
Raja Ji à Montréal - Juillet 2008
Raja Rawat is Rawat's older brother who stayed with him in the West after the family split and relies on his younger brother for support. He lives in Miami, Florida and does tours around premie communities shilling for money for various of Rawat's needs usually accompanied by a "student", Yoram Weiss, who is one of Rawat's long term followers and chief fund-raiser, as a minder and to handle the details. Here we see Raja Ji, as he is still known amongst followers of Rawat, speaking in Montréal, Canada in June 2008. This information was retrieved from the Montreal City of peace website on 12th September, 2009. The website is "dedicated to Prem Rawat, also known by the honorary title Maharaji. The website features information about his message. Here you will find local information on activities and resources in Montreal, Canada." We can see from the images of the people gathered to hear him speak (balding, gray hair or dyed) that most of Rawat's followers are in their late fifties, the remnants of the young followers converted in the early 1970's.



The message that can be gained from this website is that in a city of 3.5 million people propagation ie the attracting of new people to Maharaji is a failure. People registering for the Keys process averaged around 110 per year but in 2009 only 6 people from Montreal were initiated in the first 5 months which means about 10 to 15 per year (about 10% of those starting the Keys) and of those many will drop out once they learn that the meditation techniques are sticking your thumb and middle finger on your eyelids with your index finger between your eyebrows, blocking your ears with your thumbs, concentrating on your breath and rolling your tongue backwards. Attendances at public meetings in the city had been dropping to the point where they were discontinued and Words Of Peace on public access TV was bringing in only 50 new queries per year. Incredibly enough, the Propagation video includes a quote from a Rawat speech (see below right) in Atlantic City in 1976 in which he calls on his followers to beat the drums of satsang to attract people to him. It obviously still hasn't happened after 30 years.






In the break somebody came to me and they said "Well when, when is Maharaji coming to Montreal and I remember I was just um round er 9th of June or something like that I, 1st of June I got back from Asia, I was touring there, Malaysia and Taiwan, and I called somebody up and I said "What's happening?" ????, there might be an event in Montreal or Toronto. I said, "Really!" and I guess proposals were going or whatever was happening I guess those who make proposals know how many proposals they have to make to make an event happen (some laughter) I guess that should be the question how many proposals does it take to make an event happen ???? And then anyway that event ended up in Albany. There's a hope that in August he's going to be doing some events in North America so the person that came to me that's really the time I think everybody is shooting for I think proposals have been sent readjusted for August from June for August and I guess there is some hope and he has expressed that also that that's the time he wants to do some events but in this video he was talking about, you know, being alive, you know, that is a huge blessing that is the (pause) such a gift and you see that and I see that in my life just that one is alive and just that fact what the possibilities that opens up in my life. On top of that having Knowledge, having that clarity little bit ha ha (deprecating chuckle) not too much but little bit to make that time for that commitment to practice Knowledge to welcome that gift that the Master gave to each one of us and there was somebody here who just receiving Knowledge tomorrow and just simple making that time to practice you know in my life I see that and it's so wonderful and the moment as human being we give ourselves that, you know Knowledge works and then in a ??? so often Maharaji says you know the trick is to really accept that feeling, accept that what the Knowledge brings in our lives and the trick to accept the trick for acceptance is to fall in love and with that recognition we can reallymove forward and usher that joy in our lives somehow.
You know Knowledge is a very much a part of that, it is four distinct distinct ways that that infinite touches my being and I can touch that Being four different ways very clearly. Different aspects of my life to be touched by that feeling to feel that ones with that you know people pursuing you know everybody wants to be happy everybody wants to be all these things and everybody has a different definition of what that joy is and what that feeling is and what the goals everybody has in life. And some of us pursue that goal of ushering that joy in ushering that happiness very much unconsciously. To me receiving Knowledge and is about pursuing that very same goal but with a lot of consciousness, with a lot of awareness with a lot of clarity with that this is what I really want in my life and really that's where the teacher comes in, that's where the Master comes in, his ability to cng (sic) to share that understanding. Be it of life, be it of so many things in life and to me Maharaji has always been about sharing his understanding about that feeling, every example he gives, everything he does really is about that one thing. For him, he's, he's very clear of the importance of Knowledge in his life, that's why he's taking, undertaking this responsibility, this challenge of you know making this his message available somehow and I think the effort, whatever effort we are making, I think, really needs to continue. I know, that you know Steve asked me this question, oh which, which place is really happening, you know, what, what is happening out there is everybody, you know, you come here and it's a little bit, he feels it's slow here, you know, probably probably people are just enjoying the summer, probably probably such a cold winter right? Was it bad winter this year? Yeah, there you go. (laughter) Huh? You know I live in Miami so I have no idea of your misery in winter. (dissolve)
make that really commitment in your life, some people do, some people don't (pause) and the commiment is really you know does it work every day well some day it works, some day it doesn't but you know it's true you know that the feeling is there, that is the truth, are you open to it enough, are you in love with it enough to feel it every day in your life (dissolve)
So any way thank you very much for inviting me, we'll watch this video and really you know again you know you don't need to tell me but anyway I'll tell you enjoy your lives you know and (laughter scattered applause)


It is obvious from his speech that he might be a believer in Rawat's Knowledge but he is not someone who has actually practised the meditation techniques regularly and that it is the same for most of these premies in Montreal. The Local Administrator, Steve, obviously is concerned about the other followers of Rawat and has asked Raja where things are really "happening" ie where people with Knowledge are enthusiastic, committed and successful in attracting new people to Rawat. There are no such places so Raja tries to laugh off the question with a joke about Montreal's freezing winters.

"I know, that you know Steve asked me this question, oh which, which place is really happening, you know, what, what is happening out there is everybody, you know, you come here and it's a little bit, he feels it's slow here, you know, probably probably people are just enjoying the summer, probably probably such a cold winter right? Was it bad winter this year? Yeah, there you go."