Bibliography of Prem Rawat and related organizations lists bibliographical material regarding Prem Rawat and organizations like Divine Light Mission, [1] Elan Vital and the Prem Rawat Foundation.
Author(s) | Date | Type | Title | Published in/by | Place | Other specifics |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rawat, Prem | November 8, 1970 | Public address | Peace Bomb satsang | And It Is Divine (transcript: 1972) The Golden Age (transcript: 1978) | India, Delhi (in Hindi) U.S. (1972) Australia (1978) | [2] [3] [4] [5] |
November 9, 1970 | Article (newspaper) | Hindustan Times | India | [6] | ||
November 10, 1970 | Article (newspaper) | Navbharat Times | India (in Hindi) | [7] | ||
1970 | Book (part) | Guinness Book of World Records | Sterling Publishing | U.S. | [8] | |
June 17, 1971 | Article (newspaper) | Hallelujah! The mini Guru, aged 13, cometh | Evening Standard | UK, London | [9] | |
June 18, 1971 | Article (newspaper) | Worshippers greet the boy guru 'straight from Heaven' | Daily Mirror | UK, London | p. 12 [10] | |
Rawat, Prem | June 1971 | Public address | Glastonbury Festival address | Glastonbury Fayre (footage: 1972) | UK, Glastonbury UK (footage) | [11] [12] [13] [14] |
August 2, 1971 | Article (magazine) | Boy Guru | Newsweek | U.S. | p. 72 [15] | |
Allen, Henry | September 14, 1971 | Article (newspaper) | Pretty Far-Out Little Dude | The Washington Post | U.S., Washington, D.C. | p. B1 [16] |
Rawat, Prem | September 17, 1971 | Public address | Colorado Satsang | Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji? (transcript: 1973) | U.S., Colorado | [17] |
1970s | Magazine | Divine Times | Divine Light Mission | U.S. | [18] | |
1970s | Periodical | The Divine Times | Divine Light Mission | UK | [19] [20] | |
Rawat, Prem | 1972 | Book | Reflections on an Indian Sunrise | Divine Light Mission | [21] [22] | |
Ashokanand (mahatma) Sandoz, Jaques (directors) | 1972 | Film (documentary) | Satguru Has Come | Shri Hans Films | [4] [23] | |
October 23, 1972 | Article (newspaper) | Pilgrims jet to see Divine Light | The Times | UK, London | p. 12 [20] | |
November 9, 1972 | Article (newspaper) | Guru's 'Bank' Seized | Los Angeles Times (Reuters) | U.S., Los Angeles | p. A15 [24] | |
November 19, 1972 | Article (newspaper) | India investigates guru's finances | The Times (AP) | UK, London | p. 8 [25] | |
November 27, 1972 | Article (magazine) | Junior Guru | Time | U.S. | [26] | |
Daniel, Leon | December 10, 1972 | Article (newspaper) | 15-Year-Old Hottest Star of Guru Circuit | Los Angeles Times | U.S., Los Angeles | p. C8 [27] |
1970s | Magazine | And It Is Divine | Shri Hans Productions Divine Light Mission | U.S. | [28] | |
Blue Aquarius (Bhole Ji et al.) | 1973 | Album (music) | Blue Aquarius | Stax: Gospel Truth Series | U.S. | GTS-2725 [29] |
February 3, 1973 | Article (newspaper) | Guru's Pupil Slates Talk | Syracuse Post-Standard | U.S. | p. 3 [30] | |
Rawat, Prem | April 1, 1973 | Article (magazine) Film | DUO proclamation and satsang | Divine Times Vol. II No. 6 by Shri Hans Productions (DLM) (film:) Shri Hans Films | U.S., Denver, Colorado | [31] |
August 1973– September 1973 | Magazine | Divine Light News | Divine Light Mission | Australia | Vol. I, Nos. 1-3 [32] | |
August 8, 1973 | Article (newspaper) | Guru Gets Testimonial And Some Pie in Face | The New York Times | U.S., New York | p. 43 [33] | |
August 8, 1973 | Article (newspaper) | 15-Year Old Guru Slapped in Face by Shaving Cream Pie | Los Angeles Times (UPI) | U.S., Los Angeles | p. 2 [34] | |
August 8, 1973 | Article (newspaper) | Guru Set For Honor, Gets Pie In Face | Independent Press-Telegram (UPI) | U.S., Long Beach, California | p. A-6 [35] | |
September 3, 1973 | Article (newspaper) | Guru Maharaj Ji: Ulcer | The Washington Post | U.S., Washington, D.C. | p. B7 [36] | |
September 4, 1973 | Article (newspaper) | The 'Perfect Master' from India has an ulcer | Stars and Stripes (AP) | U.S. | p. 6 [37] | |
Carter, Malcolm N. | September 23, 1973 | Article (newspaper) | Guru Keeps Track Of Subjects With Computer | Great Bend Tribune (AP) | U.S., Kansas | p. 11 [38] |
Milner, Bart | September 23, 1973 | Article (newspaper) | Casting some shadows on the movement of Divine Light | The Times | UK, London | [39] |
1973 | Film | Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji | Shri Hans Productions | U.S. | [40] | |
Cameron, Charles Davis, Rennie Rawat, Prem et al. | November 1973 | Book | Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji? | Bantam Books | U.S. | [23] |
Rawat, Prem Griffin, Merv | November 28, 1973 | TV show (interview) | The Merv Griffin Show | U.S. | [41] | |
Morgan, Ted | December 9, 1973 | Article | Oz in the Astrodome: Middle-class premies find Guru | The New York Times Magazine | U.S., New York | Section 6, pp. 37–39, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 104 [42] |
Du Plessix Gray, Francine Kelley, Ken | December 13, 1973 | Article (magazine) | Blissing out in Houston (du Plessix Gray) Blackjack Love (Kelley) | The New York Review of Books Vol. 20 No. 20 | U.S., New York | pp. 36–43 [43] |
Winder, Gail Horowitz, Carol | December 1973 | Article (magazine) | What's Behind the 15-Year-Old Guru Maharaj Ji? | The Realist No. 97-C | U.S., San Francisco, California | pp. 1–5 [44] |
Latimer, Dean | January 1974 | Article (magazine) | Who is Guru Maharaj Ji and why is he saying all these terrible things about God? | Penthouse Vol. 5 No. 5 | U.S. | pp. 65–66 [45] |
Kelley, Ken | January 19, 1974 | Article (newspaper) | Get Your Red-Hot Panaceas! | The New York Times | U.S., New York | p. 31 [46] |
Du Plessix Gray, Francine Kelley, Ken Apter, Joan et al. | January 24, 1974 | Article (magazine) | Knowledge of the Guru, replies to Joan Apter and to Nicholas B. Dirks, Charles R. D. Lindley, Leela A. Wood | The New York Review of Books Vol. 20 Nos. 21 & 22 | U.S., New York | [47] |
Kelley, Ken | February 1974 | Article (magazine) | Over the hill at 16 | Ramparts No. 12 | U.S. | pp. 40–44 [48] |
Goldsmith, Paul Traum, Artie | February 1974 | Article (magazine) | Bliss and Bones in the Astrodome | Crawdaddy | U.S. | pp. 62–65 [49] |
