Teachings of Prem Rawat
Encyclopedia
The core of Prem Rawat
's teaching is that the individual’s need for fulfillment can be satisfied by turning within to contact a constant source of peace and joy. Rather than a body of dogma, he emphasizes a direct experience of transcendence, which he claims is accessible through the four techniques of meditation which he teaches. He calls these techniques "Knowledge
" and says that Knowledge will take "all your senses that have been going outside all your life, turn them around and put them inside to feel and to actually experience you."
In his public speeches he quotes from Hindu, Muslim and Christian sources, but he relies on the experience provided by the four meditation techniques for his inspiration and guidance. According to scholar and follower Ron Geaves, this lack of professed concepts allows his followers a freedom of expression which is spontaneous and personal. Rawat places no outer requirements or prohibitions on those taught the techniques, nor does he regard himself as an exemplary leader. Practitioners are asked not to reveal these techniques to anyone else, but to allow others to prepare to receive the experience for themselves. Rawat has been criticized for a lack of intellectual content in his public discourses.
s, who dismiss all religious ritual and dogma and emphasize the possibility of a direct experience of God, who, they claim, "dwells in the heart". Theologically, their teachings are distinguished by an inward, loving devotion to a divine principle, and socially by an egalitarianism that is opposed to the qualitative distinctions of the Hindu caste
system. Sants believe that the Guru
or Perfect Master
is an embodiment of God and a fitting object of worship. Some of the more notable Sant gurus include Namdev
(d.1350), Kabir
(d.1518), Nanak
(d.1539), Mirabai (d.1545), Surdas
(d.1573), Tulsidas
(d.1623), and Tukaram
(d. 1650). Other scholars refer to affinities with medieval traditions of Nirguna Bhakti
(Sanskrit = "formless devotion"), with a similar emphasis on universalism, equality, direct experience and criticism of blind allegiance to religious ritual and dogma.
Hans Ji Maharaj
, Rawat's father and guru, was a devotee of Swarupanand, and became a guru in 1936 on Swarupanand's death. He began presenting his message and teaching the techniques of Knowledge in the small town of Najibabad
, near Haridwar
. His talks were strongly influenced by the reformist philosophy of the Arya Samaj
, and he viewed himself primarily as the "Guru of the Poor". His teachings were rich in metaphor and more concerned with practical applications than theory. Unusually for an Indian teacher, he accepted students irrespective of caste, religion or status, and drew his share of criticism from traditional Hindus. In 1936 he published a book Hans Yog Prakash as a first step to broadening the dissemination of his message.
In 1972 Rawat relocated to the U.S. and while his teachings remained essentially Hindu in origin and he continued with many Indian traditions, he managed with the minimum of Hindu terms and concepts, keeping his main emphasis on an individual, subjective experience. His first western discourses were criticized by some religious scholars as evangelical and lacking in substance and for stressing direct experience over intellect or religious conceptual thinking.
A reporter at an appearance in Boston described Rawat as "...a real human being. He spoke humbly, conversationally, and without any apparent notion that he was God. In fact he seemed to consciously undercut the divine stage show and the passionate words said in his honor. Devotees and mahatmas speak of him as the guy who will out-Christ Christ, yet the guru himself claims, not that he is divine, but that his Knowledge is". Sociologist James Downton observed that from his early beginnings Rawat appealed to his followers to give up the concepts and beliefs that might impede them from fully experiencing the "Knowledge" or life force, but this did not prevent them from adopting a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity, and to project millennial preconceptions onto him and the movement. Stephen A. Kent
, in the preface of his book From Slogans to Mantras
, described his disappointment at hearing what he considered to be a poorly delivered and banal message by Rawat in 1974, and was surprised that his companions spoke glowingly about the same message.
Prem Rawat has never asked for payment for teaching Knowledge but it was reported that in the 1970s, some Indian mahatmas asked would-be initiates to empty their pockets and give what they had prior to receiving Knowledge. In 1974, Rawat began using Western initiators to teach the techniques of Knowledge and continued to transform his teachings in order to appeal to a Western context.
