Revelations of "Brotherly Love" Newsletter
"Brotherly Love" was the name of this A5 size monthly newsletter published by the Philadelphia community of Divine Light Mission in 1974-76. These copies provide a window into the activities of a DLM community during that period. Nearly all include the excerpts of speeches Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat) had made interspersed with images (of very poor quality) of him, much inspirational satsang from premies, the day to day organisational details required such as meeting schedules and addresses and announcement of upcoming events and positive explanations for shocks such as 16 year old guru marrying a woman 10 years older and catastrophes such as the "Holy Family" changing into evildoers and denouncing and disowning their youngest member.
- Short Satsang from Bhole Ji
- Resumption of Publication of Newsletter
- Call for Social Service volunteers
- Divine United Organisation
- Third World Prachar
- Local News
- A Letter from Bihari Singh in India
- National News
- Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang
- Mata Ji's Party
- The Five Commandments of Guru Maharaj Ji
- A Community Council This editorial while claiming to discuss the wonderful growth in consciousness amongst Philadelphia premies during August 1974 actually reveals the failure of current attempts to inspire the Philadelphia premies to do service as obtaining a warehouse did not produce the expected increase.
- World Welfare Association Report While this article is upbeat it actually reveals that in 1974 from January to September a maximum of 1,000 premies (roughly 10% of the North American premies committed enough to attend major festivals) had doesn at least 1 event of social service despite the guru's agya. Rennie Davis chose 2 main target groups for WWA to focus on, drug addicts and prisoners unerringly choosing the two groups with the greatest recidivism.
- RAINBOW FOOD CO-OP can no longer maintain a full time manager and requires volunteers
- Third World Prachar is doing it's bit to proselytise the billions of third world non-premies by giving away clothes and having a skating rink party and grooving with drug addicts.
- Extracts from Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang at the Denver Hilton, 17 July 1974 dealing with AGYA
- An excerpt from London Premies Newsletter reveals that many English premies have taken up smoking, drinking and taking drugs (against the guru's agya) since Guru Puja thereby revealing it was something of a flop and warns premies to the dangers of the subtlety of the MIND
- A Sincere Request from Mahatma Jagdeo renowned devotee of Prem Rawat's and devoted paedophile for premies to attend satsang and hopefully leave their children unattended
- Local News, Satsang Directory, Shri Hans Productions Advertisment and Classified Ads
- Prem Rawat on dope. The guru advises do as I say, not as I do. He also gives weight loss tips and advises that people still realised Knowledge before the earth was created when there was no pot. Man, was he stoned or what?
- Good Photo of Guru Maharaj Ji's flabby jowls
- Inspirational Satsang from H(oncho?) in which he reveals that no-one he knows see Light or hears Music anyway but that Mahatma Vijayanand has inspired him and rekindled the fire in his soul. A year later Vijayanand had a public meltdown denouncing Rawat and left the Mission. As for H. the odds are he went much the same way eventually.
- Announcement of Project Love in which the primary means for bringing the family together is to synchronize ourselves accordingly to Maharaj Ji's timing and plans via increasing communication through Community Advisory Councils as explained in nation-wide workshops - no trips laid.
- Community Advisory Council The CAC is designed to improve communications but so far CAC meetings have created a spaced-out atmosphere
- Excerpts from Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang in Denver, February 15, 1974
- World Welfare Association update. Premies watching Kung Fu or Monday Night Football rather than meditating and doing service.
- Women Against Rape not together enough to provide an update
- WWA Satsang from Rich Pattison
- Announcements
- Premie Poetry
- Nearby Satsang
- Short Satsang Excerpt about need for meditation
- Directory
- Photos of Hans Rawat and Prem Rawat
- Inspirational Satsang from H. Hansen in which he discusses the contradictions of premie life
- Excerpts from "The Concept Bomb"Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang in Denver, May 12, 1974
- Announcement of the Day Of Thanks WWA project to replace the failed attempt to create a public clinic in Philadelphia
- Report on attendance at the Hans Jayanti festival held in Toronto on November 7,8,& 9
- Report on DLM finances which stresses the number one financial priority is the "maintenance and support of Guru Maharaj Ji in this country" and reports the legal problems preventing a proposed large donation.
- Reply to A Letter from a premie with concerns to Guru Maharaj Ji by newly appointed assistant to Joe
- The Divine Dance Ensemble is begging for $10,000 to go legit and do a professional tour.
