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[[Category:Prem Rawat]]
[[Category:Prem Rawat]]
[[Category:Hindu-oriented socio-spiritual organizations]]


[[de:Elan Vital (religiöse Bewegung)]]
[[de:Elan Vital (religiöse Bewegung)]]

Revision as of 05:28, 2 October 2007

Divine Light Mission
Formation1960
Key people
Shri Hans Ji Maharaji, founder
Succeeded by Prem Rawat

The Divine Light Mission (DLM) was founded by Shri Hans Ji Maharaj in northern India in 1960 and registered in Patna. Its Hindi name was Divya Sandesh Parishad. When Shri Maharaji died in 1966, his fourth son, Prem Rawat (Maharaji, formerly known as Guru Maharaj Ji) succeeded him.

Rawat travelled to the West in 1971 and DLM was established in the US and the UK. In the US DLM was registered as a non-profit corporation and in 1974 was recognized as a church by the United States Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3). In 1974 Rawat's desire to manifest his own vision brought him into conflict with his mother and two of his brothers, and a lawsuit in India ceded control of the Divine Light Mission in India to his mother.[1]Rawat continued the work of the DLM in the West, while his eldest brother Satpal, gained control of DLM in India, and some of its properties/ashrams. The DLM in the US changed its name to Elan Vital in 1983, by filing an entity name change.[2][3] According to the Encyclopedia of American Religions, the mission was disbanded [when] Prem Rawat personally renounced the trappings of Indian culture and religion, to make his teachings independent of culture, beliefs and lifestyles.[4]

The Mission's Succession Rift and the 1970s

Further information: Hans_Ji_Maharaj § Succession

Prem Rawat succeeded to the leadership of the Indian DLM upon his father's death in 1966.[5][6][7] In the early 1970s, his family told American reporters that Shri Hans was travelling at the time of his death, but had written a letter home essentially naming Prem as his successor. Shri Hans' personal driver, who was a witness, confirms that Shri Hans publicly requested that Rawat would continue his work, but that some disregarded this request. During the customary 12 days of mourning, discussions were held about the succession. This culminated in Prem Rawat addressing the crowd and being accepted by them as their teacher.[8][9]

Though Prem Rawat was officially the autocratic leader of the Mission, because of his youth authority was shared by the whole family. In 1971 Rawat travelled to the West, and by 1972 DLM was operating in North and South America, Europe and Australia. Tens of thousands of people had been initiated (become premies) and several hundred centers and dozens of ashrams formed.[10] In November 1973, the DLM booked the Houston Astrodome for "Millennium '73," a three-day gathering of Rawat and several thousand of his students, coinciding with Shri Hans' birthday. The event lost money for the organization but Rawat expressed his satisfaction with it. Around this time the anti-cult movement was reaching its peak, and new religious movements were seen as participating in mind control of adherents. Kidnapping of adult sect members with physical and mental assault was taking place, and was often seen as justified, even by courts. Following deprogramming, several ex-members became vocal critics of the mission.[11][12][13]

In 1974 Rawat's desire to manifest his own vision brought him into conflict with his mother and two of his brothers, and his marriage to an American follower caused a permanent split.[14][15] From this point Rawat and his teachings became more Western. His mother publicly retracted her support and endorsed instead her oldest son, Satpal, as the legitimate guru of the DLM.[16] A lawsuit in India yielded control of the Divine Light Mission in India to his mother, and led to a complete break with her son, who maintained the complete support of the Western disciples.

Rawat continued the work of the DLM in the West, while Satpal gained control of DLM in India, and was awarded certain of its properties/ashrams. Satpal now claims that his father, Hans Ji Maharaj, "bequeath[ed] his mission and unfinished work" to Satpal, not to Prem, and so he, and not Prem, is the sole legitimate heir of their father's guru lineage.[1] Scholars that have written about the succession report the contrary, and it is clear that Satpal and the rest of the family accepted and supported Prem's declaration of succession for eight years. The websites and publications related to Prem Rawat and his work do not use succession claims to substantiate Maharaji's teachings, as they see him simply as an individual gifted with the ability to speak about inner peace. [2].[17][18][19]

As Rawat matured to adulthood, he removed the Indian connotations from his message and adopted a more universal style that was independent of culture, religion and belief.[20] The ashrams were closed, as were the Denver headquarters, and the organisation's name was changed to Elan Vital.[21] Prem Rawat asked to be referred to as "Maharaji" instead of "Guru Maharaj Ji."

