Background song: Let's stick together - Bryan Ferry

Voiceover: Connect - the video magazine that connects you to information and inspiration throughout the world of Knowledge. On this, our first episode of Connect we report from Nairobi, Kenya where for the past five years one man has overcome many difficulties to set up two events a week. Now, his efforts are sparking enthusiasm from Africans in other parts of the continent. In El Monte, California, despite cultural diversity Asians, Hispanics, Africans and other Americans have come together to form a potent propagation team and later in the program a report on the new developments in satellite broadcasts that will impact people around the world who are interested in Maharaji's message.

"What we hope to eventually achieve is to have a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week channel."

Voiceover: But first this story. Maharaji has been working on a means by which Knowledge can be received with greater ease and understanding.

MJ: For me it has been very, very inspiring to sit there and to do this and I'm not gonna call it a video cause it's not a video and it's not a DVD and it's not anything. It'll be something very unique when it's done and finished with but the possibilities all of a sudden, the the whole horizon has expanded if that's at all possible because now people can receive Knowledge regardless of where they are when they are ready they can receive Knowledge. If they cannot make it to an event for some reason they can still receive Knowledge.

Voiceover: The project is still being developed. Once completed it should be something unique to this age.

MJ: In fact in the history of Knowledge something like this never has been done. The auto Knowledge sessions, the the reason why this was created is so that Knowledge sessions can happen in remote areas, wherever. People in the hospital, people in places where I would not dare tread, so people can have Knowledge and it's good

You know for all the people who I'm sure there are people there wonder where we are "How secure is this gonna be?" It's it's incredibly secure, incredibly secure. It requires more passwords than you've ever imagined and you it only gives you three tries if you don't make it within the three tries it just starts to wipe out the entire hard disk I mean that's about it so hoo hoo hoo hoo ha hah. It's very, very secure. Don't worry about that. Technology is kinda neat when you can tame it and use it for your purposes rather than it using you for it's purposes.

HEART OF AFRICA

Voiceover: Today we visit the East Africa country of Kenya where a handful of people have maintained Knowledge Presentations over the decades. Their efforts are now inspiring other people throughout Africa to setup Knowledge Presentations. Since the 1970's Knowledge Presentations have continued to be heard in this part of the world. At present, there are about 25 aspirants. Maurice Cocobo is one of the people who gave Knowledge a chance to be heard here. He is a poor man and lives in a small apartment with his family. Although he has two jobs, for the past five years Maurice has found the time to set up two presentations a week. It's a long journey by bus into downtown Nairobi where the venue for the events is located.

MJ: People came under no guise and no books and no philosophies. People came together to listen, to listen to those words that affected them in their heart, not in their mind. This little drama is happening in this place, this little drama that has been played on the rocks and has been played on the slopes and has been played on top of the mountains and the bottoms of the valleys, by the oceans. People come, not because they saw a poster but because they wanted to come and they listen and they all come from different walks of life just like you have. And they listened and their hearts were touched. It's happening.

Slow, fast, you know if somebody asks me "You know how can I help with the propagation in this world?" You know I say "Well I'm not gonna advertise. I'm the Master, you are my student, you are my advertisement. (Some laughter, few claps) That's it. That's all I can have." And you know it, as weird as it may sound, that's all I want. Now don't you think for a minute that I can't go and create ads, I can do that. (laughter, nods head in exaggerated manner) I can create some big ads (loudly) but that's not what I want (whispers).

I'm not looking for popularity. I only want the ones that are thirsty and my effort is to seek them out wherever they are (a few loud claps) and I work for that (applause) whether its I've got a report I was reading this morning from Kenya and this is two people went there, to Kenya, and they you know showing people videos and um there's a lot of people who are interested. It isn't for those who are not looking. Why? No explanations. That's their nature and thirsty, it doesn't matter where they are, they've ever heard my name but they're looking for me and they have been and I'm looking for them and that's how it was. Remember I was born in India. I was going to be placed in this military school (laughter) and that would've been a kick (laughter). So, I came to the West in my summer holidays and I remember my mother called me and she said umm "When are you coming back? Your school starts in a few weeks" and I said "I'm doing what I would be doing if I did finish my school. I'm doing what I want to do." She said "Wagghh oohh etc." (laughter) I said "I'm doing what I'm doing, what I want to do. That's it. This is what I'm gonna do. I'll see you in November." (Mimics hanging up, laughter)

Voiceover: Maharaji's focus on what he does has inspired people like Maurice in many parts of Africa.

