from that ordeal. We have to come and understand that Guru Maharaj Ji has to save us and have that faith in Guru Maharaj Ji.
Élan Vital, Spring 1979 Volume III, Issue 1

Hans Jayanti, Kissimmee, Florida, Monday Evening, November 6, 1978
Somehow, here we are anyway, being able to experience that Grace, being able to experience that Knowledge, being able to have the privilege of doing satsang, service, and meditation; having Guru Maharaj Ji, praying to Guru Maharaj Ji, listening to Guru Maharaj Ji, and dedicating our lives to Guru Maharaj Ji.
Affinity, June 1979

Hans Jayanti Festival, Kissimmee, Florida, Afternoon, November 11, 1978
All we have to be is be humble! All we have to do is get rid of our incredible, idiotic ego and go to Guru Maharaj Ji with our sincere hearts and say, "Help me!" Say that little prayer to Guru Maharaj Ji: "Guru Maharaj Ji, you're all. You can do anything. I am nothing in this world. Help me because there it is. What I have done in this life is such a web."
Guru Maharaj Ji says, "Look, that's chancy. Do it slowly and easy. Pray to Guru Maharaj Ji. Become one with Guru Maharaj Ji. Surrender to Guru Maharaj Ji. And then it's possible." So premies, how lucky can we be to have a Guru Maharaj Ji? And now we have to try to surrender. Do satsang, service, and meditation
Someday, somehow, will you please find it in your heart -- if you ever do, Guru Maharaj Ji -- to save me from this world? Take my mind away. Take me and put me into your feet where you really are." And you know, this is the incredible thing. All that sounds great. But when we truly pray to Guru Maharaj Ji, from our heart, he does blink. He does move his little finger and it all does disappear. That's the fantastic part of it, the incredible part.
Élan Vital, Summer 1979, Volume III, Issue 2

Hans Jayanti Festival, Kissimmee, Florida, afternoon November 11 1978
And it's so incredible. Because Guru Maharaj Ji - I know. Guru Maharaj Ji, physically, only has two ears. He can listen to one thing at one time. Two ears: but can only listen to one thing. Two eyes: can only see one thing. But it's incredible. Because everybody's prayer is heard. And as soon as it becomes sincere … I mean, there is Guru Maharaj Ji, just waiting and waiting and waiting. Those hands that can create the world -- that can ruin the world -- are waiting on a steering wheel to drive you away from that misery and take you away from the conditions of heaven and hell and whatever, and take away all the misery. Listen! That's incredible!
Élan Vital Volume III Issue 2 Summer 1979

Telephone from the Malibu Residence, California, December 31, 1978
But for a devotee, what can be a greater opportunity, what can be a greater resolution than to just pray to Guru Maharaj Ji to give him that opportunity to surrender, than to pray to Guru Maharaj Ji to become One, to just let go of all those crazy ideas, to let go of all those crazy notions that this mind wants to bring forth and to make that resolution in our hearts that, "Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, let me really make effort; let me really make that determination so that I can surrender to you"? Because it is quite obvious that in this world the craziness grows every day. Every day something becomes more and more crazy.
The Golden Age, April 1979, Number 52

Denver Colorado, February 25, 1979
Our faith in our Guru Maharaj Ji has to be real. Our faith in our Guru Maharaj Ji has to be there. There is no and, if, and but about it. And pray! And just with all your heart, pray that Guru Maharaj Ji, by his mercy, will have faith in you. Because Guru Maharaj Ji has absolutely no necessity of having faith in you. Because remember, there is that prayer. "Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, do not forget me. To you there are thousands. But to me, you are the only one. And if you forget me, then I've had it. Your Love and your Grace is what I depend on. I do not doubt your mercy. And I do not doubt your faith. But I doubt myself. And so give me the strength. Make my effort manifest. Give me the strength so that I may never forget you."
Divine Times - Holi Issue, 1979 Volume 8, Number 2

Holi, 7th April 1979
Guru Maharaj Ji sends his devotees first before he comes, so there can be some devotion which can bring him down, which can bring him into this world. And so the devotees come in this world first. And then comes the Perfect Master. And maybe those devotees who come first aren't really devotees yet, but are destined to be devotees. And when the Perfect Master comes into this world, it's just like two great big magnets. The attraction becomes faster and faster and faster and then "klunk." It happens. And what an opportunity, what a setup, what a stage is then, in fact, created. We all come. All the devotees get together and with that sincere love, pray to Guru Maharaj Ji, pray to that Savior, pray to that Perfect Master to help us.
Élan Vital, Summer 1979, Volume III, Issue 2

