User:Steven Crossin/Mediation/Prem Rawat/Proposal4

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Previous versions
[Milestones identified by user:Thebainer in A brief history of Prem Rawat.]

September 2004
Prem Rawat (born December 10, 1957 in Dehra Dun near Haridwar, India) is a sometimes controversial inspirational speaker who brought to the West and promotes in both the West and India four meditative techniques or kriyas that he collectively calls the "techniques of Knowledge" and which he claims bring inner peace. He was for a time known in the West and is still known in India as Guru Maharaj ji, and is now known to his Western students as Maharaji
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May 2006
Prem Pal Singh Rawat, also called Maharaji (formerly called Guru Maharaj Ji ) was born on December 10, 1957 in Dehradun, India. At the age of four he gave his first published address about the practice of "Knowledge", that was being taught by his father and teacher Hans Ji Maharaj. At the age of six he was taught the techniques of Knowledge by his father and succeeded him when he died in 1966, being accepted by his father's followers as their satguru (Sanskrit: true teacher) and assuming the role of "Perfect Master" at his father's funeral. He thereby became the recognized leader of the Divine Light Mission that was started by his father and began taking his message to people throughout the Indian subcontinent.
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In 1971 he was invited to speak in London and Los Angeles and attracted substantial media attention, some of which referred to the 13-year old as the "boy guru" In 1972 he began touring the world talking about inner peace and teaching Knowledge, revisiting the UK and the US and speaking at events for the first time in Switzerland, Germany, Kenya, South Africa, Japan, and Australia. His marriage to a westerner in 1974 precipitated a family rift and Prem Rawat's mother and his eldest brother Satya Pal Singh (Satpal) secured control of DLM in India through legal proceedings. Prem Rawat remained in the west and in the 1980s he began the slow dissolution of the Divine Light Mission, stepped away from the trappings associated with an Indian guru and continued to appear to audiences as Maharaji, a teacher and public speaker, promoting the same message and offering the same techniques of Knowledge for finding peace within. At that time, non-profit, charitable organizations with a minimal structure manned mainly by volunteers were established in several countries called Elan Vital, whose main purpose is organizing events to which Prem Rawat is invited to speak.

According to The Prem Rawat Foundation, Prem Rawat has continued to promote a means to achieve a lifelong, individual experience of inner peace, and that his message is that "it is only by individuals finding peace for themselves can the world be at peace" and that he is able to assist in this endeavor. Starting in 2001, he has been invited to address various institutions on the subject of peace, and has through the Prem Rawat Foundation spearheaded various humanitarian initiatives.

Prem Rawat has attracted controversy for what his critics consider a lack of intellectual content in his teachings, leading a sumptuous lifestyle, and making what critics and religious scholars regarded as personal claims of divinity.

Prem Rawat lives with his wife in Malibu, California in the U.S. They have four grown children. He is an experienced airline transport-rated pilot and holds a number of pilot ratings on jet airplanes and helicopters. His resume discusses skills in computer graphics, computer-aided design, and development of aviation software. He is listed as co-inventor on a U.S. Patent for a world-time watch for aeronautic applications. A US citizen since 1977, he reports that he supports himself and his family as a private investor, and that he has contributed to the success of several startup companies in various industries, including software.

January 2007
Prem Pal Singh Rawat also called Maharaji, and formerly called Guru Maharaj Ji, is a speaker and teacher on the subjects of inner peace and spiritual awareness. Born in Haridwar, North India in December 10, 1957, Rawat was initiated in the techniques of "Knowledge" by his father, Hans Ram Singh Rawat, when he was six years old. Rawat's "Techniques of Knowledge" primarily consist of four introspective meditation techniques.
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At the age of eight, Prem Rawat succeeded Hans Rawat upon his death in 1966, being accepted by his father's followers as their satguru (Sanskrit: true teacher) or "Perfect Master" at his funeral. He thereby became the recognized leader of the Divine Light Mission (DLM) that was started by his father and continued bringing his message to people throughout the Indian subcontinent.

In 1971, Rawat embarked on a mission to the West to speak in London and Los Angeles. His arrival attracted the attention of the media, some of which referred to the 13-year-old as the "boy guru" and reported claims of divinity. He also established the US chapter of Elan Vital. In 1972 he began touring the world talking about inner peace and teaching Knowledge. His marriage to a Westerner in 1974 precipitated a family rift and Rawat's mother and his eldest brother Satya Pal Singh (Satpal) returned to India. Rawat remained in the West and in the 1980s he changed the style of his message and relinquished the Hindu tradition, beliefs, and most of its original eastern religious practices. Rawat continued to tour extensively in the 1980s and 1990s.

In 2001, Rawat established the The Prem Rawat Foundation to promote his message and advance the cause of various humanitarian initiatives. Since this time he has been invited to address various institutions on the subject of peace and spread his message that, "it is only by individuals finding peace for themselves can the world be at peace". Criticisms of Rawat include the charge that he does not adhere to a simple lifestyle, and that organizations affiliated with Rawat are responsible for brainwashing, mind control, and financial exploitation of their members.

