The Rawatism Religion
According to Prem Rawat his followers receive from him an experience and not a religion, it is not about 'belief', it is about 'knowing.' It is not about believing you know, it is about knowing you know. Prem Rawat says, "I'm not talking about believing. I know there are believers, and I have news for the believers. Knowing is one grade up. If you are a believer, knowing encompasses believing. Yet believing does not necessarily encompass knowing." Religions offer belief, spiritual organisations offer belief, the New Age offers belief, only Prem Rawat can offer knowing … according to Prem Rawat.
But even Prem Rawat's simplest gift, the gift of peace, when examined is revealed to consist of many beliefs:
- That there is 'true' peace and happiness which is distinct from commonly experienced peace and/or happiness.
- That 'true' peace and happiness cannot be achieved by any kind of social or co-operative action.
- Conflict on a societal and global level will only be reduced when individuals have 'true' peace and happiness.
- 'True' peace and happiness can only be achieved by an individual's involvement with their self.
- The self is present in all humans, but is particular to each human.
- The only route to experience the particular self is via Prem Rawat's unique Knowledge meditation and staying in touch with him.
- That the Knowledge meditation will only work if an aspirant is made to 'thirst' for the experience delivered by the Knowledge meditation.
- That only by listening to Rawat's speeches can an appropriate thirst be generated.
- Only Rawat's demonstration of the Knowledge techniques provides genuine instruction and inspiration which allows practice of the techniques to actually provide access to the self.
Rituals and Ceremonies
- Darshan The peak experience for a student of Prem Rawat's. Bowing down before him and kissing his feet. It's now known as the Greeting Line
- Pranam Pranam is bowing down before Prem Rawat and touching or kissing his feet. See darshan or greeting line.
- Prasad The eating of Rawat's leftovers or at least food that has been presented to Rawat to eat.
- Holy Breath This was an important step after initiation. It was the recognising and accepting of the initiate as one of his students.
- Charanamrit or "Holy Water" was water in which Prem Rawat had bathed his feet diluted à la homeopathy
- Lotus Feet No longer called the Lotus Feet though Rawat's feet still hold an important position. Kissed in darshan.
- Holi The Holi festivals with giant water cannon showering his devotees are no longer held in the West.
- Dancing Prem Rawat no longer dances on stage dressed as Krishna. He does still dance on stage.
- Devotional Music Daya Rawat is now the major singer of devotional songs for Rawat's followers. Sings many of the old favourites.
- The Pinups Prem Rawat's organisations continue to sell calendars etc with pictures of an aging Prem Rawat
- Festivals Festivals, renamed 'events,' still occur though with fewer and older attendees than in years past. Most important gatherings are at Amaroo.
- Satsang, Service & Meditation Still the backbone. Satsang is now called "staying in touch."
- Prachar or Propagation Students are encouraged to introduce people by giving them Words of Peace materials, a link to the Words of Peace website or a link to a video on the Words of Peace YouTube channel.
- Deprogramming Prem Rawat's Students Opposition to "cults" no longer includes kidnapping. Cult information is available on the internet.
- Apostasy (manmat) These days, Prem Rawat operates on a "if you don't like it, leave it" policy
Secrets
- Aspiring to Knowledge The aspirant growth process
- Secret Meditation Techniques The initiation process
- The Divine Light The First Technique
- Heavenly Music The Second Technique
- The Holy Name The Third Technique
- The Divine Nectar The Fourth Technique
- Knowledge Reviews The techniques are simple but a system of continual "Knowledge Reviews" prevents errors creeping inis required
- The Baragon Outlawed in the 1980's presumably to make the meditation more intense for the ageing premie population
Doctrines and Scriptures
- Lineage of "Perfect Masters" The official list of bona fide former Masters who taught the same Knowledge as Prem Rawat
- Divine Incarnation How the divine spark entered the young Prem Rawat and made him the Satguru
- One & Only Guru There can only ever be one Living Master at a time
- The Mahatmas The "great souls" without whom the Knowledge could not have been spread out of India
- The Holy Family Even the highest can fall
- The Old Testament
Organisation
- The Ashrams The most beneficial way of life for students of Rawat's
- Élan Vital Prem Rawat's major organisation for 30 years from the early 1980's
- Words of Peace Global Prem Rawat's major organisation from 2010
The Teachings
Rawatism has a very comprehensive belief system which exists throughout the Prem Rawat movement, although outside of Prem Rawat's often contradictory speeches, it has no supporting liturgy, prescribed text or publicly acknowledged historical reference. In an attempt to unify his teachings a crack team of scholars of religion, inspired by Ron Geaves' dedication, have compiled the following concordance.
- Agya
- Algebra
- All Powerful
- the Almighty
- the Apocalypse
- His Followers' Appearance
- Applause For God
- Arti
- Ashrams
- Becoming One
- Begging
- Bliss
- the Bridge
- the Buddha
- Charity
- Chakras
- Clarity
- Comes In(to) This World
- Dealing with the Competition
- Constantly Meditate and Remember Holy Name
- Rawat's Coyness
- Crises
- Darshan
- The Dash
- Devotion
- A Divine Light Mission Dictionary
- The Divine Light or First Meditation Technique
- Doubt
- Drugs
- Divine United Organisation
- His Embodiment
- The Energy Keeping Us Alive
- Enlightenment
- Eternal Eternity
- Faith
- Faith In Him
- the Family
- his Father, Shri Maharaj Ji
- The Glory of Guru Maharaj Ji
- God
- God With A Form
- The Formless God
- G - O - D
- His Grace
- Gratitude
- Guru
- Guru Maharaj Ji
- the Heart
- Prem Rawat's Holy Breath
- Holy Name or 3rd Technique of Meditation
- Illusion or Maya
- the Incarnation of God
- the Infinite
- Jesus Christ
- the Knowledge
- Knowledge of God
- Krishna
- Leaving The Lotus Feet of the Master ie Apostasy
- Liberation
- Life Without Prem Rawat as Your Master
- The Need For A Living Master
- the Lord
- the Lord of the Universe
- his Lotus Feet
- Love
- Manifesting
- Manmat (Apostasy)
- the Master
- Meditation
- Merging
- The Millenium
- The Mind
- Mohammed
- Divine Music or 2nd Meditation Technique
- The Divine Nectar or 4th Meditation Technique
- The Number of His Followers
- Obedience
- Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent
- There is Only One Perfect Master
- Part-Time Initiators/Instructors
- Peace
- Peace On Earth
- His Own Perfection
- the Perfect Master
- the Physical Form
- Pranam
- Prayer
- Propagation (Prachar)
- The Purpose of Life
- Raj Yoga (the King of Yogas)
- Ram (avatar)
- Realizing (realizing) Knowledge
- Reincarnation
- Religions
- Salvation
- The Satguru
- Satsang - The Company of Truth
- The Savior (Saviour)
- His School Days
- Scriptures
- Service
- Sharks
- Shelter
- Shri Maharaj Ji
- Singing His Praises
- The Soul
- Spirituality
- Spread This Knowledge
- Suffering
- Supreme
- Surrender
- Thirst
- Time Immemorial
- Titles
- True Love
- the Ultimate
- Vegetarianism
- The Whole World
- Within Inside
- The Word or 3rd Technique of Meditation
- Worship
- Yoga