By the early 1980s Prem Rawat had dropped the title "Guru" and eliminated the last of the Indian aspects. Rawat does not see himself as bound by conventional beliefs or practices of any institutionalized religion or tradition-honored world view. He is essentially an iconoclast who plots his route by pragmatic decisions to meet the demands and challenges that occur in his public career as a teacher striving to convince people of the value of self-knowledge. Rawat claims that practicing Knowledge will allow the practitioner to experience joy, self-understanding, calmness, peace and contentment. Practitioners describe Knowledge as internal and highly individual, with no associated social structure, liturgy, ethical practices or articles of faith. According to Ron Geaves, Rawat speaks spontaneously, with an emphasis on an individual's subjective experience rather than on a body of theoretical knowledge, and he draws upon real life experiences, including his own, rather than on interpretations of the scriptures. He is uncluttered by tradition in the manner of a contemporary Kabir
or Nanak. Rawat advises students that for maximum benefit the techniques should be practised daily for at least one hour. He does not demand obedience, in that no outer requirements or prohibitions are placed on those taught the techniques. The axiom, 'If you like it, practice it; if you don’t, try something else,' is frequently given in his public discourses. Neither does Prem Rawat regard himself as an exemplary leader, a role often ascribed to religious founders.
The experience of Knowledge is described by practitioners as internal and highly individual. The techniques are to be practised privately, and have no related social structure or hierarchy. According to students, there is no liturgy or social obligation involved. They also say that the techniques are universally applicable and their practice has no impact on, or relationship to, a student's gender, race, sexual orientation, economic status, religion,
or national origin.
and the American religious scholar J. Gordon Melton
, the techniques of Knowledge are secret and were originally called "Light", "Sound", "Name" (or "Word") and "Nectar", but Maharaji now refers to them as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th techniques. Rawat asks practitioners to promise "not to reveal these techniques to anyone", but says to "let other people go through their own journey ... [so] they, too, can have the techniques when they are ready."
Kranenborg and Melton provide differing details of them in their writings but agree on a general description of the practices. "Light" involves careful pressure on the eyes, seeking to open the "third eye
" after a long period of training and practice. This is comparable to similar Tantric
practices. "Sound" involves positioning the hands over the ears and temples, with the goal of hearing the "heavenly music". This is reported to be related to sabda-brahman
meditation. "Name" or "Word" is a meditation concentrating on breath. "Nectar" involves tongue positioning, eventually leading the student to taste the "nectar of life". Michael Drury describes these techniques as helping the practitioner to develop "a deep and spiritual self-knowledge."
s (renamed to "Initiators" in 1974) conducted "Knowledge Sessions" face-to-face in small groups. From 2001 the techniques were taught via a multimedia presentation made by Rawat. In 2005, Prem Rawat introduced "The Keys", a program of five DVD
's which prepare the student for receiving Knowledge. The techniques are taught in Key Six. A request from a practitioner who feels they are ready to view Key Six will result in an invitation to a Knowledge Session. It is available in more than 50 languages (of which he speaks five himself: English, Hindi
, Nepalese, Spanish and Italian; the other languages are dubbed). In this presentation, Maharaji explains the techniques step-by-step, to ensure that they are understood and practiced correctly. This process takes 2½ hours, of which one hour is dedicated to practicing the techniques, 15 minutes each. Before the presentation starts, people are asked to keep three promises: a) to keep in touch, b) to give Knowledge a fair chance, and c) to not share these techniques with anyone. If attendees agree with these three promises they are invited to stay and receive "the gift of Knowledge."
The Knowledge Sessions are facilitated by volunteers who operate the video equipment and ensure the comfort of the attendees. Knowledge Sessions are available throughout the year in most Western countries. In special cases, such as people who are in hospitals etc., or are otherwise bed-ridden, the volunteers go to them to conduct the Session.
writes that the Knowledge was based on self-understanding, providing the practitioner with calmness, peace, and contentment, as the inner-self is identical with the divine, and that Prem Rawat emphasizes that Knowledge is universal, not Indian, in nature.
Ron Geaves
, a Professor of Religion at Liverpool Hope University in England who is one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat, writes that Prem Rawat himself has stated that he does not consider himself to be a charismatic figure, preferring to refer to his teachings and the efficacy of the practice of the four techniques on the individual as the basis of his authority. The showing of the four techniques replaces the traditional diksha, and although it marks the sealing of master/disciple relationship, that is not emphasized in the session itself. Rather, the focus is on correct practice and staying in touch through participation or listening. Prem Rawat’s teachings make no reference to any traditional authority, neither person nor text.
