Prem Rawat's Teaching about Religion - In His Own Words

Prem Rawat's teachings about religion contain two opposing messages. On the one hand he says people of any religion can practise his Knowledge while practising their religion but that the Perfect Master comes whenever there is a decline in religion and that his perfect and spiritual Knowledge - the realization of God - is the pure and perfect religion and that other religions, which are created after the Perfect Master dies, always fight the current Perfect Master. It is obvious that when he says "I'm not here to change your religion, follow whatever religion you feel" it is because religion is irrelevant compared to finding the true self and peace within that he claims to reveal. Rawat's understanding of religion seems extremely flawed. He boasts of never having read a scripture, makes sweeping statements without any evidence and his comments about other religions are puerile. It is possible that he doesn't understand he is the head of a religion and actually believes his teachings are unique. He claims that religions are not trying to establish peace and prosperity for all but make people fight each other in the name of God. He prophesises that religious wars are going to escalate.

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Shri Sant Ji Maharaj, July 29, 1966, Prem Nagar Ashram, Hardwar, India
If man had brought the Knowledge with him, then he would have taken the Knowledge and gone directly to the Kingdom of Heaven. But no, a man must find that Knowledge of God. This is the highest religion. Time should not be wasted. Saint Kabir said, "You spend the night in sleeping, and the day you waste in eating. This life is priceless but you are spending it as if worth a penny." Today, I tell you the same thing but still you do not listen.
Christ spread the Knowledge of God in his time; what was that Knowledge? In many places, temples have been constructed, but in each temple the worshippers see the statue of only a single Saint. When they come and listen to satsang, then we say to them, "The God you worship is our God also." When Knowledge of God is spread through the whole world, there will be one religion. The Knowledge will be spread through mahatmas, because, without these great souls, it cannot be done.
And It Is Divine, Millenium Program, 1973 and The Golden Age, November 1978, Number 49

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Central Hall, Westminster, London, England, November 2, 1971
I believe in one reality and that is the pure religion. Religion word has been started from the word realization and the realization of God is the pure and perfect religion. There is a glorious sun, not the sun that you see in the sky but the sun which is within ourselves, which is much brighter, much, much, much brighter than the sun you see in the sky. People think God is a man. People think God has got ears, nose, teeth and he rises daily in the morning, toothbrushes, washes mouth and he is an old man also so he makes his beard also and all that people think. But no, God is energy, God is perfect and pure energy and that is why scientists say energy cannot be created and cannot be destroyed.
Satguru has Come, Divine Light Mission Movie, 1971

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Television Interview, Sydney Austalia, October 1972
What do you preach then?
We preach the perfect and the spiritual Knowledge. No master, no saint, at his time preached any religion. Now we make a religion after them. Today, what religion has brought eventually in this world is not peace, but war. Actually, religion has started from the word 'realization', and realization of God is the true religion. So as a matter of fact, I am not preaching any religion, but I am preaching this true Knowledge.
Golden Age Special Introductory Issue, February 1980

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Boulder Colorado on June 28 1973
It's not religion either, because religions have existed in the world for a very, very long time. At the time of Hitler there was a religion, and now there is a religion. It didn't do any good. You know it didn't do any good. It didn't do any good to Hitler, it hasn't done any good to people today either. Now you know this, you understand this, you have practical proof of this, and you can't put it out of your mind for some reason: religions weren't able to bring peace; scriptures weren't able to bring peace. That's why always a Messiah has to come into this world - to bring peace. I don't say I am a Messiah, mind you. I just say I am a servant of God trying to preach this Knowledge to you.
What is the Real Thing?

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Denver Colorado, October 12, 1974 Highly edited, next quote is original
It's been said that Guru Maharaj Ji comes, or God comes into the world, when there is a decline in religion. God comes, Guru Maharaj Ji comes, and helps the world. Why? Realize how much importance there is to it when Guru Maharaj Ji comes and tries to help you through; how much importance there is to it; how small you are compared to the whole world, and the whole world to the whole universe, and that whole universe to something called infinity. We have no idea how big it is, and how small it is.
The Living Master: Quotes from Guru Maharaj Ji

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Denver Colorado,; October 12, 1974
Premies, you know when its told to premies that why does Guru Maharaj Ji come, why does God come into this world, is anytime there is a decline in religion He comes, Guru Maharaj Ji comes and helps. This is why you know premies just get blissed out and say that's so fantastic. But that's about it. But realize how much importance there is to it. When Guru Maharaj Ji comes and tries to help you through. How much importance there is to it. How small you are compared to the whole world. Then the whole world to the universe, and that whole universe to something called infinity. That we have no idea how big it is and how small it is.
The Golden Age No. 15, November, 1974

