User:Steven Crossin/Mediation/Archives/Prem Rawat

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Proposal 1

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This page is for proposals related to the Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2008-04-20 Prem Rawat. User should: Add their proposed wording to a new section Not sign their section with the standard ~~~~ Not comment on other sections, this will be done at the discussion page Not change the wording of proposals, they should add a new proposal with the changed wording Proposal 0 (current version) The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees, including 2500 members from the U.S. Rawat returned to India from the U.S. on November 7 1972, to attend. Cash, gems, and wristwatches worth a reported total of US$27,000 to $80,000 were not properly declared to customs, leading to accusations of smuggling. Rawat was not able to leave India due to the investigation until he posted $13,300 bond in June 1973. Charges were never filed and the government later apologized. Proposal 1 Rawat returned to India from the U.S. on November 7 1972, together with 350 American disciples in one of seven Jumbo jets that were leased to bring thousands of Western followers to a visit to India. When clearing customs, a suitcase containing cash, traveler checks, a necklace, and wristwatches worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000 (later assessed to be £13,600) was not properly declared, and was inpounded. An investigation was started by Indian customs officials. The director of the movement's public relations division said that the money was to be used to support the local travel and food expenses of the visitors,, and lawyers representing the Divine Light Mission reported that one of the travelers, forgot to declare the currency and valuables, and that the goods seized did not belong to Rawat.He was forced to post a $13,300 bond in June 1973 to enable him to resume traveling and attend a planned English-American tour, while the investigation was ongoing. Charges were never filed and the government later apologized. Proposal 2 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees, including 2500 members from the U.S. who chartered seven jumbo jets for the trip and stayed a month at the DLM's Indian ashrams. Rawat returned to India from the U.S. on November 7 1972, on one of the chartered jets. A suitcase, containing cash, traveler checks, a necklace, and wristwatches worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000, was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited in the "Divine Bank" by followers in order to pay for local travel and food. Mata Ji said her son was "cursing" her for convincing him to return to India for the festival, and she said customs officials had humiliated her son and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage. The investigation, which continued into the summer of 1973, was discussed in Parliament and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest in the case. Rawat, whose passport had been confiscated, posted a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country for a planned English-American tour in June 1973. Charges were never filed and the government later apologized. Proposal 3 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees, including 2,500 members from the U.S. who chartered seven jumbo jets for the trip and stayed a month at the DLM's Indian ashrams. Rawat returned to India from the U.S. on November 7 1972, on one of the chartered jets. A suitcase, containing cash, traveler checks, a necklace, and wristwatches worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000, was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A spokesman for the mission said that the money was to be used to support the local travel and food expenses of the visitors,, and lawyers representing the DLM reported that one of the travelers forgot to declare the currency and valuables, and that the goods seized did not belong to Rawat. Mata Ji said customs officials had humiliated her son and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage. The investigation, which continued into the summer of 1973, was discussed in Parliament. Rawat, whose passport had been confiscated, posted a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country for a planned English-American tour in June 1973. Charges were eventually dropped with apologies from the government. Proposal 4 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees, including 2500 members from the U.S. who chartered seven jumbo jets for the trip and stayed a month at the DLM's Indian ashrams. Rawat returned to India from the U.S. on November 7 1972, on one of the chartered jets. A suitcase, containing cash, traveler checks, diamond rings, a pearl necklace, and wristwatches worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000, was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited in the "Divine Bank" by followers in order to pay for local travel and food. Secretaries took responsibility for the valuables and for failing to declare them. Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage, and that her son was "cursing" her for convincing him to attend. The investigation, which continued into the summer of 1973, was discussed in the Indian Parliament and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest in the case. The government asked diplomats to investigate DLM finances in the U.S., U.K. and other countries looking for violations of laws governing foreign assets held by Indian nationals. Rawat, who had surrendered his passport in 1972, posted a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country for a planned English-American tour in June 1973. Charges were never filed and the government later apologized. Proposal 5 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees, including 2,500 members from the U.S. who traveled on seven chartered jumbo jets and stayed a month at the DLM's Indian ashrams. Rawat returned to India from the U.S. on November 7 1972, on one of the chartered jets. A suitcase, containing cash, traveler's checks, diamond rings, a pearl necklace, and wristwatches worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000, was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited in a "Divine Bank" by 3,000 followers in order to pay for local travel and food, while the jewelery and watches were gifts for Rawat, his family and mahatmas. Two secretaries took responsibility for the valuables and for failing to declare them. Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage, and that her son was "cursing" her for convincing him to attend the celebration. The investigation, which continued into the summer of 1973, was discussed in the Indian Parliament and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest in the case. Diplomatic missions in several countries, including the U.S. and the U.K, were asked to investigate in relation to restrictions governing capital assets and bank accounts held by Indian nationals abroad. Rawat, who had surrendered his passport at the time, posted a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country for a planned English-American tour in June 1973. Charges were eventually dropped with apologies from the government. Proposal 6 Tightened version based on Proposal #5, reducing WP:UNDUE concerns expressed. The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees, including 2,500 members from the U.S. who traveled on seven chartered jumbo jets and stayed a month at the DLM's Indian ashrams. Rawat returned to India from the U.S. on November 7 1972, on one of the chartered jets. A suitcase, containing valuables and cash worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000, was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited by 3,000 followers in order to pay for local travel and food, and that other valuables where gifts for Rawat, his family and mahatmas. . Two secretaries stated that they failed to declare them while going through customs. Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage. The investigation was discussed in the Indian Parliament and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest in the case. Rawat had to post bond in order to leave the country for a planned English-American tour in June 1973. Charges were never filed, and the government issued an apology. Proposal 7 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees, including 2,500 members from the U.S. who traveled on several chartered jumbo jets and stayed a month at the DLM's Indian ashrams. Rawat returned to India from the U.S. on November 7 1972, on one of the chartered jets. A suitcase, containing cash, traveler's checks, and various jewelery worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000 was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat and had been deposited in a "Divine Bank" by 3,000 followers in order to pay for local travel and food, while the jewelery and watches were gifts for Rawat, his family, and mahatmas. Two secretaries took responsibility for the valuables and for failing to declare them. Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage. The investigation, which continued into the summer of 1973, was discussed in the Indian Parliament and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest in the case. Diplomatic missions in several countries, including the U.S. and the U.K, were asked to investigate capital assets and bank accounts held by Indian nationals abroad. Rawat, who had surrendered his passport at the time, posted a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country for a planned English-American tour in June 1973. Charges were eventually dropped, with apologies from the Indian government. Proposal 8 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees, including 2,500 members from the U.S. who traveled on several chartered jumbo jets and stayed a month at the DLM's Indian ashrams. Rawat came to India on November 7 1972, on one of the chartered jets. A suitcase, containing cash, traveler's cheques, and various jewelery worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000 was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat and had been deposited in a "Divine Bank" by 3,000 followers in order to pay for local travel and food, while the jewelery and watches were gifts for Rawat, his family, and mahatmas. Two secretaries took responsibility for the valuables and for failing to declare them. Mata Ji, Rawat's mother, said that customs officials had humiliated her son and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage. The investigation was discussed in the Indian Parliament and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest in the case. A $13,300 bond was posted in order for Rawat to be able to leave the country for a planned English-American tour in June 1973. Charges were dropped (or: never filed), with apologies from the Indian government. Proposal 9 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday,[33] attracted a reported total of 500,000 attendees, including 2,500 members from the U.S. who traveled on seven chartered jumbo jets and stayed a month at the DLM's Indian ashrams.[34] Rawat returned to India from the U.S. on November 7, 1972, on one of the chartered jets. A suitcase, containing cash, traveler's checks, diamond rings, a pearl necklace, and wristwatches[35][14] worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000, was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited in a "Divine Bank" by 3,000 followers in order to pay for local travel and food, while the jewelery and watches were gifts for Rawat, his family and mahatmas. [14] Two secretaries took responsibility for the valuables and for failing to declare them.[36][14] Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage, and that her son was "cursing" her for convincing him to attend the celebration.[37] The investigation, which continued into the summer of 1973, was discussed in the Indian Parliament and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest in the case.[38] Diplomatic missions in several countries, including the U.S. and the U.K, were asked to investigate in relation to restrictions governing capital assets and bank accounts held by Indian nationals abroad.[39] A $13,300 bond was posted in order for Rawat to be able to leave the country for a planned English-American tour in June 1973. Charges were eventually dropped with apologies from the government.[40] [41]" Proposal 10 Basically Proposal 6 with some typographical corrections and tweaks. The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, reportedly was attended by 500,000 people, including 2,500 who flew to India from the U.S. on seven chartered jumbo jets, and stayed for a month in the DLM's Indian ashrams. Rawat arrived back in India on one of the chartered jets on 7 November. A suitcase containing valuables and cash whose worth was estimated at between US$27,000 and $80,000 was not properly declared, and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited by 3,000 followers in order to pay for local travel and food, and that other valuables were gifts for Rawat, his family and mahatmas. Two secretaries stated that they failed to declare them while going through customs. Prem Rawat's mother said that Indian customs officials had humiliated her son, and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage. The investigation was raised in the Indian Parliament, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest. Rawat was forced to post a bond in order to leave the country for an English-American tour planned for June 1973. Charges were never filed, and the government issued an apology. Proposal 11 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday,[42] was attended by 500,000 people, including 2,500 who flew to India from the U.S. on seven chartered jumbo jets, and stayed for a month in the DLM's Indian ashrams.[43] Rawat arrived back in India on one of the chartered jets on 7 November. A suitcase containing valuables and cash whose worth was estimated at between US$27,000 and $80,000 was not properly declared, and was impounded by customs.[44][14] A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited by 3,000 followers in order to pay for local travel and food, and that other valuables were gifts for Rawat, his family and mahatmas.[14] Two secretaries stated that they failed to declare them while going through customs but no charges were laid.[36][14][47] The investigation was raised in the Indian Parliament, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest.[46] Rawat was forced to post a bond in order to leave the country for an English-American tour planned for June 1973. Prem Rawat's mother said that Indian customs officials had humiliated her son, and the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage [45]. The Indian government later issued an apology to Rawat[48] Proposal 12 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday,[42] was attended by 500,000 people. Rawat, then aged 14, arrived back in India on 7 November, on one of seven jets chartered to bring 2,500 followers from the U.S. A suitcase, containing cash, jewelry, and wristwatches[35][14] worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000, was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited by 3,000 followers to pay for expenses, and that other valuables were gifts.[14] Two secretaries took responsibility for the valuables and for failing to declare them.[36][14] An international financial investigation was discussed in the Indian Parliament, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest.[46] Rawat had to post a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country for an English-American tour planned for June 1973. Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son, that the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage, and that her son was angry with her for convincing him to attend. Charges were never filed, and the Indian government later issued an apology.[48] Proposal 13 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, was attended by 500,000 people. Rawat, then aged 14, arrived back in India on 7 November, together with 2,500 followers from the U.S in seven chartered Jumbo jets. A suitcase containing cash, jewelry, and wristwatches worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000, was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited by 3,000 followers to pay for expenses, and that other valuables were gifts. One secretary took responsibility for the valuables and another for failing to declare them. An investigation by Indian diplomatic missions in several countries, about the wealth of the mission abroad was discussed in the Indian Parliament, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest. Rawat had to post a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country for an English-American tour planned for June 1973. Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son, that the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage, and that her son was angry with her for convincing him to attend. Charges were never filed, and the Indian government later issued an apology. Proposal 14 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday,[72] was held in India and attended by 500,000 people. Rawat, then aged 14, arrived in India on 7 November, together with 2,500 followers from the U.S in seven chartered Jumbo jets.[73] A suitcase containing cash, jewelry, and wristwatches worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000 was not properly declared and was impounded by customs.[74][14] A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited by 3,000 followers to pay for expenses, and that other valuables were gifts.[14] One secretary took responsibility for the valuables and another for failing to declare them.[36][14] In the Indian Parliament, an investigation was suggested into the wealth of the mission abroad, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reported to have taken a personal interest.[75] Rawat had to post a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country for a tour of England and America planned for June 1973. Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son, that the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage, and that her son was angry with her for convincing him to attend.[76] Charges were never filed,[77] and the Indian government later issued an apology.[78] Proposal 15 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, was attended by over 500,000 people. Rawat, then aged 14, arrived back in India on 7 November, together with 2,500 followers from the U.S in seven chartered Jumbo jets. A suitcase, containing cash, jewelry, and wristwatches worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000, was not properly declared and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited by 3,000 followers to pay for expenses, and that other valuables were gifts. One secretary accepted responsibility for the valuables and another for failing to declare them. The finances of Rawat and the DLM at home and abroad were investigated by the Indian government through the summer of 1974. Prime Minister Gandhi took a personal interest in the case, which was discussed in parliament. Rawat had to post a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country for a tour of England and America planned for June 1973. Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son, that the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage, and that her son was angry with her for convincing him to attend. Charges were never filed, and the Indian government later issued an apology. Proposal 16 Some tweaks, per talk, based on Proposal #13 The 1972 Hans Jayanti, a festival celebrating Rawat's father's birthday, was attended by over 500,000 people. Rawat, then aged 14, arrived back in India on 7 November, together with 2,500 followers from the U.S in seven chartered Jumbo jets. A suitcase containing cash, jewelry and wristwatches worth an estimated total of US$27,000 to $80,000 was not properly declared, and was impounded by customs. A DLM spokesman said that the money did not belong to Rawat, but had been deposited by 3,000 followers to pay for expenses, and that the other valuables were gifts. One secretary accepted responsibility for the valuables and another for failing to declare them. The finances of Rawat and the DLM at home and abroad were investigated by the Indian government, and Indira Gandhi took a personal interest in the case which was discussed in parliament. Rawat had to post a $13,300 bond in order to leave the country in June of 1973. Mata Ji said that customs officials had humiliated her son, that the Indian press had given his visit the worst possible coverage, and that her son was angry with her for convincing him to attend. Charges were never filed, and the Indian government later issued an apology. References References