Stephen J. Hunt
describes Rawat's major focus as being on stillness, peace and contentment within the individual, and his 'Knowledge' consists of the techniques to obtain them. Knowledge, roughly translated, means the happiness of the true self-understanding. Each individual should seek to comprehend his or her true self. In turn, this brings a sense of well-being, joy, and harmony as one comes in contact with one's "own nature." The Knowledge includes four secret meditation procedures and the process of reaching the true self within can only be achieved by the individual, but with the guidance and help of a teacher. Hence, the movement seems to embrace aspects of world-rejection and world-affirmation. The tens of thousands of followers in the West do not see themselves as members of a religion, but the adherents of a system of teachings that extol the goal of enjoying life to the full. They claim that Rawat's authority comes from the nature of his teachings and their benefit to the individual.
In Sacred Journeys sociologist James V. Downton
writes
Marc Galanter (MD)
, professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse at the New York University Medical Center, writes that "over the long term of membership, meditation also played an important role in supporting a convert's continuing involvement. An analysis of the relationship between the time members spent in meditation and the decline in their level of neurotic distress revealed that greater meditation time was associated with diminished neurotic distress. This association suggests that the emotional response to meditation acts as a reinforcement for its continued practice." That is, the more a member meditated, in general, the better the person was likely to feel. Members apparently used meditation to relieve distress, both at scheduled times and on an ad hoc basis.
Paul Schnabel observed, referring to research by the psychologist of religion Van der Lans
, that among his Western students, Rawat appeared to stimulate an uncritical attitude, giving them an opportunity to project their fantasies of divinity onto his person. According to these authors, the divine nature of the guru is a standard element of Eastern religion, but removed from its cultural context, and confounded with the Western understanding of God as a father, what is lost is the difference between the guru's person and that which the guru symbolizes—resulting in what they refer to as limitless personality worship. Schnabel writes that this kind of understanding of the master-disciple relationship, alien to the original Eastern guru-disciple
context, often ends in disillusionment for the disciple, who finds that the teacher in the end fails to live up to his or her expectations.The reference texts by Van der Lans quoted by Schnabel in that chapter:
and several scholars after deprogramming
of several of Rawat's former worshippers refer to the experience of Rawat's "meditation" techniques as self-hypnosis, and as diminishing the ability to think both during the practice and for an extended period of time after cessation.
According to David V. Barrett
, at the heart of Prem Rawat's teaching is the Knowledge, and the experience is an individual, subjective experience rather than a body of dogma. In its Divine Light days the movement was sometimes criticized for this stressing of emotional experience over intellect. The teaching could perhaps best be described as practical mysticism.
Prem Rawat
Prem Pal Singh Rawat , also known as Maharaji and formerly known as Guru Maharaj Ji and Balyogeshwar, teaches a meditation practice he calls Knowledge....
's teaching is that the individual’s need for fulfillment can be satisfied by turning within to contact a constant source of peace and joy. Rather than a body of dogma, he emphasizes a direct experience of transcendence, which he claims is accessible through the four techniques of meditation which he teaches. He calls these techniques "Knowledge
Techniques of Knowledge
Knowledge was a term used by Shri Hans Ji Maharaj to denote a formulation of four specific meditation techniques that were imparted in a process of initiation...
" and says that Knowledge will take "all your senses that have been going outside all your life, turn them around and put them inside to feel and to actually experience you."
In his public speeches he quotes from Hindu, Muslim and Christian sources, but he relies on the experience provided by the four meditation techniques for his inspiration and guidance. According to scholar and follower Ron Geaves, this lack of professed concepts allows his followers a freedom of expression which is spontaneous and personal. Rawat places no outer requirements or prohibitions on those taught the techniques, nor does he regard himself as an exemplary leader. Practitioners are asked not to reveal these techniques to anyone else, but to allow others to prepare to receive the experience for themselves. Rawat has been criticized for a lack of intellectual content in his public discourses.