- Announcements
- Nearby Satsang
- A Photo of one of Prem Rawat's Feet
- Directory
- Photos of Prem Rawat, Durga Ji "Mom" Rawat and mahatma
- Inspirational Story of Guru Maharaj Ji's Dream as recounted by Gary Girard (see New York Times and Los Angeles Times
- Editorial In January, Maharaj Ji said "… now my major agya actually to all of you is to devote as much energy as possible in doing prachar."
- Announcement of the Day Of Thanks WWA project to replace the failed attempt to create a public clinic in Philadelphia
- Request for professional dancers and musicians to audition for the Divine Light Dance Ensemble
- CONNECTION Throughout my life, I tried so hard to find, something or someone to give me love, and to know that that love I could always depend on, but I failed constantly.
- Mahatma Schedule DLM has only 3 mahatmas available for North America and one of them is a paedophile
- Maharaj Ji's Satsang of October 26, 1974. "Well, I can go on and on and on and on and on."
- Premie Poetry
- Report on Philadelphia Community finances which reveal the woeful AMP amounts being tithed.
- Satsang in the Community
- Directory
- Community Bulletins
- Nearby Satsang
- Poetry from New Premies
- Image of Guru Maharaj Ji with Satsang Quote
- Joy To The World Ode to the birth of Premlata, the Rawat's first child
- A Photo of Durga ji Rawat
- An Image of Prem Rawat's Feet on Back Cover
- Photos of Prem Rawat
- Satsang by newly appointed "OT-BM" Arthur Brigham An "OT-BM" was a premie on training to be a B-grade mahatma who could give satsang but not give Knowledge
- Active Membership Program an unusually pious exhortation "to have an absolute trust in your heavenly Father's loving care and for you to pay out gladly your last dollar for a needed thing, KNOWING that by so doing you make it possible for Him to supply you with plenty more."
- The Opportunity To Serve An article explaining the new "community committee system" of service opportunitiews and the future creation of "propagational committees" in each area of the city which will facilitate propagation in community groups and social work through W.W.A.
- Letter From A Premie about the blissful Holi Weekend retreat in Pottstown
- Memorial Day Weekend Meditation Retreat with Mahatma Jagdeo DLM's most well known paedophile
- Tallahassee Information about a fund for premies shot by a madman
- Excerpts from various Question and Answer Sessions with Guru Maharaj Ji held during 1971-72
- Propagation
- Premie Poetry
- Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang London. "Well, I can go on and on and on and on and on."
- From The Top Last minute news of Guru Maharaj Ji in India and explanation of the new mahatma rating system.
- A Letter from the DLM National Director Satsang about 'Father' returning to India to assume control of His Mission
- Our Best Effort satsang about maintaining a positive attitude to meditation
- Nearby Satsang
- Bulletin Board includes request to watch soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" to aid Michael Nouri's career
- Activities In May
- Directory of DUO Office, Divine Light Dance Ensemble, Premie Houses and Divine Information Centers
- The Answer A story from the life of Buddha
- Image of Guru Maharaj Ji, Wife and Baby with a quote from his father's book Hans Yog Prakash
- An Image of Prem Rawat's Feet on Back Cover
- Photos of Prem Rawat and a quote from one of his satsangs
- Letter to Premies to inspire them to give 100% effort and dedication to Guru Maharaj Ji
- The Way It Works Organization + A.M.P. = Propagation (the agya of Guru Maharaj Ji) implementation in June
- A Letter from His First Western Mahatma Satsang from Bill Patterson
- Novitiate Training Program
- Questions and Answers with Guru Maharaj Ji October 1971
- Give A Chance To This World Excerpts from a letter dated May 14, 1975 by Lou Schwartz, National Director. " And now Guru Maharaj Ji has outlined a program by which we can channel the rising energy in each community."
- Little Leaders of Divine Light
- Activities In June
- One United Push Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang. Today there was a letter written to me by some premie, and he said, "I am doing service, satsang, and meditation, but still I am not getting the thing I really want."
- What Service Can I Do? Guru Maharaj Ji on Service: "Mind is so uncontrolled. People should be given the opportunity to understand the real Knowledge so they can bring their minds under the control of the cosmic gravity flow. This is the real service and within this service are many services."
- SATSANG No satsang schedule as revamp about to occur in line with the new propagational campaign
- The Story Of Mary Gold Childrens' Story
- We Have A Goal Durga Ji's Satsang Paramount Theatre 12th October 1974
- Bulletin Board includes news from India
- Krishna Lila review: "The experience I found was total love and devotion for the perfect master."