Proposal 2

This discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This page is for proposals related to the Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2008-04-20 Prem Rawat. User should: Add their proposed wording to a new section Not sign their section with the standard ~~~~ Not comment on other sections, this will be done at the discussion page Not change the wording of proposals, they should add a new proposal with the changed wording Proposal 0 (current version) In 1982, the Dutch sociologist Paul Schnabel described Rawat as a pure example of a charismatic leader. He characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho but no less charismatic. Schnabel stated that Rawat's charisma was in a certain sense routinized (inherited) charisma, but that this was hardly a factor for how he was perceived by his Western following. There, his charisma was primarily the result of careful staging supported by a whole organization. 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. Proposal 1 Several scholars have discussed the Weberian aspects of charismatic authority as it relates to Prem Rawat. Melton refers to Rawat's personal charisma, as one of the reasons for the rapidly spreading of his message among members of the 1960's counterculture. The Dutch sociologist Paul Schnabel described Rawat as a pure example of a charismatic leader. He characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho but no less charismatic. Schnabel stated that Rawat's charisma was in a certain sense routinized (inherited) charisma, but that this was hardly a factor for how he was perceived by his Western following; there, his charisma was primarily the result of careful staging supported by a whole organization. Lucy Dupertuis, chair of the department of sociology at the University of Guam, describes Rawat's role as Master as emerging from both theological and experiential aspects, and as not being the sole focus or generator of charisma; he also observed that charisma was not an impediment for some devotees to discover that they have learned the "experience of God" on their own and drift away, not in in disillusionment but in fulfillment. David G. Bromley describes the difficulty of a charismatic leader in proving to be above normal human failings such as not suffer ill health or indulge in worldly pursuits, and presents Rawat's marriage as such a situation, which is then exploited by the media to discredit charismatic claimants in the eyes of the general public. Bromley describes Prem Rawat and other founders of new religions, as being held in awe by their early followers, who ascribed to them extraordinary powers that set them apart from other human beings—in the words of Max Weber, a "prophet" or bearer of charisma who proclaims alternative or new revelations. Bromley asserts that recent scholarship gives emphasis to social construct aspects of charisma, rather than relaying solely on individual personality. Pylarzyc observed that the distribution of power and authority in the DLM, was officially based on the charismatic appeal of Maharaj Ji, which he describes as being somewhat ambiguous, and that many followers were not certain about his position in the organizational scheme of the movement, or the claim that he was the only true spiritual master. Ron Geaves, a professor of religion and one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat, writes that 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.Hunt, describes Rawat's charisma in a similar manner, observing that the notion of spiritual growth is not derived, as is traditionally the case with other gurus, from his personal charisma, but from the nature of his teachings and the benefits to the individuals. Proposal 2 Several scholars have discussed the Weberian aspects of charismatic authority as it relates to Prem Rawat. Melton refers to Rawat's personal charisma as one of the reasons for the rapid spread of his message among members of the 1960's counterculture. The Dutch sociologist Paul Schnabel described Rawat as a pure example of a charismatic leader. He characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho, but no less charismatic. Schnabel stated that Rawat's charisma was in a certain sense routinized (inherited) charisma, but that this was hardly a factor for how he was perceived by his Western following; there, his charisma was primarily the result of careful staging supported by a whole organization. Lucy Dupertuis, chair of the department of sociology at the University of Guam, describes Rawat's role as a Master as emerging from both theological and experiential aspects, and as not being the sole focus or generator of charisma; she also observed that charisma did not prevent some devotees from discovering that they had learned the "experience of God" on their own, and to drift away, not in disillusionment but in fulfillment. David G. Bromley describes the difficulty of a charismatic leader in proving to be above normal human failings such as not to suffer ill health or indulge in worldly pursuits. He presents Rawat's marriage as such a situation, which is then exploited by the media to discredit charismatic claimants in the eyes of the general public. Bromley describes Prem Rawat and other founders of new religions as being held in awe by their early followers, who ascribed extraordinary powers to them that set them apart from other human beings – in the words of Max Weber, a "prophet" or bearer of charisma who proclaims alternative or new revelations. Bromley asserts that recent scholarship gives emphasis to social construct aspects of charisma, rather than relying solely on individual personality. Pylarzyc observed that the distribution of power and authority in the DLM was officially based on the charismatic appeal of Maharaj Ji, which he describes as being somewhat ambiguous, and that many followers were not certain about his position in the organizational scheme of the movement, or the claim that he was the only true spiritual master. Ron Geaves, a professor of religion and one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat, writes that 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 for his authority. Hunt describes Rawat's charisma in a similar manner, observing that the notion of spiritual growth is not derived, as is traditionally the case with other gurus, from his personal charisma, but from the nature of his teachings and the benefits to the individuals applying them. Proposal 3 ===Charisma and leadership=== Several scholars refer to Max Weber's classification of authority when describing Rawat as a charismatic leader. This type of leadership, in Weber's words, rests "on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him." Melton refers to Rawat's personal charisma as one of the reasons for the rapid spread of his message among members of the 1960's counterculture. The Dutch sociologist Paul Schnabel described Rawat as a pure example of a charismatic leader. He characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho, but no less charismatic. Schnabel remarks that although Rawat's charisma was partly routinized as it resulted from a hereditary succession, this type of routinization played a negligible role for his Western followers; there, his charisma was primarily the result of careful staging supported by a whole organization. Meredith McGuire sees formalization resulting from Rawat's desire to consolidate his power and authority over the movement in the United States. Lucy DuPertuis, a sociologist and follower who assisted James V. Downton with his book about the Divine Light Mission, described Rawat's role as a Master as emerging from three interrelated phenomena: traditional or theological definitions of Satguru, adherents' first-hand experiences of the Master, and communal accounts and discussions of the Master among devotees. Her ultimate assertion is that imputation of charisma is an active, conscious, changing process which, in this context, involves non-cognitive modes of perception. She also observed that Rawat's charisma did not prevent some devotees from discovering that they had learned the "experience of God" on their own, and to drift away, not in disillusionment but in fulfillment. David G. Bromley describes the difficulty of a charismatic leader in proving to be above normal human failings such as not to suffer ill health or indulge in worldly pursuits. He presents Rawat's marriage as such a situation, which is then exploited by the media to discredit charismatic claimants in the eyes of the general public. Bromley describes Prem Rawat and other founders of new religions as being held in awe by their early followers, who ascribe extraordinary powers to them that set them apart from other human beings – in the words of Max Weber, a "prophet" or bearer of charisma who proclaims alternative or new revelations. Bromley asserts that recent scholarship gives emphasis to social construct aspects of charisma, rather than relying solely on individual personality.Thomas Pilarzyk, a sociologist, wrote in a 1978 paper that the distribution of power and authority in the DLM was officially based on the charismatic appeal of Maharaj Ji, which he describes as being somewhat ambiguous, and that many followers were not certain about his position in the organizational scheme of the movement, or the claim that he was the only true spiritual master. Stephen J. Hunt observes that in Rawat's case the notion of spiritual growth is not derived — as is traditionally the case with other gurus — from his personal charisma, but from the nature of his teachings and the benefits to the individuals applying them. Ron Geaves, a professor of religion and one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat, states that Rawat is not a renunciate, and he has made great efforts to assert his humanity and take apart the hagiography that has developed around him. He further writes that 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 for his authority, and that Rawat could only be defined as charismatic in the sense of charisma having an antagonistic relationship with tradition. Proposal 4 ===Charisma and leadership=== Several scholars referred to Max Weber's classification of authority when describing Rawat as a charismatic leader. This type of leadership, in Weber's words, is "resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him." In Rawat's case, the factor "exemplary character" is seen as irrelevant: Schnabel characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho, but no less charismatic; according to Geaves, "Rawat is not a renunciate" and "he has gone to great lengths to assert his humanity and deconstruct the hagiography that has developed around his life." As for routinization, that is, in Weber's sociological analysis, the compound of factors with which charismatic authority can be consolidated and which ultimately leads to a more formalized or bureaucratic type of leadership: Schnabel remarks that although Rawat's charisma was partly routinized as it resulted from a heriditary succession, this type of routinization played a negligible role for his Western followers. McGuire sees multiple elements of formalization resulting from Rawat's desire to consolidate his power and authority over the movement in the United States. In 2006 Geaves writes that Rawat could only be defined as charismatic in the sense of charisma having an antagonistic relationship with tradition. [...] Proposal 5 Lucy DuPertuis, a sociologist, describes Rawat's role as a Master as emerging from three interrelated phenomena: traditional or theological definitions of Satguru, adherants' first-hand experiences of the Master, and communal accounts and discussions of the Master among devotees. Her ultimate assertion is that imputation of charisma is an active, conscious, changing process which, in this context, involves non-cognitive modes of perception.. Proposal 6 ===Charisma and leadership=== Several scholars have referred to Max Weber's classification of authority when describing Rawat as a charismatic leader.. This type of leadership, in Weber's words, is "resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him." In Rawat's case, the factor "exemplary character" is seen as irrelevant by Schnabel who characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho, but no less charismatic . Geaves states that "Rawat is not a renunciate" and "he has gone to great lengths to assert his humanity and deconstruct the hagiography that has developed around his life." Geaves also asserts that in a Weberian context Rawat could only be defined as charismatic in the sense of charisma having an antagonistic relationship with tradition. Schnabel remarks that although Rawat's charisma was partly routinized, as it resulted from a hereditary succession, this type of routinization played a negligible role for his Western followers. Bromley refers to the difficulty of a charismatic leader in proving to be above normal human failings such as not to suffer ill health or indulge in worldly pursuits. He presents Rawat's marriage as such a situation, which is then exploited by the media to discredit charismatic claimants in the eyes of the general public. Bromley describes Prem Rawat and other founders of new religions as being held in awe by their early followers, who ascribe extraordinary powers to them that set them apart from other human beings – in the words of Max Weber, a "prophet" or bearer of charisma who proclaims alternative or new revelations. Bromley asserts that recent scholarship gives emphasis to social construct aspects of charisma, rather than relying solely on individual personality. Dupertuis, working from the statement that “in Weber's formulations, charisma clearly appears in the eyes of the beholders” concluded that Rawat's role as a Master emerged from both theological and experiential aspects, and was not the sole focus or generator of charisma. Dupertuis also observed that charisma did not prevent some devotees from discovering that “they had learned the "experience of God" on their own, and to drift away, not in disillusionment but in fulfilment”. Pilarzyk, observed that the distribution of power and authority in the DLM was both officially and symbolically based on what Pilarzyk termed the “somewhat ambiguous charismatic appeal of guru Maharaj Ji”. Pilarzyk considered that “the development of the DLM in America had substantiated Wallis' contention that cults are inherently fragile social institutions which are constrained from effective institutionalization by internal factors”. McGuire, referencing Pilarzyk, and noting Weber, saw multiple elements of formalization resulting from Rawat's desire to consolidate his power and authority over the movement in the United States Proposal 7 ===Charisma and leadership=== Several scholars refer to Max Weber's classification of authority when describing Rawat as a charismatic leader. This type of leadership, in Weber's words, rests "on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him." Melton refers to Rawat's personal charisma as one of the reasons for the rapid spread of his message among members of the 1960's counterculture. The Dutch sociologist Paul Schnabel described Rawat as a pure example of a charismatic leader. He characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho, but no less charismatic. Schnabel remarks that although Rawat's charisma was partly routinized as it resulted from a hereditary succession, this type of routinization played a negligible role for his Western followers; there, his charisma was primarily the result of careful staging supported by a whole organization. Meredith McGuire sees formalization resulting from Rawat's desire to consolidate his power and authority over the movement in the United States. Lucy DuPertuis, a sociologist and follower who assisted James V. Downton with his book about the Divine Light Mission, described Rawat's role as a Master as emerging from three interrelated phenomena: traditional or theological definitions of Satguru, adherents' first-hand experiences of the Master, and communal accounts and discussions of the Master among devotees. Her ultimate assertion is that imputation of charisma is an active, conscious, changing process which, in this context, involves non-cognitive modes of perception. She also observed that Rawat's charisma did not prevent some devotees from discovering that they had learned the "experience of God" on their own, and to drift away, not in disillusionment but in fulfillment. David G. Bromley describes the difficulty of a charismatic leader in proving to be above normal human failings such as not to suffer ill health or indulge in worldly pursuits. He presents Rawat's marriage as such a situation, which is then exploited by the media to discredit charismatic claimants in the eyes of the general public. Bromley describes Prem Rawat and other founders of new religions as being held in awe by their early followers, who ascribe extraordinary powers to them that set them apart from other human beings – in the words of Max Weber, a "prophet" or bearer of charisma who proclaims alternative or new revelations. Bromley asserts that recent scholarship gives emphasis to social construct aspects of charisma, rather than relying solely on individual personality.Thomas Pilarzyk, a sociologist, wrote in a 1978 paper that the distribution of power and authority in the DLM was officially based on the charismatic appeal of Maharaj Ji, which he describes as being somewhat ambiguous, and that many followers were not certain about his position in the organizational scheme of the movement, or the claim that he was the only true spiritual master. Stephen J. Hunt observes that in Rawat's case the notion of spiritual growth is not derived — as is traditionally the case with other gurus — from his personal charisma, but from the nature of his teachings and the benefits to the individuals applying them. Ron Geaves, a professor of religion and one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat, states that Rawat is not a renunciate, and he has made great efforts to assert his humanity and take apart the hagiography that has developed around him. He further writes that 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 for his authority, and that Rawat could only be defined as charismatic in the sense of charisma having an antagonistic relationship with tradition. Edited to add reference information References Content of reused stray footnotes: References

Proposal 3

This discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This page is for proposals related to the Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2008-04-20 Prem Rawat. User should: Add their proposed wording to a new section Not sign their section with the standard ~~~~ Not comment on other sections, this will be done at the discussion page Not change the wording of proposals, they should add a new proposal with the changed wording. Material in Divine Light Mission#Millennium '73 The 1973 Hans Jayanti festival was held at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, and publicized as "Millennium '73". The free, three-day event was billed as "the most significant event in human history" that would herald "a thousand years of peace for people who want peace", the idea being that peace could come to the world as individuals experiencing inner peace. To promote the event Prem Rawat's 20-year old brother, Bhole Ji Rawat toured with a 60-piece band, "Blue Aquarius" for two weeks giving free concerts. The 500-member tour was dubbed "Soul Rush" and traveled to seven cities on the way to Houston. Rennie Davis, well known as one of the defendants in the Chicago Seven trial, attracted extensive media coverage as a spokesperson for Rawat. At the event Davis declared that "All I can say is, honestly, very soon now, every single human being will know the one who was waited for by every religion of all times has actually come." In a press conference at Millennium Rawat denied being the Messiah and when asked by reporters about the contradictions between what he said about himself and what his followers said about him, Rawat replied, "Why don't you do me a favor ... why don't you go to the devotees and ask their explanation about it?" While Rawat's brother Satpal was nominally in charge of the festival, Davis was the "General Coordinator" and handled the details. Expectations for the event were very high with predictions that it would attract more than 100,000, or even as many as 400,000 people from Satpal. Davis privately said he thought 22,000 was a more realistic estimate and reserved 22,000 hotel beds. There was even talk about a space in the parking lot reserved for a flying saucer to land. When Satpal heard about the flying saucer he said, "If you see any, just give them some of our literature". The actual attendance was estimated at 35,000 and 10,000 by police. The event featured spectacular staging, a 56-piece rock band and a giant video screen that showed a barrage of shots from the tumultuous 1960s. Though it was not covered by the national television news, it did get extensive coverage in the print media. The premies were reported to be "cheerful, friendly and unruffled, and seemed nourished by their faith". To the 400 premie parents who attended, Rawat "was a rehabilitator of prodigal sons and daughters". Other reporters found a "confused jumble of inarticulately expressed ideas." It was depicted in the award-winning U.S. documentary "Lord of the Universe" broadcast by PBS Television in 1974. The event was called the "youth culture event of the year". Singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III visited the festival and later remarked that while the premies inside were looking happy the ones outside were arguing with Jesus Freaks and Hare Krishnas. Waiwright's song "I am the Way" was partly inspired by Prem Rawat. At the festival Larry Bernstein, a prize-winning, 41-year-old architect described a "Divine City" to be built from the ground up starting the following year. It was to feature translucent hexagonal plastic houses stacked on concrete columns and connected with monorails. Polluting vehicles would be replaced by electric vehicles, and solar power would be used to provide energy. Cards would replace cash. The use of advanced technologies to ensure pollution-free air, Rennie Davis told a journalist, would be a practical demonstration of what it means to have Heaven on Earth. Two sites were suggested: either the Blue Ridge Mountains or somewhere near Santa Barbara, California. The former president and vice president of the DLM later said that Prem Rawat had spoken frequently of building such a city. Plans for the city were delayed amid the fiscal crisis following the Millennium festival. Incorporation papers for the formation of the "City of Love and Light Unlimited, Inc." were filed in Colorado in 1974, and there was a failed attempt in 1975 to build the community near San Antonio, Texas. According to Thomas Pilarzyk, the Millennium economic deficit was partially the result of poor management by the "holy family", Rawat's mother and three older brothers as well as the much lower than anticipated attendance. DLM incurred a debt estimated between $600,000 and over $1 million, severely damaging its finances. Event-related expenses were covered by short-term credit based on the expectation that contributions would pour in following the free festival.DLM's post-Millennium financial troubles forced it to close ashrams, sell its printing business and real estate, and to drop the lease on its IBM computer. Monthly donations fell from $100,000 to $70,000. By 1976 it was able to reduce the debt to $80,000.Consequently, the festival necessitated policy shifts within the movement organization. Proposal 0 (current version @ Prem Rawat) The Hans Janyanti of 1973, called "Millennium '73", was held in the Astrodome of Houston, Texas. It was promoted as "the most significant event in human history". Organizers, including Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (Bal Bhagwan Ji) and activist Rennie Davis, had publicly predicted attendance of 100,000 or more, but the event only attracted an estimated 20,000. Though it was not covered by the national television news, it did get extensive coverage in the print media and was depicted in the award-winning U.S. documentary "Lord of the Universe". The premies were reported to be "cheerful, friendly and unruffled, and seemed nourished by their faith". To the 400 premie parents who attended, Rawat "was a rehabilitator of prodigal sons and daughters". Other reporters found a "confused jumble of inarticulately expressed ideas." The event was called the "youth culture event of the year". The failure of the event to meet expectations generated negative publicity and left the Divine Light Mission heavily in debt which , forcing changes in the movement. According to Thomas Pilarzyk, the Millennium economic deficit was partially the result of poor management by the "holy family", Rawat's mother and three older brothers as well as the much lower than anticipated attendance. Consequently, the festival necessitated policy shifts within the movement organization. Proposal 1 The Hans Janyanti of 1973, called "Millennium '73", was held in the Astrodome of Houston, Texas. It was promoted as "the most significant event in human history". The main organizers, Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (Bal Bhagwan Ji) and activist Rennie Davis, had publicly predicted attendance of 100,000 or more but the event only attracted an estimated at 20,000. Called the "youth culture event of the year", the failure of the event to meet expectations disappointed followers and left the Divine Light Mission heavily in debt. The festival has been described as the high-point of Rawat's prominence as a guru. Proposal 2 The 1973 Hans Jayanti festival was held in the Houston Astrodome, Texas. Renamed "Millennium '73" it was billed as "the most significant event in human history" that would herald "a thousand years of peace for people who want peace". Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (Bal Bhagwan Ji) and activist Rennie Davis, the main organizers, predicted attendance of 100,000 or more, but the event only attracted an estimated 20,000 and left the DLM with debts of over $600,000. Proposal 3 The Hans Janyanti of 1973, called "Millennium '73", was held in the Astrodome of Houston, Texas. It was promoted as "the most significant event in human history". Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (Bal Bhagwan Ji) and activist Rennie Davis, the main organizers, predicted attendance of 100,000 or more but the event only attracted an estimated at 20,000 and left the group heavily in debt. The failure of the event to meet expectations disappointed followers. The festival has been described as the high-point of Rawat's prominence as a guru. Proposal 4 similar to as proposal #3, but with attribution of opinions The Hans Janyanti event of 1973, called "Millennium '73", was held in the Astrodome of Houston, Texas and was publicized as "the most significant event in human history". Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (known as Bal Bhagwan Ji) and activist Rennie Davis, the main organizers, predicted attendance of 100,000 or more but the event only attracted an estimated at 20,000 and left the DLM heavily in debt. According to Downton and other observers, the failure of the event to meet expectations disappointed many followers. Vishal Mangalwadi describes the festival as the zenith of Rawat's popularity. Proposal 5 The Hans Janyanti event of 1973, called "Millennium '73", was held in the Astrodome of Houston, Texas and was publicized as "the most holy and significant event in human history" by Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (known as Bal Bhagwan Ji). He and activist Rennie Davis, the main organizers, predicted attendance of 100,000 or more but the event only attracted an estimated 20,000 and left the DLM heavily in debt. According to Downton and other observers, the failure of the event to meet expectations disappointed many followers. Vishal Mangalwadi described the festival as the he zenith of Rawat's popularity which overshadowed that of all the gurus and religious leaders in the world. Edited by Mael-Num: Fixed a minor typo Proposal 6 The Hans Jayanti event of 1973 was called "Millennium '73", and was held in the Houston Astrodome, in Texas, USA. Prepublicity by Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (known as Bal Bhagwan Ji) had described it as "the most holy and significant event in human history", and the main organizers, Satpal and activist Rennie Davis, had predicted an attendance of at least 100,000. Only an estimated 20,000 attended, and the DLM was left heavily in debt. According to Downton and other observers, the failure of the event to meet expectations disappointed many followers. Proposal 7 This builds on Jossi's P3.4, but doesn't unattribute the undisputed claim of it being the high-point. The Hans Janyanti of 1973, called "Millennium '73", was held in the Astrodome of Houston, Texas. It was promoted as "the most significant event in human history". Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (Bal Bhagwan Ji) and activist Rennie Davis, the main organizers, predicted attendance of 100,000 or more but the event only attracted an estimated at 20,000 and left the group heavily in debt. The failure of the event to meet expectations disappointed many followers. The festival was later described by various writers as the high point of the movement in the U.S. Proposal 8 DLM held the 1973 Hans Janyanti, called "Millennium '73", in the Astrodome of Houston, Texas and promoted it as "the most significant event in human history". The organizers, Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (then known as Bal Bhagwan Ji) and activist Rennie Davis, publicly predicted attendance of 100,000 or more, but the event only attracted an estimated 20,000. Though it was not covered by the national television news, it did get extensive coverage in the print media and was depicted in the award-winning U.S. documentary "Lord of the Universe". The premies were reported to be "cheerful, friendly and unruffled, and seemed nourished by their faith". To the 400 premie parents who attended, Rawat "was a rehabilitator of prodigal sons and daughters". Other reporters found a "confused jumble of inarticulately expressed ideas." The event was called the "youth culture event of the year". The poor attendance generated negative publicity and left the Divine Light Mission heavily in debt, forcing changes in the movement. According to Thomas Pilarzyk, the Millennium economic deficit was exacerbated by poor management by Rawat's mother and older brothers. Proposal 9 DLM held the 1973 Hans Jayanti, called "Millennium '73", in the Houston Astrodome and promoted it as "the most significant event in human history". The organizers, Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat (then known as Bal Bhagwan Ji) and activist Rennie Davis, predicted an attendance of 100,000 or more, but only an estimated 20,000 came. Though not covered by the national television news, it got extensive coverage in the print media, and was depicted in the award-winning U.S. documentary "Lord of the Universe". The premies were described as "cheerful, friendly and unruffled" and seemingly "nourished by their faith", though other reporters saw only a "confused jumble of inarticulately expressed ideas." The event was called the "youth culture event of the year", and to the 400 premie parents who attended, Rawat was "a rehabilitator of prodigal sons and daughters". The poor attendance generated negative publicity, and left the Divine Light Mission heavily in debt, forcing changes in the movement. According to Thomas Pilarzyk, the Millennium economic deficit was exacerbated by poor management by Rawat's mother and older brothers. References References