History
Scholars have asserted that Prem Rawat's teachings originate in the traditions of the North Indian SantSant Mat
Sant Mat was a loosely associated group of teachers that became prominent in the northern part of the Indian sub-continent from about the 13th century...
s, who dismiss all religious ritual and dogma and emphasize the possibility of a direct experience of God, who, they claim, "dwells in the heart". Theologically, their teachings are distinguished by an inward, loving devotion to a divine principle, and socially by an egalitarianism that is opposed to the qualitative distinctions of the Hindu caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
system. Sants believe that the Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
or Perfect Master
Perfect Master
The term Perfect Master may refer to:*the 5th of 33 degrees in Scottish Rite Freemasonry *a title of Jesus in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.*a translation of Satguru used in modern Hindu movements and Sant Mat...
is an embodiment of God and a fitting object of worship. Some of the more notable Sant gurus include Namdev
Namdev
Sant Namdeo or Bhagat Namdeo was born on October 29, 1270 in the state of Maharashtra village of Narasi-Bamani, in Hingoli district . His father, a calico printer/tailor, was named Damshet and his mother's name was Gonabai...
(d.1350), Kabir
Kabir
Kabīr was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement...
(d.1518), Nanak
Guru Nanak Dev
Guru Nanak was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. The Sikhs believe that all subsequent Gurus possessed Guru Nanak’s divinity and religious authority, and were named "Nanak" in the line of succession.-Early life:Guru Nanak was born on 15 April 1469, now...
(d.1539), Mirabai (d.1545), Surdas
Surdas
Surdas, the 15th century sightless saint, poet and musician, is known for his devotional songs dedicated to Lord Krishna. Surdas is said to have written and composed a hundred thousand songs in his magnum opus the 'Sur Sagar' , out of which only about 8,000 are extant...
(d.1573), Tulsidas
Tulsidas
Tulsidas , was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the god Rama...
(d.1623), and Tukaram
Tukaram
Sant Tukaram was a prominent Varkari Sant and spiritual poet during a Bhakti movement in India.Sant Tukaram was born and lived most of his life in Dehu, a town close to Pune in Mahārāshtra, India. He was born to a couple with the family name "More", the descendent of the Mourya Clan with first...
(d. 1650). Other scholars refer to affinities with medieval traditions of Nirguna Bhakti
Nirguna Brahman
Nirguna Brahman, signifies in Hindu philosophy the Brahman that pervades the Universe, considered without form , as in the Advaita school or else as without material form, as in Dvaita schools of philosophy.-Advaita:According to Adi Shankara, the famous reviver of Advaita...
(Sanskrit = "formless devotion"), with a similar emphasis on universalism, equality, direct experience and criticism of blind allegiance to religious ritual and dogma.
Hans Ji Maharaj
Hans Ji Maharaj
Hans Ram Singh Rawat, known as Shri Hans Ji Maharaj was born in Gadh-ki-Sedhia, north-east of Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. His parents were Ranjit Singh Rawat and Kalindi Devi...
, Rawat's father and guru, was a devotee of Swarupanand, and became a guru in 1936 on Swarupanand's death. He began presenting his message and teaching the techniques of Knowledge in the small town of Najibabad
Najibabad
Najibabad is a pleasant city / partially hill station and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It has a railway junction and is one of the administrative blocks of the Bijnor district...
, near Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
. His talks were strongly influenced by the reformist philosophy of the Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
, and he viewed himself primarily as the "Guru of the Poor". His teachings were rich in metaphor and more concerned with practical applications than theory. Unusually for an Indian teacher, he accepted students irrespective of caste, religion or status, and drew his share of criticism from traditional Hindus. In 1936 he published a book Hans Yog Prakash as a first step to broadening the dissemination of his message.
Teachings
Prem Rawat did not inherit a formal set of teachings nor did he develop one, as he sees conceptual thinking as the main enemy of the direct religious experience which he claims can be obtained through the techniques of Knowledge. His central claim is that God resides in every human being and the human quest for fulfillment can be resolved by turning inward to discover a constant source of contentment and joy. He gives equal billing to all religions, quoting from Hindu, Muslim and Christian sources, but rather than rely on scriptures for inspiration and guidance, Rawat relies on the experience provided by the four techniques of Knowledge. This lack of professed concepts allow his followers a freedom of expression which is spontaneous and personal.In 1972 Rawat relocated to the U.S. and while his teachings remained essentially Hindu in origin and he continued with many Indian traditions, he managed with the minimum of Hindu terms and concepts, keeping his main emphasis on an individual, subjective experience. His first western discourses were criticized by some religious scholars as evangelical and lacking in substance and for stressing direct experience over intellect or religious conceptual thinking.