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Melbourne Australia, October 29 1974
Really premies, so many religions were formed, so many people came, so many people tried to do it - and never made it.
Power Of Love 1974 video

Maharaji's Teachings About the Creator

Guru Puja festival, Lingfield, England, June 21 1979
God. Everybody has a picture of God. You know, children (sucks snot up nose) they have a picture of God, This bi-i-i-ig, hu-u-uge man, you know, that's got, that can fly in a leap you know able to cross tall buildings in one leap, faster than a speeding bullet, just immaculate thing, immaculate being. We have it, in our own ways. People who believe in Ram, people who believe in Krishna, people who believe in Mohammed, people who believe in Christ, people who believe in, in Buddha have their own Gods in their own different formats. I mean, everyone of us has our different ideas of what that Creator really is. Everyone of us thinks that we know, we are right and yet, all it is, is just our painting.
Guru Maharaj Ji shows us something which is real, which is true because Guru Maharaj Ji brings us into this world and shows us something, gives us that realization, shows us what God really is. In its true form. That God that has no religion, is bound to no religion, is not abducted by a religion because 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.
Guru Puja Lingfield England 1979 video

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions Holi festival, Miami, Florida, 1980
Which Perfect Master hasn't come yet and has fought religion? Every Perfect Master that comes in this world, the first thing he has to do, is he's got all this, all this work cut out for Him, you know, He's gotta save the people, he's gotta find His devotees, He's gotta give them Knowledge, you know, and, and take care of His confused premies, not so confused premies, you know, keep tabs on propagation, give satsang to the people who want Knowledge, you know, and, and keep and besides having all that work cut out for Him, He's gotta somehow fight religion, every Perfect Master has fought religion.
Holi 1980 video
Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Guru Puja festival, July 25-27 1980
Get it together. Is there a shortage of religions in this world? Come on, you know, you've gotta be kidding. If there is one, just go make one. Just, I mean it's almost gotta be kidding to say there's a shortage of religion in this world. There isn't. There is so much, so many different kinds of religions in this world that a person who could name all them deserves a degree of a professor, a doctor, at least, you know. And yet, none of those, none of those (shakes his head) are gonna help us. What is gonna help us? Is when we recognise that Saviour. Don't you understand? I mean how many religions must there have been in time of Krishna, in the time of Mohammed, in time of when Jesus came and how many are there now? And if you feel there is a shortage, you can always open a new religion. And yet Saviour comes to save us from everything, give us a new life, give us a new meaning, give us a new hope, give us a new light
You Are My Savior Divine Light Mission video

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Olympia, London, Guru Puja 23rd August 1980
To me that Creator is One. My way to approach that Creator is One. Has to be one, because there is one interface to Him, because there is one experience there is this one human being just like millions and millions on this earth. Perhaps for us maybe there are different different ways. But is God different? Is that Creator different? Is that Creator bound by the, by I mean do you really think for a moment that that Creator that existed before any human being was created would be any subject to a religion? That would be, that would be a bad mistake to even assume such a thing. That Creator is not bound by religion, is bound by devotion. … I'm not, I'm not bound to any religion. This is what's amazing, perhaps. I'm not bound to any religion. … I am for the religion that existed when no religion existed if that has a name. A time, a place to be, just you and your Creator, not the bells and the idols and the books between you and your Creator. Not the gigantic study courses and not the knowledge of everything in your life to know your Creator, the One who created you. It almost sounds as foolish as if you, you were born and you couldn't know who your father was until you guessed and figured it out. First you have to go to school and I mean that was always what if I mean that's how ridiculous it is here it's it is considered God is considered the ultimate father and to recognise Him, to realize Him, to know Him, do we need a book? Do we need a particular place to be? Why the guessing game at all? Don't you think that it's a very simple thing, in fact. I mean I'm not criticising any religion.
Olympia, London, Guru Puja video

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

November 1980
There was one day Jesus decided to have dinner so he called all his devotees called it a farewell party sort of called everybody together and said "Here, enjoy the meal." Since that day to now, I mean of course the bread's changed to little cookies, you know, but that's all it is. That becomes the peak, you know and that becomes the whole thing, and you know of course then you have these priests who love that blood so much that they won't put the glass down, you know "More, more!". You know or then you get somebody hungry and says, "More flesh, more flesh, more blood, more flesh."
Rome 1980 Ashram Saviour video