Beliefs and Practices

According to some scholars, Shri Hans was influenced by both the Sant tradition and the Bhagavad Gita. Reinhart Hummel wrote that from the former came the reduction of Hinduism to the inner realization of the divine and the veneration of the guru, and from the latter the emphasis on the practical life. Hummel described the DLM as not having a systematically developed doctrine, either during Hans' time or Prem Rawat's time. Hummel also asserted that the influence of the North Indian Sant tradition was dominant in Hans' eclectic thinking, and that from the Sant tradition also came the rejection of outward rituals and ceremonies; the rejection of asceticism in favor of life as a householder; the rejection of veneration of idols and the focus on the guru as the manifestation of the divine. Hummel further wrote that the four meditation techniques are of central importance both to Hans and Prem.[22]

No rules or regulations were imposed, and no beliefs or ethical practices were taught. The fundamental practices of inner peace were embodied and experienced through satsang, service and meditation, the sum of which is an experience Prem Rawat, or Maharaji, called "Knowledge." Maharaji's perspectives delivered during his satsang talks brought great pleasure and meaning to many listeners. The practice of satsang, service and meditation also resulted for many in an inner calm and contentment which guided their behavior. Members of the DLM meditated formally twice daily and attended discourses on the Knowledge (known as satsang) when possible. Vegetarianism was encouraged but not enforced.

The early years of the Divine Light Mission in the United States were characterized by rapidly growing, loosely affiliated local ashrams, united mainly by devotion to the charismatic figure of Guru Maharaj Ji. As the DLM became increasingly structured and centralized, leadership and power focused in the Denver headquarters. According to scholars, Prem Rawat's desire to consolidate his power and authority over the movement in the United States resulted in greater formalization: rules and regulation for ashram living, standards for recruited "candidates," and pressure toward certifying the movement's teachers. [23]

Changes in Students Outside India

According to a 1976 article by Jeanne Messer, the adherents of the Divine Light Mission underwent several psychological changes after they learned and began practicing the techniques of Knowledge, or inner peace, including experiencing benefits from meditation such as increased energy levels, an increased awareness of coincidences and a tendency to see them as divine interventions, as well as improvements in their marriage and work life. [24] Messer, according to her account, was an initially and atheist, and was later initiated. [25]Professor Eileen Barker believes, without supplying proof, that the above mentioned changes can be generalized for conversion to other new religious movements.

In a study by Marc Galanter in 2002 about the healing effects of spiritual affiliation, he found that social and spiritual recovery occurred naturally in certain groups. In the study, Galanter presents as an example the fact that members of the DLM experienced a reduction of symptoms of psychological distress after they joined the group.[26]

In another study by Galanter, in cooperation with P Buckley, R and J Rabkin, on group influence for decreased drug use, it is presented that members of the DLM, many of whom had been involved in the counterculture of the early 1970s, reported incidence of drug use prior to joining which was much above that of a non-member comparison group. Reported levels were considerably lower after joining, and the decline was maintained over an average membership of 2 years.[27]

Rawat maintains that Knowledge is independent of and compatible with all religions. Even in the 1970s his students came from many religious backgrounds, and he has often referred to Socratic or ancient Chinese philosophers, and quoted Socrates, Rumi and Kabir and other masters that were not of Indian or Hindu origin. Rawat has been vigorously criticized by the magazine Hinduism Today for not being aligned with traditional Hindu beliefs.

