Prem Rawat Is Not Boundless in the "Boundless Video" 1996
This video, entitled Boundless, is part of a series that include 'Windows In Time', 'I Have This Knowledge' and 'Passages'. They show a highly edited and singular vision of Prem Rawat's history in the West, very upbeat, ignoring the family fiascos, bad publicity about Rawat's ulcers and money grabbing and failure of the 1970's drive to "bring peace to the world". To a greater or lesser degree they seek to give a "revisionist" history of Divine Light Mission and Élan Vital while ignoring the dramatic fall in the number of devotees since Prem Rawat took full control of recruitment in the early 1980's and use the same, albeit mild, ad hominem attacks on those former followers who publicly criticise Prem Rawat. In a very real sense, all the devotees who accept the message of these videos become complicit in the deceit and lies that are ingrained in Prem Rawat's public activities and that have dramatically increased since the early 1980's. It was produced in 1996 and sold at Élan Vital events on a Video CD.
'Boundless' shows an apparent history of success with large enthusiastic growing crowds - as many as 20,000 in the USA and possibly hundreds of thousands in India - gather to adore and worship and cheer Rawat. To those who know Rawat's history though there is a different history. A history where the number of people interested in or committed to Rawat's "Knowledge" outside of India had fallen by half in the 15 years before this video was produced. The large crowds he attracts in India are a fraction of those of 25 years before. Even the majority of the featured songs were written and recorded over 15 years prior to 1996.
The car door is opened, the 5' 2" Master steps out wearing a hat and the premie bows his head as the Master passes by. The scene shifts to an expectant crowd, the Master arrives! Note the tall, sandy coloured hair premie on the right.
Can you imagine being that humble and worshipful?
Within Your Love - One Foundation
You have unlocked every door
And filled my empty rooms with more
That I have ever hoped for
The gifts of love they fill my soul
An empty heart is now made whole
Where there was darkness there is light
And even if I try I could not describe
The love you have brought inside my life
A mirror and a friend
In your love I can't pretend
I'm a witness to the life that you bring
This scene is taken from the 1974 "Family Of Love Video". Apparently the larger scene it was taken from caused quite an uprising amongst the male premies as Marolyn Rawat's untrammelled breasts (formerly Marolyn Johnson's breasts aka Durga Ji's breasts) swayed backwards and forwards and up and down as she was filmed running along the beach in slow motion.
At least that's what one of the horny ashram premies told me.
This scene is taken from the 1974 "Power Of Love Video". When Prem Rawat came to Australia in 1974 he dressed in a loud suit and went for an environmentally unsound spin in a speedboat on Sydney Harbour while his devotees spent the weekend in dingy halls talking about their spiritual growth or lack thereof.
I know, I was in one of those dingy halls and I had swept it out and cleaned it up beforehand. I used to spend my time at the beach but I had the yearning for "spiritual realization, transcendence and liberation." Silly me.
Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang in Atlantic City, 1976 from the Birthday '76 film
Guru Maharaj Ji's Satsang in Atlantic City
New Jersey, December 19, 1976
This love that we all have, that we all experience, that we all share … which is unselfish, which is pure, which is constant and that is the love that we wanna talk about that we wanna, we wanna share …
Paradise - One Foundation (1983?)
"This could be Paradise
this could be Paradise."
The video moves on the the late 1970's. In this scene, which looks like it was filmed in the Kissimee swamp
in Florida, Hans Jayanti 1978, the devotees of Prem Rawat filed between two ranks of chosen "devoted devotees" to inspire them
before they entered the tunnel and walked along a blue carpet through the dark to the throne on which
Prem Rawat sat accepting their kissing of his feet and their "dedication envelopes" in the ritual of "darshan".
Darshan occurs in two forms, the premies file past their Lord bowing and kissing his feet, usually in a darkened tunnel, or the Lord drives past them as they stand assembled along his chosen path. They both occurred at Hans Jayanti in 1978
Hans Jayanti festival November 1977
I think that it's extremely safe to say that this festival has been very very very incredible. (Background song: Maharaji I am bound to you in love and devotion) And I'm shocked, really, amazed to find out this is the last night you know and it's just like you know it'd be so incredible for this never to stop, you know it just keep going. (Maharaji I am lost without you. Afraid to doubt you, Too in love to turn away)
Hans Jayanti festival November 1979
I remember last year here we were every one of us you know and I said "Oh maybe we'll have a Hans Jayanti for a week you know like oh yeah it'd be incredible for a whole week." Here's a whole week. How does that feel? (This could be paradise, this could be paradise …)
Is light one thing and sun the other? No. That is the nature of the sun to give light. Wherever sun is, it'll be light and wherever Guru Maharaj Ji is there'll be grace, every minute, every second of the way and how fortunate we are to have all that, you know have this moment. Do we realize? Do we understand that? Do we understand how fortunate it is to be just here right now.
Premies in the crowd pranam on the ground when Rawat arrives on stage while others stand to see Him.
A scene from the Hans Jayanti festival in November, 1978 or '79 - nearly 20 years before this video was made. The premies, then in their twenties, dancing with Prem Rawat, their Lord of the Universe then calling himself Guru Maharaj Ji, The Dispeller of Darkness and Revealer of Light and the Ultimate Ruler.
Dance, dance, dance
Our hearts long to see you dance
It seems we've waited for ages
Turned countless pages
Can't wait much longer
The music's getting stronger
The DECA Project
In 1979 Prem Rawat shifted his headquarters to Miami for two years where he rented a Palm Island home for $8,800 a month. He had hundreds of his most dedicated devotees move to Miami and live in rat-infested derelict hotels to give free labour refurbishing an old Boeing 707 he was sure he wanted and needed. Purchasing and refurbishing the aircraft taxed the financial resources of his followers to the limit. It flew a few times but it was impractical and unaffordable and could not meet environmental standards and was soon sold to the much larger and more financially viable organisation of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of Transcendental Meditation infamy.
And it's an incredible thing and every Master has come in this world to show us what this life is, to show us what this meaning is, to show us what that love really is,
a love that is not based on some reason. A love that is not is not based on because but to love, to love first of all ourselves.
What does Prem Rawat teach about: every Master has come in this world?
Back To India
Prem Rawat is Asked a Question from the Audience
Yes?
How can I make my committment to this experience deeper?
Committment here doesn't mean this drejerous (sic) thing of "My God I have to be committed."
No, committment here is joy joy joy. It feel good to be committed.
It feels solid to be committed and it's fun to have that committment
Élan Vital "inspirational" videos usually end with an uplifting ballad but in this case 'Boundless' ends with a medley of inspirational, uplifting ballads. A montage of short video clips going back to 1974 begins with Rawat taking a slow motion walk in the garden to a song describing His indescribable love that makes empty hearts whole.
Within Your Love
Gifts of love they fill my soul
An empty heart is now made whole
Where there was darkness shines bright
Even if I try I could not describe
The love you have brought inside my life
A mirror and a friend
In your love I can't pretend
A witness to love that you bring
How Can I Ever Stop Loving You?
You are the one who sheltered me when the stars blow out
I don't even know why
How can I ever stop missing you
When you're away a part of me wants to follow
Wherever, oh wherever you go
You Are Always There
When all the world is changing all around me
And nothing ever goes the way I planned
When all my thoughts like enemies surround me
And all the tears of sorrow try to drown me
You are always there
You are always there
Leaving Your Lotus Feet
Whoever begs you for your help and your mercy?
Whoever begs you for your help and your mercy?
You take them across the ocean deep
You take them across the ocean deep
Oh where would I go?
Simply Dregerous!