Adler, Dick | February 23, 1974 | Article (newspaper) | TV Review: Videotape Explorers on Trail of a Guru | Los Angeles Times | U.S., Los Angeles | p. B2 [50] |
Shamberg, Michael (dir.) Rawat, Prem Davis, Rennie et al. | February 24, 1974 | Film (documentary) | Lord of the Universe | Top Value Television | U.S. | [51] |
O'Connor, John J. | February 25, 1974 | Article (newspaper) | TV: Meditating on Young Guru and His Followers: Maharaj Ji Is Focus of P.B.S. Documentary: Astrodome Gathering Yields Splendid Show | The New York Times | U.S., New York | p. 53 [52] |
Kelley, Ken | March 1974 | Article (magazine) | An East Indian Teen-Ager Says He Is God | Vogue | U.S. | [53] |
Elman, Richard | March 1974 | Article (magazine) | Godhead Hi-Jinx: Starring the Guru Maharaj Ji | Creem | U.S. | p. 37-39 [12] |
March 1974– October 1979 | Magazine | The Golden Age | Divine Light Mission Duo Productions | Australia | Vol. 1-55 [54] | |
Levine, Richard | March 14, 1974 | Article (magazine) | When The Lord of All The Universe Played Houston: Many are called but few show up | Rolling Stone No. 156 | U.S. | pp. 36–50 [55] |
Gortner, Marjoe | May 1974 | Article (magazine) | Who Was Guru Maharaj Ji? Just think of him as a spare tire | Oui | U.S. | pp. 90–133 [56] |
Scheer, Robert | June 1974 | Article (magazine) | Death of the Salesman: for rennie davis (model high school student, antiwar spokesman and chief proselytizer for guru maharaj ji) the media always meant the message | Playboy | U.S. | pp. 107–108, 112, 236, 238-240 [57] |
Kelley, Ken | July 1974 | Article (magazine) | I See The Light: In which a young journalist pushes a cream pie into the face of His Divine Fatness and gets his skull cracked open by two disciples | Penthouse | U.S. | pp. 98–100, 137-138, 146, 148, 150-151 [58] |
Baxter, Ernie | August 1974 | Article (magazine) | The multi-million dollar religion ripoff | Argosy No. 380 | U.S. | pp. 72, 77-81 [59] |
Dart, John | November 27, 1974 | Article (newspaper) | Maharaj Ji Buys $400,000 Home Base in Malibu Area [ dead link ] | Los Angeles Times | U.S., Los Angeles | p. B2 [60] |
1974 | Entry in encyclopedic resource | Current Biography Yearbook: 1974, entry: "Maharaj Ji, Guru" | H. W. Wilson Company | U.S. | p. 254 ff. [61] | |
Frazier, Deborah | March 23, 1975 | Article (newspaper) | Growing Pile of Unpaid Bills Beneath Guru's Spiritual Bliss | Sunday Journal and Star (UPI) | U.S., Lincoln, Nebraska | p. 11A [62] |
March 24, 1975 | Article (newspaper) | Riches Called Goal of Divine Light | Winnipeg Free Press (CP) | U.S. | [63] | |
April 1, 1975 | Article (newspaper) | Mother Ousts Young Guru as Playboy | Los Angeles Times | U.S., Los Angeles | p. 2 [64] | |
Belkind, Myron L. | April 2, 1975 | Article (newspaper) | Guru's mother rejects him as religion chief | Independent Press-Telegram (AP) | U.S., Long Beach | p. 9 [65] |
April 9, 1975 | Article (newspaper) | Guru Tries to Take Control of Mission | Ruston Daily Leader | U.S. | [66] | |
April 18, 1975 | Article (newspaper) | Court Halts Heiress' Money Gift To Guru | Charleston Daily Mail (API) | U.S. | [67] | |
Frazier, Deborah | July 14, 1975 | Article (newspaper) | Guru Maharaj Ji: Pizza, Sports Cars and Millions of Followers | Mansfield News Journal (UPI) | U.S. | [68] |
Rawat, Prem et al. | 1975 | Book | The Sayings of Guru Maharaj Ji | Divine United Organization Shri Sant Yogashram, Hans Marg | India, New Delhi | Several volumes [69] |
February 20, 1976 | Article (newspaper) | Maharaj Ji Wins Fight For Mission | The Washington Post | U.S., Washington, D.C. | p. C7 | |
Cornell, George W. | March 5, 1976 | Article (newspaper) | Group Led by Teen Guru Toning Down Eastern Style | Albuquerque Journal | U.S. | [71] |
March 6, 1976 | Article (newspaper) | Spiritual group's claims, practices are changing | Evening Capital (AP) | U.S. | [72] | |
Brown, Mick | April 17, 1976 | Article (magazine) | Perfect Master and unholy squabbles: The Guru comes of age | Street Life | UK | pp. 18–19 [13] |
Mishler, Bob Frazier, Deborah (UPI: interviewer) | May 1976 | Interview (magazine) | Part of the mainstream | The Golden Age No. 29 | Australia | p. 8 ff. [73] |
Thurmond, Strom (U.S. Congress senator) | July 20, 1976 | US Congressional Record | Prem Rawat's Inspirational Message to the United States Citizen's Congress | US Congress | U.S., Washington, D.C. | [74] |
Messer, Jeanne | 1976 | Essay in book | Guru Maharaj Ji and the Divine Light Mission | The New Religious Consciousness by Charles Y. Glock and Robert N. Bellah (eds.), University of California Press | U.S., Berkeley, California | pp. 52–72 [75] [76] |
1977–1980s | Magazine (quarterly) | Élan Vital | Divine Light Mission | U.S. | ISSN 0195-2145 [77] | |
October 19, 1977 | Article (newspaper) | Guru Maharaj Ji becomes a citizen of the U.S. | Rocky Mountain News | U.S., Denver, Colorado | [78] | |
Como, Don (dir.) Donovan (music) Davis, Rennie Rawat, Prem et al. | 1977 | Film (part) | Aliens from Spaceship Earth | U.S. | [79] | |
Stoner, Carroll Parke, Jo Anne | 1977 | Book (part) | All Gods Children: The Cult Experience - Salvation Or Slavery? | Chilton | U.S. | ISBN 0-8019-6620-5 [80] |
Foss, Daniel A. Larkin, Ralph W. | 1978 | Essay in periodical | Worshiping the Absurd: The Negation of Social Causality among the Followers of Guru Maharaj Ji | Sociological Analysis Vol. 39 No. 2 by Association for the Sociology of Religion | U.S. | doi : 10.2307/3710215, pp. 157-164 [81] |
Rawat, Prem | 1978 | Book | The Living Master: quotes from Guru Maharaj Ji | Divine Light Mission | U.S., Denver | [22] [82] |
Collier, Sophia | 1978 | Book (autobiography) | Soul Rush: The Odyssey of a Young Woman of the '70s | William Morrow & Co. | U.S., New York | ISBN 0-688-03276-1 [83] |
Pilarzyk, Thomas | 1978 | Essay in periodical | The Origin, Development, and Decline of a Youth Culture Religion: An Application of Sectarianization Theory | Review of Religious Research Vol. 20 No. 1 by Religious Research Association | U.S. | pp. 23–43 [84] |
1978 2001 | Book (part) | Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains Army Pamphlet 165-13 | U.S. Department of the Army Kirchner Associates (2001:) The Minerva Group | U.S. | (2001:) ISBN 0-89875-607-3 p. II-5 ff. [1] | |