A reporter at an appearance in Boston described Rawat as "...a real human being. He spoke humbly, conversationally, and without any apparent notion that he was God. In fact he seemed to consciously undercut the divine stage show and the passionate words said in his honor. Devotees and mahatmas speak of him as the guy who will out-Christ Christ, yet the guru himself claims, not that he is divine, but that his Knowledge is". Sociologist James Downton observed that from his early beginnings Rawat appealed to his followers to give up the concepts and beliefs that might impede them from fully experiencing the "Knowledge" or life force, but this did not prevent them from adopting a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity, and to project millennial preconceptions onto him and the movement. Stephen A. Kent
Stephen A. Kent
Stephen A. Kent, is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He researches new and alternative religions, and has published research on several such groups including the Children of God , the Church of Scientology, and newer faiths...
, in the preface of his book From Slogans to Mantras
From Slogans to Mantras
From Slogans to Mantras: Social Protest and Religious Conversion in the Late Vietnam War Era is a non-fiction book by sociologist Stephen A. Kent. The book was published in both hardcover and paperback editions, in 2001...
, described his disappointment at hearing what he considered to be a poorly delivered and banal message by Rawat in 1974, and was surprised that his companions spoke glowingly about the same message.
Prem Rawat has never asked for payment for teaching Knowledge but it was reported that in the 1970s, some Indian mahatmas asked would-be initiates to empty their pockets and give what they had prior to receiving Knowledge. In 1974, Rawat began using Western initiators to teach the techniques of Knowledge and continued to transform his teachings in order to appeal to a Western context.
By the early 1980s Prem Rawat had dropped the title "Guru" and eliminated the last of the Indian aspects. Rawat does not see himself as bound by conventional beliefs or practices of any institutionalized religion or tradition-honored world view. He is essentially an iconoclast who plots his route by pragmatic decisions to meet the demands and challenges that occur in his public career as a teacher striving to convince people of the value of self-knowledge. Rawat claims that practicing Knowledge will allow the practitioner to experience joy, self-understanding, calmness, peace and contentment. Practitioners describe Knowledge as internal and highly individual, with no associated social structure, liturgy, ethical practices or articles of faith. According to Ron Geaves, Rawat speaks spontaneously, with an emphasis on an individual's subjective experience rather than on a body of theoretical knowledge, and he draws upon real life experiences, including his own, rather than on interpretations of the scriptures. He is uncluttered by tradition in the manner of a contemporary Kabir
Kabir
Kabīr was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement...
or Nanak. Rawat advises students that for maximum benefit the techniques should be practised daily for at least one hour. He does not demand obedience, in that no outer requirements or prohibitions are placed on those taught the techniques. The axiom, 'If you like it, practice it; if you don’t, try something else,' is frequently given in his public discourses. Neither does Prem Rawat regard himself as an exemplary leader, a role often ascribed to religious founders.
The experience of Knowledge is described by practitioners as internal and highly individual. The techniques are to be practised privately, and have no related social structure or hierarchy. According to students, there is no liturgy or social obligation involved. They also say that the techniques are universally applicable and their practice has no impact on, or relationship to, a student's gender, race, sexual orientation, economic status, religion,
or national origin.
Techniques of Knowledge
According to the Dutch religious scholar and Christian minister Reender KranenborgReender Kranenborg
Reender Kranenborg was an editor of the magazine Religious Movement in the Netherlands published by the institute of religious studies of the Free University in Amsterdam....
and the American religious scholar J. Gordon Melton
J. Gordon Melton
John Gordon Melton is an American religious scholar who was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is currently a research specialist in religion and New Religious Movements with the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara...
, the techniques of Knowledge are secret and were originally called "Light", "Sound", "Name" (or "Word") and "Nectar", but Maharaji now refers to them as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th techniques. Rawat asks practitioners to promise "not to reveal these techniques to anyone", but says to "let other people go through their own journey ... [so] they, too, can have the techniques when they are ready."
Kranenborg and Melton provide differing details of them in their writings but agree on a general description of the practices. "Light" involves careful pressure on the eyes, seeking to open the "third eye
Third eye
The third eye is a mystical and esoteric concept referring in part to the ajna chakra in certain spiritual traditions. It is also spoken of as the gate that leads within to inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness...
