The Divine Light Mission (DLM) was founded by the Shri Hans Ji Maharaji in Northern India in 1960 and registered in Patna. The name of the DLM in Hindi was Divya Sandesh Parishad. When Hans Maharaji passed away in 1966, his fourth son, Prem Rawat (Maharaji, formerly known as Guru Maharaj Ji) succeeded him. The DLM came to the United States with the 13-year old Prem Rawat in the 1970s. Hans Ram Singh Rawat, known by the title HRH Yogiraj Param Hans Sadgurudev Sri Hans ji Maharaj, born (November 8, 1900 - July 19, 1966) in Gadh-ki-Sedhia, north-east of Hardwar, Uttarakhand, India. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Patna (पटना) is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... Prem Pal Singh Rawat (born December 10, 1957 in Dehradun in India). ... The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ...

The DLM was formed in 1971 as a non-profit organization and in 1974 was recognized as a church by the United States IRS under section 501(C)(B). In the 1970s the DLM was scrutinized by the press and the anti-cult movement. See also Criticism of Prem Rawat. Students of Maharaji were called premies until the early 1990s. Some of them lived in ashrams that were closed in 1983. The DLM in the West was disbanded in 1983 and was superseded by Elan Vital. IRS is short for U.S. Internal Revenue Service short for Indian Revenue Service short for Independent rear suspension, used in automobiles. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Book published by the International Cultic Studies Association (a. ... Prem Rawat (also called Maharaji and formerly known as Guru Maharaj Ji; see main article: Prem Rawat), although an object of inspiration for his students, has attracted controversy and criticism since he started delivering his teachings in the 1960s. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The 1990s refers to the years 1990 to 1999; the last decade of the 20th Century, but in an economical sense The Nineties is often considered to span from the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 to the September 11 attacks in 2001. ... Ashrams in ancient India were Hindu hermitages where sages lived in peace and tranquility amidst nature. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Elan Vital is an organization that supports the work of Prem Rawat also known by the honorary title Maharaji. ...

Mission's succession rift

In 1974, after a rift in the family due to Prem Rawat's marriage to a westerner and other Westernizing tendencies⁷, his mother publicly retracted her support and endorsed instead her oldest son, Satpal, as the legitimate guru of the DLM. Prem Rawat continued the work of the DLM in the West, while Satpal, acquired the DLM in India. Satpal now claims that his father, Hans Ji Maharaj, "bequeath[ed] his mission and unfinished work" to Satpal, not to Prem, and so he, and not Prem, is the sole legitimate heir of their father's guru lineage[1]. Prem Rawat's current supporters assert that Prem was recognized by his father as his successor, that Satpal and the rest of the family accepted and supported Prem's declaration of succession for eight years, and discount this action as a late change of heart. Others who enjoy the perspectives on peace which Rawat provides through his talks find no value in any debates over successors. To them, the competition over who is the "true guru" is meaningless, as they see Rawat simply as an unassuming individual gifted with the ability to speak with clarity and compassion on the human experience. See also Prem Rawat: Succession to his father's mantle. Prem Pal Singh Rawat (born December 10, 1957 in Dehradun in India). ... Hans Ram Singh Rawat, known by the title HRH Yogiraj Param Hans Sadgurudev Sri Hans ji Maharaj, born (November 8, 1900 - July 19, 1966) in Gadh-ki-Sedhia, north-east of Hardwar, Uttarakhand, India. ... Prem Pal Singh Rawat (born December 10, 1957 in Dehradun in India). ...

Hindu traditions in the DLM outside India

Note: this section and all other following sections apply to the DLM outside India only.

Professor Eileen Barker refers for more information about the DLM to an article by the student Wim Haan in the Dutch version of her book Introduction new religious movements. In that article that appeared in the official magazine of the Vrije Universiteit about religious movements, Haan writes that the DLM hardly had a philosophical background and that its central items of faith were summarized in its aarti song. ⁵ text of the song. Haan wrote this article while he was a student of theology at a Pastoral and Theology school in a small town in the Netherlands and while he was part of a critical movement within the Catholic church. The words used in Arti sung to Prem Rawat were written by Brahmanand, an Indian saint known for having composed thousands of poems. The music of Arti usually remains the same, with a few variations. The lyrics vary. There are many Arti lyrics, including Brahmanand lyrics, Krishna lyrics, and many more. See also Students early devotion and Alleged claims of personal divinity. Eileen Barker is a professor in sociology and is an emeritus member of the London School of Economics, and a consultant to that institutions Centre for the Study of Human Rights at. ... The Vrije Universiteit is a university in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ... Aarti, ãrti, arathi, or ãrati is a Hindu ritual in which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or more deities. ... Swami Brahmananda (January 21, 1863 - April 10, 1922) was born in Sikra near Kolkota. ... Krishna (IAST , the Sanskrit for dark or black - see below), is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Prem Pal Singh Rawat (born December 10, 1957 in Dehradun in India). ... Prem Rawat (also called Maharaji and formerly known as Guru Maharaj Ji; see main article: Prem Rawat), although an object of inspiration for his students, has attracted controversy and criticism since he started delivering his teachings in the 1960s. ...

The Hindu trappings associated with the DLM, including the singing of arti where dropped in the 1980s. See Indian customs around Prem Rawat It is often overlooked that Prem Rawat (main article), known as Maharaji to his students, was four years old when he started speaking to audiences, and thirteen years old when he came to the West (see quotes). ...