James Downton, in a study of followers he performed during 1972 through 1976, writes that despite Maharaji's emphasis on giving up beliefs and concepts to experience Knowledge more fully, this did not prevent premies from adopting a rigid set of ideas about his divinity. [28] According to Downton, by 1976 the vast majority of students were viewing Rawat primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide and inspiration,[29]An article commenting on Downton's viewpoint was presented by Lans and Derks, who stated that there was a difference in the initiation policy before and after 1975. While before 1975 it was sufficient to have a desperate longing for "knowledge", after 1975 one had to accept Guru Maharaj Ji as a personal saviour; pre-1975 members joined due to an attraction to Hinduistic ideology. [30] Coming to the reaization that that the Indian influences on his followers in the West were a hindrance to the wider acceptance of his teachings, Rawat changed the style of his message, the reliance in Hindu tradition and belief; practicioners now focuses entirely on "Knowledge", the set of simple instructions on how adherents should live.[31]

Since the the early 1980's alongside the alteration of the name of the movement to "Elan Vital", a change of emphasis was observed in which the notion of spiritual growth was not derived, as with other gurus, from Maharaji's personal charisma, but from the nature of his teachings. [31]

Footnotes

  1. ^ J. Gordon Melton, Christopher Partridge (Eds.), New Religions: A Guide. New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities. pp.201-202, Oxford University Press, USA (2004) ISBN 978-0195220421.
    "As Maharaji began to grow older and establish his teachings worldwide he increasingly desired to manifest his own vision of development and growth. This conflict resulted in a split between Maharaji and his family, ostensibly caused by his mother's inability to accept Maharaji's marriage to an American follower rather than the planned traditional arranged marriage."
  2. ^ Colorado Secretary of State, Business Center.
  3. ^ Elan Vital FAQs - About Elan Vital, Inc. Available online (Retrieved May, 2006)
  4. ^ Melton, Gordon, Encyclopedia of American Religions 7th edition. Thomson (2003) p.2328 ISBN 0-7876-6384-0
    "In the early 1980s, Maharaj Ji moved to disband the Divine Light Mission and he personally renounced the trappings of Indian culture and religion, disbanding the mission, he founded Elan Vital, an organization to support his future role as teacher." [...]Maharaji had made every attempt to abandon the traditional Indian religious trappings in which the techniques originated and to make his presentation acceptable to all the various cultural settings in which followers live. He sees his teachings as independent of culture, religion, beliefs, or lifestyles, and regularly addresses audiences in places as culturally diverse as India, Japan, Taiwan, the Ivory Coast, Slovenia, Mauritius and Venezuela, as well as North America, Europe and the South Pacific.
  5. ^ Lee, Raymond L M. Sacred Tensions: Modernity and Religious Transformation in Malaysia (1997) pp.109-110 The University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 1-57003-167-3 "Upon the death of the founder in 1966, one of his sons, Guru Maharaj Ji, assumed leadership of the movement and won the hearts of many young Westerners." (p.109)
  6. ^ Aagaard, Johannes. Who Is Who In Guruism? (1980) "During the first 6 years of the new movement its head was Shri Hans, the father of the young Maharaj Ji, who, at the age of 8 years, succeeded his father in 1966."
  7. ^ U. S. Department of the Army, Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains (2001) pp.1-5 , The Minerva Group, ISBN 0-89875-607-3
    Following his death, Shri Hans Ji appointed the youngest of his four sons, Sant Ji as the next Perfect Master and therefore he assumed the head of the Divine Light Mission as decreed by his father."
  8. ^ Singh, Bihari. Maharaji Accepted by His Father's Students, Retrieved Jan 2006.
    "Right after Shri Maharaj Ji’s death, the family and several mahatmas were discussing who would become Master after the 13 days of mourning were over. They were thinking about Bal Bhagwan Ji, who was the eldest son. When they asked me what I thought, I said, 'Shri Maharaj Ji told us when Maharaji was born, "He’s going to take my message all over the world."' [...]Some were suggesting that there be several gurus (all four brothers or some group of 5 or 7 gurus), and others were still in the Bal Bhagwan Ji camp. Particularly in India, when a father dies, the older son steps into his place. [...] Twelve days after Shri Maharaj Ji’s death, Maharaji went on stage with a handkerchief on his head and spoke for about 45 minutes to the people who had gathered. After listening to him, everybody accepted him as their Master."
  9. ^ Fahlbusch E., Lochman J. M., Mbiti J., Pelikan J., Vischer L, Barret D. (Eds.) The Encyclopedia of Christianity (1998). p.861, ISBN 90-04-11316-9
    "At the funeral of Shree Hans, his son Prem Pal Singh Rawat [...] comforted those who mourned his father's death with the thought that they still had perfect knowledge with them. The son himself had become the subject of this knowledge, the perfect master, in the place of his father, and took the title of "guru" and the name of Maharaj Ji, or great king, a title of respect to which other titular names were added. The honors paid him by his followers gave him the characteristic of a messianic child. These were supposedly his by nature and they helped him to eliminate rival claims from his own family."