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Lima Peru, February 1981
I'm saying is how about if I put you directly in touch with God. Now that, that's the real thing (applause) that you, you, you yourself experience who that Creator is. You know the whole thing is I don't say to you who have not received Knowledge yet that you should believe in Knowledge and this is the interesting thing cause all religions work the opposite or I work the opposite which ever way. (laughs … laughter) But the thing is very interesting because I say, first experience and then believe. And with the other ones, first believe and then experience, if you can but (laughter) its simple and its just a simple thing being that we can experience that Creator within inside, through that Knowledge, through that knowing , through that experience.
Message Of The Heart video

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Brisbane, Australia 1983
Well you say you're not a religion or a cult or a new philosophy or a new way of life then then what exactly are you? Well Divine Light Mission is mainly an organisation, it has uh nothing to do with any of the reality of the experience of people, uh, it's just an organisation and that's all it is. It's an organisation uh that has been brought forth for the sake of convenience, it has no other function, no other purpose. Neither do I want to teach or bring about in this world any kind of religion or any kind of a new philosophy or any kind of a cult.
So it's not a religion? No, it's not a religion, you see to me, my understanding is that uh a religion that's not yet a religion is a cult and uh we don't want to bring a religion into this world as we're not a cult, not a religion, not, not even a new philosophy. This is something that's been in this world for ages, for years and years and years.
What do you think about the religions? Oh I um, I respect them, I uh don't want to ridicule them by any means. I think they have a place in this society. I think people enjoy very much following a religion but I think that what I have to offer, the religions don't have to offer.
Australian Television Channel 9 1982/3 Report

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

1989
It is very easy to take Knowledge and to take what I am doing and put it on the parallel tracks of religion but this is about as far from religion as it gets. Because religion is a discipline so that after you die you go to heaven. You do all, you do everything right, then you got the Indian heaven, you got a Chinese heaven, you got you know this heaven, you got that heaven, busy place."
Receiving Knowledge, Élan Vital video

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

Hans Jayanti festival, November 9 1990
Whenever Masters came, they did not establish any religion. These so many religions were created after they left this world. For instance, Buddhism came into existence after Buddha. So just think of it, how many religions have been created in the name of those Masters ! When those Masters left this world, people said, "Oh, all this must continue." So they hatched up these big religions. Has any Master ever advocated that you devastate the creation of God? Has there been any Master who might have said, "You don't respect anything created by God." Was there any such Master? Actually people have forgotten the teachings of those Masters but have given priority to their beliefs. Because whenever great Masters have come in this world, they have always spoken about the heart. And that is what makes all the difference.
'Life Force', Volume 7, Issue 2 April-June 1991

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

A Rented Room at Oxford University, July 28, 2005
My message is not connected to a religion. My message is connected to getting in touch with your heart, to understanding the value and the preciousness of your existence. It is about addressing, rather than covering up, the fundamental needs that you have as a human being - needs that are the same for everyone.
Voice of Maharaji website downloaded April 1st, 2012

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

November, 2005
And that one most important thing for human beings is the aspiration and yearning for peace. It doesn't matter where we go, what religion we belong to, where we live, what we do. At the end of the day, we all need to experience peace. Why? This is the nature of a human being - the composition of a human being.
"Where Peace Resides" Voice of Maharaji website downloaded April 1st, 2012

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

July, 2006
I'm not here to change your religion. Follow whatever religion you feel. I'm not here to teach you other things. I'm not here to teach you how to try to fly. I'm here to teach you to recognize your true self. That's all.
Voice of Maharaji website downloaded April 1st, 2012

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

November, 2006
This is not about religion. Follow whatever religion you want. This is about finding the place within inside of you that still remains untapped. I'm not here to offer formulas to you. I can put you in touch with the peace that is within you. As impossible as it may sound, it's happening right now.
Voice of Maharaji website downloaded April 1st, 2012

Prem Rawat Teaching About Religions

August, 2008
I'm not here to say you should follow a religion or not follow one. Do whatever you have to do. But of all the things you do in your life, do this one, too: feel fulfilled. And of all the things you do, do this one also: accept the gift that has been given to you so abundantly.
Voice of Maharaji website downloaded April 1st, 2012

Prem Rawat Inspirational Speaker Teaching About Religions

downloaded 1st April, 2011 from Words Of Peace Global website
People try to legitimize war: "That's a good war" or "That's a legit war." And this is what I don't like – to make people fight with each other in the name of God. That's just plain wrong. Right now, all the religions should be among the foremost proponents of peace. Uncompromisingly. All the religions should be united behind one cause: peace and prosperity for all people. But they've become the dividing lines. What's going to happen because of this? It's only going to escalate.
ADI magazine #3 and The Greatest Truth Of All

That's why always a Messiah has to come into this world -- to bring peace. I don't say I am a Messiah, mind you. I just say I am a servant of God trying to preach this Knowledge to you.