Proposal 4

This discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This page is for proposals related to the Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2008-04-20 Prem Rawat. User should: Add their proposed wording to a new section Not sign their section with the standard ~~~~ Not comment on other sections, this will be done at the discussion page Not change the wording of proposals, they should add a new proposal with the changed wording Previous versions [Milestones identified by user:Thebainer in A brief history of Prem Rawat.] September 2004 [13] Prem Rawat (born December 10, 1957 in Dehra Dun near Haridwar, India) is a sometimes controversial inspirational speaker who brought to the West and promotes in both the West and India four meditative techniques or kriyas that he collectively calls the "techniques of Knowledge" and which he claims bring inner peace. He was for a time known in the West and is still known in India as Guru Maharaj ji, and is now known to his Western students as Maharaji May 2006 [14] Prem Pal Singh Rawat, also called Maharaji (formerly called Guru Maharaj Ji ) was born on December 10, 1957 in Dehradun, India. At the age of four he gave his first published address about the practice of "Knowledge", that was being taught by his father and teacher Hans Ji Maharaj. At the age of six he was taught the techniques of Knowledge by his father and succeeded him when he died in 1966, being accepted by his father's followers as their satguru (Sanskrit: true teacher) and assuming the role of "Perfect Master" at his father's funeral. He thereby became the recognized leader of the Divine Light Mission that was started by his father and began taking his message to people throughout the Indian subcontinent. In 1971 he was invited to speak in London and Los Angeles and attracted substantial media attention, some of which referred to the 13-year old as the "boy guru"In 1972 he began touring the world talking about inner peace and teaching Knowledge, revisiting the UK and the US and speaking at events for the first time in Switzerland, Germany, Kenya, South Africa, Japan, and Australia. His marriage to a westerner in 1974 precipitated a family rift and Prem Rawat's mother and his eldest brother Satya Pal Singh (Satpal) secured control of DLM in India through legal proceedings. Prem Rawat remained in the west and in the 1980s he began the slow dissolution of the Divine Light Mission, stepped away from the trappings associated with an Indian guru and continued to appear to audiences as Maharaji, a teacher and public speaker, promoting the same message and offering the same techniques of Knowledge for finding peace within. At that time, non-profit, charitable organizations with a minimal structure manned mainly by volunteers were established in several countries called Elan Vital, whose main purpose is organizing events to which Prem Rawat is invited to speak. According to The Prem Rawat Foundation, Prem Rawat has continued to promote a means to achieve a lifelong, individual experience of inner peace, and that his message is that "it is only by individuals finding peace for themselves can the world be at peace" and that he is able to assist in this endeavor. Starting in 2001, he has been invited to address various institutions on the subject of peace, and has through the Prem Rawat Foundation spearheaded various humanitarian initiatives. Prem Rawat has attracted controversy for what his critics consider a lack of intellectual content in his teachings, leading a sumptuous lifestyle, and making what critics and religious scholars regarded as personal claims of divinity. Prem Rawat lives with his wife in Malibu, California in the U.S. They have four grown children. He is an experienced airline transport-rated pilot and holds a number of pilot ratings on jet airplanes and helicopters. His resume discusses skills in computer graphics, computer-aided design, and development of aviation software. He is listed as co-inventor on a U.S. Patent for a world-time watch for aeronautic applications. A US citizen since 1977, he reports that he supports himself and his family as a private investor, and that he has contributed to the success of several startup companies in various industries, including software. January 2007 [15] Prem Pal Singh Rawat also called Maharaji, and formerly called Guru Maharaj Ji, is a speaker and teacher on the subjects of inner peace and spiritual awareness. Born in Haridwar, North India in December 10, 1957, Rawat was initiated in the techniques of "Knowledge" by his father, Hans Ram Singh Rawat, when he was six years old. Rawat's "Techniques of Knowledge" primarily consist of four introspective meditation techniques. At the age of eight, Prem Rawat succeeded Hans Rawat upon his death in 1966, being accepted by his father's followers as their satguru (Sanskrit: true teacher) or "Perfect Master" at his funeral. He thereby became the recognized leader of the Divine Light Mission (DLM) that was started by his father and continued bringing his message to people throughout the Indian subcontinent. In 1971, Rawat embarked on a mission to the West to speak in London and Los Angeles. His arrival attracted the attention of the media, some of which referred to the 13-year-old as the "boy guru" and reported claims of divinity. He also established the US chapter of Elan Vital. In 1972 he began touring the world talking about inner peace and teaching Knowledge. His marriage to a Westerner in 1974 precipitated a family rift and Rawat's mother and his eldest brother Satya Pal Singh (Satpal) returned to India. Rawat remained in the West and in the 1980s he changed the style of his message and relinquished the Hindu tradition, beliefs, and most of its original eastern religious practices.Rawat continued to tour extensively in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2001, Rawat established the The Prem Rawat Foundation to promote his message and advance the cause of various humanitarian initiatives. Since this time he has been invited to address various institutions on the subject of peace and spread his message that, "it is only by individuals finding peace for themselves can the world be at peace". Criticisms of Rawat include the charge that he does not adhere to a simple lifestyle , and that organizations affiliated with Rawat are responsible for brainwashing, mind control, and financial exploitation of their members. May 2007 [16] Prem Rawat, also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji) has been a speaker and teacher on the subject of "inner peace" since the age of eight, as well as offering instruction of four meditation techniques he calls Knowledge. In 1971 Rawat traveled from India to speak in London and Los Angeles and was the subject of substantial media attention. He returned to the West in 1972 with his mother and elder brother and formed the Divine Light Mission to assist in spreading his message. Dozens of Indian style ashrams were established and tens of thousands of followers were attracted, largely from the hippie culture. Rawat was frequently criticised by religious scholars on the basis of his age, his behaviour and his teachings. Rawat's desire to manifest his own vision brought him into conflict with his mother and family, and his marriage to an American follower in 1974 caused a permanent split. From this point Rawat and his teachings became more Western, and in the early 1980s he abandoned the title and trappings of a guru, closed the ashrams and changed his style to appeal to a Western audience. The Prem Rawat Foundation was established in 2001 to promote his message which is currently distributed in eighty-eight countries on video, print, and television, as well as to spearhead humanitarian efforts. Proposal 0 (current version) Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India), also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji), also as Sant Ji Maharaj and Balyogeshwar, is a speaker on the subject of inner peace, and offers instruction in four meditation techniques he calls Knowledge. This Knowledge consists of the techniques to obtain stillness, peace, and contentment within the individual: the happiness of the true self-understanding. In June 1971, Rawat left India for the West, where he was the subject of substantial media attention. His first western address was given at a pop music festival in Glastonbury. Tens of thousands were attracted to his message, largely from the hippie culture. Rawat made his home in the U.S. and began touring and teaching worldwide. When he turned 16, Rawat became an emancipated minor and was able to take a more active role in guiding the movement. Over time, his teachings became more universal and less Indian, and in the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian traditions from which the techniques originated. In 2001 The Prem Rawat Foundation was established to contribute to global humanitarian efforts and to promote his message, which is now available throughout the world via print, TV, cable and satellite. As of 2006, Rawat continued to tour regularly. Rawat has been criticized for a lack of intellectual content in his public discourse and for leading a sumptuous lifestyle. Proposal 1 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10 1957 in Haridwar, India) (also known as Balyogeshwar, Sant Ji Maharaj, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji) is an Indian-American who became prominent as the leader of the Divine Light Mission (DLM) and the Elan Vital. His international following includes students in India, the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America. He speaks on the subject of inner peace, and offers instruction in four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge". Rawat succeeded his father as spiritual head of the DLM in 1966 at the age of eight when he was proclaimed the "satguru" ("Perfect Master"). In June 1971, he left India for the West. There he became the subject of substantial media attention and attracted tens of thousands of devotees. He made his home in the U.S. and began touring and teaching worldwide. When he turned 16 in 1974, Rawat married and took a more active role in guiding the movement. Internal conflicts and negative publicity led to a reorganization of the DLM. Rawat's teachings became more universal as he moved away from Indian traditions. In the late 1970s and early '80s he closed the ashrams, dropped titles such as "Lord of the Universe" and "Guru", and created the Elan Vital as a replacement for the DLM. Proponents of Rawat have credited him with helping them find inner peace while criticisms have referred to a lack of intellectual depth in his teachings and a sumptuous lifestyle. Proposal 2 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10 1957 in Haridwar, India) (also known as Balyogeshwar, Sant Ji Maharaj, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji) is an Indian-American who became prominent as a guru in the 1970s. Organizations formed to spread his message include the Divine Light Mission (DLM), the Elan Vital, and the Prem Rawat Foundation. His international following includes students in India, the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America. He speaks on the subject of inner peace, and offers instruction in four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge". Rawat succeeded his father as spiritual head of the DLM in 1966 at the age of eight when he was proclaimed the "satguru" ("Perfect Master"). In June 1971, he left India for the West. There he became the subject of substantial media attention and attracted tens of thousands of devotees who called him the "Lord of the Universe". He made his home in the U.S. and began touring and teaching worldwide. When he turned 16 in 1974, Rawat married and took a more active role in guiding the movement. Family conflicts split the movement with Rawat retaining control of the DLM in the West, which lost most of its members. In the late 1970s and early '80s Rawat removed the Indian trappings, dropped claims of divinity, stopped referring to himself as a "guru", closed the ashrams, and disbanded the DLM. Since then he has maintained a relatively low profile as an inspirational speaker. Proponents of Rawat have credited him with helping them find inner peace while criticisms have referred to a lack of intellectual depth in his teachings and an opulent, materialistic lifestyle. Proposal 3 [...] He is, or has been, associated with organizations like Divine Light Mission (DLM), Divine United Organization (DUO), Elan Vital, and from 2001, The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF). [...] Proposal 4 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, 10 December 1957 in Haridwar, India), also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji), is a speaker on the subject of inner peace, and offers instruction in four meditation techniques he calls Knowledge. Rawat became a Guru or Perfect Master in 1966 following the death of his father and travelled to the West in 1971 where he was the subject of substantial media attention. Tens of thousands were attracted to his message, largely from the hippie culture. When he turned 16, Rawat became an emancipated minor, took control of the Divine Light Mission in the West and married a westerner against his family's wishes. He began eliminating the Indian traditions from his teachings and in the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru". He continues to tour regularly to promote his message, which is now available throughout the world via print, TV, cable and satellite. Proposal 5 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10 1957 in Haridwar, India) (also known as Balyogeshwar, Sant Ji Maharaj, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji) is an Indian-American who became prominent as a guru in the 1970s. He is, or has been, associated with organizations including Divine Light Mission (DLM), Divine United Organization (DUO), Elan Vital, and from 2001, The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF). His international following includes students in India, the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America. He speaks on the subject of inner peace, and offers instruction in four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge". Rawat succeeded his father as spiritual head of the DLM in 1966 at the age of eight when he was proclaimed the "satguru" ("Perfect Master"). In June 1971, he left India for the West. There he became the subject of substantial media attention and attracted tens of thousands of devotees. Followers called him the "Lord of the Universe". He made his home in the U.S. and began touring and teaching worldwide. When he turned 16 in 1974, Rawat married and took a more active role in guiding the movement. Family conflicts split the movement with Rawat retaining control of the DLM in the West. The DLM lost most of its members after the mid-1970s. In the late 1970s and early '80s Rawat removed the Indian trappings, dropped claims of divinity, stopped referring to himself as a "guru", closed the ashrams, and disbanded the DLM. Since then he has maintained a relatively low profile as an inspirational speaker. Proponents of Rawat have credited him with helping them find inner peace while criticisms have referred to a lack of intellectual depth in his teachings and an opulent, materialistic lifestyle. Proposal 6 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, 10 December 1957 in Haridwar, India), also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji), is a speaker on the subject of inner peace, and offers instruction in four meditation techniques he calls Knowledge. Rawat became a Guru or Perfect Master in 1966, following the death of his father. In 1971 he travelled to the West, where he became the subject of substantial media attention. Tens of thousands were attracted to his message, largely from the hippie culture. When he turned 16, Rawat became an emancipated minor. He took control of the Divine Light Mission in the West and married a westerner, against his family's wishes. He began eliminating Indian references from his teachings, and in the early 1980s dropped the title "Guru". He continues to tour regularly to promote his message, which is now available throughout the world via print, TV, cable and satellite. Proposal 7 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India) (also known as Balyogeshwar, Sant Ji Maharaj, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji)[58] is an Indian-American who became prominent as a guru in the 1970s. Rawat, who speaks on the subject of inner peace, and offers instruction in four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge",[59] claims a following in many countries including India, the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America. Organisations which have considered Rawat as variously their leader or inspiration include Divine Light Mission (DLM), Divine United Organization (DUO), Elan Vital, and The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF). In 1966 at the age of eight, Rawat succeeded his father as spiritual head of the DLM in India, when he was proclaimed the "satguru" ("Perfect Master").[60] In June 1971, Rawat traveled to Britain and the US where he became the subject of substantial media attention. As Guru Maharaj Ji, Rawat attracted tens of thousands of devotees who called him the "Lord of the Universe", [61] he then made his home in the U.S. and began touring worldwide. Achieving emancipated minor status at aged 16 in 1974, Rawat married and, although he sought to take a more active role in guiding the by then international Divine Light Mission movement,[62] the movement was split by conflicts within the Rawat family. Prem Rawat retained control of the movement outside of India, although much of the membership was lost.[63] In the early 1980s Rawat removed the Indian trappings of his teaching and stopped referring to himself as a "guru"; since then he has maintained a relatively low profile as an inspirational speaker.[49] Rawat's proponents have credited him with helping them find inner peace while his critics have referred to a lack of intellectual depth in his teachings[64] and an opulent, materialistic lifestyle.[56] Proposal 8 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India) (also known as Balyogeshwar, Sant Ji Maharaj, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji)[58] became prominent in the 1970s when he arrived to the West as a 13-year old guru. Rawat, who speaks on the subject of inner peace, has a following in many countries including India, the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. His teachings include four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge",[59] which he says can bring stillness, peace, and contentment within the individual.[45][46] In 1966 at the age of eight, after his father death, Rawat succeeded him as the spiritual head of the movement India, when he was proclaimed "satguru" ("Perfect Master").[60] In June 1971, age 13, Rawat traveled to Britain and the US where he became prominent due to his youth and his claims of being able to impart direct knowledge of God. Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974 resulting in conflicts with his family and the split of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control of the movement outside of India and sought to take a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian trappings that were associated with the early movement in order to appeal to a Western context. Over the years, several organizations have considered Rawat as variously their leader or inspiration including Divine Light Mission (DLM), the Divine United Organization (DUO), and later Elan Vital and the Raj Vidya Kender. In 2001 he founded The Prem Rawat Foundation which contributes to humanitarian efforts and to promote his message, which is made available world-wide via print, and public TV broadcasts. Rawat's proponents have credited him with helping them find inner peace, while critics have referred to a lack of intellectual content in his teachings, and for leading a sumptuous lifestyle. [56] Proposal 9 Supersedes Proposal #8 based on editor's feedback Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India) (also known as Balyogeshwar, Sant Ji Maharaj, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji) became prominent in the 1970s when he arrived in the West as a 13 year-old guru. Rawat, who speaks on the subject of inner peace, has a following in many countries including India, the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. His teachings include four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge", which he says can lead the individual to inner stillness, peace and contentment. In 1966 at the age of eight, Rawat's father died, and Rawat succeeded him as the spiritual head of the movement in India when he was proclaimed "satguru" ("Perfect Master").[60] In June 1971, age 13, Rawat traveled to Britain and the US, where he became prominent due to his claims of being able to impart direct knowledge of God. Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, resulting in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control of the movement outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian trappings that were associated with the early movement, in order to appeal to a Western context. Over the years, several organizations have considered Rawat as their leader or inspiration, including Divine Light Mission (DLM), the Divine United Organization (DUO), and later Elan Vital and the Raj Vidya Kender. In 2001 he founded The Prem Rawat Foundation which contributes to humanitarian efforts and promotes his message, which is made available world-wide via print, and public TV broadcasts. Rawat's proponents have credited him with helping them find inner peace, while critics have referred to a lack of intellectual content in his teachings, and a materialistic lifestyle. Proposal 10 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India), also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji)), became a guru at the age of 8 and started touring internationally when he was 13 years-old. Rawat, who speaks on the subject of inner peace, teaches four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge", which he says can lead the individual to inner stillness, peace and contentment. In 1966 when Rawat's father and guru died Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" ("Perfect Master") and became the spiritual head of five million followers in India. [60] In June 1971, Rawat traveled to Britain and the US, where he became prominent due to his claims of being able to impart direct knowledge of God. Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, resulting in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained the support of his followers outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian elements that were associated with the early movement, in order to appeal to a Western context. Various organizations have supported Rawat's activities including Divine Light Mission, which was founded by his father in 1960, and Elan Vital which replaced DLM in 1983. In 2001 he founded The Prem Rawat Foundation which contributes to humanitarian efforts and promotes his message, which is made available world-wide via print, and public TV broadcasts. Rawat's proponents have credited him with helping them find inner peace, while critics have referred to a lack of intellectual content in his teachings, and a materialistic lifestyle. Proposal 11 Paragraphing added and some rearrangement of previous version for clarity. Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India), also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji), became a guru at the age of 8 and began traveling and speaking internationally at 13. Rawat's subject is inner peace, and he teaches four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge", which he says can lead the individual to stillness, peace and contentment. Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Sri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "Satguru" ("Perfect Master") and became the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] In June 1971 Rawat traveled to Britain and the US, where he became prominent due to his charisma and his claims of being able to impart direct knowledge of God. After becoming an emancipated minor in 1974 at age 16, Rawat married, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained the support of his followers outside of India and began to take a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s, to broaden his appeal to a western audience he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian elements that were associated with the early movement. Various organizations have been formed to support Rawat's activities, including the Divine Light Mission, which was founded by his father in 1960, and Elan Vital, which replaced DLM in 1983. In 2001 he founded The Prem Rawat Foundation, which contributes to humanitarian efforts and promotes his message world-wide via print, video and public TV broadcasts. Rawat's proponents have credited him with helping them find inner peace, while critics have referred to a lack of intellectual content in his teachings, and a materialistic lifestyle. Proposal 12 Combines several previous versions into a compromise. Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India) (also known as Maharaji, Guru Maharaj Ji, Balyogeshwar, and Sant Ji) is an Indian-American who became a guru in India at the age of eight and who gained prominence in the West at age 13. Rawat's subject is inner peace, and he teaches four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge", which he says can lead the individual to stillness, peace and contentment. Various organizations have been formed to support Rawat's activities, including the Divine Light Mission, which was founded by his father in 1960, the Elan Vital, which replaced DLM in 1983, and The Prem Rawat Foundation, founded in 2001. Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Sri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "Satguru" ("Perfect Master") and became the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] In June 1971 Rawat traveled to England and the U.S. After Rawat married in 1974 at age 16 conflicts within his family resulted in the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained the support of his followers outside of India and began to take a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a U.S. citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s, to broaden his appeal to a western audience he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian elements that were associated with the early movement. Rawat has been credited for helping followers find inner peace and has been criticized for a lack of intellectual content in his teachings, and for leading an opulent, materialistic lifestyle. Proposal 13 addressing concerns about proposal 9 and 11 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India) (also known as Maharaji, formerly Guru Maharaj Ji) became a guru in India at the age of eight and gained prominence at age 13 when he began traveling and lecturing internationally. Rawat, who speaks on the subject of inner peace, now has a worldwide following. His teachings include four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge", which he says can lead the individual to inner stillness, peace and contentment. Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Sri Hans died in 1966, Rawat succeeded him as the spiritual head of the movement in India and was proclaimed "satguru" ("Perfect Master") to five million followers.[60] In June 1971, age 13, Rawat traveled to Britain and the US, where he attracted an extraordinary amount of interest from young adults who were willing to examine his claim to impart direct knowledge of the Divine. Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, resulting in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control of the movement outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian elements of his early teachings in order to make his message more universal. Over the years, several organizations have supported Rawat, including Divine Light Mission, and later Elan Vital and the Raj Vidya Kender. In 2001 he founded The Prem Rawat Foundation with a dual mission of contributing to humanitarian efforts and promoting his message. Rawat's supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people find inner peace, while Christian scholars have criticized Rawat for his age, lack of intellectual content in his teachings, and enjoying a luxurious lifestyle. Proposal 14 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India), also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji, became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he first began to spread his message in the west. Rawat's teachings include four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge", which he says can lead the individual to inner stillness, peace and contentment. Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Sri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" or "Perfect Master", and succeeded him as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control of the movement outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian elements that were associated with the early movement. Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission, Elan Vital and the Raj Vidya Kender. In 2001 he founded The Prem Rawat Foundation which also contributes to humanitarian efforts. Rawat has been praised for his role in promoting inner peace, but critics have referred to a lack of intellectual content in his teachings, and a materialistic lifestyle. Proposal 15 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India), also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji, became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he first began to spread his message in the West. Rawat's teachings include four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge", which he says can lead the individual to inner stillness, peace and contentment. Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission, Elan Vital, and The Prem Rawat Foundation. Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Sri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" or "Perfect Master", and succeeded him as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control of the movement outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian elements associated with the early movement. Rawat has been described as living a luxurious, materialistic lifestyle.. His teachings have been characterized as lacking intellectual content. Proposal 16 Combines several previous versions and tweaks into a compromise verison. Rvd redundancies and tweaked grammar. Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India, also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji,) became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he first began to spread his message in the West. Rawat's teachings include four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge". Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission (1960), Elan Vital (1983), and The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001). Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Sri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" or "Perfect Master", and succeeded him as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian aspects of his teachings associated with the early movement. The focus of Rawat's teachings is on stillness, peace and contentment within the individual, which has led secular authors to criticize his talks as stressing emotional experience over intellect. Some religious scholars have characterised Rawat as materialistic and described his lifestyle as luxurious.. Proposal 17 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India) (also known as Maharaji, formerly Guru Maharaj Ji) became a guru in India at the age of eight and gained prominence at age 13 when he began traveling and lecturing internationally. Rawat, who speaks on the subject of inner peace, now has a worldwide following. His teachings include four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge", which he says can lead the individual to inner stillness, peace and contentment. Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Sri Hans died in 1966, Rawat succeeded him as the spiritual head of the movement in India and was proclaimed "satguru" ("Perfect Master") to five million followers.[60] In June 1971, age 13, Rawat traveled to Britain and the US, where he attracted an extraordinary amount of interest from young adults who were willing to examine his claim to impart direct knowledge of the Divine. Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, resulting in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control of the movement outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and abandoned the Indian elements of his early teachings in order to make his message more universal. Over the years, several organizations have supported Rawat, including Divine Light Mission, and later Elan Vital and the Raj Vidya Kender. In 2001 he founded The Prem Rawat Foundation with a dual mission of contributing to humanitarian efforts and promoting his message. Rawat's supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people experience inner peace, while Christian scholars have criticized Rawat for his age, lack of intellectual content in his teachings, and enjoying a luxurious lifestyle. Draft 18 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India, also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji,) became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he began traveling and speaking internationally. He now has a world-wide following. Rawat speaks on the subject of inner peace, and teaches four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge". Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission (1960), Elan Vital (1983), the Raj Vidya Kender (India) and The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001). Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Sri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" or "Perfect Master", and succeeded him as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India. Granted emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and made his message more universal by dropping the Indian aspects of his teachings. Rawat's focus on stillness, peace and contentment within the individual has led secular scholars to criticize his talks as stressing emotional experience over intellect, while religious and other writers have characterised Rawat as materialistic, and described his lifestyle as luxurious. Rawat's supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people experience inner peace. Draft 19 Prem Rawat (born Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10 1957 in Haridwar, India) also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, and Maharaji,) became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he first began to spread his message in the West. He now has a world-wide following. Rawat's teachings include four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge". Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission, Elan Vital (1983), and The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001). Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When he died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" or "Perfect Master", and succeeded his father as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] Granted emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a United States citizen in 1977. He later dropped the title "Guru" and claims of divinity, and abandoned the Indian aspects of his teachings associated with the early movement. The focus of Rawat's teachings is on stillness, peace and contentment within the individual. Rawat's supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people experience inner peace. Some authors have criticized his talks as stressing emotional experience over intellect, while other writers have characterized Rawat as materialistic, and described his lifestyle as luxurious. Draft 20 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India, also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji,[39][40][151]) became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he began traveling and speaking internationally. He now has a world-wide following. Rawat speaks on the subject of inner peace, and teaches four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge".[43] [152] Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission (1960), Elan Vital (1983), the Raj Vidya Kender (India) and The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001).[153] Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Shri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" or "Perfect Master",[154] and succeeded him as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the international movement.[45][155] Prem Rawat retained control outside of India, and took a more active role in the movement's guidance.[156] He became a US citizen in 1977.[157] In the early 1980s he made his message more universal by dropping his title "Guru" and the Hindu aspects of his teachings.[158] Rawat's focus on stillness, peace and contentment within the individual[45] has led secular scholars to criticize his talks as stressing emotional experience over intellect,[159][56][55] while other writers have characterised Rawat as materialistic, and described his lifestyle as luxurious.[160][161] Rawat's supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people experience inner peace. Draft 21 Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India) also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji) became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he began traveling and speaking internationally. He now has a world-wide following. Rawat speaks on the subject of inner peace, and teaches four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge".[43] [152] Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission (1960), Elan Vital (1983), the Raj Vidya Kender (India) and The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001).[153] Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Shri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was acknowledged as "satguru" or "Perfect Master",[154] and succeeded him as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] In 1971 Rawat travelled to the West and became the subject of substantial media attention attracting tens of thousands of devotees. He made his home in the U.S. and began touring and teaching worldwide.Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the international movement.[45][155] Prem Rawat retained control outside of India, and took a more active role in the movement's guidance.[156] He became a US citizen in 1977.[157] In the early 1980s he made his message more universal by dropping his title "Guru" and the Hindu aspects of his teachings.[158] Rawat promotes a direct experience of the divine to obtain inner peace rather than theory or dogma and some Christian clergy have criticized him for stressing what they call "emotional experience" over intellect. Rawat, who claims Knowledge is independent of culture, religion and lifestyle, has been criticized for enjoying a luxurious life.His supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people experience inner peace. Draft 22 (early draft stage:) Prem Pal Singh Rawat (born December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India), gained worldwide prominence as a guru in the 1970s under various names including Maharaji, Guru Maharaj Ji and Balyogeshwar. Rawat is the youngest son of Advait Mat guru Hans Ji Maharaj. After his father's death in 1966 he was proclaimed the new satguru, and became the most visible person of the Divine Light Mission (DLM, also referred to as the Mission), an organization created by his father in 1960. Still a youngster, Rawat started to spread his message around the world, with the active support of DLM mahatmas. He took the United States as his home base from the early 1970s. There, a branch of the DLM was founded, followed by many others in a multitude of countries. In 1973, the year of the Millenium 73 event (televised as Lord of the Universe), his worldwide fame and reknown peaked: he claimed millions of followers. His message that he was on a mission to bring peace to the world and knew how to bring that about was reported in the media. Various other aspects drew media attention too, including his predilection for a wealthy lifestyle, the cult-like behaviour among his following (often referred to as premies), and a rupture with part of his family which made him lose control of the Indian branch of the DLM. From around 1974 he started gradually to cut away some of the excesses, fading out on his Indian roots and semi-divine status. In the early 1980s he reformed DLM into Elan Vital, a process including the closure of Western ashrams, the settings of communal living where thousands of his most devoted initiates led a life imbued in mortification. Rawat, his students and his organizations feature in several mainly sociological scholarly studies, most of these authored in the period from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s. His teachings are described as without intellectual merit, but generally having a positive effect on those who measuredly practice the techniques of Knowledge he recommends. After a media silence until the late years of the 20th century he had a new organization, The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF), play a central role in the publicity for the Knowledge techniques as brought by him, for his touring around the world, and for his humanitarian relief programs. References Content of re-used stray footnotes: References