May 2007
Prem Rawat, also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji) has been a speaker and teacher on the subject of "inner peace" since the age of eight, as well as offering instruction of four meditation techniques he calls Knowledge.
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In 1971 Rawat traveled from India to speak in London and Los Angeles and was the subject of substantial media attention. He returned to the West in 1972 with his mother and elder brother and formed the Divine Light Mission to assist in spreading his message. Dozens of Indian style ashrams were established and tens of thousands of followers were attracted, largely from the hippie culture. Rawat was frequently criticised by religious scholars on the basis of his age, his behaviour and his teachings.

Rawat's desire to manifest his own vision brought him into conflict with his mother and family, and his marriage to an American follower in 1974 caused a permanent split. From this point Rawat and his teachings became more Western, and in the early 1980s he abandoned the title and trappings of a guru, closed the ashrams and changed his style to appeal to a Western audience. The Prem Rawat Foundation was established in 2001 to promote his message which is currently distributed in eighty-eight countries on video, print, and television, as well as to spearhead humanitarian efforts.

Proposal 0
(current version)
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Proposal 9
Supersedes Proposal #8 based on editor's feedback

Proposal 11
Paragraphing added and some rearrangement of previous version for clarity.

Proposal 13

 * addressing concerns about proposal 9 and 11

Proposal 16

 * Combines several previous versions and tweaks into a compromise verison. Rvd redundancies and tweaked grammar.

Draft 18
Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India, also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji, ) became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he began traveling and speaking internationally. He now has a world-wide following. Rawat speaks on the subject of inner peace, and teaches four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge". Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission (1960), Elan Vital (1983), the Raj Vidya Kender (India) and The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001).

Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Sri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" or "Perfect Master", and succeeded him as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India. Granted emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a US citizen in 1977. In the early 1980s he dropped the title "Guru" and made his message more universal by dropping the Indian aspects of his teachings. Rawat's focus on stillness, peace and contentment within the individual has led secular scholars to criticize his talks as stressing emotional experience over intellect, while religious and other writers have characterised Rawat as materialistic, and described his lifestyle as luxurious. Rawat's supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people experience inner peace.

Draft 19
Prem Rawat (born Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10 1957 in Haridwar, India) also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, and Maharaji, ) became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he first began to spread his message in the West. He now has a world-wide following. Rawat's teachings include four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge". Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission, Elan Vital (1983), and The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001).

Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When he died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" or "Perfect Master", and succeeded his father as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] Granted emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the movement. Prem Rawat retained control outside of India and took a more active role in guiding the movement in the West. He became a United States citizen in 1977. He later dropped the title "Guru" and claims of divinity, and abandoned the Indian aspects of his teachings associated with the early movement.

The focus of Rawat's teachings is on stillness, peace and contentment within the individual. Rawat's supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people experience inner peace. Some authors have criticized his talks as stressing emotional experience over intellect, while other writers have characterized Rawat as materialistic, and described his lifestyle as luxurious.

Draft 20
Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India, also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji,[39][40][151]) became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he began traveling and speaking internationally. He now has a world-wide following. Rawat speaks on the subject of inner peace, and teaches four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge".[43] [152] Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission (1960), Elan Vital (1983), the Raj Vidya Kender (India) and The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001).[153]

Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Shri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was proclaimed "satguru" or "Perfect Master",[154] and succeeded him as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the international movement.[45][155] Prem Rawat retained control outside of India, and took a more active role in the movement's guidance.[156] He became a US citizen in 1977.[157] In the early 1980s he made his message more universal by dropping his title "Guru" and the Hindu aspects of his teachings.[158] Rawat's focus on stillness, peace and contentment within the individual[45] has led secular scholars to criticize his talks as stressing emotional experience over intellect,[159][56][55] while other writers have characterised Rawat as materialistic, and described his lifestyle as luxurious.[160][161] Rawat's supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people experience inner peace.

Draft 21
Prem Rawat (b. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, December 10, 1957 in Haridwar, India) also known as Maharaji (formerly Guru Maharaj Ji) became a guru in India at the age of eight, and gained international prominence at 13 when he began traveling and speaking internationally. He now has a world-wide following. Rawat speaks on the subject of inner peace, and teaches four meditation techniques he calls "Knowledge".[43] [152] Over the years, several organizations have been formed to assist in spreading his message, including the Divine Light Mission (1960), Elan Vital (1983), the Raj Vidya Kender (India) and The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001).[153]

Rawat's father and guru was Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. When Shri Hans died in 1966, Rawat was acknowledged as "satguru" or "Perfect Master",[154] and succeeded him as the spiritual leader of five million followers in India.[60] In 1971 Rawat travelled to the West and became the subject of substantial media attention attracting tens of thousands of devotees. He made his home in the U.S. and began touring and teaching worldwide.Achieving emancipated minor status at age 16, Rawat married in 1974, which resulted in conflicts within his family and the splitting of the international movement.[45][155] Prem Rawat retained control outside of India, and took a more active role in the movement's guidance.[156] He became a US citizen in 1977.[157] In the early 1980s he made his message more universal by dropping his title "Guru" and the Hindu aspects of his teachings.[158] Rawat promotes a direct experience of the divine to obtain inner peace rather than theory or dogma and some Christian clergy have criticized him for stressing what they call "emotional experience" over intellect. Rawat, who claims Knowledge is independent of culture, religion and lifestyle, has been criticized for enjoying a luxurious life. His supporters and independent studies have credited him with helping people experience inner peace.