  10. ^ J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America. New York/London: Garland, 1986; revised edition, pp. 141-145
    "Many were initiated and became the core of the Mission in the United States. Headquarters were established in Denver, and by the end of 1973, tens of thousands had been initiated, and several hundred centers as well as over twenty ashrams, which housed approximately 500 of the most dedicated premies, had emerged."
  11. ^ Melton, Gordon J. Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America,(1986), pp.141-2 Garland Publishing, ISBN 0-8240-9036-5
    "Just six years after the founding of the Mission, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj was succeeded by his younger son Prem Pal Singh Rawat, who was eight when he was recognized as the new Perfect Master and assumed the title Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji had been recognized as spiritually adept, even within the circle of the Holy Family, as Shri Hans' family was called. He had been initiated at the age of six [...] He assumed the role of Perfect Master at his father's funeral by telling the disciples who had gathered. [...] Though officially the autocratic leader of the Mission, because of Maharaji's age authority was shared by the whole family."
  12. ^ Melton, Gordon J. Encyclopedia of American religions, (1978) p.370-1, McGrath Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7876-7702-7
    "As they bewailed their loss at his [Shri Hans Ji Maharaj] funeral, one of the four sons, then only eight-years old arose and addressed the crowd. [...] Thus Maharaj Ji proclaimed his lordship and established himself as the new head of his father's mission"
  13. ^ Kranenborg, Reender Dr. (1982) Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen ("Eastern Faith Movements in the West") (Dutch language) ISBN 90-210-4965-1 p.64
    English translation "This prediction came true very soon. In 1969 Maharaj Ji sent the first disciple to the West. In the next year he held a speech for an audience of thousands of people in Delhi. This speech became known as 'the peace bomb' and was the start of the great mission to the West." Dutch original "Deze voorspelling gaat al snel in vervulling. In 1969 stuurt Maharaj ji de eerste discipel naar het Westen. In het daaropvolgende jaar houdt hij een toespraak in Delhi voor een gehoor van duizenden mensen. Deze toespraak staat bekend als 'de 'vredesbom' en is het begin van de grote zending naar het Westen."
  14. ^ Downton, Sacred Journeys. "Nearly sixteen, he was ready to assume a more active part in deciding what direction the movement should take. This of course meant that he had to encroach on his mother's territory and, given the fact that she was accustomed to having control, a fight was inevitable."
  15. ^ J. Gordon Melton, Christopher Partridge (Eds.), New Religions: A Guide. New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities. pp.201-202, Oxford University Press, USA (2004) ISBN 978-0195220421.
    "As Maharaji began to grow older and establish his teachings worldwide he increasingly desired to manifest his own vision of development and growth. This conflict resulted in a split between Maharaji and his family, ostensibly caused by his mother's inability to accept Maharaji's marriage to an American follower rather than the planned traditional arranged marriage."
  16. ^ name="thomsonwife">"Guru Maharaj Ji", Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Michigan, Thomson Gale, 2007. The marriage further disrupted his relationship with his mother and older brothers. A lawsuit in India gave control of the Indian branch of the Divine Light Mission to Maharaj's mother and led to a complete break with her son, who maintained the complete support of the Western disciples.
  17. ^ Beit-Hallahami, Benjamin The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Active New Religions, Sects and Cults (1997), ISBN 0-8239-1505-0 p.85 "Divine Light Mission". "When the founder died in 1966, the eight-year old Pretap [Prem] stood up at the funeral to announce his ascent to the throne and became the movement's recognized leader. [..] Maharaj Ji was considered satguru, or the Perfect Master."
  18. ^ Melton, Gordon J. Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America, (1986), pp.141-2 entry Divine Light Mission Garland Publishing, ISBN 0-8240-9036-5
    "Just six years after the founding of the Mission, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj was succeeded by his younger son Prem Pal Singh Rawat, who was eight when he was recognized as the new Perfect Master and assumed the title, Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji had been recognized as spiritually adept, even within the circle of the Holy Family as Shri Hans family was called. He had been initiated at the age of six [...] He assumed the role of Perfect Master at his father's funeral by telling the disciples who had gathered. [...] Though officially the autocratic leader of the Mission, because of Maharaji's age authority was shared by the whole family."
  19. ^ U. S. Department of the Army, Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains (2001) pp.11-5 , The Minerva Group, ISBN 0-89875-607-3