Proposal 5

This discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This page is for proposals related to the Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2008-04-20 Prem Rawat. User should: Add their proposed wording to a new section Not sign their section with the standard ~~~~ Not comment on other sections, this will be done at the discussion page Not change the wording of proposals, they should add a new proposal with the changed wording Proposal 1 For inclusion in Divine Light Mission#Members A study of DLM members found that 45% of members had used marijuana daily before joining, while only 7% did so at the time of the study. Seventy-one percent had psychological stress before joining compared to 37% at the time of the study. Overall, 38% had sought profesional help for psychological problems before joining. The same researcher reports that 82% of members were single, 97% were white, and 73% were in their twenties. The percentage of members with Catholic or Protestant backgrounds mirrored the general population, while there were ten times as many members with Jewish backgrounds as in the general population (21% versus 2%). Three-quarters of members had attended college. A different study, of deprogrammed former members, found that 58% were Jewish, 33% Protestant, and 7% Catholic. They first came in contact with the DLM at an average age of 25 and stayed for three years. Proposal 2 A 1978 study of DLM members by Marc Galanter, based on the responses given by 119 members that received questionnaires, found that after two years, members reported a considerable decline in psychological distress and drug use after joining. The study found that 45% of these surveyed had used marijuana daily before joining, while only 7% did so at the time of the study. Seventy-one percent had psychological stress before joining compared to 37% at the time of the study. Overall, 38% had sought professional help for psychological problems before joining. These observations led to reveal what Galanter's describes as "an apparent overall improvement in psychiatric state derived from conversion and its retention through continued membership", and that members, whether they were seriously distressed or not before joining, reported an improved emotional state after joining. Galanter reports that 82% of members surveyed were single, 97% were white, and 73% were in their twenties. The percentage of these with Catholic or Protestant backgrounds mirrored the general population, while there were ten times as many members with Jewish backgrounds as in the general population (21% versus 2%). Three-quarters of them had attended college. [...] Proposal 3 A 1978 study of DLM members by Marc Galanter, based on the responses given by 119 members that received questionnaires at a festival, found that after two years, members reported a considerable decline in psychological distress and drug use after joining. The study found that 45% of these surveyed had used marijuana daily before joining, while only 7% did so at the time of the study. Seventy-one percent had psychological stress before joining compared to 37% at the time of the study. Overall, 38% had sought professional help for psychological problems before joining. These observations led to reveal what Galanter's describes as "an apparent overall improvement in psychiatric state derived from conversion and its retention through continued membership", and that members, whether they were seriously distressed or not before joining, reported an improved emotional state after joining. Galanter reports that 82% of members surveyed were single, 97% were white, and 73% were in their twenties. The percentage of these with Catholic or Protestant backgrounds mirrored the general population, while there were ten times as many members with Jewish backgrounds as in the general population (21% versus 2%). Three-quarters of them had attended college. James V. Downton conducted a study of 41 DLM members from three cities and, for comparison, 29 members of the Hare Krishna movement and 40 local college students. Among the DLM members the average age was 23 and ranged from 19 to 29. They came from middle-class backgrounds, all white, and had attended an average of 1.5 years of college, similar to the Hare Krishnas sample, though DLM members were less likely to have come from broken homes. Sixty-five percent of DLM members reported having religious experiences while tripping on LSD. Overall, 95% of DLM membes had used psychedelic drugs, compared to 89% of Hare Krishans and 67% of college students. Compared to the college student sample, fewer DLM members had had religious upbringings and they tended to have had worse family experiences though only 17% came from "broken homes". Proposal 4 A 1978 study of DLM members by Marc Galanter, based on the responses given by 119 members that received questionnaires at a festival, found that after two years, members reported a considerable decline in psychological distress and drug use after joining. The study found that 45% of these surveyed had used marijuana daily before joining, while only 7% did so at the time of the study. Seventy-one percent had psychological stress before joining compared to 37% at the time of the study. Overall, 38% had sought professional help for psychological problems before joining. These observations led to reveal what Galanter's describes as "an apparent overall improvement in psychiatric state derived from conversion and its retention through continued membership", and that members, whether they were seriously distressed or not before joining, reported an improved emotional state after joining. Galanter reports that 82% of members surveyed were single, 97% were white, and 73% were in their twenties. The percentage of these with Catholic or Protestant backgrounds mirrored the general population, while there were ten times as many members with Jewish backgrounds as in the general population (21% versus 2%). Three-quarters of them had attended college. James V. Downton conducted a study of 41 DLM members from three cities and, and 40 local college students for comparison. Among the DLM members the average age was 23 and ranged from 19 to 29. They came from middle-class backgrounds, all white, and had attended an average of 1.5 years of college. Sixty-five percent of DLM members reported having religious experiences while tripping on LSD. Overall, 95% of DLM membes had used psychedelic drugs, compared to 67% of college students. Fewer DLM members had had religious upbringings and they tended to have had worse family experiences though only 17% came from "broken homes" in comparison with the college students sample. Proposal 5 A study of the effects of group cohesiveness carried out by Marc Galanter, based on questionnaire responses given by 119 DLM members attending a festival in 1978, found that after two years involvement with DLM, members reported a considerable decline in psychological distress and drug use compared to their pre membership status. The study found that 45% of those surveyed had used marijuana daily before joining, while only 7% did so at the time of the study. Seventy-one percent reported psychological stress before joining compared to 37% at the time of the study. Overall, 38% had sought professional help for psychological problems before joining. These observations led to what Galanter's describes as "an apparent overall improvement in psychiatric state derived from conversion and its retention through continued membership", and that members, whether they were seriously distressed or not before joining, reported an improved emotional state after joining. Galanter reports that 82% of members surveyed were single, 97% were white, and 73% were in their twenties. The percentage of these with Catholic or Protestant backgrounds mirrored the general population, while there were ten times as many members with Jewish backgrounds as in the general population (21% versus 2%). Three-quarters of them had attended college.[4] James V. Downton conducted a comparative study of 41 DLM members from three US cities, 29 members of the Hare Krishna movement and 40 college students. Among the DLM members the average age was 23 and ranged from 19 to 29. They came from middle-class backgrounds, all were white and had attended an average of 1.5 years of college, similar to the Hare Krishnas sample, though DLM members were less likely to have come from broken homes. Sixty-five percent of DLM members reported having religious experiences while tripping on LSD. Overall, 95% of DLM members had used psychedelic drugs, compared to 89% of Hare Krishnas and 67% of the college student cohort. Compared to the college students, fewer DLM members had had religious upbringings and they tended to have had worse family experiences though only 17% came from "broken homes".[5] Proposal 6 A study of group cohesiveness carried out by Marc Galanter in 1974, based on questionnaire responses given by 119 DLM members randomly chosen from festival registration lines, found that after two years involvement with DLM, members reported a considerable decline in psychological distress and drug use compared to their pre membership status. The study found that 45% of those surveyed had used marijuana daily before joining, while only 7% did so at the time of the study. Seventy-one percent reported psychological stress before joining compared to 37% at the time of the study. Overall, 38% had sought professional help for psychological problems before joining. These observations led to what Galanter's describes as "an apparent overall improvement in psychiatric state derived from conversion and its retention through continued membership", and that members, whether they were seriously distressed or not before joining, reported an improved emotional state after joining. Galanter reports that 82% of members surveyed were single, 97% were white, and 73% were in their twenties. The percentage of these with Catholic or Protestant backgrounds mirrored the general population, while there were ten times as many members with Jewish backgrounds as in the general population (21% versus 2%). Three-quarters of them had attended college. James V. Downton conducted a comparative study of 41 DLM members from three US cities, 29 members of the Hare Krishna movement and 40 college students. Among the DLM members the average age was 23 and ranged from 19 to 29. They came from middle-class backgrounds, all were white and had attended an average of 1.5 years of college, similar to the Hare Krishna sample, though DLM members were less likely to have come from broken homes. Sixty-five percent of DLM members reported having religious experiences while tripping on LSD. Overall, 95% of DLM members had used psychedelic drugs, compared to 89% of Hare Krishna and 67% of the college student cohort. Compared to the college students, fewer DLM members had had religious upbringings and they tended to have had worse family experiences though only 17% came from "broken homes". References References