MJ: The message comes. In Kenya there are aspirants. They watch videos and they write me letters "Please come to Kenya. We need you. We need Knowledge. Please show us."

Voiceover: Last September (1999), 36 people received Knowledge in Kenya. It was the first Knowledge session in East Africa in 19 years. (In 1974 53 new premies - 7 Africans, 8 Europeans, and 38 Indians - Divine Times - June 1974 Volume 3, Issue 1)

STICK WITH IT

Voiceover: There are hundreds of communities globally where the message of Knowledge can be heard. They all started small and grew through the efforts of interested people. In this story Connect sent our crew to El Monte California where a Chinese speaking community has regular aspirants actively preparing for Knowledge. In the early days, however, things went slowly and a small inspired team learnt to face challenges with patience.

"Some point in my heart I felt this is something that's gonna work because Guru Maharaj Ji's message is so beautiful. He's such a incredible Master. It's going to work, it's going to happen. That's why we stick with it."

"Since I came to America we start have events in my apartment first and then I was referred to Mina that she was here looking for something and In know something could happen so we start together. But after that nothing was really happening. We still have weekly meetings at Mina's condo but not too much going on."

"And I just (sighs) did not know what to do. Fortunately I got a chance to speak with Maharaji and I told him that I had try everything. I told all my friends and I told all my relatives, all our friends. I am at the end of the rope and he was laughing.

MJ: Don't ever feel that that's the end of the rope. There's a lotta rope hahahaha. (laughter) There's a lotta rope. Look propagation never happens - boom! Never. It's one after another after another after another after another.

In Hong Kong even the whole gathering was just about as big as this. Few new people came. Of that, I don't know how many would be interested but maybe 2 or 3 so then you do another event maybe 2 or 3 but pretty soon the 2 or 3 is 6 and then maybe it's 12 and it goes on. You have to have a lot of patience, a lot of patience.

"Basically that's how it started for me. I had that desire to come and help but before I knew it, it was a priority for me. It was something that I wanted to do and where before it was just a small little desire to just help a little here and now, now I have Knowledge and um it's an incredible experience being able to service and doing Knowledge and it happened so quickly and that's what it was, it was that feeling and knowing that there was a need and knowing that I could help and knowing that I was welcome that that really made it work for me."

"I came from Ghana and while I was coming I collected quite a number of contacts no less. I started dialling in a little village in Northern California and there was no way I can actually get directions to the program until finally I I wrote to Visions and then they replied me and that was really very exciting to me because it was like for three months I've never been able to get to any place and so when I finally came the nearest place to me was the El Monte program so I just started swimming in that and it has been really very exciting for me. Just like we have in Ghana, this is also like a humble beginning. We really don't - everything is just - everything just goes on beautifully. You go, you help in any which way you can and you see it is going. Everybody keeps enjoying the whole thing and it's really very exciting for me. I really hope that this will continue to go the way it's going so that others who have not yet been touched can maybe have the same opportunity."

Backgound music: King of Kings
MJ: When I first came to the West, when I first came to England I remember coming down stairs to the living room and there were only 5 or 6 people. That was it. Some had Knowledge. Some were just looking at me, staring at me. My English was not very good and I was in England and slowly and slowly and slowly it began(background song: We've been wandering through these crazy times, searching for some peace of mind, searching for a love that will never die) Then I came to America, same thing. When I was in Colorado, if this many people showed up one day we would all be excited "Oh my God."

Interviewer from Channel 9 Sydney, Australia, 1972: How did it come to you? Was it a gradual tuition during your childhood?

GMJ 1972: Well you see uh, as you know, children are rather interested to play at the time and I was also very interested to play but there were these programs, uh lectures, of my father going around India and uh I used to listen to them. He used to take me there and I used to listen to them and finally I came to this conclusion that wherever he went and he talked about God and he talked about this peace and I sort of became interested though my topic to be interested was uh my school topics, my education but still I got interested in what he was talking with truth, peace and all these things and I understood that there can be something greater than what I see.