Forster, Mark | January 12, 1979 | Article (newspaper) | Firm Loyalty: Guru's Sect: Misgivings in Malibu Malibu Guru Maintains Following Despite Rising Mistrust of Cults | Los Angeles Times | U.S., Los Angeles | p. A1, 3,... [85] |
Mishler, Bob Tesler, Gary et al. | February 12, 1979 | Interview (radio) | Bob Mishler Radio Interview | KOA radio station | U.S., Denver, Colorado | [86] [87] |
Downton, James V., Jr. | July 1979 | Book (monography) | Sacred journeys: The conversion of young Americans to Divine Light Mission | Columbia University Press | U.S., Columbia | ISBN 0-231-04198-5 [88] |
Kemeny, Jim | 1979 | Essay in periodical | Comment: On Foss, Daniel A. and Ralph W. Larkin. 1978. "Worshiping the Absurd: The Negation of Social Causality among the Followers of Guru Maharaj Ji." Sociological Analysis 39, 2: 157-164 | Sociological Analysis Vol. 40 No. 3 by Association for the Sociology of Religion | U.S. | pp. 262–264 [89] |
Nelson, G. K. | 1979 | Essay in periodical | A Comment on Pilarzyk's Article "The Origin, Development and Decline of a Youth Culture Religion" (RRR, Fall, 1978) | Review of Religious Research Vol. 21 No. 1 | U.S. | pp. 108–109 [90] |
Pilarzyk, Thomas | 1979 | Essay in periodical | The Cultic Resilience of the Divine Light Mission: A Reply to Nelson | Review of Religious Research Vol. 21 No. 1 | U.S. | pp. 109–112 [91] |
Price, Maeve | 1979 | Essay in periodical | The Divine Light Mission as a social organization | The Sociological Review Vol. 27 | UK, Keele, Staffordshire | pp. 279–296 [92] |
Galanter, Marc Buckley, P. | 1979 | Essay in periodical | Mystical Experience, spiritual knowledge, and a contemporary ecstatic religion | British Journal of Medical Psychology No. 52 | UK | pp. 281–289 [93] |
Davis, Ivor | December 19, 1979 | Article (newspaper) | Malibu opposes plan to build heliport for Divine Light guru | The Times | UK, London | p. 12 [94] |
Rawat, Prem | 1980 | Book | Light Reading | Divine Light Mission | U.S., Miami Beach | [22] [95] |
Rudin, James A. Rudin, Marcia R. | June 1980 | Book (part) | Prison or Paradise?: The New Religious Cults | Fortress Press | U.S., Philadelphia | ISBN 0-8006-0637-X p.63-65 [96] |
Robbins, Thomas Anthony, Dick | 1980 | Essay in periodical | The Limits of 'Coercive Persuasion' as an Explanation for Conversion to Authoritarian Sects | Political Psychology Vol. 2 No. 2 by International Society of Political Psychology | U.S., New York | pp. 22–37 [97] |
Stones, C. R. Philbrick, J. I. | 1980 | Essay in periodical | Purpose in Life in South Africa: A Comparison of American and South African Beliefs | Psychological Reports Vol. 47 | South Africa | pp. 739–742 [98] |
Aagaard, Johannes | 1980 | Article (periodical) | Who Is Who In Guruism? | Update: A Quarterly Journal on New Religious Movements Vol. IV No. 3 by Dialogcentret | Denmark | [99] |
Kriegman, Daniel | 1980 | Book (part) | A Psycho-social Study of Religious Cults From the Perspective of Self Psychology, Appendix A: "The Guru Mahara Ji Group: An experiential description: the journey to God" | Boston University | U.S. | Doctoral dissertation pp. 164–188 references: pp. 218–220 [100] |
Downton, James V., Jr. | December 1980 | Essay in periodical | An Evolutionary Theory of Spiritual Conversion and Commitment: The Case of Divine Light Mission | Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion Vol. 19 No. 4 | U.S. UK | ISSN 0021-8294 pp. 381–396 [101] |
Lammers, Jos | February 14, 1981 | Article (magazine) | Het concern van Guru Maharaj ji: Vijf jaar zakenman in dienst van de verlichting | Haagse Post Vol. 68 No. 7 (in Dutch) | Netherlands, The Hague | pp. 48–53 [102] |
May 22, 1981 | Article (newspaper) | 1-Year Trial OKd for Sect's Helipad | Los Angeles Times | U.S., Los Angeles | p. F6 [103] | |
Godfrey (justice) | October 19, 1981 | Court decision | Dotter v. Maine Employment Sec. Commission | Supreme Judicial Court of Maine | U.S., Maine | Case 435 A.2d 1368 [104] |
McGuire, Meredith B. | 1981 20025 | Book (part) | Religion: the Social Context Ch. 5 "The Dynamics of Religious Collectivities", section "How Religious Collectivities Develop and Change", sub-section "Organizational Transformations" | Wadsworth | U.S. | ISBN 0-534-00951-4 5 ISBN 0-534-54126-7 p. 175 [105] |
Robbins, Thomas Anthony, Dick | February 1982 | Essay in periodical | Deprogramming, Brainwashing and the Medicalization of Deviant Religious Groups | Social Problems Vol. 29 No. 3. by Society for the Study of Social Problems University of California Press | U.S. | pp. 283-297 [106] |
Brown, Chip | February 15, 1982 | Article (newspaper) | Parents Versus Cult: Frustration, Kidnaping, Tears; A Question of Will: Law-Abiding Couple ... Who Became Kidnapers to Rescue Daughter from Her Guru | The Washington Post | U.S., Washington, D.C. | p. A1 [87] |
Schwartz, Lita Linzer Kaslow, Florence W. | June 7, 1982 | Essay in periodical | The Cult Phenomenon: Historical, Sociological, and Familial Factors Contributing to Their Development and Appeal | Marriage & Family Review Volume 4 Issue 3-4 Haworth Press | U.S. | ISSN 0149-4929 pp. 3–30 [107] |
Robbins, Thomas Anthony, Dick | June 7, 1982 | Essay in periodical | Cults, Culture, and Community | Marriage & Family Review Volume 4 Issue 3-4 Haworth Press | U.S. | ISSN 0149-4929 pp. 57–79 [108] |
Ottenberg, Donald J. | June 7, 1982 | Essay in periodical | Therapeutic Community and the Danger of the Cult Phenomenon | Marriage & Family Review Volume 4 Issue 3-4 Haworth Press | U.S. | ISSN 0149-4929 pp. 151–173 [109] |
Kranenborg, Reender | 1982 | Book (part) | Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen | Netherlands (in Dutch) | ISBN 90-210-4965-1 [5] | |
Schnabel, Paul | 1982 (2007) | Book (part) | Tussen stigma en charisma: nieuwe religieuze bewegingen en geestelijke volksgezondheid | Van Loghum Slaterus Digital library for Dutch literature | Netherlands (in Dutch) | ISBN 90-6001-746-3, p. 32, p. 53, p. 99, 101-102, p. 142 [110] |
October 6, 1983 | Article (periodical) | Whatever Happened to Guru Maharaj Ji? | Hinduism Today by Himalayan Academy | U.S. | ISSN 0896-0801 [111] | |