Proposal 6

This discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This page is for drafts related to the Prem Rawat. Users should: Add their proposed wording to a new section Not sign their section with the standard ~~~~ Not comment on other sections, this will be done at the discussion page Not change the wording of drafts, they should add a new draft with the changed wording Reception section Draft 0 (current version) == Reception == According to Ron Geaves, one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat who later became a Professor of Religion in the UK: "Prem Rawat has been successful since he left India in 1971, establishing his teachings in over eighty countries, and his original vehicle Divine Light Mission was described as the fastest growing new religious movement in the West." 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. According to Ron Geaves, one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat who later became a Professor of Religion in the UK: "Prem Rawat has been successful since he left India in 1971, establishing his teachings in over eighty countries, and his original vehicle Divine Light Mission was described as the fastest growing new religious movement in the West." 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. Following Estimates of the number of Rawat's adherents varied, and became less certain over time. Petersen states that Rawat claimed 7 million disciples worldwide in 1973, with 60,000 in the U.S. Rudin & Rudin give a worldwide following of 6 million prior to the family schism of 1974, of which 50,000 were in the U.S. According to these authors, these figures had fallen to 1.2 million for Prem Rawat's personal worldwide following in 1980, of which just 15,000 were in the U.S. Palmer and Keller published a general DLM membership of approximately 1.2 million worldwide, with 50,000 in the U.S., in 1990 and 1997. Paul Schnabel notes a steady growth of adherence in the U.S. until 1975 (numbers for 1974: 50,000 premies, of which 1,200 living in ashrams), with a steep decline afterwards. Army Pamphlet 165-13 (1978, reprinted 2001) estimated 50,000 adherents in the U.S., of which 10,000 to 12,000 were considered very active. Melton & Moore suggested a U.S. following of no more than 3,000 committed followers in 1982 out of some 50,000 who had been initiated into the Knowledge meditation. By 1993 it was no longer possible to obtain estimates from Rawat's organisations. Paul Schnabel indicated that in 1980 the number of DLM adherents in the Netherlands had fallen to 150, 15 of which were living in a community setting. In 1983 the following of Rawat in Fiji was around 1,000. For West Germany, 800 members were recorded in 1987. Media After Prem Rawat's first arrival in the United Kingdom and United States in 1971 at the age of thirteen and through the 1970s he, his students and his organizations attracted media scrutiny and attention. Examples of articles appearing in the mainstream press in that decade include a 1974 article in Rolling Stone magazine and a 1979 article in the New York Review of Books. In 1973, the 50-member public relations team of the Divine Light Mission who met to talk about the guru's image, concluded that he was seen as a "fat 15-year-old with pie in his face ... and a Rolls-Royce ... who was arrested for jewel smuggling", and pointed at the necessity to establish his credibility beyond his age and body shape. Authority Note: This section is being worked out at User:Steve Crossin/Mediation/Prem Rawat/Proposal2 In 1982, the Dutch sociologist Paul Schnabel described Rawat as a pure example of a charismatic leader. He characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho but no less charismatic. Schnabel stated that Rawat's charisma was in a certain sense routinized (inherited) charisma, but that this was hardly a factor for how he was perceived by his Western following. There, his charisma was primarily the result of careful staging supported by a whole organization. Ron Geaves 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. Critical viewpoints 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 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. Based on an analysis of Sophia Collier's Soul Rush, Barbour concludes that her deconversion from DLM was uncharacteristic compared to other deconversions from other movements, in that Collier's deconversion brought her no emotional suffering. When former officials of Rawat's organisations voiced their criticism in the aftermath of the Jonestown drama in the late 1970s they didn't limit themselves to the movement, but included its leader in their comments, for instance that money was increasingly diverted to Rawat's personal use. "Ex-premie" became a term with which to indicate former followers. A website started in 1996 utilizes the term, www.ex-premie.org. Elan Vital has characterised former followers that became vocal critics as disgruntled former employees. Draft 1 == Reception == According to James V. Downton, many people watched with amazement the 13-year-old guru that attracted a mass following during 1971-73 — mainly young people from the counterculture — who accepted him as a "Perfect Master" despite his youth. Melton describes his arrival to the West as met with some ridicule but highlights, that more importantly, he attracted an extraordinary amount of interest from these young adults that where willing to examine his claims to be able to impart a direct experience of the Divine.</ref> Downton observed that from his early beginnings Prem Rawat appealed to his followers to give up concepts and beliefs that may impede them from experiencing "Knowledge" or life force, more fully, and yet this emphasis on giving these beliefs did not prevent them from adopting a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity as well as project millennial preconceptions. In 2003 David V. Barrett wrote that although Prem Rawat is still actively involved in the movement, he has stepped back from his traditional Hindu position as a guru, and due to the sweeping changes he introduced, the movement is less focused on him than in the past, and more likely to continue after his death. 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. Ron Geaves, one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat who later became a Professor of Religion in the UK: states that Prem Rawat has been successful since he left India in 1971, establishing his teachings in over eighty countries, and cites that his original vehicle, the Divine Light Mission, was described as the fastest growing new religious movement in the West. [... ] Charisma and leadership To be added after consensus is reached at User:Steve Crossin/Mediation/Prem Rawat/Proposal2 ... ... Following Estimates of the number of Rawat's adherents varied, and became less certain over time. Petersen states that Rawat claimed 7 million disciples worldwide in 1973, with 60,000 in the U.S. Rudin & Rudin give a worldwide following of 6 million prior to the family schism of 1974, of which 50,000 were in the U.S. According to these authors, these figures had fallen to 1.2 million for Prem Rawat's personal worldwide following in 1980, of which just 15,000 were in the U.S. Palmer and Keller published a general DLM membership of approximately 1.2 million worldwide, with 50,000 in the U.S., in 1990 and 1997. Paul Schnabel notes a steady growth of adherence in the U.S. until 1975 (numbers for 1974: 50,000 premies, of which 1,200 living in ashrams), with a steep decline afterwards. Army Pamphlet 165-13 (1978, reprinted 2001) estimated 50,000 adherents in the U.S., of which 10,000 to 12,000 were considered very active. Melton & Moore suggested a U.S. following of no more than 3,000 committed followers in 1982 out of some 50,000 who had been initiated into the Knowledge meditation. By 1993 it was no longer possible to obtain estimates from Rawat's organisations. Paul Schnabel indicated that in 1980 the number of DLM adherents in the Netherlands had fallen to 150, 15 of which were living in a community setting. In 1983 the following of Rawat in Fiji was around 1,000. For West Germany, 800 members were recorded in 1987. 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 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. Hunt asserts that Prem Rawat was once viewed by his followers as Satguru or Perfect Master, but now he has surrendered his almost divine status as a guru, and the spiritual growth of his followers is ascribed to the nature of his teachings and its benefits, rather than his charisma as a guru. Public image During the 1970s multiple references about the young guru appeared in the media. Examples of articles appearing in the mainstream press in that decade include amongst others a 1974 article in Rolling Stone magazine and a 1979, several Time Magazine stories, and an article in the New York Review of Books. In 1973, the 50-member public relations team of the Divine Light Mission who met to talk about the guru's image, concluded that he was seen as a "fat 15-year-old with pie in his face ... and a Rolls-Royce ... who was arrested for jewel smuggling", and pointed at the necessity to establish his credibility beyond his age and body shape. Rawat was interviewed in 1973 on the The Merv Griffin Show in which the first question asked was related to his youth and people putting their faith on Rawat despite his age. The 15-year-old Rawat answered that it was not a question of faith but a practical experience. Griffin's other questions also referred to his age, asking what kind of experience can a 15-year-old have, to which Rawat responded that this particular experience is unrelated to age. Public appearances, honors and awards In 1970 at age 12, at the culmination of the largest recorded procession in New Delhi estimated at 1,000,000 people over 18-miles, Rawat, then known as Sant Ji addressed a large gathering at a public event According to the website of the Prem Rawat Foundation, Rawat received the keys to the cities of New York City, New Orleans, Oakland. Kyoto, Detroit, Miami Beach, Miami, and Quito, as well as numerous resolutions and proclamations from state and federal government officials in the US. Draft 2 This proposal is in progress == Reception == According to James V. Downton, many people were amazed at the mass following the 13-year-old guru attracted during 1971-73. He noted that most were young people from the counterculture, and they accepted him as a "Perfect Master" despite his youth. Melton describes his arrival in the West as being met with some ridicule, but agrees that he attracted an extraordinary amount of interest from the young adults open to his message. Downton observed that from his early beginnings Prem 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. Ron Geaves, one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat who later became a Professor of Religion in the UK states that Prem Rawat has been successful since he left India in 1971, establishing his teachings in over eighty countries, and cites that his original vehicle, the Divine Light Mission, was described as the fastest growing new religious movement in the West. During the 1970s multiple references to the young guru appeared in the western media. In 1974 there was a Rolling Stone magazine article, and in 1979 several Time Magazine stories, and one article in the New York Review of Books. In 1973, the 50-member public relations team of the Divine Light Mission who met to talk about the guru's image, concluded that he was seen as a "fat 15-year-old with pie in his face ... and a Rolls-Royce ... who was arrested for jewel smuggling", and pointed at the necessity to establish his credibility beyond his age and body shape. Rawat was interviewed in 1973 on the The Merv Griffin Show. The first question asked was related to his youth, and to people putting their faith in him despite his age. The 15-year-old Rawat answered that it was not a question of faith but a practical experience. Griffin's other questions also referred to his age, asking what kind of experience can a 15-year-old have, to which Rawat responded that this particular experience is unrelated to age. According to sociologist Pilarzyk the youth culture response — mainly from decidedly leftist political ideologies — was somewhat ambiguous, combining indifference with some instances of overt hostility. Pilarzyk mentioned that these criticisms usually focused on what they perceived as phoniness of the "blissed-out premies", and referring to the "hocuspocus" aspects of the meditation, and the "materialistic fixations" and physical condition of the guru. These accounts are described by Pilarzyk as being quite negative and full of distortions from the DLM's adherents point of view, which drew responses from them that varied from bewilderment and amusement to extreme defensiveness. Positive comments came from youth culture "folk heroes" as anti-war activist as Rev. Daniel Berrigan, radical lawyer William Kunstler, and singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. Stephen A. Kent, in the preface of his book From Slogans to Mantras, described his disappointment in 1974 at hearing what he considered to be a poorly delivered and banal message by Rawat, and was surprised that his companions spoke glowingly about the same message. In 2003 David V. Barrett wrote that although Prem Rawat was still actively involved in the movement, he had stepped back from his traditional Hindu position as a guru, and the sweeping changes he introduced had made the movement less focused on him than it had been, and more likely to continue after his death. Charisma and leadership Several scholars refer to Max Weber's classification of authority when describing Rawat as a charismatic leader. This type of leadership, in Weber's words, rests "on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him." Melton refers to Rawat's personal charisma as one of the reasons for the rapid spread of his message among members of the 1960's counterculture. The Dutch sociologist Paul Schnabel described Rawat as a pure example of a charismatic leader. He characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho, but no less charismatic. Schnabel remarks that although Rawat's charisma was partly routinized as it resulted from a hereditary succession, this type of routinization played a negligible role for his Western followers; there, his charisma was primarily the result of careful staging supported by a whole organization. Meredith McGuire sees formalization resulting from Rawat's desire to consolidate his power and authority over the movement in the United States. Lucy DuPertuis, a sociologist and follower who assisted James V. Downton with his book about the Divine Light Mission, described Rawat's role as a Master as emerging from three interrelated phenomena: traditional or theological definitions of Satguru, adherents' first-hand experiences of the Master, and communal accounts and discussions of the Master among devotees. Her ultimate assertion is that imputation of charisma is an active, conscious, changing process which, in this context, involves non-cognitive modes of perception. She also observed that Rawat's charisma did not prevent some devotees from discovering that they had learned the "experience of God" on their own, and to drift away, not in disillusionment but in fulfillment. David G. Bromley describes the difficulty of a charismatic leader in proving to be above normal human failings such as not to suffer ill health or indulge in worldly pursuits. He presents Rawat's marriage as such a situation, which is then exploited by the media to discredit charismatic claimants in the eyes of the general public. Bromley describes Prem Rawat and other founders of new religions as being held in awe by their early followers, who ascribe extraordinary powers to them that set them apart from other human beings – in the words of Max Weber, a "prophet" or bearer of charisma who proclaims alternative or new revelations. Bromley asserts that recent scholarship gives emphasis to social construct aspects of charisma, rather than relying solely on individual personality.Thomas Pilarzyk, a sociologist, wrote in a 1978 paper that the distribution of power and authority in the DLM was officially based on the charismatic appeal of Maharaj Ji, which he describes as being somewhat ambiguous, and that many followers were not certain about his position in the organizational scheme of the movement, or the claim that he was the only true spiritual master. Stephen J. Hunt observes that in Rawat's case the notion of spiritual growth is not derived — as is traditionally the case with other gurus — from his personal charisma, but from the nature of his teachings and the benefits to the individuals applying them. Ron Geaves, a professor of religion and one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat, states that Rawat is not a renunciate, and he has made great efforts to assert his humanity and take apart the hagiography that has developed around him. He further writes that 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 for his authority, and that Rawat could only be defined as charismatic in the sense of charisma having an antagonistic relationship with tradition. Following Estimates of the number of Rawat's adherents has varied. William J. Petersen states that in 1973 Rawat claimed 7 million disciples worldwide, with 60,000 in the U.S. Rudin & Rudin give a worldwide following of 6 million prior to the family schism of 1974, of which 50,000 were in the U.S. According to these authors, in 1980 these figures had fallen to 1.2 million for Prem Rawat's personal worldwide following, of which just 15,000 were in the U.S. In 1990 and 1997, Palmer and Keller estimated a DLM membership of approximately 1.2 million worldwide, with 50,000 in the U.S. Paul Schnabel notes a steady growth of adherence in the U.S. until 1975 (50,000 premies in 1974, of which 1,200 were living in ashrams) then a steep decline afterwards. Army Pamphlet 165-13 (1978, reprinted 2001) estimated 50,000 adherents in the U.S., of which 10,000 to 12,000 were considered very active. Melton & Moore suggested a U.S. following of no more than 3,000 committed followers in 1982 out of some 50,000 who had been initiated into the Knowledge meditation. By 1993 it was no longer possible to obtain estimates from Rawat's organisations. Paul Schnabel indicated that in 1980 the number of DLM adherents in the Netherlands had fallen to 150, 15 of whom were living in a community setting. In 1983 the following of Rawat in Fiji was around 1,000. For West Germany, 800 members were recorded in 1987. Paul Schnabel, referring to research by the psychologist of religion Van der Lans, observed that Rawat appeared to stimulate an uncritical attitude in his western students, which gave 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, the difference between the guru's person and that which the guru symbolizes can get lost, which results in what they refer as unlimited personality worship. Schnabel writes that this misunderstanding of the master-disciple relationship, removed from the context of the original Eastern guru-disciple tradition, often ends in disillusionment for the disciple, who finds that the teacher fails to live up to his or her expectations. Stephen Hunt asserts that Prem Rawat was once viewed by his followers as Satguru or Perfect Master, but has now surrendered his almost divine status as a guru, and the spiritual growth of his followers is ascribed to the nature of his teachings and its benefits, rather than his charisma as a guru. Prem Rawat established The Keys, a DVD-based system for describing his message, which includes "Key Six", a special session for teaching the techniques of Knowledge. According to The Keys website of the Prem Rawat Foundation, as of May 2008, Key Six sessions have been held in 621 cities in 67 countries in the last eight years, and has been attended by 365,237 people during that period. Public appearances, honors and awards In 1970 at age 12, at the culmination of the largest recorded procession ever held in New Delhi estimated at 1,000,000 people, and over 18-miles long, Rawat, then known as Sant Ji addressed a large gathering. According to the website of the Prem Rawat Foundation, Rawat received the keys to the cities of New York City, New Orleans, Oakland, Kyoto, Detroit, Miami Beach, Miami, and Quito, as well as numerous resolutions and proclamations from state and federal government officials in the US. Draft 3 "Reception" paragraph in Prem Rawat#Coming of age (currently 7th paragraph of that section): [...§1-6...] Following the Jonestown suicides in November 1978, Bob Mishler, co-founder of DLM in the United States and former president of the business side of the mission, and Robert Hand, a former vice president of the movement, warned of similarities between Guru Maharaj Ji and Jim Jones. In January 1979 the Los Angeles Times reported that Rawat maintained his Malibu following despite a rising mistrust of cults. [...§8...] ==Reception== According to Ron Geaves, one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat who later became a Professor of Religion in the UK: "Prem Rawat has been successful since he left India in 1971, establishing his teachings in over eighty countries, and his original vehicle Divine Light Mission was described as the fastest growing new religious movement in the West." 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. According to Stephen J. Hunt critics have, over time, focused on what appears to be Rawat's opulent lifestyle and argue that it is supported largely by the donations of his followers. Media perceptions (moved to User:Steve Crossin/Mediation/Prem Rawat/Proposal9 (Media)#Draft 1) Charisma and leadership Several scholars refer to Max Weber's classification of authority when describing Rawat as a charismatic leader. This type of leadership, in Weber's words, rests "on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him." Melton refers to Rawat's personal charisma as one of the reasons for the rapid spread of his message among members of the 1960's counterculture. The Dutch sociologist Paul Schnabel described Rawat as a pure example of a charismatic leader. He characterized Rawat as materialistic, pampered and intellectually unremarkable compared to Osho, but no less charismatic. Schnabel remarks that although Rawat's charisma was partly routinized as it resulted from a hereditary succession, this type of routinization played a negligible role for his Western followers; there, his charisma was primarily the result of careful staging supported by a whole organization. Meredith McGuire sees formalization resulting from Rawat's desire to consolidate his power and authority over the movement in the United States. Lucy DuPertuis, a sociologist and follower who assisted James V. Downton with his book about the Divine Light Mission, described Rawat's role as a Master as emerging from three interrelated phenomena: traditional or theological definitions of Satguru, adherents' first-hand experiences of the Master, and communal accounts and discussions of the Master among devotees. Her ultimate assertion is that imputation of charisma is an active, conscious, changing process which, in this context, involves non-cognitive modes of perception. She also observed that Rawat's charisma did not prevent some devotees from discovering that they had learned the "experience of God" on their own, and to drift away, not in disillusionment but in fulfillment. David G. Bromley describes the difficulty of a charismatic leader in proving to be above normal human failings such as not to suffer ill health or indulge in worldly pursuits. He presents Rawat's marriage as such a situation, which is then exploited by the media to discredit charismatic claimants in the eyes of the general public. Bromley describes Prem Rawat and other founders of new religions as being held in awe by their early followers, who ascribe extraordinary powers to them that set them apart from other human beings – in the words of Max Weber, a "prophet" or bearer of charisma who proclaims alternative or new revelations. Bromley asserts that recent scholarship gives emphasis to social construct aspects of charisma, rather than relying solely on individual personality. Thomas Pilarzyk, a sociologist, wrote in a 1978 paper that the distribution of power and authority in the DLM was officially based on the charismatic appeal of Maharaj Ji, which he describes as being somewhat ambiguous, and that many followers were not certain about his position in the organizational scheme of the movement, or the claim that he was the only true spiritual master. Stephen J. Hunt observes that in Rawat's case the notion of spiritual growth is not derived — as is traditionally the case with other gurus — from his personal charisma, but from the nature of his teachings and the benefits to the individuals applying them. Ron Geaves, a professor of religion and one of the earliest Western students of Prem Rawat, states that Rawat is not a renunciate, and he has made great efforts to assert his humanity and take apart the hagiography that has developed around him. He further writes that 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 for his authority, and that Rawat could only be defined as charismatic in the sense of charisma having an antagonistic relationship with tradition. Public recognition [...] Estimates of numbers of followers Estimates of the number of Rawat's adherents varied, and became less certain over time. Petersen states that Rawat claimed 7 million disciples worldwide in 1973, with 60,000 in the U.S. Rudin & Rudin give a worldwide following of 6 million prior to the family schism of 1974, of which 50,000 were in the U.S. According to these authors, these figures had fallen to 1.2 million for Prem Rawat's personal worldwide following in 1980, of which just 15,000 were in the U.S. Palmer and Keller published a general DLM membership of approximately 1.2 million worldwide, with 50,000 in the U.S., in 1990 and 1997. Schnabel notes a steady growth of adherence in the U.S. until 1975 (numbers for 1974: 50,000 premies, of which 1,200 living in ashrams), with a steep decline afterwards. Army Pamphlet 165-13 (1978, reprinted 2001) estimated 50,000 adherents in the U.S., of which 10,000 to 12,000 were considered very active. According to Melton, the same estimate of active U.S. members was reported by the Mission in 1980. Melton & Moore suggested a U.S. following of no more than 3,000 committed followers in 1982 out of some 50,000 who had been initiated into the Knowledge meditation. By 1993 it was no longer possible to obtain estimates from Rawat's organisations in the U.S. Schnabel indicated that in 1980 the number of DLM adherents in the Netherlands had fallen to 150, 15 of which were living in a community setting. In 1983 the following of Rawat in Fiji was around 1,000. For West Germany, 800 members were recorded in 1987. Rawat and his students [...] 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 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. [...] Former followers In the mid-1970s several ex-members became vocal critics. James Lewis wrote that they attacked the movement with charges of brainwashing and mind control. Based on an analysis of Sophia Collier's Soul Rush (published 1978), Barbour concludes that her deconversion from DLM was uncharacteristic compared to other deconversions from other movements, in that Collier's deconversion brought her no emotional suffering. In the late 1970s Bob Mishler, a former top official of the movement, complained that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill and that money was increasingly diverted to Rawat's personal use. "Ex-premie" became a term with which to indicate former followers. A website started in 1996 utilizes the term, www.ex-premie.org. Elan Vital has characterised former followers that became vocal critics as disgruntled former employees. Draft 4 Opposition and Criticism Sociologist Jeanne Messer describing Rawat says "Any man who says that all scriptures are true, that Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, Jesus, Krishna, and a host of others were all Christ, is a heretic everywhere". . And Rawat has been confronted with opposition since he became a guru. People have doubted his age and claimed he mouthed to a pre-recorded speech. . His meetings were often marred by riots and disturbances. In Bihar the Arya Samaj, a Hindu organization plastered anti Rawat posters all over the city, his meeting had to be cancelled and Rawat was threatened with death. Rawat’s emphasis on an individual, subjective experience rather than on a body of dogma was criticized by religious scholars in both India and the West. On arriving in the west Rawat was criticized by Christian scholars who claimed he was too young to be a teacher, that his claim to offer a direct experience of the Divine lacked intellectual content and that he shouldn’t live a luxurious lifestyle. Never the less the DLM was considered the fastest growing NRM of the time. The end of 1973 saw DLM hold Millennium ’73 in the Astrodome in Houston. Whilst the premies inside were happy and unruffled Christians and Hare Krishna demonstrated against him outside. One Christian evangelist claimed that Rawat was the most popular religious figure on the planet. The disappointing attendance of Millennium coupled with mismanagement by organizers left the DLM with a massive debt and negative publicity. It was staged just as the anti cult movement reached national proportions and turned its attention upon the Mission. Several deprogrammed ex members became vocal critics of the Mission. Some critics, including the controversial deprogrammer and hero of most anticult parents, Ted Patrick, charged DLM with using hypnotism to recruit young men and women into their ranks. But sociologists say “ they have yet to meet a cult member, or former cultist, who has convinced us that he was hypnotized into a new religion”.. When Rawat turned 16 he seized control of DLM in the West from his family, began dismantling the organization and stopped giving interviews to the media.In the early 80s dropped the title Guru, closed the last of the ashrams and removed the last of the Indian elements from his teachings. He continued touring and having events for his followers. There was little criticism of Rawat in the 80s and 90s until an anti-Rawat formed on the internet by Canadian lawyer Jim Heller. In 2002 a so called “ex-premie” tried to crash a truck into a conference centre being used by Rawat before being stopped by the police. In 2003 two Australian “ex-premies” John Macgregor and Tom Gubler stole and published material about the private lives of Rawat’s followers. In a court case that followed both members were found guilty of theft and contempt of court. Macgregor later apologized to Rawat and his followers and characterized the ex-premie group in an affidavit to the Supreme Court of Queensland as “obsessive, malicious and destructive in nature”. He named John Brauns, Jim Heller and Nic Wright as the prominent members. Praise and Honors To come Draft 5 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 6 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 7 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 8 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 9 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 10 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 11 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 12 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 13 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 14 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Draft 15 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. References Content of re-used stray footnotes: References