- Regional Satsang
- Summer Salads
- Directory of DUO Office, Divine Light Dance Ensemble, Premie Houses and Divine Information Centers
- Inspirational Quotes
- Inspiration for Meditation This satsang was written by Jeffy, a brother from the Phoenix ashram
- Image of Guru Maharaj Ji with a quote from Prem Nagar 1972
- An Image of New Philadelphia Ashram on Back Cover
- Photos of Prem and Hans Rawat and a quote from his father's book Hans Yog Prakash
- Satsang by Joy to inspire them to constantly stay in Holy Name ie think about breathing
- A Letter from Mike Donner from prison 28th May 1975
- What's Going On Anyway? "The idea behind this article is to explain what exactly is going on within the community and why"
- Over The Rainbow Food Co-op details
- Activities In July
- Announcements Michael Nouri still asking for premies to write phony letters to his producer
- Sparkling Love Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang in Denver 17th July 1974, 3rd anniversary of his arrival in USA.
- 8 Principles of Yoga according to Mahatma Gurucharanand
- He Really Loves Us Father's Day party at the Residence
- A Prophecy Guru Maharaj Ji at Phipps Auditorium, Denver, 2nd May 1974
- 6037 Overbrook Avenue By His Grace. An Article describing the purchase of house to use as an ashram
- Now You Have To Do My Work Excerpts: Guru Maharaj Ji on the death of his father, 19th July, 1966
- Excerpts: Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang at Jhumri Taliaya, Bihar, India, on 15 April 1975
- Regional Satsang
- Directory of DUO Office, Divine Light Dance Ensemble, Premie Houses and Divine Information Centers
- Community Council members
- Be Strong For Maharaj Ji Durga Ji's Satsang in 1974 or 75
- Image of Guru Maharaj Ji and Durga Ji with a quote from Durga Ji in Copenhagen Guru Puja 1974
- An Image of Guru Maharaj Ji 1971-72 on Back Cover
- Front Cover Photo of Prem Rawat with Mahatma Sampuranand and others on his ill-fated trip to India in 1975
- Short Quote from Kabir "The Guru is great beyond words, and greater is the good fortune of the disciple
- Darshan Stories by Pam Allen and Joan Leahy
- Satsang by Rich Pattison
- July - A quick look back
- August coming activities
- Hans Jayanti '75 Appeal for pre-registration fees to be paid asap as money is needed for arrangements
- Peace In Our Hearts Raja Ji's Satsang in the Alexandra Palace, London 16th July 1973
- The Bud Unfolds DLM community article by H
- Reflections On Darshan Father's Day party at the Residence
- Image of Guru Maharaj Ji and Durga Ji with a quote from Durga Ji in India April 1975
- Take An Oath To Propogate Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang in Calcutta, India on 23 April 1975
- The Cloud Story Childrens' Story
- Peace Bomb Part of Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang in Delhi, India on November 8, 1970
- Announcements The first was Bill Patterson who Maharaj Ji named Mahatma Satchitanand. Arthur Brigham has been named Mahatma Parampremanand, Ira Woods has been named Mahatma Gurupujanand, Kathy Sullivan is now called Mahatma Pranam Bai. Maharaj Ji has asked that we call them by these names always.
- Inspiration For the Soul from "A First Zen Reader"
- Image of Guru Maharaj Ji with a quote from Guru Maharaj Ji in Nepal 2nd May 1975
- Directory of DUO Office, Divine Light Dance Ensemble, Premie Houses and Divine Information Centers
- A quote from Durga Ji in India 19th April 1975
Unfortunately no more Phildelphia DLM newsletters for 1975 have become available to me as of mid 2012. For the next 3 months DLM continued in much the same way and 10,000 premies came to the Hans Jayanti festival in November. We have the January 1976 Brotherly Love which unfortunately was printed too early and too far from the center of DLM activities (Denver) to give any hint that DLM was about to implode. It's possible, however, that the lack of available 1976 Brotherly Loves is some evidence for that implosion which can be seen in the Divine Times national DLM monthly magazine beginning in December 1975.
