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Bob Mishler, the ex-president of the Divine Light Mission, said in a 1979 radio interview that he had encouraged Rawat to give up claims of divinity in 1976 but that Rawat hesitated because that would mean less control over people.

The Knowledge process and the teaching of the techniques

The manner in which Prem Rawat has gone about teaching the techniques of Knowledge has significantly changed from 1970 to the present.

The preparation and the Knowledge session

When Prem Rawat first came to the West, people were only able to hear about Knowledge from him or from Indian instructors (called mahatmas) who would teach the techniques of Knowledge. As more westerners received Knowledge, the students of Rawat held nightly gatherings for the purpose of spreading information about Rawat’s teachings and for sharing amongst themselves their appreciation of Knowledge. Individuals took turns talking about their own Knowledge experiences, playing music, laughing, and generally having a fun time. The feelings of immense love that the Knowledge generated was brought to the forefront of these gatherings.

In the early 1970s, it was the mahatmas—later called "initiators," and then "instructors"—who spoke at gatherings where interested people—“aspirants”—could prepare and, when ready, ask to learn the techniques of Knowledge. Mahatmas also conducted the sessions where the techniques were taught.

Another change during the 1970s was that Rawat taught and gave some westerners the authority to teach the techniques of Knowledge by making them initiators, a title he later changed to instructor. See main article, Establishment in the West.

Criteria for being taught the techniques

A sincere interest in Knowledge and a commitment to lifelong practice were the main criteria for being invited to learn the techniques of Knowledge. In selecting candidates, how long someone had been listening to the message and whether or not they had participated were viewed as indications of their interest. Mahatmas used criteria that were largely subjective to assess the willingness of aspirants to continue practicing, listening, and helping out after receiving Knowledge.

With the advent of western initiators and instructors in the late 1970s and early 1980s, those processes took on a more western flavor, but they were still based upon largely subjective criteria. In a few isolated cases, an Indian mahatma asked candidates if they were willing to cut off a limb to test their sincerity for Knowledge. Rawat mentioned that he heard that and made it clear that he never would ask such a thing from a person.

In the late 1980s, a major evolution occurred when Rawat personally began conducting meetings for aspirants, including selections for receiving Knowledge and Knowledge sessions.

In the 1990s, more measurable requirements and considerations to be met before asking to receive Knowledge were also introduced at this time, and increasingly the emphasis was placed on peoples' self-assessment of their readiness.

Technology used for teaching the techniques

In the 1970s and ‘80s, the techniques were shown to people by authorized mahatmas or instructors on Prem Rawat’s behalf. Later, Rawat himself conducted these Knowledge sessions and showed the techniques to participants.

Since 2000, the techniques are taught via a multimedia presentation made by Rawat. In this presentation, he explains the techniques step-by-step, demonstrating them one by one in ample detail, to ensure that these are understood and practiced correctly. Most recently Rawat has developed the Keys, a comprehensive video-based representation of all aspects of his teachings. See Maharaji's Keys.

Indian customs around Prem Rawat

“Lord of the Universe” and other terms used in the ‘70

When Prem Rawat arrived in the West he was widely called “Lord of the Universe.”

Arti and other Indian songs

A practice that came from India with Prem Rawat in the ‘70s is the devotional Hindu ritual and associated song called Arti.

Darshan

The practice of darshan arrived from India with Prem Rawat.

Devotion for the Guru

In the ‘70s, Prem Rawat was surrounded by displays of devotion typically given to Masters in the Orient. These have largely dissipated. To this day, some see him as a friend, some as a teacher, and some as a Guru or Master.

In a conversation published on the website of the Prem Rawat Foundation, he said:

“People used to call me Guru. I speak from my heart, and what happens is from one heart to another. I’m not trying to place myself above people. I am a human being. Many things have been said about me. Many of these things have come from people’s own emotions, good or bad. I am proud to be a human being. I am very happy that I have this life. I am also happy that I can feel joy and pain like everyone else. Some people would love to put labels on me, but I am just me.”

The five commandments

In the ‘70s, before receiving Knowledge, students were told of five “commandments” which they needed to follow in order to progress on the path of Knowledge:

• Never leave room for doubt in your mind
• Never delay in attending satsang (listening)
• Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today
• Constantly meditate and remember the Holy Name
• Always have faith in God

Satsang (listening), meditating and remembering the Holy Name (refers to one of the techniques) are aspects of the practice of Knowledge. These five commandments were phased out in the early 1980s.

Ashram life

“Ashram” is a Hindi word that means “shelter.” Ashrams are to this day very much part of the Indian culture as well as in many places today in Western culture. In the Orient, people choose to live in ashrams essentially to dedicate themselves fully to the practice of a spiritual discipline, and Prem Rawat’s ashrams were no exception. In the ‘70s, ashrams became the center of activity for Prem Rawat’s message and teachings.

These ashrams were structured, communal living situations focused on opportunities to practice Knowledge, listen to discourses about Knowledge, usually every evening, and participate in helping to promote Rawat's message. On entering the ashram, students voluntarily took vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. The rule book for ashram residents detailed their discipline and daily schedule which included three hours of meditation a day, daily service, listening to satsang and singing the devotional song 'Arti' twice daily.

Besides being a residence, the ashrams usually served as centers of community activity where people interested in hearing about Knowledge came, listened to talks about Maharaji and Knowledge, and participated in activities that supported the spreading of Knowledge.