Proposal 7

This discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This page is for proposals related to the Prem Rawat. User should: Add their proposed wording to a new section Not sign their section with the standard ~~~~ Not comment on other sections, this will be done at the discussion page Not change the wording of drafts, they should add a new draft with the changed wording Draft 1 The first part would be inserted after the second sentence of the first section, "Childhood". The second part would be inserted after the third paragraph of "Coming of age". The first sentence of "Aviation interests" is moved here, and would be deleted from that section. Prem Rawat had a wealthy, high caste father[Moritz][McKean] and was born into luxury.[Downton 1979][Larson] There is a tradition in India of supporting gurus in luxury. [?] In the 1970s Rawat become known for what one scholar called "ostentatious opulence".[Hunt][Levine 1989] Press reports listed expensive automobiles such as Rolls Royces (one of them a gift from followers), Mercedes Benzes (including a 600 limousine [Morgan 1973]), a Jensen convertible, and a Maserati (a wedding gift) plus motorcycles. Some of these were reportedly bought tax-free due to the DLM's status as a church.[AP] When asked at a press conference Rawat said that "If I gave poor people my Rolls-Royce, they would need more tomorrow and I don't have any more Rolls-Royces to give them." Two Cessna airplanes were obtained for Rawat's use and he got his pilot's license in 1973. He later piloted private jets, including a Boeing 707 and a Gulfstream GV-SP, after obtaining an Airline Transport Pilot License and type ratings for a number of multi-engined aircraft and helicopters.[17] He was reported to have homes in London, New York, Colorado, California and India.[Morgan 1973][Moritz 1974] When asked Rawat said, "That life that you call luxurious ain't luxurious at all, because if any other person gets the same life I get, he's gonna blow apart in a million pieces in a split of a second." [Levine 1974] Sources close to his mother said that his materialistic lifestyle was one of the reasons she disowned him.[AP] A follower told a reporter that Rawat fired a pistol at prized vases in the backyard to "to teach us the worthlessness of material possessions."[Levine 1974] A spokesman said, "He isn't saying, abandon the material world. He's saying it is our attachment to it that is wrong."[Newsweek 1973] Draft 2 The first part would be inserted after the second sentence of the first section, "Childhood". The second part would be inserted after the third paragraph of "Coming of age". The first sentence of "Aviation interests" is moved here, and would be deleted from that section. Prem Rawat had a wealthy, high caste father[Moritz][McKean] and was born into luxury.[Downton 1979][Larson] There is a tradition in India of supporting gurus in luxury. [?] In the 1970s Rawat become known for what one scholar called "ostentatious opulence".[Hunt][Levine 1989] Press reports listed expensive automobiles such as Rolls Royces (one of them a gift from followers), Mercedes Benzes (including a 600 limousine [Morgan 1973]), a Jensen convertible, and a Maserati (a wedding gift) plus motorcycles. Some of these were reportedly bought tax-free due to the DLM's status as a church.[AP] Two Cessna airplanes were obtained for Rawat's use and he got his pilot's license in 1973. He later piloted private jets, including a Boeing 707 and a Gulfstream GV-SP, after obtaining an Airline Transport Pilot License and type ratings for a number of multi-engined aircraft and helicopters.[18] He was reported to have homes in London, New York, Colorado, California and India.[Morgan 1973][Moritz 1974] Sources close to his mother said that his materialistic lifestyle was one of the reasons she disowned him.[AP] Draft 3 The first part would be inserted after the second sentence of the first section, "Childhood". The second part would be inserted after the third paragraph of "Coming of age". The first sentence of "Aviation interests" is moved here, and would be deleted from that section. The sentence about the watch would be deleted. The quotation from Hunt in the third paragraph of the "Westernization" section would be deleted/remainder moved. Prem Rawat had a wealthy, high caste father and was born into luxury. There is a tradition in India of supporting gurus in luxury. A source of considerable controversy in the 1970s was Rawat's lavish lifestyle, which continued even during the DLM's finacial difficulties. Press reports listed expensive automobiles such as Rolls Royces, Mercedes Benz limousines and sports cars, some of them gifts. Some of the vehicles were reportedly bought tax-free due to the DLM's status as a church. Rawat took flying lessons begining when he was 13. Two Cessna airplanes were obtained for his use. He later piloted private jets, including a Boeing 707 and a Gulfstream V, after obtaining an Airline Transport Pilot License and type ratings for multi-engined aircraft and helicopters. He was reported to have homes in London, New York, Colorado, California and India. When asked why he did not give his Rolls to the poor he explained that he only had one and once it was given he would have no more Rolls to give, and that what he gave was more valuable than money. Followers said that the messiah came as a king this time instead of a beggar, that he did not want the gifts but people gave them because their love was so strong, that the gifts are from a "Western culture whose fruits are watches and Cadillacs", and that Rawat's lifestyle was an example of a lila, or divine prank, which held a mirror to a "money-crazed and contraption-collecting society". A follower told a reporter that Rawat fired a pistol at prized vases in the backyard to "to teach us the worthlessness of material possessions." Sources close to his mother said that his materialistic lifestyle was one of the reasons she disowned him. Former officials of the DLM in the 1970s, including the founding president, the vice president, and a financial analyst, complained that the movement appeared to exist only to support Rawat's "opulent existence". Critics have complained that his lifestyle was supported by the donations of followers. Draft 4 (v2.3) To be inserted after the second sentence of the first section, "Childhood": Prem Rawat had a wealthy, high caste father and was born into luxury. Replacement text for 3rd section, "Coming of age": In December 1973, when he turned 16, Rawat took administrative control of the Mission’s separate American corporation which, according to Foss and Larkin, "had developed a centralized bureaucracy with rampant titleism and a penchant for office forms and organizational charts", and he began to assert his independence from his mother, who returned to India with Satpal. Still a minor, Rawat needed a court order to obtain a license to marry without parental permission. In May 1974 he obtained such court order from a Juvenile court in Colorado. His marriage to Marolyn Johnson, a 24-year old follower and secretary of his from San Diego, California, was officiated at a non-denominational church in Golden, Colorado. Rawat's mother, Mata Ji, had not been invited. As a result of his marriage he became an emancipated minor. Rawat's marriage to a non-Indian finally severed Rawat's relationship with his mother. She publicly disowned him in 1975 and appointed her eldest son, Satpal, as leader of the Indian DLM, while Rawat maintained the support of the Western disciples. Most of the mahatmas either returned to India or were dismissed. Rawat had by then become financially independent thanks to contributions from his Western devotees, which made it possible for him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire – running a household for his wife, his brother and sister-in-law, Raja Ji and Claudia, as well as financing travel for his entourage of close officials and mahatmas on his frequent trips around the globe to attend the Mission's festivals. In November 1974 Rawat moved to a four-acre property in Malibu, California. Purchased by the DLM for $400,000, the property also served as the DLM's West Coast headquarters. It was described as a "lavish hilltop estate" in the press. Throughout the early and mid-1970s, Rawat was the subject of numerous press reports picturing him as primarily interested in the accumulation of wealth, rather than changing the world. His affluent lifestyle, maintained over that period despite the DLM's financial difficulties following the Millennium '73 festival, generated considerable controversy and, according to Bromley and Shupe, even defections among premies. Still a teenager, he was, Jeanne Messer writes, fascinated by the technology of the age: cars, airplanes, stereos and computers. Besides the Malibu estate, Rawat had homes in Denver, London, New York and India; he had two planes (later a private jet), sports cars and motorcycles at his disposal, a Rolls-Royce awaited his arrival in London, and a chauffeured Mercedes-Benz 600 was on hand in Denver, all of them said to be gifts from disciples. Some of these items were reportedly put at Rawat's disposition tax-free due to the DLM's status as a church. When asked why he did not give his Rolls to the poor he explained that he only had one and once it was given he would have no more Rolls to give, and that what he gave was more valuable than money. Followers said that the messiah came as a king this time instead of a beggar, that he did not want the gifts but people gave them because their love was so strong, that the gifts are from a "Western culture whose fruits are watches and Cadillacs", and that Rawat's lifestyle was an example of a lila, or divine prank, which held a mirror to a "money-crazed and contraption-collecting society". According to Richard Levine in Rolling Stone a premie described that in the early 1970s Rawat fired a pistol at a number of prized vases in the backyard of the L.A. Residence "to teach us the worthlessness of material possessions." Sources close to Rawat's mother said that his materialistic lifestyle was one of the reasons she disowned him. Former officials of the DLM in the 1970s, including the founding president, the vice president, and a financial analyst, complained that money was increasingly diverted to Rawat's personal use, and that the movement appeared to them to exist only to support Rawat's "opulent existence". Critics have complained that his lifestyle was supported by the donations of followers. From the mid-1970s several ex-members became vocal critics. Among others, Bob Mishler, co-founder of DLM in the United States and former president of the business side of the mission, and Robert Hand, a former vice president of the movement, voiced their criticism to the press. In 1978 they warned that a situation like the Jonestown deaths could occur with the followers of Rawat. Mishler complained that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill. James R. Lewis wrote that such former members attacked the movement with charges of brainwashing and mind control. Although some of Rawat's students still harbored residual beliefs in his divinity, by 1976 the vast majority of them viewed Rawat primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide and inspiration. In January 1976 Rawat encouraged students to leave the ashrams and to discard Indian customs and terminology. In the same year, staff at the Denver headquarters were reduced from 250 to 80. His appearance at an event on 20 December 1976 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wearing a traditional Krishna costume for the first time since 1975, signaled a resurgence of Indian influence and devotion. During 1977, many returned to ashram life, and there was a shift back from secular tendencies towards ritual and messianic beliefs. In 1977 Rawat became a US citizen. Rawat's Malibu home was damaged in an October 1978 brushfire. Rawat moved to Miami Beach, Florida with his wife and three children for several years, and DLM headquarters relocated there. Prem Rawat visited India again in October 1980 after an absence of five years, and spoke to over 38,000 people in Delhi. He also toured South America and Europe that year. Around 1980 a neighborhood dispute regarding a helipad on the Malibu estate arose which was finally resolved by installing emergency water storage for use by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in emergencies, and by limiting the number of permitted flights. After scaling down the DLM's activities in the early 1980s, Rawat created the North American Sponsorship Program to help pay for the Malibu estate, which by 1998 was reportedly worth $15 million. To be deleted from "Westernization" section: The quotation from Hunt in the third paragraph of that section To be deleted from "Critical viewpoints" section: The clause "for instance that money was increasingly diverted to Rawat's personal use.[17]" would be deleted from the last sentence in the second paragaph of the "Critical viewpoints" section. Material to be integrated in the "Aviation interests" section: Rawat took flying lessons beginning when he was 13, and began training in a jet by age 15. Later he would obtain an Airline Transport Pilot License and type ratings for multi-engined aircrafts and helicopters. Draft 5 The first part would be inserted after the second sentence of the first section, "Childhood". The second part would be inserted after the third paragraph of "Coming of age". The first sentence of "Aviation interests" is moved here, and would be deleted from that section. The sentence about the watch would be deleted. The quotation from Hunt in the third paragraph of the "Westernization" section would be deleted/remainder moved. The clause "for instance that money was increasingly diverted to Rawat's personal use.[17]" would be deleted from the last sentence in the second paragaph of the "Critical viewpoints" section. Prem Rawat had a wealthy, high caste father and was born into luxury. A source of controversy in the 1970s was Rawat's extremely affluent lifestyle, which continued during the DLM's financial difficulties. Press reports listed expensive automobiles such as Rolls Royces, Mercedes Benz limousines and sports cars, some of them gifts. Some of the vehicles were reportedly bought tax-free due to the DLM's status as a church. Rawat took flying lessons beginning when he was 13, and began training in a jet by age 15. In 1972 two Cessna airplanes were obtained for his use. Later he would obtain an Airline Transport Pilot License and type ratings for multi-engined aircrafts and helicopters, and had a private jet at his disposition. He was reported to have homes in London, New York, Colorado, California and India. When asked why he did not give his Rolls to the poor he explained that he only had one and once it was given he would have no more Rolls to give, and that what he gave was more valuable than money. Followers said that the messiah came as a king this time instead of a beggar, that he did not want the gifts but people gave them because their love was so strong, that the gifts are from a "Western culture whose fruits are watches and Cadillacs", and that Rawat's lifestyle was an example of a lila, or divine prank, which held a mirror to a "money-crazed and contraption-collecting society". A follower told a reporter that Rawat fired a pistol at prized vases in the backyard to "to teach us the worthlessness of material possessions." Sources close to his mother said that his materialistic lifestyle was one of the reasons she disowned him. Former officials of the DLM in the 1970s, including the founding president, the vice president, and a financial analyst, complained that money was increasingly diverted to Rawat's personal use,and that the movement appeared to them to exist only to support Rawat's "opulent existence". Critics have complained that his lifestyle was supported by the donations of followers. Draft 6 IN PROGRESS / NOT COMPLETED In the early years in the United States, the teenaged Maharaj Ji changed his lifestyle in a manner that his mother disapproved of, including fashionable hairstyles, western clothes, and a level of luxury that included expensive cars and mansions, as well as adopting a hippie vocabulary. This, being at odds with the ideal of traditional Indian gurus, caused his mother to later disown him. Scholars such as Stonner & Parke refer to the young Rawat beginning to lead a life that was not in keeping with his image as a holy man; when premies purchased an estate in Malibu into which the newly married couple moved, his mother disapproved of the marriage and the lifestyle of what was then a successful guru, accusing her 16-year son of breaking his spiritual disciplines. Pilarzyk described in 1978 how media accounts by youth culture publications focused on the "materialistic fixations" and the physical condition of the guru. Between the years 1972 and 1975, the mainstream media and the popular press focused on the apparent luxurious lifestyle, as well as making negative comments about Rawat's physical appearance. Downton describes these numerous and unfavorable media reports as picturing Rawat as more interested in accumulating wealth than changing the world. According to Hunt, critics focused on what appeared to be an opulent lifestyle, arguing that it was supported largely by the donations of his followers. Melton reports that in 1977, a former president of the Mission complained that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill and that money was being diverted to the founder's personal use, but that these charges did not affect the course of the organization, and that through the late 1980s there was no further controversy. Draft 7 To be inserted in the Coming of age section, replacing the text from "Rawat had by then ..." to "... "valued at 15 million". Uses one press source: "'You're a Perfect Master'", Newsweek November 19, 1973 Helipad passage restored, but at a later point, for timeline reasons (it was ten years later, 1981 to 1985) -- may not be perfect yet. Perhaps the material needs to be spread out more to fit into our article's chronology. Bear in mind, the next paragraph will begin "Although there were still residues of belief in his divinity, by 1976 the vast majority ..." STILL IN PROGRESS Superseded by Drafts 9/10 Rawat had by then become financially independent as a result of contributions from his Western devotees, which made it possible for him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire. In November 1974, seeking more privacy for himself, his wife and his entourage following security concerns, Rawat moved to a four-acre property in Malibu, California. Purchased by the DLM for $400,000, the property also served as the DLM's West Coast headquarters. Described as a "lavish hilltop estate" in the press, the house was damaged in a 1978 brush fire. Throughout the early and mid-1970s, Rawat was the subject of numerous newspaper articles picturing him as primarily interested in the accumulation of wealth, rather than changing the world. His affluent lifestyle over that period, maintained despite the DLM's financial difficulties following the Millennium '73 festival, generated considerable controversy and, according to Bromley and Shupe, even defections among premies. Still a teenager, he was, Jeanne Messer writes, fascinated by the technology of the age: cars, airplanes, stereos and computers. Besides the Malibu estate, Rawat had homes in London, New York and Denver; he had two planes, sports cars and motorcycles at his disposal, a Rolls Royce awaited his arrival in London, and a chauffeured Mercedes 600 was on hand in Denver, all of them said to be gifts from disciples. In the early 1980s, there was an ongoing controversy around a helipad on the Malibu estate which was finally resolved by installing emergency water storage for use by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in emergencies, and by limiting the number of permitted flights. After scaling down the DLM's activities in the early 1980s, Rawat created the North American Sponsorship Program to help pay for the Malibu estate, which by 1998 was reportedly worth $15 million. Draft 8 Following the loss of his family's support Rawat, who never charged for teaching Knowledge or for his talks, was now dependent on his Western followers for income for himself and his work. Their generous contributions allowed him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire and run a household for his wife, his brother, Raja Ji and Raja Ji's wife, Claudia as well as financing his entourage of family, close officials and mahatmas on their frequent trips around the globe to attend the mission's festivals In July Rawat and his wife travelled to Copenhagen to meet with 8,000 followers, an event that marked his wife's first public appearance. Later that night Spanish premies serenaded the newlyweds from the street below and were invited in by Marolyn for tea and cookies. In November, seeking more privacy for himself, his wife and his entourage following security concerns, Rawat moved to a four-acre property in Malibu, California. Purchased by the DLM for $400,000, the property also served as the DLM's West Coast headquarters. Described as a "lavish hilltop estate" in the press and a "little house" by the premies, it was damaged in a 1978 brush fire. By 1975 Rawat's message was available in 58 countries on six continents but in the U.S. he was the subject of numerous newspaper articles picturing him as primarily interested in the accumulation of wealth, rather than changing the world. Rawat, who is not a renunciate, generated considerable controversy with his lifestyle and, according to Bromley and Shupe, even defections among premies. Still a teenager, he was, Jeanne Messer writes, fascinated by the technology of the age: cars, airplanes, stereos and computers. Besides the Malibu estate, which by 1998 was valued at $15 million, Rawat had homes in London, New York and Denver; he had two planes, sports cars and motorcycles at his disposal, a Rolls Royce awaited his arrival in London, and a chauffeured Mercedes 600 was on hand in Denver, all of them gifts from disciples. Draft 9 Because of the timeline problems, this draft now represents the entire Coming of Age section. The helipad controversy, which occurred in the early eighties, has been moved to the end. ==Coming of age== In December 1973, when he turned 16, Rawat took administrative control of the Mission's U.S. branch and began to assert his independence from his mother who returned to India with Satpal. In April 1974, at the age of sixteen, Rawat became an emancipated minor, and in May married Marolyn Johnson. Johnson was a 24-year old follower and secretary of Rawat from San Diego, California. The marriage was officiated at a non-denominational church in Golden, Colorado. Rawat's mother, Mata Ji, had not been invited. Rawat's marriage to a non-Indian finally severed Rawat's relationship with his mother. She publicly disowned him in 1975, subsequently gaining legal control of the Indian DLM and appointing his eldest brother, Satpal, as its leader, while Rawat maintained the support of the Western disciples. Most of the mahatmas either returned to India or were dismissed. Rawat had by then become financially independent as a result of contributions from his Western devotees, which made it possible for him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire. In November 1974, seeking more privacy for himself, his wife and his entourage following security concerns, Rawat moved to a four-acre property in Malibu, California. Purchased by the DLM for $400,000, the property also served as the DLM's West Coast headquarters. Described as a "lavish hilltop estate" in the press, the house was damaged in a 1978 brush fire. Throughout the early and mid-1970s, Rawat was the subject of numerous newspaper articles picturing him as primarily interested in the accumulation of wealth, rather than changing the world. His affluent lifestyle over that period, maintained despite the DLM's financial difficulties following the Millennium '73 festival, generated considerable controversy and, according to Bromley and Shupe, even defections among premies. Still a teenager, he was, Jeanne Messer writes, fascinated by the technology of the age: cars, airplanes, stereos and computers. Besides the Malibu estate, Rawat had homes in London, New York and Denver; he had two planes, sports cars and motorcycles at his disposal, a Rolls Royce awaited his arrival in London, and a chauffeured Mercedes 600 was on hand in Denver, all of them said to be gifts from disciples. Although there were still residues of belief in his divinity, by 1976 the vast majority of students viewed Rawat primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide and inspiration. In January 1976 Rawat encouraged students to leave the ashrams and to discard Indian customs and terminology. In the same year, staff at the Denver headquarters were reduced from 250 to 80. His appearance at an event on 20 December 1976 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wearing a traditional Krishna costume for the first time since 1975, signaled a resurgence of Indian influence and devotion. His followers elevated Rawat to a higher level in the conveyance of "Knowledge". During 1977, many returned to ashram life, and there was a shift back from secular tendencies towards ritual and messianic beliefs. In 1977 Rawat became a US citizen. In the late 1970s several ex-members became vocal critics. James Lewis wrote that they attacked the movement with charges of brainwashing and mind control. In January 1979 the Los Angeles Times reported that Rawat maintained his Malibu following despite a rising mistrust of cults. Bob Mishler, co-founder of DLM in the United States and former president of the business side of the mission, and Robert Hand, a former vice president of the movement, voiced their criticism in a press conference, warning that a situation like the recent Jonestown incident could occur with the followers of Rawat. Mishler complained that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill, but his charges found little support and did not affect the progress of the Mission. Following the fire damage to his Malibu home, Rawat moved to Miami Beach, Florida with his wife and three children for several years, and DLM headquarters relocated there. Prem Rawat visited India again in October 1980 after an absence of five years, and spoke to over 38,000 people in Delhi. He also toured South America and Europe that year. In the early 1980s, there was an ongoing controversy around a helipad on the Malibu estate which was finally resolved by installing emergency water storage for use by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in emergencies, and by limiting the number of permitted flights. After scaling down the DLM's activities in the early 1980s, Rawat created the North American Sponsorship Program to help pay for the Malibu estate, which by 1998 was reportedly worth $15 million. Draft 10 ==Coming of age== (Work in progress) In December 1973, when he turned 16, Rawat took administrative control of the Mission's U.S. branch which, according to Foss and Larkin "had developed a centralized bureaucracy with rampant titleism and a penchant for office forms and organizational charts" and began to assert his independence from his mother who returned to India with Satpal. In April 1974, Rawat became an emancipated minor, and in May married Marolyn Johnson, a 24-year old follower from San Diego, California. The marriage was officiated at a non-denominational church in Golden, Colorado. Rawat's mother, who had chosen an Indian wife for her son, was not invited. Rawat's marriage to a non-Indian finally severed Rawat's relationship with his mother. Since she was the patron and had legal control of the Indian DLM she appointed the eldest brother, Satpal, as its leader, while Rawat maintained the support of the Western disciples. Most of the mahatmas either returned to India or were dismissed. Following the loss of his family's support Rawat, who never charged for teaching Knowledge or for his talks was now dependent on his Western followers for income for himself and his work. Their contributions allowed him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire and run a household for his wife, his brother, Raja Ji and Raja Ji's wife, Claudia as well as financing his entourage of family, close officials and mahatmas on their frequent trips around the globe to attend the mission's festivals. In July Rawat and his wife travelled to Copenhagen to meet with 8,000 followers, an event that marked his wife's first public appearance. Later that night Spanish premies serenaded the newlyweds from the street below and were invited in by Marolyn for tea and cookies. In November, seeking more privacy for himself, his wife and his entourage following security concerns, Rawat moved to a four-acre property in Malibu, California. Purchased by the DLM for $400,000, the property also served as the DLM's West Coast headquarters. Described as a "lavish hilltop estate" in the press and a "little house" by the premies, it was damaged in a 1978 brush fire. By 1975 Rawat's message was available in 58 countries on six continents but the 16 year old was constantly criticized by the media for his age, his diet, his physical appearance and the gifts showered on him by his adoring followers. Rawat, whose father had slept on benches in train stations when spreading his message, said that poverty was not conducive to taking his message to the world and was not a renunciate. His lifestyle generated considerable controversy and, according to Bromley and Shupe, even defections among premies. Rawat who frequently acted like the teenager that he was in public, was seen as immature and hence unfit to be a religious leader. He does not see himself as bound by conventional beliefs or practices of any institutionalized religion or tradition-honored worldview. 