    "Following his death, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj appointed the youngest of his four sons, Sant Ji, as the next Perfect Master and thereby the assumed head of Divine Light Mission as decreed by his father. Since that time, Guru Maharaj Ji has inspired a world wide movement and the Mission is active in 55 countries."
  20. ^ Lippy, Charles H. Pluralism Comes of Age: American Religious Culture in the Twentieth Century p.114, M. E. Sharpe (2002), ISBN 0-7656-0151-6
    "The Divine Light Mission, for example, in the 1980s became Elan Vital and dropped most of its Asian trappings."
  21. ^ Melton, Gordon, Encyclopedia of American Religions 7th edition. Thomson (2003) p.2328 ISBN 0-7876-7702-7
    "In the early 1980s, Maharaj Ji moved to disband the Divine Light Mission and he personally renounced the trappings of Indian culture and religion. Disbanding the mission, he founded Elan Vital, an organization suited to his future role as teacher." [...]Maharaji had made every attempt to abandon the traditional Indian religious trappings in which the techniques originated and to make his presentation acceptable to all the various cultural settings in which followers live. He sees his teachings as independent of culture, religion, beliefs, or lifestyles, and regularly addresses audiences in places as culturally diverse as India, Japan, Taiwan, the Ivory Coast, Slovenia, Mauritius and Venezuela, as well as North America, Europe and the South Pacific.
  22. ^ Hummel, Reinhart Indische Mission und neue Frömmigkeit im Westen. Religiöse Bewegungen in westlichen Kulturen, Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-17-005609-3,
    pp.76-77: :pp.76-77: "Eine systematisch entwickelte Lehre hat die Divine Light Mission weder zur Zeit des Vaters Śhrī Hans noch des Sohnes besessen. Beide haben darin eher einen Vorzug als einen Mangel gesehen. Hatte der Vater sich vornehmlich als >>Guru der Armen<< verstanden und sich in einer bilderreichen Sprache mehr um praktische Anwendbarkeit als um theoretische Durchdringung bemüht, so blieb doch der Inhalt seiner Satsangs auf dem Hintergrund der Hinduistischen Tradition klar verständlich. Die Satsangs jedoch, die der Sohn im Westen gehalten hat und die mit einem Minimum hinduistischer Terminologie und Konzepte auskommen, müssen für den nichthinduistischen Hörer vage bleiben. Der junge Guru erklärt das konzeptionelle Denken, das auch in Deutschen Übersetzungen mit dem Englischen Wort >>mind<< bezeichnet wird, als Hauptfeind der unmittelbaren religösen Erfahrung. So ist es nicht verwunderlich, daβ von seinen Anhängern nur wenig Handfestes über die DLM-lehre zu erfahren ist. Anderseits eröffent ihnen der Mangel an vorgegebenen Konzepten einen Freiraum für Äuβerungen einer spontanen Subjektivität, die wohltuend vom unselbständigen Reproduzieren autoritativ verkündenter Lehren absticht, wie man es vor allem dei den Anhängern der ISKCON antrifft. Wie auch immer die Bewertung ausfallen mag - die geistige Konturlosigkeit der Bewegung fält allen Beobachtern auf. Im Zentrum steht bei Vater und Sohn die vierfache Meditationstechnik, die vier >>Kriyas<<, die Sri Hans von Svami Sarupanand gelernt hatte. [..]"pp.78: "Innerhalb dieses eklektischen Denken dominiert der Einfluβ der in Nordindien beheimaten Sant-Tradition, der schon in der Geschichte des Radhasoami Satsang wirksam war. Von ihr bestimmt ist die Ablehnung äußerlicher Rituale und Zeremonien und die Forderung, das Göttliche im eigenen Inneren zu suchen; damit verbunden die Polemik gegen den Trennenden Charakter der in Äuβerlichkeiten estarrten Religionen und gegen die Kastentrennung; ferner die Ablehnung der Askese zugunsten des Lebens im Stande des Haushalters, wie Sri Hans es selbst geführt hat; die Ablehnung der Bilderverehrung und die Konzentration auf den Guru als die Manifestation des Göttlichen; [..]"
  23. ^ McGuire, Meredith B. "Religion: the Social Context" fifth edition (2002) ISBN 0-534-54126-7 Chapter. 5 "The Dynamics of Religious Collectivities", section “How Religious Collectivities Develop and Change’’, sub-section "Organizational Transformations" p.175 "As Weber pointed out, the long-term impact of a movement hinges on transformation of bases of authority and leadership from a charismatic mode to either traditional or legal-traditional rational structures. When a movement becomes established, there is a strong tendency for the organization to calcify around the memory of the early dynamism; its own tradition becomes the rationalization for why things should be done in a certain way. Early stages of a movement's organization involve simple structures such as the charismatic leader and followers or leader, core followers, and other followers. The transition to legal-rational structures is typically accompanied by the elaboration and standardization of procedures, the emergence of specialized statuses and roles, and the formalizing of communication among members. The early years of the Divine Light Mission in the United States were characterized by rapidly growing, loosely affiliated local ashrams (i.e., groups of devotees, usually living communally), united mainly by the devotion to the ambiguous charismatic figure of Guru Maharaj Ji. As the DLM became increasingly structured and centralized, leadership and power focused in the Denver headquarters. The guru's desire to consolidate his power and authority over the movement in the United States resulted in greater formalization: rules and regulation for ashram living, standards for recruited "candidates", and pressure toward certifying movements teachers. " (Thomas Pilarzyk ‘’The Origin, Development, and Decline of a Youth Culture Religion: An Application of the Sectarianization Theory’’ in "Review of Religious Research" 20, 1:33-37, 1978)