MJ: With my father when he started propagation and he would do programs, even this one program that he would do around Vaisakhi the real purpose of it was that a lot of the people would come to bathe in the Ganges so he had a place near the Ganges so that they could make the connection and come back. Very slowly it begins but it requires patience and it requires effort and always you are beginning from scratch like nothing happened. Then this is a new program and tomorrow it is a new program and tomorrow it's a new program.

In response to attendees a decision was made to move to a new venue at the Chinese Cultural Center and hold events on Sundays. With these changes, things began to take off. "So much of what happens in the room is just magic. I mean you put out your effort, you make sure the equipment is right, you make sure the room is clean, you make sure the videos are cued up, the emcee knows what to do, the lights are gonna go off at the right time. You know you make sure about all these things but all of that is just to create the environment. What actually happens in that environment is totally out of your control and people come in and they feel things and magic happens in that room.

(Chinese) Good morning and welcome. This morning's presentation is an introduction to Maharaji's and what he's offering.

When you have got going to do something especially for your Master something to make your heart happy then you are going to be very surprised how you can take all that problems.

When I started with I always look for some company that I feel like we can walk together and that's important. That's how we started. Look for a good company to start with. The key ingredient in this is to have that respect for people so people feel comfortable working together.

What's so amazing even about the team is we're all very different and yet we can all come together to do this one thing.

I think what one important thing that helps the team work is the fact that each and every one of us easily observes suggestions that goes to improve the quality of the setup.

So it's not about high thoughts, it's not about any achievement but it's just each individual's response to their thirst, to their own feeling and to their own Master and I feel it's a very beautiful feeling.

That's what we've been able to accomplish is when one person pulls too much another person pulls their weight and balances it out and I think that's one of the reasons it's been successful.

Be careful not to judge each other umm you know be kind to each other.

We see each other after the programs. It's a really good feeling and it's not like "Yeah, we did it!" It's more like uh we're feeling grateful that that's a beautiful gift.

Last year (1999) 17 people from El Monte asked to receive Knowledge

We have 11 people selected to receive Knowledge in Florida. 4 of them are Chinese. Everybody's excited about this.
For me this has been just the most incredible journey of my whole life.
When I heard him it just it was just the perfect perfect message for me and it was just perfect to connect with him at the time that I did too.
And I hope through Knowledge it becomes more consistent, more tangible and more in depth that clarity and that feeling.

On route to the Knowledge Session in Miami the airport limousine driver was interested in the purpose of their trip.

I wouldn't have gone to listen to Maharaji unless I met someone in person who felt that peace with themselves.
Taxidriver: Can I ask you a question? Who is Maharaji?
He um he teaches
(Interrupts) Maharaji is the person
He teaches a way to go within to yourself and to experience your inner self
Taxidriver: Buddhism or something like that?
No, it's not associated to any particular religion, it's just
Taxidriver: Oh really
a way to experience fulfilment inside yourself, to experience peace.
Taxidriver: Meditation?
Umm well he doesn't call it meditation because meditation sometimes has to do with reflecting on things and persons and objects whereas this has more to do with experiencing something that's absolute.
Taxidriver: Oh yeah.
So he calls it Knowledge cause he says it's the knowhow to go within and experience the unchangeable.

Really when, when aspirants come and are inspired and receive Knowledge this is Maharaji's work and I felt privileged to be included. I mean all we're doing is making a space for something to exist and when that thing exists it takes off, it grows, it touches people. It's something that you can't have an expectation for, that you've just got to be very, very patient and you've just gotta have a lotta trust.
It's a whole thing of you being completely committed and at the same time enjoying it yourself too.
I just know that if it keeps going this way it's - I don't know - it's gonna explode.

GMJ: I'm always excited when it begins to grow so don't feel handicapped. You have very strong support available, global, of the whole world, incredibly fantastic resources.

Enjoy yourself and don't forget who you are doing this for.

Voiceover: Today events in El Monte continue to prepare new aspirants much to the satisfaction of those who have made an effort to stick with it.

MAHARAJI TV

Voiceover: Malibu California, December 10th, 1977, Maharaji speaks to a global audience simultaneously through an international phone feed.

GMJ 1977: This is something that we have come a long ways to now. I remember a long time ago we used to talk about this: That someday all the premies would be hearing satsang over the telephone or over the video. dlm_pubs/divinetimes/197712/gmj_lotmorefarce.html and dlm_pubs/goldenage/42/gmj_purelybygrace.html The message of Knowledge was now being heard all around the world simultaneously but as Maharaji predicted then future developments would see videos transmitted by satellite.