" after a long period of training and practice. This is comparable to similar Tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
practices. "Sound" involves positioning the hands over the ears and temples, with the goal of hearing the "heavenly music". This is reported to be related to sabda-brahman
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
meditation. "Name" or "Word" is a meditation concentrating on breath. "Nectar" involves tongue positioning, eventually leading the student to taste the "nectar of life". Michael Drury describes these techniques as helping the practitioner to develop "a deep and spiritual self-knowledge."
Teaching Knowledge / The Keys
In his early days in the West, Prem Rawat or his MahatmaMahatma
Mahatma is Sanskrit for "Great Soul". It is similar in usage to the modern Christian term saint. This epithet is commonly applied to prominent people like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jyotirao Phule and Branch Rickey...
s (renamed to "Initiators" in 1974) conducted "Knowledge Sessions" face-to-face in small groups. From 2001 the techniques were taught via a multimedia presentation made by Rawat. In 2005, Prem Rawat introduced "The Keys", a program of five DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
's which prepare the student for receiving Knowledge. The techniques are taught in Key Six. A request from a practitioner who feels they are ready to view Key Six will result in an invitation to a Knowledge Session. It is available in more than 50 languages (of which he speaks five himself: English, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Nepalese, Spanish and Italian; the other languages are dubbed). In this presentation, Maharaji explains the techniques step-by-step, to ensure that they are understood and practiced correctly. This process takes 2½ hours, of which one hour is dedicated to practicing the techniques, 15 minutes each. Before the presentation starts, people are asked to keep three promises: a) to keep in touch, b) to give Knowledge a fair chance, and c) to not share these techniques with anyone. If attendees agree with these three promises they are invited to stay and receive "the gift of Knowledge."
The Knowledge Sessions are facilitated by volunteers who operate the video equipment and ensure the comfort of the attendees. Knowledge Sessions are available throughout the year in most Western countries. In special cases, such as people who are in hospitals etc., or are otherwise bed-ridden, the volunteers go to them to conduct the Session.
Scholars
George D. ChryssidesGeorge D. Chryssides
Dr George D. Chryssides was a senior lecturer and Head of Religious Studies at the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences of the University of Wolverhampton now working for Birmingham University....
writes that the Knowledge was based on self-understanding, providing the practitioner with calmness, peace, and contentment, as the inner-self is identical with the divine, and that Prem Rawat emphasizes that Knowledge is universal, not Indian, in nature.
Ron Geaves
Ron Geaves
Ron Geaves is a professor of religion at Liverpool Hope University in England. He was formerly Programme Leader and Chair in religious studies at the University of Chester in England and Head of Department at the University of Chichester. He is currently Chair of the Muslims in Britain Research...
, a Professor of Religion at Liverpool Hope University in England who is one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat, writes that Prem Rawat himself has stated that he does not consider himself to be a charismatic figure, preferring to refer to his teachings and the efficacy of the practice of the four techniques on the individual as the basis of his authority. The showing of the four techniques replaces the traditional diksha, and although it marks the sealing of master/disciple relationship, that is not emphasized in the session itself. Rather, the focus is on correct practice and staying in touch through participation or listening. Prem Rawat’s teachings make no reference to any traditional authority, neither person nor text.
Stephen J. Hunt
Stephen J. Hunt
Stephen John Hunt is a British professor of sociology at the University of the West of England. Prior to his appointment at the University of West England in 2001, Hunt had taught at the Sociology Department at the University of Reading for thirteen years, as well as in the Religious Studies...
describes Rawat's major focus as being on stillness, peace and contentment within the individual, and his 'Knowledge' consists of the techniques to obtain them. Knowledge, roughly translated, means the happiness of the true self-understanding. Each individual should seek to comprehend his or her true self. In turn, this brings a sense of well-being, joy, and harmony as one comes in contact with one's "own nature." The Knowledge includes four secret meditation procedures and the process of reaching the true self within can only be achieved by the individual, but with the guidance and help of a teacher. Hence, the movement seems to embrace aspects of world-rejection and world-affirmation. The tens of thousands of followers in the West do not see themselves as members of a religion, but the adherents of a system of teachings that extol the goal of enjoying life to the full. They claim that Rawat's authority comes from the nature of his teachings and their benefit to the individual.
