The Miami Herald Saturday March 22nd 1980

Two British pilgrims scold Divine Light Mission

By ADON TAFT
Herald religion editor

They gave their all - $10,000 and $4,000 cash, respectively - for the Guru Maharaji and then were bounced for not producing more, two disaffacted members of the Divine Light Mission claim.

Tony Penman and Robert Baines, both from Bristol, England, say they are still devoted to the 21-year-old guru who sometimes lives in Miami Beach. They made a pilgrimage all the way from England on a credit card just to see him but haven't succeeded and are now more or less living off the bounty of the Salvation Army and the Miami Rescue Mission because their own cult refuses to feed and shelter them.

The guru's spokesman in Miami is not particularly sympathetic. It's nothing unusual, said Joe Anctil, voluntary press secretary for the Divine Light Mission, whose communications headquarters is at 1753 Alton Rd., Miami Beach. I could send you 200 of those who are disenchanted because things don't go the way what have they wanted them to. Penman, a 34 year old bachelor, says he lived in a Divine Light ashram (a sort of commune) in London and then in Swansea from October 1978 until Jan. 18 of this year when the "initiator" (one of about 60 roving administrators for the international cult) kicked him out without funds and in debt.

He said that to live in an ashram a devotee must give all his material goods to the cause, then contribute whatever salary he earns in cul-related businesses. Penman donated $10,000 from the sale of a jointly owned cottage, he said. He also contributed his salary as a driver for a food business owned by a "premie" which is what followers of the Maharaj Ji are called.

As community coordinator for 10 ashrams in London, Penman says he was asked to raise $4,000 in 2 days from the 120 residents to help pay off debts incurred for the visit of the guru to London last summer. There are 3,000 premies in that community, he said.

Penman said he accomplished that but baulked when 10 days later he was asked to repeat the effort. He said that led to his being transferred to the provincial ashram in Swansea, where he was named House coordinator.

In the meantime, he had agreed to let the Divine Light Mission borrow $600 on his Visa card to help finance the trip of British premies to the Divine Light Festival in Orlando last November.

But when he was asked to check with the 12 residents of his rashram about their borrowing capacity, Penman said he refused. He was booted, he said.

Bain's story is similar. He left his wife and three children to live in an ashram (where there is no sex liquor or drugs) after donating his savings of $4,000. Three months later, he and his wife were reconciled and he left the ashram for 4 years, but rejoined after in his and his wife separated again. He started a food business to support the Divine Light Mission in Bristol, where he became coordinator.

Eventually he too baulked at the money-raising efforts and was asked to leave by David Smith , an American who is initiator for England, he said

Using Penman's credit card, the two flew to Miami last weekend to talk to initiator Mike Donner, whom the pair considered to have personal contact with Maharaj Ji, in hopes of getting back the money on the credit card loan and getting to talk to the guru.

Neither Donner nor the Maharaj Ji are in town, according to Anctil, who would not say where they are. "The list of guys seeking an audience with Guru Maharaj Ji numbers 300,000."

As for the situation the Englishman find themselves in, "nobody asked them to give anything. It's something they chose to do themselves."

They can't go back to England now. The airlines no longer will accept Penman's credit card.