GMJ 1977: And just inside I was talking about the video we could have had if we had proper arrangements: A video set-up here that would be via satellite being transmitted to all these countries. But I don't see that that day is too far. I think it's very, very close. You know we used to talk about a lot of things and those things are just manifesting. It's like, it's almost like clockwork, you know? The way it's happening; the way it's just manifesting. So timely. So incredible.

Voiceover: Phone feeds continued through the '70's then the first global broadcast of Maharaji's message was beamed out of Pasadena, California. Live broadcasts of Maharaji speaking had commenced.

GMJ: This satellite transmissions that have recently started. It's really quite amazing. Last night which was a live broadcast in all countries all over the world, something like 17,000, a little over 17,000 people were listening to the broadcast (applause) and I hope that by listening to that however close you can be I mean not everybody can be here, this hall is already full, not everybody can be here and people do want to be here but whatever their responsibilities are, whatever is going on, maybe they can't make it but maybe as close as they can be to that living magic it is wonderful it is incredible.

Voiceover: In the future broadcasts will increase until a regular television channel is broadcasting globally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Discussions on television programming are now under way with scheduled nights for aspirants and introductory programs.

Today's event has been broadcast live not only within India but across the world to an audience of 140,000 people. For thousands of viewers across India, weekly broadcasts commenced last year. For the rest of the world the broadcasts of the video 'Celebrate' produced in April this year is the start of regular satellite broadcasting. From now on broadcasts will become more frequent as time unfolds.

GMJ: A person who enjoys Knowledge in their life keeps in touch and participates, that's the person that is active. (Applause) If tochnology (sic) can allow do you know that I mean of course this is what this event isn't a live live event broadcast but this evening it will be and in Europe this is live. If technology can allow us to sit there and watch this at home in our own living room, what is the harm? (Clapping) None, I don't see it. I really don't see the harm.

Voiceover: Regular television broadcasting requires an efficient production team. For 'Celebrate' producers had 14 days to prepare. The producers met with a creative team to design the show and storyboard the sketched. John Adorney is hired to compose the musical score (GMJ: "Celebrate!") and telephone interviews are recorded with people in 7 countries.

So I wanted to go over some of these transitions. I thought Steve did a great job and particularly in here with Maharaji's footage where he does these wipes, this window wipe I really like, it's a little bit different.

Voiceover: Creative producer Kate McGowan and editor Heather Vanderhoop begin editing. They will work closely with graphic effects artists.

April 8: A tape of the final show is picked up from Visions International and taken to Globecast in Los Angeles where the signal is sent via fibre optics to Napa Valley Earth Station. Then it is beamed to a satellite covering Europe and the Americas and another over the Pacific Rim. Global transmission begins. Visions International coordinates the transmission into Nroth America.

Today we're transmitting into North America, to Canada, the US and Mexico. Broadcast Director, Claudio Lissman uses an internet chat room to talk to downlink technicians in the local community.

So here we were today implementing for first time a communications system. We were all around the world with people representing the regions online and we were just exchanging messages how everything was going. We had to do corrections for certain areas.

Voiceover: It has been a successful broadcast. The online talk in the chat room has now switched from technical talk to messages of appreciation. From Argentina, "the best broadcast in history!" From Japan, "Okay, thank you." From Australia, "A Winner." And finally, "The whole of South America is dancing with joy."

GMJ: Do you know that more and more and more people are not going to have the time in their lives and this is very true in Japan, you want propagation in Japan, beam the message to their little houses. That they can handle. I don't know if you've been to Tokyo or not. Tokyo is basically one giant parking lot. You can walk faster. People don't have that time and more and more in the Western worlds people are not going to have the time. There are people who don't have the satellite dishes or this or that. It's gonna take a little time but sooner or later I hope that people will be able to enjoy it all around the world. There is no reason, there is no reason (some applause) there is really, really no reason. The technology, so many avenues are available to us. It's an exciting field. Knowledge is one of the most exciting field there is.

Voiceover: Indications are that satellite broadcasting will directly impact propagation and effect people who are interested in Knowledge around the world.

Copyright MM Visions International