In the late seventies Rawat expressed publicly that his vision was for Ashrams to be the 'backbone of the premie communities' and proposed opportunities to single and available people, to join the ashram. Even though living in an ashram was essentially voluntary, critics say that Rawat had instructed his' initiators' to emphasize to the premie communities at large how important and desirable it was that single and available people should consider moving into the ashram to dedicate their lives in this particular way. Although he cited it as a tremendous and rare opportunity, only a relatively low percentage joined the ashrams. Many who did live in the ashrams report having experienced wonderful times. Others reported experiences of hellish proportions. Like any other living and social settings, each individuals experiences were different. During that period, Rawat designed a selection process for entering the ashram and told his 'initiators' how to vet people on a local level. Once selected, people could be assigned by one of these initiators, or one of the so-called 'coordinators', to another ashram in any one the cities in their country. People sometimes left ashrams if they found it too restrictive or if they wanted to enter into an intimate relationship with another person. Especially in 1983 and 1984, many residents came to prefer creating their own lifestyles. Many who left the ashrams continue to practice the techniques of Knowledge.

The closing of the ashrams in 1983-1984 was not without controversy. Many left happily but others felt let down. Some had given up university courses, family or careers to dedicate their lives in good faith to Rawat's work. Some former students who felt that they were, ironically, the ones who the most eagerly had listened to him and followed his guidance, felt betrayed and their sacrifices unappreciated. Resentment on this subject continues to this day, some ex-students feeling that Rawat owes them an apology, an explanation or simply a 'thank you'. Others who may have felt at least somewhat left down eventually came to appreciate the change, along with the strengthening of individual choice that the experience of Knowledge encourages.

The ashrams were a monastic order open to people able to make their own choices to join them and leave them as they pleased. Not only did Prem Rawat never ask anyone to move into one of these ashrams, but people joining these ashrams did so from their own volition and were free to leave at any time, and many did. A handful of members left the ashrams disenchanted. A much smaller handful left bitter and became vocal critics, some of which have been accused by Elan Vital to have become a hate-group. Historically, this happens with all monastic orders; it is a well-documented condition known as apostasy. Most students of Rawat that left the ashrams either continue enjoying the company of Rawat and listening to his teachings or, in the large majority of the cases, retain a sympathetic disposition towards him.

Mind and heart

The first posters about Prem Rawat in the early 1970s said, “Meditation is not what you think.” This message has remained consistent. Certain aspects of Hindu traditions makes a strong case about the dangers of the mind, and by that it means not the reasoning ability of a person, but the possibly self-destructive aspects of the psyche. At that time Rawat was already making a distinction between the "mind", which he described as including the dark or negative thoughts that a person may have; and "heart", the place within each person where peace can be found.

In a 1976 address, Rawat spoke a parabole in which he said to be a “doctor of the mind” (see quotes). Critics claim that this was irresponsible as some people may have interpreted this as a hope he could help them with their personal problems.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Rawat started speaking more and more about the positive aspects of the thinking process, and developed at length the theme of the importance of thinking for oneself.

Rawat's emphasis on the heart and on listening to the “call of the heart” to find guidance is core to his views and has remained constant. In his addresses, Rawat encourages students to listen to the voice of their heart as a means to progress on the path to inner fulfillment.

Some former students that became vocal critics claim that it was, ironically, the same 'call of their hearts' that had once made them open to Rawat's message that eventually prompted them to question, what they increasingly felt were, negative aspects of Rawat's teachings.

Indian aspects in the presentation of the teachings

Since the mid 1970s, Prem Rawat has made a sustained, organized effort to universalize his message and to drop the cultural trappings—Hindu and otherwise. This effort included the appointment of western initiators (later called instructors) to replace many of the Indian mahatmas in presenting his message, as well as a shift away from Hindu examples toward those more understandable to western audiences.

Indian staff

In the early years, because Rawat was still a child and came from India, a mostly-Indian contingent of aides, including mahatmas, traveled with him and helped present his message in the West. These people brought with them Indian and Hindu trappings which he and students now claim took the focus away from his core message. The group of mahatmas was dissolved and let go in the early 90s and are no more.

Alternatively some people consider that to fully understand Rawat's "core message" one should take into account its Hindu derivations and trappings. Rawat himself has pointed out that several generations of gurus preceded him in India and that the Knowledge he teaches was passed down in a very specific and often traceable manner.

People speaking in his name

In the 1970s and 1980s, initiators (or instructors) and mahatmas spoke on Prem Rawat’s behalf, presenting the message and teaching. Occasionally, their claims as to what Knowledge would and would not do differed in content from what Prem Rawat said but, by and large, their claims reflected their own experiences expressed in the light of what they had come to believe from listening to the words of Rawat. Early students were encouraged to speak publicly of their own experience or view of Knowledge. This public speaking was called 'Satsang' and was, according to Rawat, an essential ingredient in the 'practice of Knowledge'. This atmosphere of freedom of speech is still missed by some students, although anyone is free to facilitate such sessions today if they wish. Since the seventies they have seen Rawat increasingly move towards him being the sole individual qualified to speak on the subject, even while Rawat consistenly encourages practitioners of Knowledge to not be shy about sharing verbally with others the experience of contentment it brings them, to give others at least the opportunity to learn about the possibility of knowing peace within themselves.

Warning his students about confusing the Knowledge experience with Eastern religious ideas:

"When a lot of the Mahatmas came to the West, they brought with them immeasurable amounts of concepts, and it kinda went wild, and there was no stopping it. The backlash of that, I had to directly bear. The bad news is that the concepts have really gotten us in a hole to this day, where we're still having to defend ourselves, which I find pathetic having to defend ourselves and say, 'No, these things are not true.' So we cannot afford to perpetuate any concepts."

Undated.