Editing Prem Rawat (section)

===1971–1975===
In 1971, Prem Rawat traveled to the West against his mother's wishes.<ref name="Downton 1979, p. 3">Downton (1979), p. 3</ref><ref name="Lewis 1998a, p. 83">Lewis (1998a), p. 83</ref> His first western address was given in June 1971 at [[Glastonbury Festival|Glastonbury Fayre]].<ref name=prem_1>{{cite web| title=Prem Rawat @ Glastonbury 1971 (YouTube)| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SBBCy_4jII |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/3SBBCy_4jII |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live| publisher=Google LLC| date=5 April 2007| access-date=9 September 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Author Ron Geaves theorises that "the convergence of Prem Rawat, formerly known as Guru Maharaj Ji, and Glastonbury Fayre in 1971 was a key event in understanding the jigsaw that came to be known as [[New Age spirituality|'New Age' spirituality]]."<ref name=prem_2>{{cite book| title=Prem Rawat and Counterculture| author=Ron Geaves| url=https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/prem-rawat-and-counterculture-9781350090873| publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing| date=12 December 2019| isbn=9781350090873| access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref>

He then went to Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Canada and South Africa. His arrival in the United States was met with some ridicule, as the teen-aged Rawat was seen as too immature to be a religious leader.<ref name="MeltonDLM"/><ref name="Downton 1979, p. 5 & 7">Downton (1979), p. 5 & 7</ref> However, he generated great interest among young adults, who were willing to examine his claimed ability to give a direct experience of God.<ref name="MeltonDLM"/> Many were attracted by the sense of joy, peace and commitment shown by Prem Rawat's followers.<ref>Derks, Frans, and Jan M. van der Lans. 1983. "Subgroups in Divine Light Mission Membership: A Comment on Downton" in the book ''Of Gods and Men: New Religious Movements in the West''. Macon edited by Eileen Barker, GA: Mercer University Press, (1984), {{ISBN|0-86554-095-0}} pages 303-308</ref> One witness said that Prem Rawat "played the whole time he was there ... he played with squirt guns, flashed pictures of himself for all to see, and took movies of everybody ... Love flowed back and forth between him and his devotees."<ref>Downton (1979), p. 132</ref> Enthusiastic new members spread the message that the 13-year-old Prem Rawat could reveal God.<ref>Downton (1979), p. 4 & 146</ref> He returned to India later that year with 300 westerners,  stayed in the mission's [[ashram]]s.<ref name="Geaves2006a"/>

Prem Rawat started flying lessons when he was 13,<ref>"Pretty Far-Out Little Dude" Henry Allen, ''The Washington Post'', 14 September 1971</ref> and jet training at age 15.<ref>Cameron (1973)</ref> In 1972 two Cessna airplanes were obtained for his use.<ref name="CBY1974">Moritz, (1974)</ref><ref>"Gifts for a Guru" in ''Stars and Stripes'', 15 November 1972.</ref> Traveling almost constantly, he was reported to have residences in the United Kingdom, the United States, India, and Australia.<ref name="CBY1974" /><ref name="Morgan"/>

The 1972 ''Hans Jayanti'', an annual festival celebrating the birthday of Rawat's guru, was attended by over 500,000 people.<ref name=Galanter1999p22/> Six [[Boeing 747|Jumbo jets]] were chartered by American followers who paid extra so that South Americans could fly from New York to India for free. Other countries made similar arrangements to help the less financially able.<ref name="Messer, Jeanne 1976, pp. 52-72">Messer, Jeanne. "Guru Maharaj Ji and the Divine Light Mission" in The New Religious Consciousness by Charles Y. Glock and Robert N. Bellah, eds. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976, {{ISBN|0-520-03472-4}}, pp. 52-72.</ref>

A reporter who attended an event in Boston in August 1973, which drew 9,000 attendees, wrote that Prem Rawat appeared humble and human, and seemed to intentionally undercut the claims of divinity made by followers.<ref>EastWest Journal "An Expressway over Bliss Mountain" by Phil Levy P 29</ref> Sociologist James Downton said that from his beginnings, Prem Rawat appealed to his followers to give up concepts and beliefs that might impede them from fully experiencing the Knowledge (or life force). This, however, did not prevent them from adopting a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity, and projecting millennial preconceptions onto him and the movement.<ref name="isbn0-231-04198-5">{{cite book |author=Downton, James V. |title=Sacred journeys: the conversion of young Americans to Division Light Mission |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |year=1979 |isbn=0-231-04198-5 }}</ref>