Beliefs, practices and behavioral standards outside India

Although no beliefs or ethical practices in terms of rules and regulations were taught, the fundamental practices of inner peace were embodied and experienced through satsang, service and meditation, the sum of which is an experience Prem Rawat, or Maharaji, called "Knowledge." Maharaji's perspectives delivered during his satsang talks brought great pleasure and meaning to many listeners. The practice of satsang, service and meditation also resulted for many in an inner calm and contentment which guided their behavior in the place of a belief system. Members of the DLM meditated formally twice daily and attended discourse on the Knowledge (satsang) when possible. Vegetarianism was encouraged but not enforced.⁴. The company of the highest knowledge and Truth; the company of a Guru; contact with a person or an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the Truth. ... According to Bogart (1991) and Perez-De-Albeniz & Holmes (2000) the different techniques of meditation can be classified according to their focus. ...

Millennium festival in the Houston Astrodome

In 1973, the DLM booked the Houston Astrodome for a three-day gathering of Rawat and several thousand of his students in November 1973, coinciding with Shri Hans's birthday and called "Millennium '73". The event lost money for the organization, but Rawat expressed his satisfaction with it. After a press conference with Prem Rawat, one of the journalists expressed his dissatisfaction with Rawat's answers to questions. See also Millennium festival. Around the time of this festival the anti-cult movement had reached its peak, resulting in several deprogrammed ex-members becoming vocal critics of the mission⁵. The Reliant Astrodome, formerly just the Astrodome, is a domed sports stadium in Houston, Texas, and is part of the Reliant Park complex. ... Prem Pal Singh Rawat (born December 10, 1957 in Dehradun in India). ... Book published by the International Cultic Studies Association (a. ... Deprogramming refers to actions to force a person to abandon allegiance to a religious group. ...

Psychological changes in students outside India

• According to a study performed by Jeanne Messer in 1976 the adherents of the Divine Light Mission underwent several psychological changes after they learned and began practicing the techniques of Knowledge, or inner peace, including experiencing benefits from meditation such as increased energy levels, an increased awareness of serendipity and coincidences and a tendency to see them as divine interventions, as well as improvements in their marriage and work life. Professor Eileen Barker believes, without supplying proof, that the above mentioned changes can be generalized for conversion to other new religious movements. However, this study did not summarize the experience of many practitioners of Knowledge who did not view themselves as having joined a group. It also did not take into account the experiences of those practitioners who, as Rawat advised, did not read religious or serendipitous meanings into their contact with inner peace, but rather enjoyed it for its stand-alone benefit.

• In a study by Dr. Marc Galanter in 2002 about the healing effects of spiritual affiliation⁶, he found that social and spiritual recovery occurred naturally in certain groups. In the study, Galanter presents as an example the fact that members of the DLM experienced a reduction of symptoms of psychological distress after they joined the group.

• In another study by Galanter, in cooperation with P Buckley, R and J Rabkin, on group influence for decreased drug use, it is presented that members of the DLM, many of whom had been involved in the counterculture of the early 1970s, reported incidence of drug use prior to joining which was much above that of a non-member comparison group. Reported levels were considerably lower after joining, and the decline was maintained over an average membership of 2 years.

Eileen Barker is a professor in sociology and is an emeritus member of the London School of Economics, and a consultant to that institutions Centre for the Study of Human Rights at. ... A new religious movement or NRM is a religious, ethical, or spiritual grouping of fairly recent origin which is not part of an established religion and has not yet become recognised as a standard denomination, church, or religious body. ...

References

1. Haan, page 55
2. Barker, page 32 in the Dutch version of the book. The quotes are based on the Dutch version and have been translated back into English.
3. Messer, in Glock & Bellah (1976) (note: The child guru refers to Prem Rawat.)
4. Melton, Religious Requirements and practices. A Handbook for Chaplains.
5. Melton & Lewis, The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, & New Religions, p. 210
6. Galanter, Charismatics groups, p. 1
7. Chryssides, Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements, p.109

Bibliography

• Chryssides, George D. (2001). Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements, pp. 108-109. The Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland and London, 2001. ISBN 0-8108-4095-2
• Barker, E. (1989), New Religious Movements: A Practical Introduction, London, HMSO
• Galanter, Marc M. D. (2002) Alcohol & Drug Abuse: Healing Through Social and Spiritual Affiliation, Psychiatric Services 53:1072-1074, September 2002. American Psychiatric Association
• Galanter M, Buckley P, Deutsch A, Rabkin R, Rabkin J (1980) Large group influence for decreased drug use: findings from two contemporary religious sects Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1980;7(3-4):291-304.
• Haan, Wim (Dutch language) De missie van het Goddelijk licht van goeroe Maharaj Ji: een subjektieve duiding from the series Religieuze bewegingen in Nederland: Feiten en Visies nr. 3, autumn 1981 (The study is mainly based on the Dutch branch of the Divine Light Mission) ISBN 90-242-2341-5
• Melton, J. Gordon and Lewis, R. James. Department of the USA Army, Office of the Chief of Chaplains Religious Requirements and practices. A Handbook for Chaplains
• Melton, J. Gordon and Lewis, R. James.The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, & New Religions.
• Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj: Eternal is He, Eternal is His Knowledge, Originally published by Divine Light Mission, (1970) India

Eileen Barker is a professor in sociology and is an emeritus member of the London School of Economics, and a consultant to that institutions Centre for the Study of Human Rights at. ... J. Gordon Melton is the director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion, and the author of several books on cults and new religious movements including the Encyclopedia of American Religions and Religious Leaders of America. ... J. Gordon Melton is the director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion, and the author of several books on cults and new religious movements including the Encyclopedia of American Religions and Religious Leaders of America. ...

External links

• Article by Hinduism Today (1983) Available online

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