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. Still a teenager, he was, Jeanne Messer writes, fascinated by the technology of the age: cars, airplanes, stereos and computers. Besides the Malibu estate, Rawat had homes in London, New York and Denver; he had two planes, sports cars and motorcycles at his disposal, a Rolls Royce awaited his arrival in London, and a chauffeured Mercedes 600 was on hand in Denver, all of them gifts from disciples. Although there were still residues of belief in his divinity, by 1976 the vast majority of students viewed Rawat primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide and inspiration. In 1976 Rawat encouraged students to leave the ashrams and to discard Indian customs and terminology and the staff at the Denver headquarters were reduced from 250 to 80.Rawat tried to heal the growing rift with the Mission but in August Bob Mishler, co-founder of DLM in the United States and Rawat parted ways. Rawat's appearance at an event on 20 December 1976 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wearing a traditional Krishna costume for the first time since 1975, signaled a resurgence of Indian influence and devotion. His followers elevated Rawat to a higher level in the conveyance of "Knowledge". During 1977, many returned to ashram life, and there was a shift back from secular tendencies towards ritual and messianic beliefs.In 1977 Rawat became a US citizen. In the mid-1970s several ex-members became vocal critics. James Lewis wrote that they attacked the movement with the usual charges of brainwashing and mind control. Sociologists Stoner and Parke who studied premies for many months say "We have yet to meet a cult member, or former cultist, who has convinced us that he was hypnotized into a new religion".Mishler and Robert Hand, a former vice president of the movement, voiced their criticism in a press conference, warning that a situation like the recent Jonestown incident could occur with the followers of Rawat. Mishler complained that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill, but his charges found little support and did not affect the progress of the Mission. Following the birth of his second child Rawat began to tour without his family, speaking in places as various as Swaziland, Peru and Frankfurt. By the end of the 70s DLM, while growing little in the United States with 10,000 to 12,000 active members, has expanded significantly in Southern Asia, the South Pacific and South America. Following the fire damage to his Malibu home, Rawat moved to Miami Beach, Florida with his wife and three children for several years, and DLM headquarters relocated there. Prem Rawat visited India again in October 1980 after an absence of five years, and spoke to over 38,000 people in Delhi. He also toured South America and Europe that year. After scaling down the DLM's activities in the early 1980s, Rawat created the North American Sponsorship Program to help pay for the Malibu estate, which by 1998 was reportedly worth $15 million. Draft 11 ==Coming of age== In December 1973, when he turned 16, Rawat took administrative control of the Mission's U.S. branch which, according to Foss and Larkin, "had developed a centralized bureaucracy with rampant titleism and a penchant for office forms and organizational charts" and began to assert his independence from his mother, who returned to India with Satpal. In April 1974, Rawat became an emancipated minor, and in May married Marolyn Johnson, a 24-year-old follower and former airline stewardess from San Diego, California. The marriage was officiated at a non-denominational church in Golden, Colorado; Rawat's mother, Mata Ji, had not been invited. Rawat's marriage to a non-Indian finally severed Rawat's relationship with his mother. She publicly disowned him in 1975 and appointed her eldest son, Satpal, as leader of the Indian DLM, while Rawat maintained the support of the Western disciples. Most of the mahatmas either returned to India or were dismissed. Rawat had by then become financially independent thanks to contributions from his Western devotees, which made it possible for him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire – running a household for his wife, his brother and sister-in-law, Raja Ji and Claudia, as well as financing travel for his entourage of close officials and mahatmas on his frequent trips around the globe to attend the Mission's festivals. In November 1974, seeking more privacy for himself, his wife and his entourage following security concerns, Rawat moved to a four-acre property in Malibu, California. Purchased by the DLM for $400,000, the property also served as the DLM's West Coast headquarters. Described as a "lavish hilltop estate" in the press, the house was damaged in a 1978 brush fire. Throughout the early and mid-1970s, Rawat was the subject of numerous newspaper reports picturing him as primarily interested in the accumulation of wealth, rather than changing the world. His affluent lifestyle over that period, maintained despite the DLM's financial difficulties following the Millennium '73 festival, generated considerable controversy and, according to Bromley and Shupe, even defections among premies. Still a teenager, he was, Jeanne Messer writes, fascinated by the technology of the age: cars, airplanes, stereos and computers. Besides the Malibu estate, Rawat had homes in London, New York and Denver; he had two planes, sports cars and motorcycles at his disposal, a Rolls-Royce awaited his arrival in London, and a chauffeured Mercedes-Benz 600 was on hand in Denver, all of them said to be gifts from disciples. Besides reporting on his perceived materialistic fixations, the media often criticized Rawat for his age and physical appearance. Overall, most accounts were quite negative and, from the DLM's point of view, full of distortions – premies' responses to the press reporting ranged from bewilderment and amusement to extreme defensiveness. Positive comments about Rawat's movement came from such youth culture "folk heroes" as anti-war activist Rev. Daniel Berrigan, radical lawyer William Kunstler, and singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. Although some of Rawat's students still harbored residual beliefs in his divinity, by 1976 the vast majority of them viewed Rawat primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide and inspiration. In January 1976 Rawat encouraged students to leave the ashrams and to discard Indian customs and terminology. In the same year, staff at the Denver headquarters were reduced from 250 to 80. His appearance at an event on 20 December 1976 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wearing a traditional Krishna costume for the first time since 1975, signaled a resurgence of Indian influence and devotion. His followers elevated Rawat to a higher level in the conveyance of "Knowledge". During 1977, many returned to ashram life, and there was a shift back from secular tendencies towards ritual and messianic beliefs. In 1977 Rawat became a US citizen. In the late 1970s several ex-members became vocal critics. James R. Lewis wrote that they attacked the movement with charges of brainwashing and mind control. Bob Mishler, co-founder of DLM in the United States and former president of the business side of the mission, and Robert Hand, a former vice president of the movement, voiced their criticism in a press conference, warning that a situation like the recent Jonestown incident could occur with the followers of Rawat. Mishler complained that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill, but his charges found little support and did not affect the progress of the organization. Following the fire damage to his Malibu home, Rawat moved to Miami Beach, Florida with his wife and three children for several years, and DLM headquarters relocated there. Prem Rawat visited India again in October 1980 after an absence of five years, and spoke to over 38,000 people in Delhi. He also toured South America and Europe that year. In the early 1980s, there was an ongoing neighborhood dispute around a helipad on the Malibu estate which was finally resolved by installing emergency water storage for use by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in emergencies, and by limiting the number of permitted flights. After scaling down the DLM's activities in the early 1980s, Rawat created the North American Sponsorship Program to help pay for the Malibu estate, which by 1998 was reportedly worth $15 million. Draft 12 Condensed and smoothed from Draft 11. ==Coming of age== In December 1973, when he turned 16, Rawat took administrative control of the Mission's U.S. branch which, according to Foss and Larkin, "had developed a centralized bureaucracy with rampant titleism and a penchant for office forms and organizational charts" and began to assert his independence from his mother, who returned to India with his brother Satpal. In April 1974, Rawat became an emancipated minor, and in May married Marolyn Johnson, a 24-year-old follower and former airline stewardess from San Diego, California. The marriage was celebrated at a non-denominational church in Golden, Colorado. Rawat's mother, Mata Ji, had not been invited. Rawat's marriage to a non-Indian finally severed Rawat's relationship with his mother. She publicly disowned him in 1975, and appointed her eldest son, Satpal, as leader of the Indian DLM, while Rawat maintained the support of the Western disciples. Most of the mahatmas either returned to India or were dismissed. Contributions from his Western devotees had by then made Rawat financially independent, which made it possible for him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire and run a household for his wife, his brother Raja Ji and his wife Claudia, and also finance his own frequent international travel to attend the Mission's festivals with his entourage of close officials and mahatmas. In November 1974, seeking more privacy for himself, his wife and his entourage following security concerns, Rawat moved to a four-acre property in Malibu, California. Purchased by the DLM for $400,000, the property also served as the DLM's West Coast headquarters. Described by the press as a "lavish hilltop estate", the house was damaged in a 1978 brush fire. Throughout the early and mid-1970s, numerous newspaper articles appeared portraying Rawat as primarily interested in accumulating wealth, rather than changing the world. His affluent lifestyle over that period, maintained despite the DLM's financial difficulties following the Millennium '73 festival, generated considerable controversy and, according to Bromley and Shupe, caused defections among premies. Still a teenager, he was, Jeanne Messer writes, fascinated by the technology of the age: cars, airplanes, stereos and computers. Besides the Malibu estate, Rawat had homes in London, New York and Denver, with two planes, sports cars and motorcycles at his disposal. A Rolls-Royce awaited him in London, and a chauffeured Mercedes-Benz 600 was on hand in Denver, all of them said to be gifts from disciples. Besides reporting on his perceived materialistic fixations, the media often criticized Rawat for his age and physical appearance. Premies' responses to the press reporting ranged from bewilderment and amusement to extreme defensiveness. Positive comments about Rawat's movement came from youth culture figures such as anti-war activist Rev. Daniel Berrigan, radical lawyer William Kunstler, and singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. Although some of Rawat's students may have retained beliefs in his divinity, by 1976 the vast majority of them viewed Rawat primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide and inspiration. In January 1976, Rawat encouraged students to leave the ashrams and to discard Indian customs and terminology. In the same year, staff at the Denver headquarters were reduced from 250 to 80. His appearance at an event on 20 December 1976 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wearing a traditional Krishna costume for the first time since 1975, signaled a resurgence of Indian influence and devotion, and he was elevated to a higher level in the conveyance of "Knowledge". During 1977, many returned to ashram life, and there was a shift back from secular tendencies towards ritual and messianic beliefs. In 1977 Rawat became a US citizen. In the late 1970s several ex-members became vocal critics, and attacked the movement with charges of brainwashing and mind control. Bob Mishler, co-founder of DLM in the United States and former president of the business side of the mission, and Robert Hand, a former vice president of the movement, voiced their criticism in a press conference, predicting that a situation like the recent Jonestown incident could occur with the followers of Rawat. Mishler complained that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill, but his charges found little support and did not affect the progress of the organization. Following the fire damage to his Malibu headquarters, Rawat moved to Miami Beach, Florida with his wife and three children, and the DLM offices also relocated there. This remained his home and base for several years. Rawat created the North American Sponsorship Program to help pay for the Malibu estate, which by 1998 was reportedly worth $15 million. Prem Rawat visited India again in October 1980 after an absence of five years, and spoke to over 38,000 people in Delhi. He also toured South America and Europe that year. Draft 13 from Draft 12, with attempts to deal with some editors' objections to that draft. More is probably still needed. July 26, couple more tweaks, indicated by strikeouts. ==Coming of age== In December 1973, when he turned 16, Rawat took administrative control of the Mission's U.S. branch which, according to Foss and Larkin, "had developed a centralized bureaucracy with rampant titleism and a penchant for office forms and organizational charts". Beginning a process of democratising and secularising the movement, he also began to asserted his independence from his mother, Mata Ji, who returned to India with his brother Satpal. In April 1974, Rawat became an emancipated minor, and in May married Marolyn Johnson, a 24-year-old follower and former airline stewardess from San Diego, California. The marriage was celebrated at a non-denominational church in Golden, Colorado. Rawat's mother was not invited. Rawat's marriage to a non-Indian finally severed his relationship with his mother. She publicly disowned him in 1975, and appointed her eldest son, Satpal, as leader of the Indian DLM. Rawat retained the support of the Western disciples. Most of the mahatmas either returned to India or were dismissed. Contributions from his Western devotees had by then made Rawat financially independent, which made it possible for him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire and run a household for his own wife, his brother Raja Ji and wife Claudia, and also to finance his own frequent international travel to attend the Mission's festivals, with his entourage of close officials and mahatmas. In November 1974, seeking more privacy for himself, his wife and his entourage following security concerns, Rawat moved to a four-acre property in Malibu, California. Purchased by the DLM for $400,000, the property also served as the DLM's West Coast headquarters. Described by the press as a "lavish hilltop estate", the house was damaged in a 1978 brush fire. Through the early and mid-1970s, numerous newspaper articles appeared portraying Rawat as primarily interested in accumulating wealth, rather than changing the world. His affluent lifestyle over that period, maintained despite the DLM's financial difficulties following the Millennium '73 festival, generated considerable controversy and, according to Bromley and Shupe, caused defections among premies. Still a teenager, he was, Jeanne Messer writes, fascinated by the technology of the age: cars, airplanes, stereos and computers. Besides the Malibu estate, Rawat had homes in London, New York and Denver, with two planes, sports cars and motorcycles at his disposal. A Rolls-Royce awaited him in London, and a chauffeured Mercedes-Benz 600 was on hand in Denver, all of them said to be gifts from disciples. Besides criticising him for his perceived materialistic fixations, the media often focused on his age and physical appearance. Premies' responses to the press reporting ranged from bewilderment and amusement to defensiveness. Positive comments about Rawat's movement came from youth culture figures such as anti-war activist Rev. Daniel Berrigan, radical lawyer William Kunstler, and singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. Although some of Rawat's students may have retained beliefs in his divinity, by 1976 the vast majority of them viewed Rawat primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide and inspiration. In January 1976, Rawat encouraged students to leave the ashrams and to discard Indian customs and terminology. In the same year, staff at the Denver headquarters were reduced from 250 to 80. His appearance at an event on 20 December 1976 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wearing a traditional Krishna costume for the first time since 1975, signaled a resurgence of Indian influence and devotion, and he was granted a renewed significance in the lives of the premies. During 1977, many returned to ashram life, and there was a shift back from secular tendencies towards ritual and messianic beliefs. In 1977 Rawat became a US citizen. In the late 1970s several ex-members became vocal critics, and accused the movement of brainwashing and mind control. Bob Mishler, co-founder of DLM in the United States and former president of the business side of the mission, and Robert Hand, a former vice president of the movement, voiced their criticism in a press conference, predicting that a situation like the recent Jonestown incident could occur with the followers of Rawat. Mishler complained that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill, but his charges found little support and did not affect the progress of the organization. Following the fire damage to his Malibu headquarters, Rawat moved to Miami Beach, Florida with his wife and three children, and the DLM offices also relocated there. This remained his home and base for several years. Rawat created the North American Sponsorship Program to help pay for the Malibu estate, which by 1998 was reportedly worth $15 million. Prem Rawat visited India again in October 1980 after an absence of five years, and spoke to over 38,000 people in Delhi. He also toured South America and Europe that year. Draft 14 In December 1973, when he turned 16, Rawat took administrative control of the Mission’s separate American corporation and began to assert his independence from Mata Ji, who returned to India with her eldest son Sat Pal. His desire to marry Marolyn Johnson, a 24-year old follower from San Diego, California, further exacerbated the growing rift with his mother. In May 1974 he obtained a court order from a Juvenile court in Colorado to obtain a marriage license without parental permission and married Johnson in a non-denominational church. In July Rawat introduced his new wife at an event in Copenhagen attended by over 8,000 followers. Rawat's marriage to a non-Indian finally severed his relationship with his mother who appointed Sat Pal, as leader of the Indian DLM while Rawat maintained the support of the Western disciples. Most of the mahatmas either returned to India or were dismissed as Rawat continued to westernize the Mission. Rawat had by then become financially independent thanks to contributions from his Western devotees, which made it possible for him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire – running a household for his wife, his brother and sister-in-law, Raja Ji and Claudia, as well as financing travel for his entourage of close officials on his frequent trips around the globe to attend the Mission's festivals.In 1974 the DLM purchased a four-acre property in Malibu, California as the DLM's West Coast headquarters and residence for Rawat, who moved there in November seeking more privacy for himself, his wife and his entourage following security concerns. By 1975 Rawat's message had spread to 58 countries on six continents and Rawat began appointing westerners to teach Knowledge. Throughout the early and mid-1970s, Rawat was the subject of numerous press reports picturing him as primarily interested in the accumulation of wealth, rather than changing the world. According to Downton, giving thanks to a guru is an “eastern spiritual tradition” and Rawat’s followers were “more than happy to supply him with luxuries”. In April 1975 Rawat travelled to India with his wife and young daughter. When Mata Ji and Sat Pal learned of Rawat's plans they mounted a campaign to defame him and to interfere with his arrival. Sat Pal launched a defamation suit against Rawat and Rawat counter claimed. The judge appealed for them to settle their suit before there was "bloodshed in the family". Rawat stepped forward immediately and unconditionally withdrew his defamation suit against his brother and after some coaxing from the judge, Sat Pal withdrew his. In January 1976 Rawat encouraged students to leave the ashrams, discard Indian customs and terminology and although some of Rawat's students still harbored residual beliefs in his divinity, the vast majority viewed Rawat primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide and inspiration. In the same year Rawat said that he felt that the organization had come between his devotees and himself and he removed Bob Mishler, the International President of DLM from power. and the staff at the Denver headquarters were reduced from 250 to 80. Mishler later complained that money was increasingly diverted to Rawat's personal use and that the movement appeared to them to exist only to support Rawat's "opulent existence" but the claims found little support and did not affect the progress of the Mission. His appearance at an event on 20 December 1976 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wearing a traditional Krishna costume for the first time since 1975, signaled a resurgence of Indian influence and devotion. During 1977, many returned to ashram life, and there was a shift back from secular tendencies towards ritual and messianic beliefs. In 1977 Rawat became a US citizen. Rawat moved to Miami Beach, Florida with his wife and three children for several years, and DLM headquarters relocated there. Prem Rawat visited India again in October 1980 after an absence of five years, and spoke to over 38,000 people in Delhi. He also toured South America and Europe that year. Around 1980 a neighborhood dispute regarding a helipad on the Malibu estate arose which was finally resolved by installing emergency water storage for use by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in emergencies, and by limiting the number of permitted flights. References