Followers stressed "love, peace and happiness" in their lives, but public attitudes were often unsympathetic.<ref>Downton (1979), pp.&nbsp;5 & 7</ref> Sociologist [[Stephen A. Kent]] wrote that as a 22-year-old hippie, he found Prem Rawat's message to be banal and poorly delivered, though his companions spoke about it glowingly.<ref name="Kent2001">Kent (2001)</ref>

In August 1973 while Prem Rawat was in Detroit to receive an award, he was slapped in the face with a shaving cream pie by Pat Halley, a radical journalist. Prem Rawat said that he did not want his attacker arrested or hurt, but Halley was attacked a few days later and injured.<ref name="Moritz 1974">{{harvnb|Moritz|1974}}</ref><ref>Downton (1979), pp. 187-8</ref><ref name="NYT1973-08-08">"Guru Gets Testimonial And Some Pie in Face" in ''The New York Times''. 8 August 1973, p. 43. [https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/08/archives/guru-gets-testimonial-and-some-pie-in-face.html?sq=Guru%2520Gets%2520Testimonial%2520And%2520Some%2520Pie%2520in%2520Face&scp=1&st=cse At NYT website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012162132/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30913FC3B59137A93CAA91783D85F478785F9&scp=1&sq=Guru%20Gets%20Testimonial%20And%20Some%20Pie%20in%20Face&st=cse |date=12 October 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Who's Who in Gurus|first=Dennis |last=Bartel|page= 55|magazine=Harper's|date=November 1983}}</ref> When local members heard of the incident, they notified Prem Rawat, who requested that DLM conduct a full investigation. Two followers were identified as the assailants and the police were immediately notified. The Detroit police declined to initiate extradition proceedings. There was speculation that the lack of action may have been connected with Halley's radical politics.<ref>{{cite news|title=Guru Wants To Help|page=B2|work=Sun News|location=Las Cruces, New Mexico| date=22 August 1973}}</ref>

Prem Rawat's publicity campaign was unparalleled. One journalist reported,
<blockquote>
Thousands of people follow him wherever he goes; posters of his round, cheerful face adorn the walls of buildings in every major Western city; newspaper reporters and TV cameras cover his every public appearance—particularly his mass rallies, which attract hundreds of thousands of followers each.<ref name="Jeremy 1974">{{Harvnb|Jeremy|1974}}</ref>
</blockquote>

A tour of US cities was cut short in early September 1973 when Prem Rawat was hospitalized with an [[intestinal ulcer]]. His physician said that his body, weakened by the pace of continual travel, showed the stresses of a middle-aged executive.<ref>"The 'Perfect Master' from India has an ulcer", AP, ''THE STARS AND STRIPES'' 4 September 1973 p. 6</ref>

The ''Hans Jayanti'' of 1973, named "[[Millennium '73]]", was held in the [[Houston]] [[Astrodome]]. Press releases said that the event would mark the beginning of "a thousand years of peace for people who want peace."<ref name="Moritz 1974"/><ref name="Levine 1974">{{Harvnb|Levine|1974}}</ref><ref name="Kahn 1998">{{Harvnb|Kahn|George-Warren|Dahl|1998}}</ref> The main organizers were Prem Rawat's eldest brother Satpal Rawat and activist [[Rennie Davis]], who predicted an attendance of 100,000 or more; the event attracted about 20,000. Although not covered by the national television news, it received extensive coverage in print media and was depicted in the award-winning US documentary [[Lord of the Universe (documentary)|"Lord of the Universe"]].<ref>"Videotape Explorers on the Trail of a Guru" by Dick Adler, ''Los Angeles Times'', 23 February 1974 p. B2</ref> The premies were described as "cheerful, friendly and unruffled... nourished by their faith". To the 400 premie parents who attended, Prem Rawat was "a rehabilitator of prodigal sons and daughters". Some reporters, however, found "a confused jumble of inarticulately expressed ideas."<ref name="Morgan">Morgan (1973)</ref><ref>Collier (1978), p. 176</ref> The event was called the "youth culture event of the year".<ref name="Foss & Larkin 1978">Foss & Larkin (1978)</ref>

The event's failure to meet expectations hurt the Divine Light Mission and left it heavily in debt, forcing changes within the movement. By 1976, the DLM was able to reduce the debt to $80,000.<ref>All Gods Children: The Cult Experience - Salvation Or Slavery? by Carrol Stoner and Jo Anne Parke The New Religions ... Why Now? p. 36</ref> According to Thomas Pilarzyk, the Millennium economic deficit was partly the result of poor management by the "holy family" (Prem Rawat's mother and three older brothers), and partly the much lower than anticipated attendance.<ref name="Pilarzyk1978">Pilarzyk (1978)</ref>