Lans, Jan M. van der Derks, Frans | 1984 | Essay in book | Subgroups in Divine Light Mission Membership: A Comment on Downton | Of Gods and Men: New Religious Movements in the West by Eileen Barker, ed. Mercer University Press | U.S., Macon, GA | ISBN 0-86554-095-0 pp. 303-308 [112] |
Chagnon, Roland | January 1985 | Book (part) | Trois nouvelles religions de la lumière et du son: la Science de la spiritualité, Eckankar, la Mission de la lumière divine | Paulines Médiaspaul (in French) | Canada, Montréal France, Paris | ISBN 2-89039-985-0 [113] [114] |
Kriegman, Daniel Solomon, L. | April 1985 | Essay in periodical | Cult groups and the narcissistic personality: The offer to heal defects in the self | International Journal of Group Psychotherapy Vol. 35 No. 2 | U.S. | pp. 239–261 [115] |
Pasternak, Judy | July 7, 1985 | Article (newspaper) | Maharaji Denied in Bid to Triple Copter Use | Los Angeles Times | U.S., Los Angeles | p. 1 [116] |
Melton, J. Gordon | 1986rev | Entry in encyclopedic resource | Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America, entry: "Divine Light Mission" | Garland | U.S., New York UK, London | ISBN 0-8240-9036-5, pp. 141–145 [22] |
Lans, Jan M. van der Derks, Frans | June 14, 1986 | Essay in periodical | Premies Versus Sannyasins | Update: A Quarterly Journal on New Religious Movements Vol. X No. 2 by Dialogcentret | Denmark | [117] |
DuPertuis, Lucy | 1986 | Essay in periodical | How People Recognize Charisma: The Case of Darshan in Radhasoami and Divine Light Mission [ dead link ] | Sociological Analysis: A Journal in the Sociology of Religion Vol. 47 No. 2 by Association for the Sociology of Religion | U.S., Chicago | ISSN 0038-0210 pp. 111-124 [118] |
Sharma, Arvind | 1986 | Essay in book | New Hindu Religious Movements in India | New Religious Movements and Rapid Social Change by James A. Beckford Unesco/Sage Publications | UK, London | ISBN 0-8039-8003-5, p. 224 [119] |
Galanter, Marc | May 4, 1989 19992 | Book (part) | Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion | Oxford University Press | U.S. | ISBN 0-19-505631-0 2 ISBN 0-19-512369-7 2 ISBN 0-19-512370-0 [120] [121] |
Tucker, Ruth A. | 1989 1991 2004 | Book (part) | Another Gospel: alternative religions and the new age movement (1989) Strange Gospels: a comprehensive survey of cults, alternative religions and the New Age movement (1991) Another Gospel: Cults, Alternative Religions, and the New Age Movement (2004) | Academie Books (1989) Zondervan (1989, 2004) Marshall Pickering, Harpercollins (1991) | U.S. (1989, 2004) UK (1991) | ISBN 0-310-40440-1 (1989) ISBN 0-551-02277-9 (1991) ISBN 0-310-25937-1 (2004) p. 320, p. 364-365 [122] |
Björkqvist, Kaj | 1990 | Essay | World-rejection, world-affirmation, and goal displacement: some aspects of change in three new religious movements of Hindu origin | Encounter with India: Studies in Neohinduism [ permanent dead link ] (Nils G. Holm, ed.) Åbo Akademi | Finland | ISBN 951-649-731-4, pp. 79-99 [123] |
McIlwain, Doris J. F. | 1990 June 2006 | Book (part) | Impatient for paradise: a rites of passage model of the role of the psychological predispositions in determining differential openness to involvement in new religious movements | University of Sydney Sydney eScholarship Repository | Australia, Sydney | PhD Doctorate [124] |
Melton, J. Gordon | 1991 (March 19992) (2008) | Entry in encyclopedic resource | Religious Leaders of America, entry: "Guru Maharaj Ji" | Gale; 2Gale Group (2008:) Biography Resource Center | U.S., Michigan | pp. 285–286. 2 ISBN 0-8103-8878-2 [125] |
Juergensmeyer, Mark | 1991 1996 | Book (part) | Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith | Princeton University Press | U.S. | ISBN 0-691-07378-3 ISBN 0-691-01092-7 pp. 206–207 [126] |
Mangalwadi, Vishal Hoeksema, Kurt | 19922 | Book (part) | The world of gurus: a critical look at the philosophies of India’s influential gurus and mystics. | Cornerstone Press | U.S., Chicago | ISBN 0-940895-03-X (revised edition), pp. 137–138 [127] |
Melton, J. Gordon (Project Director) Lewis, James R. et al. | 1993 | Book (part) | Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains | The Institute for the Study of American Religion | U.S. | chapter on Sikh/Sant Mat Groups, section: Elan Vital [128] |
Barbour, John D. | 1994 | Book (part) | Versions of Deconversion: Autobiography and the Loss of Faith | University of Virginia Press | U.S. | ISBN 0-8139-1546-5 p. 170 ff. [129] |
Gest, Alain et al. | December 22, 1995 | Report (government) | N° 2468: Rapport Fait au nom de la commission d'enquête sur les sectes , Ch. I.B: "Un phénomène difficile à mesurer" | National Assembly, Parliamentary Commission on Cults (1995) (in French) | France | p. 14 ff. [130] |
Melton, J. Gordon (ed.) 5Shepard, Leslie (ed.) | 19964 (November 20005) (2008) | Entry in encyclopedic resource | Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, entry: "Maharaj Ji, Guru" | Gale; 5Thomson Gale (2008:) Biography Resource Center | U.S. | 4p. 803 5 ISBN 0-8103-8570-8 [131] |
Winter, Mark et al | July 17, 1996 | Magazine (special edition) | The Divine Times: Special Edition July 17, 1996 | [132] | ||
Scheer, Robert | April 1, 1997 | Article (newspaper) | How I Was Stood Up by the Venusians: Even a brief encounter with a cult's absurdity reveals its power to attract | Los Angeles Times | U.S., Los Angeles | p. 7 [133] |
Brauns, John et al. | 1997– | Web site | Ex-Premie.org | [134] [135] [136] [137] [138] [139] [140] [141] | ||
Jones, Rebecca | January 30, 1998 | Article (newspaper) | Former Guru on a Different Mission | Rocky Mountain News | U.S., Denver, Colorado | [134] |
Lewis, James R. | November 1, 1998 22005 | Entry in encyclopedic resource | Cults1[in America]: A Reference Handbook, entries "Elan Vital (Divine Light Mission)" and "Maharaji (b. 1957)" | ABC-Clio, Contemporary World Issues series | U.S. | ISBN 1-57607-031-X 2 ISBN 1-85109-618-3 pp. 84-85, 121-122, 286-287, 307-308 [142] |
Richardson, James T. | 1998 | Entry in encyclopedic resource | Encyclopedia of Religion and Society (William H. Swatos, Jr., ed.), entry: "Divine Light Mission" | AltaMira Press Sage publications | U.S. UK India | ISBN 0-7619-8956-0, p. 141 [143] |