- Photos of Prem Rawat and his wife Durga Ji Rawat with a quote from Durga Ji
- Interview with Mahatma Param Premanand (Arthur Brigham) in London 1975
- "All Men Are Created Equal" except for … Guru Maharaj Ji's Address to World Leaders For 1976
- Satsang by Ted on meditating all the time
- SINGLE-MINDEDNESS is another name for DEVOTION
- WAYS OF THE WORLD The scorpion and the mahatma, one of Guru Maharaj Ji's most repeated parables
- Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang at the Hans Jayanti festival in Orlando, Florida on 8th November 1975
- Realize The Oneness Shri Hans Ji Maharaj's Satsang, Delhi, India, February 1964
- My World Would Be Empty Without You by Sandy
- Directory of DUO Office, Ashram, Premie Houses and Divine Information Centers
- Recipe of the Month Almond Eggplant Burgers
- It Really Does Work by Mark Silver in Lewisburg State Penitentiary, December 12, 1975
- Be Patienttly Attentive by Rich Pattison
- Consistency - The Winning Ingredient
- Beggars Banquet
- Image of Guru Maharaj Ji with a quote from Durga Ji: "And that's the whole key - giving that love back"
- Image of Shri Hans Ji Maharaj with quotes from Guru Maharaj Ji from Essen, August 1975
Examination of these newsletters of the Philadelphia Divine Light Mission community in 1974-76 sheds light on some of the insoluble problems the New Religious Movement faced despite the apparent requirements of all DLM publications that everything related to their Master and His Knowledge is perfect except for themselves which were being perfected. It was acceptable to discuss past errors as long as they were compared to current improvements.
The major problems facing Prem Rawat and the DLM administrators in 1974-5 were:
- the fall in numbers of new converts
- the failure of aspirants who were "revealed Knowledge" to be impressed enough with the results to accept the belief system and become involved in Divine Light Mission activities (satsang, service, meditation and darshan) and thereby keep the religion and it's finances and Rawat's wealth growing. Until this time continual growth had been the basis of DLM's financial planning and the Mission managed to stay solvent because the number of supporting members had increased so rapidly and a few of them had donated large sums of money, usually inheritances
- keeping current members from drifting away, teaching them the appropriate attitudes and way of life and socialising them into it and keeping them inspired enough to attend meetings and donate their voluntary labour and money at the levels Prem Rawat considered appropriate
- the unrealistic expectations of the Spiritual Leader himself and the attempts by his followers to put these into practice
- his appropriation of the majority of the Divine Light Mission cash flow for his own personal use
- the need to show all of Rawat's actions in a positive light because he was considered to be divine
- the impossibility of disagreeing with anything he said as he was considered to be divine.
In Philadelphia steps were taken take meet these problems:
- The calls to make 1975 the year of prachar and the community organisers' attempts to set up the required structures and methods to implement this number one priority agya.
- The attempts to gather details of the "lost sheep" and to organise outreach to them to convince them of the importance of Guru Maharaj Ji and His Knowledge and their missing out of the blissful benfits of involvement and return them to the fold
- The premies were commanded to organise "communities" to provide regular satsang meetings, opportunities for non-ashram premies to do service
- There were constant propaganda about the glory of Guru Maharaj Ji, every reference to Rawat was glowingly positive
- Unfortunately
- A question and answer session with Rawat condemning marijuana smoking
- Rawat had declared 1975 the Year of Prachar (ie recruitment) in a New year Proclamation even though in 1974 there had be only a third of the number of people initiated that there had been over the prior three years.
- Rawat had ordered the creation of the Divine United Organisation at the beginning of 1973 to
- Rawat had ordered the creation of the World Welfare Association under Rennie Davis in January 1974 and ordered his followers to involve themselves in social service programs.
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- There were constant calls for donations
- Fund-raising events were regularly organised
- AMP (The Active Membership Program) which encouraged tithing as the appopriate service for householders was regularly emphasised. The financial return for a three month period printed in the April 1975 newsletter shows the very low financial donations from the community members.
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- A positive spin on the guru's being disowned and deposed by his mother
- No more 'satsang' by the "Holy Family" or news of their activities were printed after the May 1974 edition
- AMP (The Active Membership Program) which encouraged tithing as the appopriate service for householders was regularly emphasised. The financial return for a three month period printed in the April 1975 newsletter shows the very low financial donations from the community members.
- The Philadelphia community was able to colect enough capital to buy a house to use as an ashram after local wealthy community pressure forced them out of the earlier ashram. This shows the lack of financial committment amongst Rawat's followers as this was the only premie community in the USA who were able to do this or, at least, the only house purchase for an ashram publicised DLM publications.
- Rawat's satsangs ie his mostly impromptu speeches (all the newsletters contain long excerpts from his speeches) in which he teaches his doctrines (link here to Rattsy's complaints) and in which he continually berates his followers lack of committment.
- The ongoing attempts to organise the community to provide regular access to satsang meetings, opportunities to do service via community projects through DUO, WWA, League of Volunteers, etc (there was even a 3rd World Prachar Project) and inspiration from the more committed members.