Because of Prem Rawat's youth, his mother, Mata Ji, and eldest brother, Satpal Rawat, managed the affairs of the worldwide DLM. When Prem Rawat reached sixteen years of age he wanted to take a more active part in guiding the movement. According to the sociologist [[James V. Downton]], this meant he "had to encroach on his mother's territory and, given the fact that she was accustomed to having control, a fight was inevitable".<ref name="Geaves2006a" /><ref name="Downton">Downton (1979), ch. 12</ref> In December 1973, Prem Rawat took administrative control of the Mission's US branch; his mother and Satpal returned to India.<ref name="Downton 1979, p. 192">Downton (1979), p. 192.</ref>

By the end of 1973, the DLM was active in 55 countries.<ref>Downton (1979), p. 5</ref> Tens of thousands had been initiated, and several hundred centers and dozens of ashrams were formed. 1973 has been called the "peak of the Mission's success".<ref name="Aagaard1980" />

Rawat's upscale lifestyle was a source of controversy in the early 1970s.<ref>Bromley & Shupe (1981), p. 137</ref> Some media reports said that he "lived more like a king than a Messiah".<ref name="Downton 1979, p. 5 & 7"/> Critics alleged that his lifestyle was supported by the donations of followers and that the movement appeared to exist only to support his "opulent existence".<ref name=Hunt>Hunt, Stephen J. ''Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction'' (2003), pp. 116–7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. {{ISBN|0-7546-3410-8}}<br />"The major focus of Maharaji is on stillness, peace, and contentment within the individual, and his 'Knowledge' consists of the techniques to obtain them. Knowledge, roughly translated, means the happiness of the true self-understanding. Each individual should seek to comprehend his or her true self. In turn, this brings a sense of well-being, joy, and harmony as one comes in contact with one's "own nature." The Knowledge includes four meditation procedures: Light, Music, Nectar and Word. The process of reaching the true self within can only be achieved by the individual, but with the guidance and help of a teacher. Hence, the movement seems to embrace aspects of world-rejection and world-affirmation. The tens of thousands of followers in the West do not see themselves as members of a religion, but the adherents of a system of teachings that extol the goal of enjoying life to the full."</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917237,00.html |title=TIME, 7 April 1975 |magazine=Time |date=7 April 1975 |access-date=17 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826002715/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917237,00.html |archive-date=26 August 2013}}</ref> Supporters said there is no conflict between worldly and spiritual riches, and that Rawat did not advise anyone to "abandon the material world", but said it is our attachment to it that is wrong.<ref name="ReferenceA">"'You're a Perfect Master'", ''Newsweek'' 19 November 1973</ref> Press reports listed expensive automobiles such as Rolls-Royces, Mercedes-Benz limousines<ref name="Morgan"/> and sports cars, some of them gifts.<ref>"The guru who minds his mother", By MALCOLM N. CARTER, AP. 11/4/73 Stars and Stripes</ref><ref>"Boy guru weds Calif. woman, 24". Associated Press, Long Beach, Calif. ''Independent'', 22 May 1974</ref> Rawat said, "I have something far more precious to give them than money and material things—I give peace".<ref name="SFExaminer73">San Francisco Examiner, 7/21/73, as quoted in "What's Behind the 15-Year-Old Guru Maharaj Ji?" Gail Winder and Carol Horowitz, The Realist 12/73</ref> "Maharaj Ji's luxuries are gifts from a Western culture whose fruits are watches and Cadillacs", a spokesman said.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Some premies said that he did not want the gifts, but that people gave them out of their love for him.<ref>"Through a 'Third Eye' Comes The Divine Light", By PHIL HASLANGER (Of The Capital Times Staff), Capital times, 2/16/73</ref> They saw Rawat's lifestyle as an example of a [[lila (divine play)|''lila'', or divine play]], which held a mirror to the "money-crazed and contraption-collecting society" of the West.<ref name="Foss & Larkin 1978"/>

In May 1974, a judge gave Prem Rawat consent to marry without parental permission.<ref>"Guru, 16, marries secretary" AP Tues. 21 May 1974 ''Greeley Tribune''</ref> His marriage to Marolyn Johnson, a 24-year-old follower from [[San Diego, California]], was celebrated at a non-denominational church in [[Golden, Colorado]].<ref>"The Guru's Wife Is Another Devotee", Robert P. Dalton, AP Staff Writer, ''Oakland Tribune''. 23 May 1974.</ref> Prem Rawat's mother, Mata Ji, had not been invited.<ref>Downton (1979), p. 191.</ref>