Melton, J. Gordon | 1999 | Essay | Brainwashing and the Cults: The Rise and Fall of a Theory in forthcoming The Brainwashing Controversy: An Anthology of Essential Documents | CESNUR | Italy | [144] |
Abgrall, Jean-Marie | 2000 | Book (part) | Soul Snatchers: The Mechanics of Cults | U.S., New York | Algora Publishing | ISBN 1-892941-04-X p. 285 [145] |
Rhodes, Ron | 2001 | Book (part) | The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions: The Essential Guide to Their History, Their Doctrine, and Our Response | Zondervan | U.S. | ISBN 0-310-23217-1 pp. 32, 170 [146] |
Barrett, David V. | 2001 May 2003 | Book (part) | The New Believers: Sects, 'Cults' and Alternative Religions | Cassell | UK | ISBN 0-304-35592-5 ISBN 1-84403-040-7 p. 65; Part Two: Alternative Religions & Other Groups, Ch. 14: Eastern Movements in the West, Elan Vital, p. 325-329 [147] |
Kent, Stephen A. | October 2001 | Book (part) | From Slogans to Mantras: Social Protest and Religious Conversion in the Late Vietnam War Era | Syracuse University Press | U.S. | ISBN 0-8156-2923-0 ISBN 0-8156-2948-6 [148] |
Hassan, Steve et al. | 2001– | Web page | Elan Vital | Steven Alan Hassan's Freedom of Mind Center | U.S. | [135] |
Macgregor, John | August 31, 2002 | Article (magazine) | Blinded by the Light | Good Weekend | Australia, Sydney | pp. 38–42 [136] |
Geaves, Ron | 2002 March 2004 | Essay | From Divine Light Mission to Elan Vital and Beyond: an Exploration of Change and Adaptation | 2002 International Conference on Minority Religions, Social Change and Freedom of Conscience at University of Utah (2004:) Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions Vol. 7 No. 3 | U.S., Salt Lake City (2004:) U.S. | (2004:) pp. 45–62 [139] |
Rawat, Prem et al. | 2003– | TV series | Words of Peace | South America North America Europe Satellite | [149] [150] | |
Rawat, Prem | 2003 | Book | Clarity | The Prem Rawat Foundation | U.S. | ISBN 0-9740627-1-5 [151] |
2003 | Essay | "Premies" Complain to Google of "Ex-Premie.org" site | Chilling Effects | U.S. | [138] | |
2003-07 | Entry in encyclopedic resource | The Houghton Mifflin Dictionary of Biography, entry: "Maharaj Ji" | Houghton Mifflin | U.S. | ISBN 0-618-25210-X p. 994 [152] | |
Jackson, Sally | March 11, 2004 | Article (newspaper) | Court lets 'cult' gag journalist | The Australian | Australia | p. 21 [153] |
O’Regan, Mick (host) Macgregor, John et al. | March 18, 2004 | Interview (radio) | Suppression Orders & the Media | The Media Report on ABC Radio National | Australia | [154] |
Thomas, Hedley | April 24, 2004 | Article (newspaper) | Peace at a price | The Courier-Mail | Australia, Brisbane | p. 35 [155] |
November 29, 2004 | Press release | Words of Peace by Prem Rawat receives TV Award in Brazil [ permanent dead link ] | tprf.net Press Room by The Prem Rawat Foundation | U.S. | [156] | |
Rawat, Prem Wolf, Burt (interviewer) | 2005 | Interview (DVD) | Inner Journey: A Spirited Conversation About Self-discovery | The Prem Rawat Foundation | U.S. | OCLC 85767576 ASIN B000EDUGI4 [157] |
Rawat, Prem | May 17, 2005 | Public Address | Maharaji at Thamamssat University | Wikisource (transcript: 2006) | Thailand, Bangkok | [158] |
June 30, 2005 | Article (newspaper) | US names June 16 after Indian. | Times of India | India | [159] | |
2006 | Web page | About Us | Raj Vidya Kender | India | [160] | |
Geaves, Ron | 2006 | Essay in periodical | Globalization, charisma, innovation, and tradition: An exploration of the transformations in the organisational vehicles for the transmission of the teachings of Prem Rawat (Maharaji) | Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies Vol. 2 by Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies Association | UK | ISBN 978-1-4196-2696-8 pp. 44–62 [161] |
Mather, George Nichols, Larry A. Schmidt, Alvin J. | August 1, 2006 | Entry in encyclopedic resource | Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions: Revised and Updated Edition, entry "Elan Vital / Divine Light Mission" | Zondervan | U.S. | ISBN 0-310-23954-0 [140] |
Geaves, Ron | October 30, 2006 | Essay in book | From Guru Maharaj Ji to Prem Rawat: Paradigm Shifts over the Period of Forty Years as a "Master" (1966-2006) | Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America by Eugene V. Gallagher and W. Michael Ashcraft (eds.), Vol. IV: Asian Traditions, Greenwood Publishing Group | US | ISBN 0-275-98712-4 pp. 63–84 [162] |
December 20, 2006 | Newsletter (digital) | Prem Rawat’s “Words of Peace” Receives Brazilian TV Award | Inspire by The Prem Rawat Foundation | U.S. | [163] | |
Cagan, Andrea | January 16, 2007 | Book (biography) | Peace is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat | Mighty River Press | U.S. | ISBN 0-9788694-9-4 OCLC 123014238 [164] |
Mendick, Robert | May 31, 2007 | Article (newspaper) | Cult leader gives cash to Lord Mayor appeal [ dead link ] | Evening Standard | UK, London | p. 4 [165] |
Rawat, Prem et al. | June 1, 2007 | Public address | Prem Rawat at Guildhall, London | The Prem Rawat Foundation (DVD release) | UK, London | [166] |
Rossiter, Joe | November 25, 2007 | Article (newspaper) | Patrick Halley: Outgoing reporter lived colorful life | Detroit Free Press | U.S., Detroit | [167] |
Mendick, Robert | November 30, 2007 December 2, 2007 | Article (newspaper) | Guru followers asked to target Gandhi party | Evening Standard Gulf Times | UK, London Qatar, Doha | [168] |
Rawat, Prem Robles, Marta (interviewer) | 2007 | Interview (DVD) | Journey Within: a conversation between journalist Marta Robles and Prem Rawat, Barcelona, Spain | The Prem Rawat Foundation | [169] | |
Bromley, David G. | 2007 | Book (part) | Teaching New Religious Movements | Aar Teaching Religious Studies Series by American Academy of Religion | U.S. | ISBN 0-19-517729-0 [170] |
Metz, Cade | February 6, 2008 | Article (magazine) | Wikipedia ruled by 'Lord of the Universe' | The Register | UK | [141] |
Finch, Michael | 2009 | Book | Without the Guru: How I Took My Life Back After Thirty Years | BookSurge Publishing | U.S. | ISBN 1-4392-4504-5 |
Mahātmā is an honorific used in India.
