Prem Rawat's Birthday Messages
Prem Rawat communicates his message in only one way. He makes impromptu unscripted speeches, from the heart, satsang, truth or at least that is the theory. This speech has evolved over the 60 years since he first joined his father on stage in their spiritual showbiz shtick. His speeches peaked in success in the early 1970s while he followed his father's script in halting difficult to decipher Indian-English and inspired a mini-revolution among tens of thousands of doped-up, blissed out, counter-culture youth that had seen their "turn on, tune in, drop out" phantasies turn to shit.
Part of their new deal was a pretty sparse and conservative, regulated life-style based around nightly satsang meeting, hours of meditation and vegetarian diet. They were only meant to cut loose and let the joy and high spirits flow at the feet of the Master and his birthdays became a point of celebration that followed the annual Big Bash at the Hans Jayanti Festival in honour of His father who really knew how to dress up and go dancing with the stars.
It became traditional for Prem Rawat to make a public speech on his birthday usually as part of a birthday celebration at which he would be presented with innumerable presents - he particularly enjoyed the Aston-Martin and a pinball machine enough to mention them - a giant cake would be cut and distributed and he would have a chat on a stage in a specially prepared throne. This Divine Times report, though it occurred before Prem Rawat was deposed and disinherited, is typical:
2500 people from all along the eastern seaboard gathered in the Commodore Hotel in New York City to celebrate the sixteenth birthday of Shri Guru Maharaj Ji. A variety of dances and skits were performed to the delight of all. These included: the sawing in half of Mahatma Gurucharnanand for a double pair of prachar; a new dance by the Divine Light Dance Ensemble on the life of Buddha; Bob Mishler president of Divine Light Mission in North America, and Professor Tanden President of Divine Light Mission in India together in an international comic routine; all of which was punctuated by numerous slapstick pie throwing instances. Guru Maharaj Ji and his entire holy family arrived shortly after the revelry had begun. He spoke briefly, beaming with joy and laughing. Bhole Ji sang two devotional songs followed by satsang from both Mata Ji and Bal Bhagwan Ji.
Atlantic City New Jersey, December 19 1976
To come together and beat the drums, the drums of this Love, of this devotion, of this dedication, into all beings, so they can once realize the glory of their Lord, the glory of their Master, the glory of Guru Maharaj Ji, and really understand what this Knowledge is.
But for some reason, I have this hope. I have this dream. I have this - not an idea. It is not an idealism. But as a service to my life, as the aim of my life - to beat these drums so hard, so hard, that it might break down those barriers that people have placed between them, and that there might be Peace in this world (applause). The point is, somehow, when I came to United States, that's what I already had dedicated my life to. And it seemed possible at that time. But so much more hope has sprung in between, so much more possibilities have come in between, that there can be Peace on this Earth, and that it is not an impossibility, but it is a very good possibility. You look at it from any reason you want to see it, any way you want to see it. There can be Peace on this Earth.
Prem Rawat: Kansas City, Missouri, January 20, 1978
I've been sitting down and after my birthday there was so much stuff that was piled up, and there was so much stuff that has to start moving for 1978. It was incredible to just sit down and take the year planner, and make plans for all the tours. And I do definitely want to try -- at least, I'm going to try my best, to try to go to Australia this year. And then try to have a tour of North America, try to have a tour of South America, try to have a tour of Europe, to try to let that experience flow between all the premies, to just have as much satsang as possible.
Prem Rawat: Ventura, California, Nationwide Live Telecast, January 21st 1979
This is what I was saying about devotion, about love, about that affection, about that reality. Somewhere we know there is a glimpse of it, and we try all our lives to simulate it. So what is the perfect devotion? What is the perfect love? "I want to be like that devotee." I mean, there are approximately 5000 premies listening to this satsang. And by the time it hits "Divine Times" or Élan Vital or whatever have you, more people would have read it. And if satsang gets printed, they take that association and they say, "Well, this plus this. And this is what I want. I want to be a perfect -" And I know that there are so many people who would like to be a perfect devotee
Prem Rawat: Miami, Florida, December 25 , 1979
For my birthday I got this pinball machine. I had a pinball machine a long time ago in Denver and when the whole Denver house was sold, the pinball machine was sitting here, I guess. Then I had it brought to the residence. Then the new pinball machine is completely out there. It makes all these noises. It's all electrical and it's all solid state, instead of having all the things going wrong with it. It's all solid state. And there are all these little things, all these little attractions that you can shoot for and win. And everything is such a trap. Because though it looks like, "Oh yes, I can shoot for this. Oh yes, I can go for this," I have to realize that the whole entire pinball machine is first of all tilted. It doesn't matter how much I try to shoot up, all that ball's going to do is roll down. And when it does roll down, even though the flippers are there, there is a space in between the flippers that even when both flippers are up, that ball will still pass through. And it's a complete trap. Because it doesn't matter how hard you keep going. There is definitely going to be that one point, somehow, where that ball's going to slip. And when that ball slips, that's the end of the game.
Prem Rawat: Kissimmee Florida, November 5, 1978
I was looking at this picture yesterday. It was taken on my birthday. And on my birthday, I guess (it was a long time ago), I threw a party for all the kids in my class. And so here we are sitting on our desks. And two of my friends are on either side of me and I'm sitting in the middle. And yesterday when I looked at that picture it was like going back in time - zooming through tunnels. And it was so absurd! Man! This life …
I just remember: homework, homework, homework. And it was this paranoia about it. Homework was this monster. And this monster would come in the shape of these teachers: their sticks, their canes. And it was, "Homework, homework."
Prem Rawat: December 18, 1976, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Uh I was reading the card list. I was reading a lot of cards and a lot of cards came from East Coast for my birthday. I'd like to thank you very much; it was a wonderful surprise and a very beautiful gift. I didn't quite expect that, you know. I saw this chopper turn around, I said, "Wow" - I thought it was maybe the police coming to find out what's going on up there. Then all of a sudden it wasn't a police chopper; it was something else, and I said, "No, they couldn't have gotten this for his birthday." And then it said "Air Ride Rental" I said, "No, that's not the one, that's not the surprise." But anyway, it was really beautiful.
Prem Rawat: Malibu, California, December 10, 1977
I was reading the card list. I was reading a lot of cards and a lot of cards came from East Coast for my birthday. I'd like to thank you very much; it was a wonderful surprise and a very beautiful gift. I didn't quite expect that, you know. I saw this chopper turn around, I said, "Wow" - I thought it was maybe the police coming to find out what's going on up there. Then all of a sudden it wasn't a police chopper; it was something else, and I said, "No, they couldn't have gotten this for his birthday." And then it said "Air Ride Rental" I said, "No, that's not the one, that's not the surprise." But anyway, it was really beautiful.
Prem Rawat: Kansas City, Missouri, January 20, 1978
I think we have fantastic potential. On my birthday I really got blissed out, because it was so beautiful to just see premies come and was so beautiful to see the togetherness of the premies. But of course, these premies, they never showed up for any other satsang program, it was just because of the birthday party that they showed up there. But this program, it was a fantastic inspiration, so far as inspiration is concerned, because really it isn't like the information that I've been given.