  24. ^ Messer, Jeanne, Guru Maharaj,li and the Divine Light Mission in Bellah, Robert and Glock, Charles (Eds.) The New Religious Consciousness, pp. 52-72 University of California Press (1976)
  25. ^ Messer, Jeanne, Guru Maharaj,li and the Divine Light Mission in Bellah, Robert and Glock, Charles (Eds.) The New Religious Consciousness, University of California Press (1976)
    Page 55 “I was a thoroughgoing atheist at the time of initiation and was looking for a tranquilizer, not God. But for the many who require no convincing, that stage in the transformation is experienced simply as confirmation, not as transformation. There may be other similar variations from devotee to devotee.”
  26. ^ Galanter, Marc. A Charismatic Sect: The Divine Light Mission., in Cults: Faith Healing and Coercion, pp. 21-36, Oxford University Press, 1989. ISBN 0-195-12370-0
  27. ^ Galanter M, Buckley P, Deutsch A, Rabkin R, Rabkin J., Large group influence for decreased drug use: findings from two contemporary religious sects., PMID: 7258164 PubMed
  28. ^ Downton, James V. Jr. Sacred Journeys: The Conversion of Young Americans to Divine Light Mission p.199. Columbia Press (1979) ISBN 0-231-04198-5
    "Although there were still residues of belief in his divinity, in 1976, the vast majority [of premies] viewed the guru primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide , and inspiration. [...] Having quit imputing great powers to Guru Maharaj Ji by the end of 1976, premies assumed much more responsibility for their own spiritual growth. [...]From the beginning Guru Maharaj Ji appealead to premies to give up their beliefs and concepts so that the might experience the Knowledge, or life force more fully[...] Yet Guru Maharaj Ji's emphasis on giving up beliefs and concepts, did not prevent premies from adopting a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity and the coming of a new age."
  29. ^ Downton, James V., Sacred Journeys: The Conversion of Young Americans to Divine Light Mission, (1979) Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-04198-5 p199
    "Although there were still residues of belief in his divinity, in 1976, the vast majority [of premies] viewed the guru primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide, and inspiration.
  30. ^ Derks, Frans, and Jan M. van der Lans. Subgroups in Divine Light Mission Membership: A Comment on Downton in the book Of Gods and Men: New Religious Movements in the West. Macon edited by Eileen Barker, GA: Mercer University Press, (1984), ISBN 0-86554-095-0 pages 303-308 copyright © 1983 Mercer University Press
    "These changes in membership characteristics coincided with organizational and ideological changes within the movement (which are extensively described in Downton, 1979: 185 210). After 1975 the movement appealed to a different kind of person, because it came to emphasize other elements in its ideology. The pre 1975 members had joined the movement because they had been attracted by Divine Light Mission's Hinduistic ideology that offered them an opportunity to legitimate their already existing rejection of the Western utilitarian world view. However, in 1975 there was a schism within the movement. Guru Maharaj Ji's mother did not approve of his marriage to his American secretary and dismissed him as the movement's leader. The American and European adherents did not accept his dismissal and remained faithful to him. The movement split up into an Eastern and Western branch. The Western branch tried to smother its Hinduistic background and started to emphasize Guru Maharaj Ji as a personification of ideology. This change in ideology may. be illustrated by the fact that since then, Guru Maharaj Ji's father, Shri Hans, the movement's founder, became less important and was much less referred to in the movement's journal. It may further be illustrated by the differences in initiation policy before and after 1975. Before 1975 it was sufficient to have a desperate longing for "Knowledge" (in the sense Divine Light Mission uses this term); after 1975 one had to accept Guru Maharaj Ji as a personal saviour in order to become a member.
  31. ^ a b Hunt, Stephen J., Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8
    He came to recognize that the Indian influences on his followers in the West were a hindrance to the wider acceptance of his teachings. He therefore changed the style of his message and relinquished the the Hindu tradition, beliefs, and most of its original eastern religious practices. Hence, today the teachings do not concern themselves with reincarnation, heaven, or life after death. The movement now focuses entirely on "Knowledge", which is a set of simple instructions on how adherents should live. This Westernization of an essentially eastern message is not seen as a dilemma or contradiction. In the early 1980's, Maharaji altered the name of the movement to Elan Vital to reflect this change in emphasis. Once viewed by followers as Satguru or Perfect Master, he also appears to have surrendered his almost divine status as a guru. Now, the notion of spiritual growth is not derived, as with other gurus, from his personal charisma, but from the nature of his teachings and its benefit to the individual adherents to his movement. Maharaji also dismantled the structure of ashrams (communal homes).

