Prem Rawat's Father: The Deathless Master

"Peace cannot be obtained by an agitated and unsteady mind, and no society can be peaceful and loving unless its individual members become peaceful and loving. Knowledge gives man a complete understanding of the source of life itself. The entire universe emanates from this source of life. By knowing that, happiness is found, and the deathless state of self-realisation is attained." - Shri Hans Ji Maharaj, New Delhi, 18 November 1963

If Hans Rawat did attain this deathless state then it certainly does not refer to a physical deathlessness though the young Prem Rawat did claim to have seen and spoken to his father after his death something his followers now deny. When Hans Rawat died he was placed on large slabs of ice to preserve the body so that some of his followers could have one last darshan. This could be the source of the scurrilous tales about Prem Rawat's mother told by Prem Rawat's followers (because she deposed and disinherited him) that she had refused to believe Hans was dead and tried to ice him until his imminent (in her mind) resurrection (see - page 80, Peace Is Possible). There was a certain confusion at the time:

Gurudev sat in meditation and dissolved himself in the Infinite at the sacred hour of 3 a.m. (Brahm Muhurta) on Monday, July 19th, 1966, leaving behind thousands of grieving devotees. When the doctors pronounced him gone, the devotees refused to believe it, because his body was still very warm and moreover, in the case of enlightened yogis, it is difficult to tell at first whether they are dead or in the superconscious state of Samadhi.

Shri Maharaj Ji's driver immediately placed the remains in the car and sped to Dehra Dun. A phone call from Shakti Nagar informed the Dehra Dun residence that Maharaj Ji was on his way, and that his room should be ready. When the car reached the house, the devotees took one look at Shri Maharaj Ji's body and burst into tears. Shri Mata Ji fainted with grief. Shri Satpal Ji was recalled from Mussourie, where he attended school. The residence was plunged into mourning. Even the birds were silent.

Hoping against hope that he would begin breathing again, devotees massaged his body with aromatic medicinal herbs and oils, as is done to Yogis to bring them back from Samadhi to waking consciousness. But it was all in vain. Still, they refused to believe that he was dead, and sent for three of the best doctors in Dehra Dun who, after examining the body, said, "It's useless to hope. He is no longer with us." Shri Mata Ji again fainted. When she revived, and began to break her marriage bracelets, a voice from within said to her, "Our Marriage is forever. It can never be broken. Complete my funeral rites at Prem Nagar then consign my ashes to the Ganges." So Shri Mata Ji pulled herself together. At first she had intended to throw herself on the funeral pyre, but when Maharaj Ji commanded her not to do so, but to remain behind to take care of the devotees and complete his unfinished work, she told Mahatma Satyanand, "Prepare the funeral. Gurudev hasn't gone anywhere. He has simply manipulated his yogic power to make it seem so. He will return." - Shri Hans Ji Maharaj: Life And Teachings

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction With Perfect Masters

This story was repeated in 2014 when Shri Ashutosh Ji Maharaj the founder and head of Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan whose estate was of considerable value apparently died. For reasons of their undying devotion to him (and possibly to try to keep control of the Society's infrastructure) his followers refused to believe he was dead and put his body in deep freeze while his family wished him dead and buried out of respect no doubt but possibly because the estate would then pass to them. Amazingly it then began to be publicised that this famous and controversial Indian Godman had once been a mahatma of Prem Rawat's sent back to India in disgrace for sexual peccadilloes.

Prem Rawat shows no signs of either spiritual or physical deathlessness.