Proposal 8

This discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This page is for proposals related to the Divine Light Mission. User should: Add their proposed wording to a new section Not sign their section with the standard ~~~~ Not comment on other sections, this will be done at the discussion page Not change the wording of drafts, they should add a new draft with the changed wording Draft 0 Current version The Divine Light Mission (DLM) (Divya Sandesh Parishad) was an organization founded by guru Shri Hans Ji Maharaj in 1960 to organize his followers in northern India. During the 1970s DLM went on to gain some prominence in the West under the leadership of his youngest son, Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat). The movement, which some sources say was influenced by the Bhagavad Gita and the Sant Mat tradition, was, in the West, often labeled as a new religious movement, a sect or a cult. Officials of the DLM said it was not a religion. Draft 1 The Divine Light Mission (DLM) (Divya Sandesh Parishad) was an organization founded by guru Shri Hans Ji Maharaj in 1960 to organize his followers in northern India. During the 1970s DLM went on to gain some prominence in the West under the leadership of his youngest son, Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat). The movement, which some sources say was influenced by the Bhagavad Gita and the Sant Mat tradition, was, in the West, considered a new religious movement, and often labeled a sect or cult. DLM officials said the movement represented a church rather than a religion. Draft 2 The Divine Light Mission (DLM) (Divya Sandesh Parishad) was an organization founded by guru Shri Hans Ji Maharaj in 1960 to organize his followers in northern India. During the 1970s, the DLM gained prominence in the West under the leadership of his youngest son, Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat). The western movement, which some sources say was influenced by the Bhagavad Gita and the Sant Mat tradition, was categorised as a New Religious Movement, but was also labeled a sect or a cult. DLM officials said the movement represented a church rather than a religion. Draft 3 The Divine Light Mission (DLM) (Divya Sandesh Parishad) was an organization founded by guru Shri Hans Ji Maharaj in 1960 to organize his followers in northern India. During the 1970s, the DLM gained prominence in the West under the leadership of his youngest son, Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat). The western movement, which some sources say was influenced by the Bhagavad Gita and the Sant Mat tradition, was categorized in numerous and sometimes conflicting terms such as a new religious movement, a cult, a charismatic religious sect, and an alternative religion or spin-off from other traditional religions. DLM officials said the movement represented a church rather than a religion. Draft 4 The Divine Light Mission (DLM) (Divya Sandesh Parishad) was an organization founded by guru Shri Hans Ji Maharaj in 1960 to organize his followers in northern India. During the 1970s, the DLM gained prominence in the west under the leadership of his youngest son, Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat). Scholars noted the influence of the Bhagavad Gita and the Sant Mat tradition, but the western movement was popularly widely seen as a new religious movement, a cult, a charismatic religious sect or an alternative religion. DLM officials said the movement represented a church rather than a religion. References

Proposal 9

This discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This page is for proposals related to the Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2008-04-20 Prem Rawat. User should: Add their proposed wording to a new section Not sign their section with the standard ~~~~ Not comment on other sections, this will be done at the discussion page Not change the wording of proposals, they should add a new proposal with the changed wording Draft 0 (current version) ===Media=== After Prem Rawat's first arrival in the United Kingdom and United States in 1971 at the age of thirteen and through the 1970s he, his students and his organizations attracted media scrutiny and attention. Examples of articles appearing in the mainstream press in that decade include a 1974 article in Rolling Stone magazine and a 1979 article in the New York Review of Books. In 1973, the 50-member public relations team of the Divine Light Mission who met to talk about the guru's image, concluded that he was seen as a "fat 15-year-old with pie in his face ... and a Rolls-Royce ... who was arrested for jewel smuggling", and pointed at the necessity to establish his credibility beyond his age and body shape. Draft 1 (v. 3) ===Media perceptions=== From the early 1970s Rawat's movement received press coverage as well by establishment mass media as by youth movement sources. Establishment mass media publications included those by Newsweek in August 1971 and by Time in November 1972. According to sociologist Pilarzyk the youth culture's response, apparent from mostly leftist youth culture publications, was ambiguous, combining indifference with some instances of overt hostility. Pilarzyk mentioned that these criticisms usually focused on the alleged phoniness of the "blissed-out premies", the "hocuspocus" aspects of the meditation, and the "materialistic fixations" and the physical condition of the guru, most of these accounts quite negative and full of distortions from the DLM's point of view, though there were positive comments from such youth culture "folk heroes" as anti-war activist as Rev. Daniel Berrigan, radical lawyer William Kunstler, and singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. The sociologist indicates that the response by DLM adherents to the negative reports varied from bewilderment and amusement to extreme defensiveness. For the UK, Price mentions Rawat's habit of arriving late, or not at all, for public programmes as a certain factor in his receiving an increasingly hostile press coverage during the first two and a half years after the mission had been established in that country. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the movement had its own printed media, for instance in the United States the magazines Divine Times, And It Is Divine, and Élan Vital, and a first biography of Rawat published in 1973. The Detroit pieing incident was widely reported in U.S. media. A few months later, members of the Mission's public relations staff, which numbered more than 50, met to talk about the guru's image, concluding he was seen as a "fat 15-year-old with pie in his face ... and a Rolls-Royce ... who was arrested for jewel smuggling." At the meeting the PR staff members were told to bring disbelievers past the point where they looked at the guru's body and age as a measure of his credibility. In a December 1973 article for the New York Review of Books, Francine du Plessix Gray names several reporters she met at Millennium '73: Ken Kelley covering the events for Ramparts, Marjoe Gortner for Oui, and Paul Krassner editor of The Realist. At a press conference held on the second day of the event, Richard Levine reporting for Rolling Stone noted that Rawat was clearly accustomed to more respectful attention than he had been getting from the press, appearing tense and hostile throughout the questioning. According to Paul Goldsmith in Crawdaddy, "An NBC cameraman [...] was telling [...] what the press generally thought: namely, that the Guru was a sham, [...]" Late November 1973 Rawat was interviewed on the The Merv Griffin Show. Lord of the Universe, the film made about Millennium '73, was aired on national television in the U.S. in February 1974. It showed a Newsweek correspondent inviting Rawat to level with the press, to which Rawat answered he sees himself on a mission to accomplish peace in the world. Gradually the movement withdrew from the public scene. The press continued with reports about the financial deficit of Millennium 73,{ref re-use} the family rift,{ref re-use} Rawat's marriage,{ref re-use} and the Malibu estate and heliport.{ref re-use} In an April 1975 press conference held in Lucknow, Rawat was questioned about the family split. The summer 1976 issue of And It Is Divine announced it needed more of a "very conscious focus on Guru Maharaj Ji", and would stop experiments of providing "non-Knowledge oriented material". By the end of the decade the movement had almost disappeared from public view in the United States, apart from some reports about the defection of significant former adherents. Around the mid-80s Rawat ordered all the movement's materials to be destroyed, including magazines and photos - materials where he promoted himself as a divine being. Rawat prided himself to have gone under the radar of the press: at a speaking engagement in the late 80s he said what a great achievement it was that when newspapers published lists of cults, they no longer included him. Only by the turn of the century Rawat again received some media attention. By then there was some presence in the new media: former followers had started several websites devoted to their erstwhile idol, followed by several websites from Rawat and his organizations. In the early 21st century niche glossy magazines published interviews and other Rawat-related articles in several languages. Words of Peace, a television series based on texts by Rawat broadcast from 2003 across several continents, was awarded in Brazil. A new biography, mainly distributed via on-line sales, appeared in 2007. On-line media started questioning the role people connected to Rawat or his organizations played regarding his media image. Draft 2 ===Media perceptions=== In the early 1970s, Rawat's movement received coverage from both the establishment mass media and the youth movement press. Establishment publications included Newsweek in August 1971 and Time in November 1972. According to sociologist Pilarzyk, the mostly leftist youth culture’s response was ambiguous; indifference mixed with some overt hostility. The "blissed-out premies" were seen as phony and the meditation as "hocus-pocus". The guru was seen as having "materialistic fixations," and his physical condition drew negative comment. Positive commentary came from such youth culture figures as anti-war activist Rev. Daniel Berrigan, radical lawyer William Kunstler, and singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. Pilarzyk writes that the response by DLM adherents to the negative remarks varied from bewilderment and amusement to extreme defensiveness. For the UK, Price states that Rawat had a habit of arriving late, or not at all, at public programs, and that this was a factor in his increasingly hostile press coverage during the first two and a half years after the mission was established in that country. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the movement had its own printed media. In the United States there were the magazines Divine Times, And It Is Divine and Élan Vital, and a first biography of Rawat published in 1973. Shortly before the Millennium '73 event, more than 50 members of the Mission's public relations staff met, and concluded that his age, his body weight, the pie incident, his Rolls Royce and the jewel smuggling furore had all impacted negatively on his public image. In a December 1973 article for the New York Review of Books, Francine du Plessix Gray names several reporters that attended the Millennium '73 event: Ken Kelley covering the events for Ramparts, Marjoe Gortner for Oui, and Paul Krassner for The Realist. In late November 1973, Rawat was interviewed on the The Merv Griffin Show. In February 1974, Lord of the Universe, a film about Millennium '73, was aired on U.S. television. In the movie, Rawat tells a Newsweek correspondent that he sees himself on a mission to accomplish peace in the world. Pat Halley, the journalist who pied Rawat in August 1973, also tells his story. Gradually the movement withdrew from the public scene. The press published more reports about the financial deficit of Millennium 73,{ref re-use} the family rift,{ref re-use} Rawat's marriage,{ref re-use} and the Malibu estate and heliport.{ref re-use} The summer 1976 issue of And It Is Divine announced it needed a "very conscious focus on Guru Maharaj Ji", and would stop experiments of providing "non-Knowledge oriented material". By the end of the decade the movement had almost disappeared from public view in the United States, apart from some reports about the defection of significant former adherents. By then there was some presence in the new media: some ex-followers had started websites devoted to their former guru, and several websites from Rawat and his organizations and many sites by his students followed. In the early 21st century, magazines published interviews and other Rawat-related articles in several languages. Words of Peace, a television series based on speeches by Rawat, was broadcast across several continents, and received a Brazilian award. A new biography, Peace is Possible, by Andrea Cagan, mainly distributed via on-line sales, appeared in 2007. In July 2008, YouTube showed 814 returns for the title Prem Rawat and 858 for Maharaji. Draft 3 ===Media perceptions=== In the early 1970s, Rawat's movement received coverage from both the establishment mass media and the youth movement press. Establishment publications included Newsweek in August 1971 and Time in November 1972. According to sociologist Pilarzyk, the mostly leftist youth culture’s response was ambiguous; indifference mixed with some overt hostility. The "blissed-out premies" were seen as phony, and the meditation as "hocus-pocus". The guru was seen as having "materialistic fixations," and his physical condition drew negative comment. Positive commentary came from such youth culture figures as anti-war activist Rev. Daniel Berrigan, radical lawyer William Kunstler, and singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. Pilarzyk writes that the response by DLM adherents to the negative remarks varied from bewilderment and amusement to extreme defensiveness. In the UK, the sociologist Maeve Price stated that Rawat had a habit of arriving late, or not at all, at public programs, and that this was a factor in his increasingly hostile press coverage during the first two and a half years of the mission's establishment in that country. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the movement had its own printed media. In the United States there were the magazines Divine Times, And It Is Divine and Élan Vital, and a first biography of Rawat published in 1973. Shortly before the Millennium '73 event, more than 50 members of the Mission's public relations staff met, and concluded that his age, his body weight, the pie incident, his Rolls Royce and the jewel smuggling furore had all impacted negatively on his public image. In late November 1973, Rawat was interviewed on the The Merv Griffin Show. In February 1974, Lord of the Universe, a film about Millennium '73, was aired on U.S. television. In the movie, Rawat tells a Newsweek correspondent that he sees himself on a mission to accomplish peace in the world. Pat Halley, the journalist who pied Rawat in August 1973, also tells his story. Gradually the movement withdrew from the public scene. The press published more reports about the financial deficit of Millennium 73,{ref re-use} the family rift,{ref re-use} Rawat's marriage,{ref re-use} and the Malibu estate and heliport.{ref re-use} The summer 1976 issue of And It Is Divine announced it needed a "very conscious focus on Guru Maharaj Ji", and would stop experiments of providing "non-Knowledge oriented material". By the end of the decade the movement had almost disappeared from public view in the United States, apart from some reports about the defection of significant former adherents. By the late 90s then there was some presence in the new media: some ex-followers had started websites devoted to their former guru, and several websites from Rawat and his organizations and many sites by his students followed. In the early 21st century, magazines published interviews and other Rawat-related articles in several languages. Words of Peace, a television series based on speeches by Rawat, was broadcast across several continents, and received a Brazilian award. A new biography, Peace is Possible, by Andrea Cagan, mainly sold on-line, appeared in 2007. In July 2008, YouTube showed 814 returns for the title Prem Rawat and 858 for Maharaji. References