Knowledge is a term used by Shri Hans Ji Maharaj to denote a formulation of four specific techniques that were imparted in a process of initiation. The term continues to be used by two of Shri Hans Ji Maharaj's sons, Satpal Rawat and Prem Rawat.
Prem Pal Singh Rawat, formerly known as Maharaji, is an Indian international speaker and author. His teachings include a meditation practice he calls "Knowledge", and peace education based on the discovery of personal resources such as inner strength, choice, appreciation and hope.
Hans Rām Singh Rawat, called Shrī Hans Jī Mahārāj and by various other honorifics, was an Indian religious leader.
Kirpal Singh was a spiritual master (satguru) in the tradition of Radha Soami.
The Divine Light Mission was an organization founded in 1960 by guru Hans Ji Maharaj for his following in northern India. During the 1970s, the DLM gained prominence in the West under the leadership of his fourth and youngest son. Some scholars noted the influence of the Bhagavad Gita and the Radha Soami tradition, a.k.a. Sant Mat movement, but the western movement was widely seen as a new religious movement, a cult, a charismatic religious sect or an alternative religion. DLM officials said the movement represented a church rather than a religion.
Ron Geaves is a British scholar of religious studies who was professor of the comparative study of religion at Liverpool Hope University in England, retiring in December 2013. He was formerly Programme Leader and Chair in religious studies at the University of Chester in England (2001-2007) and Head of Department at the University of Chichester (1999-2001). He was chair of the Muslims in Britain Research Network (2007-2010) and instrumental in the creation of BRAIS, remaining on their advisory board.
Contemporary Sant Mat Movements, mostly among the Radha Soami tradition, are esoteric philosophy movements active in the United States, Europe, Australia, Latin America, and especially India. These movements assert that Sant Mat shares a lineage with Sikhism and contains elements of thought found in Hinduism, such as karma and reincarnation. They further assert that Sant Mat also contains elements found in Sufism and has inspired and influenced a number of religious groups and organizations. They refer to this spiritual path as the "Science of the Soul" or 'Sant Mat', meaning 'teachings of the saints'. More recently it has been described as "The Way of Life" or "Living the Life of Soul". It incorporates a practical yoga system known as Surat Shabd Yoga.
The core of Prem Rawat's teaching is that the individual’s need for fulfillment can be satisfied by turning within to contact a constant source of peace and joy. Rather than a body of dogma, he emphasizes a direct experience of transcendence, which he claims is accessible through the four techniques of meditation which he teaches. He calls these techniques "Knowledge" and says that Knowledge will take "all your senses that have been going outside all your life, turn them around and put them inside to feel and to actually experience you."
Radha Soami is a spiritual tradition or faith founded by Shiv Dayal Singh in 1861 on Basant Panchami Day in Agra, India.
Elan Vital is the name shared by several organizations that support the work of Prem Rawat, a spiritual leader also known by the title "Maharaji". Independent Elan Vital organizations in several countries raise funds, organize speaking engagements by Prem Rawat and in some cases broadcast his public addresses.
Sant Mat was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during the 13th–17th centuries CE. The name literally means "teachings of sants", i.e. mystic Hindu saints. Through association and seeking truth by following sants and their teachings, a movement was formed. Theologically, the teachings are distinguished by inward, loving devotion by the individual soul (atma) to the Divine Principal God (Parmatma). Socially, they are mostly ascetics except few householders. Sant Mat is not to be confused with the 19th-century Radha Soami, also known as contemporary "Sant Mat movement".
The academic study of new religious movements is known as new religions studies (NRS). The study draws from the disciplines of anthropology, psychiatry, history, psychology, sociology, religious studies, and theology. Eileen Barker noted that there are five sources of information on new religious movements (NRMs): the information provided by such groups themselves, that provided by ex-members as well as the friends and relatives of members, organizations that collect information on NRMs, the mainstream media, and academics studying such phenomena.
Lord of the Universe is a 1974 American documentary film about Prem Rawat at an event in November 1973 at the Houston Astrodome called "Millennium '73". Lord of the Universe was first broadcast on PBS on February 2, 1974, and released in VHS format on November 1, 1991. The documentary chronicles Maharaj Ji, his followers and anti-Vietnam War activist Rennie Davis who was a spokesperson of the Divine Light Mission at the time. A counterpoint is presented by Davis' Chicago Seven co-defendant Abbie Hoffman, who appears as a commentator. It includes interviews with several individuals, including followers, ex-followers, a mahatma, a born-again Christian, and a follower of Hare Krishna.
This list is of topics related to Prem Rawat (Maharaji).
Who is Guru Maharaj Ji?, published in 1973 by Bantam Books is a non-fiction book about Guru Maharaj Ji, now known as Prem Rawat. Edited by Charles Cameron, the book claims to be an "authentic authorized story", and was written when Maharaj Ji was aged 15. The initial printing was of 125,000 copies. A Spanish-language edition was also published in 1975, as Quién es Guru Maharaj Ji.
Sacred Journeys: The Conversion of Young Americans to Divine Light Mission is a sociological book about the adherents of the Divine Light Mission in the 1970s. In the work, author James V. Downton, Jr. analyzes a sample group of young Americans, and their conversion process to the ideals of the Divine Light Mission and their relationship with Guru Maharaj Ji, currently known as Prem Rawat.
Millennium '73 was a three-day festival held on November 8–10, 1973 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, United States, by the Divine Light Mission (DLM). It featured Prem Rawat, then known as Guru Maharaj Ji, a 15-year-old guru and the leader of a fast-growing new religious movement. Organizers billed the festival as the most significant event in human history which would usher in a thousand years of peace.
Satpal Maharaj is an Indian spiritual guru turned politician. He is a national executive member of the BJP. Currently, he serves as the tourism, cultural, and irrigation minister in the cabinet of the Government of Uttarakhand. He is the founder of Manav Utthan Sewa Samiti.
Guru Maharaj Ji, born Mohammed Ajirobatan Ibrahim, is a Nigerian spiritual leader. He lives in Ibadan. He has declared himself to be a Living Perfect Master, Guru Maharaj Ji, and is also called the "Black Jesus". He says that he has power over all illnesses and all problems affecting humanity.