References

  • Chryssides, George D. (2001). Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements, pp. 108-109. The Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland and London, 2001. ISBN 0-8108-4095-2
  • Barker, E. (1989), New Religious Movements: A Practical Introduction, London, HMSO
  • Galanter, Marc M. D. (2002) Alcohol & Drug Abuse: Healing Through Social and Spiritual Affiliation, Psychiatric Services 53:1072-1074, September 2002. American Psychiatric Association
  • Galanter M, Buckley P, Deutsch A, Rabkin R, Rabkin J (1980) Large group influence for decreased drug use: findings from two contemporary religious sects Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1980;7(3-4):291-304.
  • Galanter, Marc. A Charismatic Sect: The Divine Light Mission, in Cults: Faith Healing and Coercion, Oxford University Press, 1989. ISBN 0-195-12370-0</ref>
  • Haan, Wim (Dutch language) De missie van het Goddelijk licht van goeroe Maharaj Ji: een subjektieve duiding from the series Religieuze bewegingen in Nederland: Feiten en Visies nr. 3, autumn 1981 article available in full on the website of the author (PDF file) (The article is mainly based on the Dutch branch of the Divine Light Mission) ISBN 90-242-2341-5
  • Hunt, Stephen J., Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8
  • Melton, J. Gordon and Lewis, R. James. Department of the USA Army, Office of the Chief of Chaplains Religious Requirements and practices. A Handbook for Chaplains
  • Melton, J. Gordon and Lewis, R. James.The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, & New Religions.
  • Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj: Eternal is He, Eternal is His Knowledge, Originally published by Divine Light Mission, (1970) India

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