Prem Rawat's marriage to a non-Indian finally severed his relationship with his mother.<ref name="Hunt"/><ref name="Downton 1979, p. 192"/> She retained control of the Indian DLM and appointed Satpal as its leader.<ref name="Downton 1979, p. 192"/> Mata Ji said she was removing Prem Rawat as Perfect Master because of his "unspiritual" lifestyle and lack of respect for her wishes.<ref name="Downton 1979, p. 192"/><ref>"Guru Tries to Take Control of Mission" in The Ruston Daily Leader, 9 April 1975:</ref><ref>"MOTHER OUSTS 'PLAYBOY' GURU" in ''Los Angeles Times''. Wednesday 2 April 1975, PART II, p. 6A</ref> Rawat retained the support of the Western disciples. Most of the mahatmas either returned to India or were dismissed.<ref name="Downton"/> Prem Rawat had become wealthy as a result of contributions from his Western devotees, and led the life of an American millionaire. He ran a household for his wife, his brother (Raja Ji) and his sister-in-law (Claudia), and financed travel for the close officials and mahatmas who accompanied him on his frequent trips around the globe to attend the Mission's festivals.<ref name="Downton"/><ref>Price (1979), pp. 279–96</ref> By early 1974 the number of full-time DLM staff had increased from six to over one thousand.<ref name="Messer, Jeanne 1976, pp. 52-72"/>

In November 1974, seeking more privacy for himself, his wife and his entourage following security concerns, Prem Rawat moved to a {{convert|4|acre|m2|adj=on}} property in [[Malibu, California]].<ref name="MHomeBase">"Maharaj Ji Buys $400,000 Home Base in Malibu Area", JOHN DART, ''Los Angeles Times'', 27 November 1974; p. B2</ref><ref name="LAT1979" /> Purchased by the DLM for $400,000, the property served as the DLM's West Coast headquarters.<ref name="MHomeBase" /><ref name="LAT1979" /><ref name="LAT1989-09-03">[[Nikki Finke|Finke, Nikki]]. "MALIBU Metamorphosis: Is Hollywood's Haven Growing into Just Another Miami Beach?" in ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. 3 September 1989. [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/results.html?st=advanced&QryTxt=Malibu+Metamorphosis+Finke&x=0&y=0&type=current&sortby=REVERSE_CHRON&datetype=0&frommonth=01&fromday=01&fromyear=1985&tomonth=07&today=24&toyear=2008&By=&Title=&at=ALL&Sect=ALL At L.&nbsp;A.&nbsp;Times Archives] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202710/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/results.html?st=advanced&QryTxt=Malibu+Metamorphosis+Finke&x=0&y=0&type=current&sortby=REVERSE_CHRON&datetype=0&frommonth=01&fromday=01&fromyear=1985&tomonth=07&today=24&toyear=2008&By=&Title=&at=ALL&Sect=ALL|date=3 March 2016}}</ref> Controversy around a helipad on the property<ref name="LAT1981-02-14">"1-Year Trial OKd for Sect's Helipad" in ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. 22 May 1981, p. F6. [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/657565412.html?dids=657565412:657565412&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=May+22%2C+1981&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(1886-Current+File)&edition=&startpage=F6&desc=1-Year+Trial+OKd+for+Sect%27s+Helipad At L.&nbsp;A.&nbsp;Times Archives] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111051756/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/657565412.html?dids=657565412:657565412&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=May+22%2C+1981&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(1886-Current+File)&edition=&startpage=F6&desc=1-Year+Trial+OKd+for+Sect%27s+Helipad|date=11 November 2012}}</ref> was resolved by installing emergency water storage for the [[Los Angeles County Fire Department]] and limiting the number of permitted flights.<ref name="LAT1985-07-07">Pasternak, Judy. "Maharaji Denied in Bid to Triple Copter Use" in ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. 7 July 1985, p.&nbsp;1. [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/64480144.html?dids=64480144:64480144&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+7%2C+1985&author=JUDY+PASTERNAK&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=1&desc=Maharaji+Denied+in+Bid+to+Triple+Copter+Use At L.&nbsp;A.&nbsp;Times Archives] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111051810/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/64480144.html?dids=64480144:64480144&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+7%2C+1985&author=JUDY+PASTERNAK&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=1&desc=Maharaji+Denied+in+Bid+to+Triple+Copter+Use|date=11 November 2012}}</ref>