Quotation |
---|
Following his death, Shri Hans Ji appointed the youngest of his four sons, Sant Ji as the next Perfect Master and therefore he assumed the head of the Divine Light Mission as decreed by his father. |
Quotation | |
---|---|
(p. 64) In 1969 stuurt Maharaj ji de eerste discipel naar het Westen. In het daaropvolgende jaar houdt hij een toespraak in Delhi voor een gehoor van duizenden mensen. Deze toespraak staat bekend als de 'vredesbom' en is het begin van de grote zending naar het Westen. | In 1969 Maharaj ji sends the first disciple to the West. In the next year he holds a speech for an audience of thousands of people in Delhi. This speech is known as the 'peace bomb' and is the start of the great mission to the West. |
Quotation |
---|
Roads in the Capital spilled over with 1,000,000 processionists, men, women and children marched from Indra Prasha Estate to the India Gate lawn. [...] People had come from all over the country and belonged to several religions. A few Europeans dressed in white were also in the procession. |
Quotation |
---|
The Maharaj Ji made his first Western appearance in 1971 at England's Glastonbury pop festival. He cruised up to the stage in a white Rolls-Royce and harangued the crowd about peace and the one true path to salvation until a merciful stagehand cut off the power on his microphone. |
Quotation |
---|
Guru Maharaj Ji made his first public appearance in England in 1971 at the Glastonbury Festival - a final spasm in the death-throes of what was the love and - peace movement. Glastonbury is a place of legends, Arthurian, Christian, and mystical, and the Gurus appearance was imbued with appropriate cosmic significance. It was said that the position of the planets on an alignment with Glastonbury at the time of the Festival would herald the dawn of a new, Golden Age and the coming of a Great Man. Two rainbows appearing in the sky would signal his arrival. The thirteen-year-old Guru Maharaj Ji astonished festival organisers and the assembled multitudes by turning up unannounced in a white Rolls-Royce, taking over the stage, and delivering an impromptu five-minute satsang (literally, 'truth talk') before the power on the microphone was cut. The next day, so the legend has it, two rainbows appeared in a clear blue sky. |
Quotation |
---|
They have been lectured on the transience of possessions by a guru, who may have undermined his argument somewhat by being chauffeur-driven to the stage in a Rolls-Royce. |
Abstract |
---|
The hottest star on the international guru circuit these days is 15-year-old Maharaj Ji, a chubby cherub who transmits something his transported devotees call perfect knowledge. |
Introduction |
---|
By the Divine Times press date of April 1 [1973] the DUO film should have reached distribution to ashrams and premie houses around the nation. In this 16-minute presentation from Shri Hans Films, Guru Maharaj Ji addresses His premies, and announces the formation of Divine United Organization. Filmed earlier this year in India, the movie primarily shows Guru Maharaj Ji sitting at His desk, as He reads the DUO Proclamation: then, turning His eyes to the camera, He gives His satsang directly to the premies viewing the film. At the Beginning of the film, the new DUO flag is shown. A brief segment at the end of the film shows our Lord at play on the ashram roof with the flag in the background. Below are the Proclamation and a transcription of Shri Guru Maharaj Ji's satsang in the film. |
Lede |
---|
A bearded young man pulled a shaving cream pie out of a bouquet of roses and slapped it into guru Maharaj Ji's face, then said, "I always wanted to throw a pie in God's face." |
Lede |
---|
Denver -- Guru Maharaj Ji, the 15-year-old "Perfect Master" from India, has an ulcer. His doctor says the teen-age guru's body is showing the stresses of a middle-aged executive. |
Editor's Note |
---|
To a swelling number of followers, Guru Maharaj Ji is the "Perfect Master". Some even call him God. But to others, he is a pudgy, 15-year-old business titan who processes his disciples through a personnel department and keeps track of them with a computer. Here is a look at the guru and his mushrooming missionary corporation. |
Lede (Kelley) |
---|
Last August 7 Pat Haley, a reporter from Detroit's underground newspaper The Fifth Estate, threw a shaving cream pie in the Guru Maharaj Ji's face. 'I always wanted to throw a pie in God's face,' Haley joked afterward. A week later Haley was beaten to within an inch of his life. |
Lede |
---|
The 16-year-old Guru Maharaj Ji, the Indian-born "perfect master" who claims six million devotees worldwide, has moved his home to the Malibu foothills, it was announced Tuesday. |
Lede |
---|
The mother of Guru Maharaj Ji. the 17-year-old Indian religious leader now living in Malibu, Calif., with an American wife, renounce[d] her son today and accused him of being a playboy instead of a holy man. |
Lede |
---|
The asserted change comes amid extensive criticism of various novel spiritual groups including that of Maharaj Ji, from ex-members and parents, but Anctil says the opposition isn't what caused the reforms. "We're maturing," he said. "It's evolution." |
Lede |
---|
Recently Bob Mishler, President of Divine Light Mission, recorded an interview with Debbie Frazier of the United Press International Wire Service. The interview gives a good idea of the recent change and growth within DLM, so we've printed some excerpts from it here. |
Quotation |
---|
In addition to his ulcer, the Perfect Master who held the secret to peace and spiritual happiness 'had tremendous problems of anxiety which he combatted with alcohol,' Mishler said in a Denver radio interview in February 1979. |
Quotations | |||
---|---|---|---|
(p. 53) ... de voor Nederland relevante cijfers ... begin 1981 ... | ... numbers relevant for the Netherlands ... early 1981 ... | ||
1. | Divine Light Mission - naar schatting hoogstens nog 150 aanhangers in Nederland, waarvan in 1980 ongeveer 15 in communaal verband leven. De beweging lijkt op zijn retour. | 1. | Divine Light Mission - estimated at most 150 adherents remaining for the Netherlands, of which in 1980 approximately 15 lived in a community setting. The movement appears to be over the hill. |
(p. 99) De meest zuivere voorbeelden van charismatisch leiderschap zijn op dit moment wel Bhagwan en Maharaj Ji. Daaruit blijkt meteen al hoe persoonlijke kwaliteiten alleen onvoldoende zijn voor de erkenning van het charismatisch leiderschap. De intelligente, steeds wisselende en dagelijks optredende Bhagwan is niet meer een charismatisch leider dan de verwende materialistische en intellectueel weinig opmerkelijke Maharaj Ji. Als charismatisch leider hebben beiden overigens wel een eigen publiek en een eigen functie. | The purest examples of charismatic leadership are at this moment, still, Bhagwan and Maharaj Ji. This shows immediately that personal qualities alone are insufficient for the recognition of the charismatic leadership. The intelligent, ever-changing Bhagwan who gives daily performances is not more a charismatic leader than the pampered materialistic and intellectually quite unremarkable Maharaj Ji. As charismatic leaders, they, by the way, both have their own audience and their own function. | ||
(p. 101-102) Tegelijkertijd betekent dit echter ook, dat charismatisch leiderschap als zodanig tot op grote hoogte ensceneerbaar is. Maharaj Ji is daar een voorbeeld van. In zekere zin gaat het hier om geroutiniseerd charisma (erfopvolging), maar voor de volgelingen in Amerika en Europa geldt dat toch nauwelijks: zij waren bereid in juist hem te geloven en er was rond Maharaj Ji een hele organisatie die dat geloof voedde en versterkte. | At the same time, this means however that charismatic leadership, as such, can also to a high degree be staged. Maharaj Ji is an example of this. Certainly, Maharaj Ji's leadership can be seen as routinized charisma (hereditary succession), but for the followers in America and Europe this is hardly significant: they were prepared to have faith specifically in him and Maharaj Ji was embedded in a whole organisation that fed and reinforced that faith. | ||