Holi 79, Miami Beach, Florida, 7th April, 1979
What I'm trying to say is that in this world this is exactly the way it is. Everybody in this world, not knowing, is yet very thirsty for that Creator, for that Perfect Master to come, to bring that peace and to bring that joy, to bring that happiness, to bring that tranquility that we all need. And we don't know that. We don't know that that's what a Perfect Master is going to bring us. But a savior, obviously knowing the necessity of being saved … It's like the prayer of the devotee, "Oh come, save us. Save me in this world." And Guru Maharaj Ji then comes.
Holi Festival '79

Marbella, Spain, 29th April, 1979
So many beautiful prayers have been said by so many beautiful different saints. "Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, let me become a devotee. Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, make me your devotee. Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, I am nothing, and you have made me everything by your infinite Grace. Keep me at your feet." I mean so many, so many prayers have been said to Guru Maharaj Ji.
And for the ones who don't have Knowledge, that's what you have to understand. By Guru Maharaj Ji's Grace, to just let go of that ego and just even try to understand Knowledge. And really, someday, by Guru Maharaj Ji's Grace, pray that you will receive Knowledge.
Holi Festival '79 publication

Guru Puja festival, Lingfield, England, June 21 1979
If you have a Perfect Master you can't do anything but worship him every day of your life. You tell me, if you really have that Perfect Master in your life, what can you do except to worship him every day? Get up and worship him, pray, know, surrender. Every day of your life!
you can only worship Guru Maharaj Ji from heart and that's it, from your love and that's it and to me to come to an occasion, to me to come to a place, to come to a point in our hearts where we can even pray to Guru Maharaj Ji, where we can even see Guru Maharaj Ji that's the greatest opportunity in our lives, that is the greatest thing in our lives.
Guru Puja Lingfield, England video

Guru Puja festival, Miami, Florida, July 19 1979
We have to just let go to Guru Maharaj Ji, give ourselves to Guru Maharaj Ji, not in a theory, not in a song, not in an Arti that we sing every night. I give you my heart, for in you it will mellow, Maharaji my Lord, my life is your play. I mean those are pretty heavy duty statements, you know. You are my mother, you are my father. What, what, what are we saying? And yet do we even have an essence of meaning to it? What we sing is right, it's true, it is an expression of a devotee. This is what a devotee would understand of his Guru Maharaj Ji. That you are my all, he doesn't have to go into specifics about your brother, sister, mother, father, cousin, uncle, aunt. And yet in a very humble and beautiful way we are trying to express that you are my all, every relations, you are my all, you are above and beyond. You know, and really the whole essence of prayer is let me really give myself to you, let me surrender to you, you have come, it's singing the glories of Guru Maharaj Ji is what Arti is all about. Oh Guru Maharaj Ji you are my father, you are my mother, you are friend. I see you in those respects, you need to teach me a lesson, you need to give me that fathering, you need to give me that mothering, you need to give me that support and yet you are my all, my Lord to me."
Guru Puja Miami, Florida video

Guru Puja festival, Miami, Florida, July 19 1979
Let me surrender. Let me give myself to you. Make that 'give' happen. Give me the strength so I can make the effort. Give me the ears so I can hear what you're saying. Give me the eyes to see you. Give me the tongue that can sing your glory." Or is it, in fact, our little things that we always like to do? Or is it, in fact, that desperate prayer - that desperate prayer to Guru Maharaj Ji?
Élan Vital, Volume III, Issue 4, Winter 1979

Guru Puja festival, Miami, Florida, July 22 1979
I always want to pray to Guru Maharaj Ji. Always. When I walk. Before I go to sleep. After I wake up. Before I eat -- every moment that I can possibly get together to be able to pray to Guru Maharaj Ji.
"O Guru Maharaj Ji, do whatever you wish to do." That's the prayer. You think that you go. "Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done …" No. Whenever It wishes. Whenever It pleases. Whenever Guru Maharaj Ji pleases. Whenever that Creator pleases, that Creator is going to come and whenever that Creator pleases, that Creator is going to go.
Guru Maharaj Ji has done in my life He has saved me. There isn't a single prayer anybody has written yet worthy to be sung to him. I don't know of a single prayer. I don't know of a single song that I can sing to Guru Maharaj Ji that I would feel that "yes, this is appropriate.'" Because there isn't any.
Divine Times, September/October 1979 Volume 8, Number 5

October 10, 1979
In Shri Maharaj Ji's satsang, he was saying that one day he locked himself in a room and he just said, "If you are really Guru Maharaj Ji, if Guru Maharaj Ji is really real …" - and this was before he was Guru Maharaj Ji and he had his Guru Maharaj Ji - he said, "If Guru Maharaj is really real … " I guess for him devotion was that strong, his love for his Guru Maharaj Ji was strong, that even when he prayed from his real heart, "I want to see you," Guru Maharaj Ji came and gave him darshan in that way. What is a miracle? You cannot call this a miracle. You have to call it Guru Maharaj Ji's Grace. Because it is a little bit one step beyond it.
To pray to Guru Maharaj Ji from the heart - sometimes even we get down to pray and you know where we get stuck in our prayers? "Hey, is Guru Maharaj Ji going to listen to us? Is Guru Maharaj Ji really going to listen to this prayer?" And really the only answer to that is, "Are you praying?" If you are praying then Guru Maharaj Ji is going to listen to that prayer.
Affinity 1980 Number 2