In Sacred Journeys sociologist James V. Downton
James V. Downton
James Victor Downton, Jr. is a sociologist known for his research on charismatic leadership, activism, and new religious movements. He received his PhD...
writes
Aside from all the psychological and social explanations one could offer to explain their conversions, the fact is that, during the Knowledge session or afterward in meditation, these young people had a spiritual experience which deeply affected them and changed the course of their lives. It was an experience which moved many to tears and joy, for they had found the answer they had been seeking. It was an experience which gave their lives more positive direction, meaning, and purpose. It was an experience which brought them into a new relationship to life and removed many blocks to growth. It was an experience-which sages have spoken about throughout history-of the oneness of life.
Marc Galanter (MD)
Marc Galanter (MD)
Marc Galanter, M.D. is Professor of Psychiatry at NYU, Founding Director of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse at NYU, and Director of the NYU Fellowship Training Program in Addiction Psychiatry. He is also a Division Director at NYU’s World Health Organization Collaborating Center, and...
, professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse at the New York University Medical Center, writes that "over the long term of membership, meditation also played an important role in supporting a convert's continuing involvement. An analysis of the relationship between the time members spent in meditation and the decline in their level of neurotic distress revealed that greater meditation time was associated with diminished neurotic distress. This association suggests that the emotional response to meditation acts as a reinforcement for its continued practice." That is, the more a member meditated, in general, the better the person was likely to feel. Members apparently used meditation to relieve distress, both at scheduled times and on an ad hoc basis.
Paul Schnabel observed, referring to research by the psychologist of religion Van der Lans
Jan van der Lans
Johannes Maria van der Lans was a Dutch professor in the psychology of religion at the Catholic University of Nijmegen .-Education:...
, that among his Western students, Rawat appeared to stimulate an uncritical attitude, giving them an opportunity to project their fantasies of divinity onto his person. According to these authors, the divine nature of the guru is a standard element of Eastern religion, but removed from its cultural context, and confounded with the Western understanding of God as a father, what is lost is the difference between the guru's person and that which the guru symbolizes—resulting in what they refer to as limitless personality worship. Schnabel writes that this kind of understanding of the master-disciple relationship, alien to the original Eastern guru-disciple
Guru-shishya tradition
The guru-shishya tradition, lineage, or parampara, denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture and religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. It is the tradition of spiritual relationship and mentoring where teachings are transmitted from a guru...
context, often ends in disillusionment for the disciple, who finds that the teacher in the end fails to live up to his or her expectations.The reference texts by Van der Lans quoted by Schnabel in that chapter:
- Lans, Jan van der. "Religious Experience: An Argument for a multidisciplinary approach" in Annual Review of the Social Sciences of Religion 1, 1977, pp. 133-143.
- Lans, Jan van der. Volgelingen van de goeroe: Hedendaagse religieuze bewegingen in Nederland. Ambo, Baarn, 1981, ISBN 90-263-0521-4
Former followers
Reports obtained by Ted PatrickTed Patrick
Theodore Roosevelt Patrick, Jr. is widely considered to be the "father of deprogramming." Some criminal proceedings against Patrick have resulted in felony convictions for kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment.-Early life:...
and several scholars after deprogramming
Deprogramming
Deprogramming refers to actions that attempt to force a person to abandon allegiance to a religious, political, economic, or social group. Methods and practices may involve kidnapping and coercion...
of several of Rawat's former worshippers refer to the experience of Rawat's "meditation" techniques as self-hypnosis, and as diminishing the ability to think both during the practice and for an extended period of time after cessation.
Others
Rawat has been criticized for a lack of intellectual content in his public discoursesAccording to David V. Barrett
David V. Barrett
David V. Barrett is a British author who has written on religious and esoteric topics. He is also a regular contributor to The Independent, Fortean Times, and the Catholic Herald....
, at the heart of Prem Rawat's teaching is the Knowledge, and the experience is an individual, subjective experience rather than a body of dogma. In its Divine Light days the movement was sometimes criticized for this stressing of emotional experience over intellect. The teaching could perhaps best be described as practical mysticism.
External links
- The Keys website - Keys for preparing to receive the techniques of Knowledge
- Words of Peace - His Words of Peace broadcasts, DVDs, and live events