(Ch. V: reference texts by Jan van der Lans quoted by Schnabel)
|
Abstract |
---|
It is argued that Divine Light Mission and Rajneeshism are excellent examples of early and late post-movement groups (Foss & Larkin, 1978). Rajneeshism’s stance towards the dominant culture is much more radical. Its ideology not only implies a resection of the socially accepted means to find "truth," it also disclaims the final product of those means, that is, the content of socially accepted truth. Divine Light Mission’s ideology mainly deals with the means employed to come to "knowledge." Consequently, it is hypothesized that both movements will recruit their members from different populations. Although an inspection of personal characteristics in terms of age, education, religious background, and time of seekership shows no difference, it is found that premies' pre-conversion seeking proceeded mostly along paths of individual experiences, while sannyasins had been seeking more along interpersonal paths. Additional differences concern the evaluation of pre-adolescent family life, especially personal religious experiences during childhood. |
From publisher's presentation Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine |
---|
Ruth A. Tucker's book is a comprehensive survey of all the major alternative religions in the United States, including the new groups since the 1960s |
Publisher's description |
---|
In this book, Mark Juergensmeyer seeks to explain why the religious logic of Radhasoami, which is based on the teachings of medieval Hindu saints, is so compelling to hundreds of thousands of businessmen, intellectuals, office managers, and other urban professionals in North India. Juergensmeyer addresses the perplexing relationship between modernity and religious faith and examines it from historical, sociological, and phenomenological points of view. |
From the introduction of the chapter on Sikh/Sant Mat Groups |
---|
[...] one Sant Mat group which had separated itself from the tradition in India enjoyed great success in the West in the 1970s as the Divine Light Mission under the then‑youthful Guru Maharaj Ji. That group[s] has recently assumed a very low profile and changed its name to Elan Vital. |
Quotation |
---|
[...] there was one time when I got to cover God and experienced the full rapture of tens of thousands of believers cast suddenly into his presence here on Earth. That was at a weeklong encampment at the Houston Astrodome in 1973, when God appeared as a chubby and giggly 13-year-old Indian named Guru Mahara Ji. I was following the guru because he was rapidly making celebrity converts, including Rennie Davis, then well-known as a defendant in the Chicago Seven trial. |
Quotation |
---|
For an extensive backgrounder on [Guru Maharaj-Ji], his successes and his foibles, check out the Web site www.ex-premie.org. |
Lede |
---|
Back in 1972, John Macgregor fell under the spell of Guru Maharaji, a plump 14-year-old who promised – and for a while delivered – divine peace of mind. The former follower recalls, on the eve of Maharaji’s latest Australian visit, his 28-year journey to disillusionment. |
Quotation |
---|
In 1996, Canadian lawyer and ex-premie Jim Heller was cruising the early cult newsgroups on the Internet, looking for some mention of Maharaji. Nothing. Then, slowly, other ex-premies materialised, including one who happened to have web design skills: www.ex-premie.org was born. As bits of information – recollections, documents, photos – trickled into the web site from all over the world, an entirely new picture of the Perfect Master began to emerge. As Heller argues, "Without [the Net], I’d have been just another guy with some quirky past who, if I was lucky, might get a chance to hash it all out in an airport bar with some other former comrade 20 years down the line. But the Net has spurred us all on to being cold-case detectives – scrutinising our collective past with the benefit of maturity, hindsight and relief from the information-deprivation all cults seem to thrive on." |
Quotation |
---|
Remember the Divine Light Mission? [...] Recovering members can be seen licking their wounds at www.ex-premie.org [...] |
Quotation |
---|
[...] www.ex-premie.org (a website of Maharaji's ex-followers) |
Presentation on dedicated website |
---|
The New Believers covers the origin, history, beliefs, practices and controversies of 60+ new religious movements, including the Family (formerly the Children of God), International Church of Christ, Osho (Rajneesh), New Kadampa Tradition, Wicca, Druidry, Chaos Magick, Scientology etc. The New Believers incorporates the fully revised, updated and much-expanded text of the author’s well-received Sects, "Cults" & Alternative Religions (1996), plus much more, with ten completely new chapters including:
|
Publisher's summary |
---|
This book takes a provocative look at the early 1970s—an often overlooked yet colorful period when the Vietnam War and student protests were on the wane as new religious groups grew in size and visibility. Description Certainly, religious strains were evident through postwar popular culture from the 1950s Beat generation into the 1960s drug counterculture, but the explosion of nontraditional religions during the early 1970s was unprecedented. This phenomenon took place in the United States (and at the edges of American-influenced Canadian society) among young people who had been committed to bringing about what they called "the revolution" but were converting to a wide variety of Eastern and Western mystical and spiritual movements. Stephen Kent maintains that the failure of political activism led former radicals to become involved with groups such as the Hare Krishnas, Scientology, Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church, the Jesus movement, and the Children of God. Drawing on scholarly literature, alternative press reportage, and personal narratives, Kent shows how numerous activists turned from psychedelia and political activism to guru worship and spiritual quest as a response to the failures of social protest—and as a new means of achieving societal change. |
Lede |
---|
Thousands of devotees mill about the tent sites pitched for an international love-in with the Maharaji. But, as Hedley Thomas tells, there are unhappy campers trying to bring the affluent peace guru down a peg or two |
Quotation (from author's note) |
---|
[...] when I discovered that Maharaji rarely stayed in one place for more than a few days at a stretch, the concept of personal interviews with him to gather information seemed impractical and next to impossible. So, in preparation for this book, I decided to interview those who knew him well, and I met with everyone from his cook to his photographer, from his friends to his lifelong students. I taped conversations, I watched DVDs, and I read his talks that have been meticulously saved for posterity. Finally, after reviewing thousands of pages of interviews and media clippings, watching many of his taped addresses, and speaking to a multitude of people who knew him during different phases of his life, a picture began to emerge. |
Publisher's presentation |
---|
Prem Rawat was the keynote speaker at a gala event called "Giving From The Heart", hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, England at Guildhall in honor of The Prem Rawat Foundation's contribution to Voluntary Service Overseas' efforts in Mozambique. The event was attended by government and civic leaders, diplomats, and members of the international media. |
Publisher's presentation |
---|
An hour-long conversation between Prem Rawat and journalist Marta Robles. Ms. Robles has been one of the most popular anchors and show hosts on Spanish radio and television for more than 15 years. Prem Rawat has traveled the world for more than four decades, inspiring people to find peace within. |