Hans Jayanti, Kissimmee, Florida, November 5, 1979
Finally sometime in our life we realize that, look, there is no point in having all this misery. There has to be something better. There has to be something greater. There has to be something more beautiful in our life. That's when we pray to Guru Maharaj Ji. That's when we pray to our Perfect Master. Then that's when our heart cries out. It's like, "Get me out of here. Get me out of all this misery." And that's when Guru Maharaj Ji comes, to sincerely save us. We need to be saved constantly. There is no other way. We have to have that faith and trust in Guru Maharaj Ji.
We struggle. We pray. And when that person, when that guide, really comes, there is only one thing to do: surrender and follow him, whatever he says.
It's time to open our eyes and see Guru Maharaj Ji for the first time. It's time to forget about our grievances, forget about our differences and as every individual, approach Guru Maharaj Ji, come to Guru Maharaj Ji, with an open heart. And pray and request for that Grace. Pray and request him to lead you on, that you are ready.
Élan Vital, Fall 1980, Volume IV, Issue 3

Hans Jayanti, Kissimmee, Florida, November 8, 1979, Evening
And it was always so incredible. It was always so blissful to hear Shri Maharaj Ji talk about his Guru Maharaj Ji, the Grace, the power and saving. There was only one reason why he would even talk about it, why he would even give satsang about it: so that the people who were listening could open their ears and perhaps somehow respond to Guru Maharaj Ji like that, too. That experience of completely getting swept away in the river and then praying to Guru Maharaj Ji, and Guru Maharaj Ji coming and picking up his devotee and that devotee then being my Guru Maharaj Ji …
Élan Vital, Volume IV, Issue 3, Fall 1980

Shri Sant Yogashram, New Delhi, Vaishakhi Celebrations (Evening Session), 13th April, 1991.
If you are plagued with a little bit of arrogance that 'you know', you are gone. You are finished. You know nothing. Period. Again you have to turn to the Master and pray to him to give you prudence, "Maharaji, please give me wisdom. I even don't know that as a human being I should not be egoistic. This is the problem. As a human being, I don't know how to conduct myself as a devotee. This too please teach me.
The question is from where did you learn? From where should I get those words which may enable me to sing the glory of my Master. For this also I have to pray to my Master, "Please give me those words too, in order that I may pray to you. Give me that inspiration, give me that wisdom and refined intellect. You just explain to me how I may get rid of my ego."
Because human beings are apt to fall in that swift current despite their being warned against it. They go near that river, their feet slip and they fall down in it. And then they remember and pray, "Maharaji, save me." Then they are ready to accept everything: "Oh, Maharaji, I am stupid, I am foolish. Please save me by any means."
So open up your heart. But that too we do not know, how it is done or what we have to do for it. In that case too we have to pray to the Master - "Oh Maharaji, please teach me the process to open up my heart." Not that "Well, I know." People often presume that they know it, but actually they don't know. "So, Maharaji, please let me know the technique to enable me to open this heart. How to understand this process." Only through his grace a man can derive the bliss of Knowledge, otherwise it is not possible.
After giving up all the arrogance, pray to him. And pray with your heart. Because the modern students do not want to learn. Rather they want to teach. Why? Because they like to argue and wrangle. Nobody wants to learn. But leaving aside all this, pray to the Master. Pray with your heart, not by your mouth. Pray with the heart: "Oh Maharaji, I don't know, please teach me. Please tell me. Give me proper guidance and power of discrimination and protect me. I don't know what to do. Please give me the capability to understand your warnings. If my attention is diverted somewhere else, O my Lord, please call me back to you. Never abandon me. If I am swept away in the current and forget to call you for rescue, please don't forget me. Just come and save me. Because as I have the tendency to forget, I may forget you. I do not know what is good for me. But you know best."
If the heart is full of prayer, then a man will get the capacity to comprehend and make others understand things. Open up your heart. Be a real student, a person who is totally dedicated. Though I know that you have not the capability to become one. So pray for this also that you may become a student. Be a devotee. But I know, you cannot become a devotee. For this too, you have to beg that you may become one. If you want to become a devotee, you can become one. But you do not know that you have to become a devotee. So far you have been a devotee of only one thing and that is maya (illusion). And if you are left alone just for one minute, you will again become a devotee of maya. Apparently you don't know how to practice real devotion. You only know how to practice devotion of maya. You can become a devotee of kali-yuga (dark-age), but if you want to be a true devotee, for that also you shall have to ask
'Life Force', Volume 7, Issue 4 October-December, 1991