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User talk:VeritiesHi everyone, I am new at this. I noticed there were suggestions for “Dusting, updating, and a balance of criticism” in the Talk:Prem Rawat/Archive 46. I agree that there is plenty of criticism in the body of the article, that so much does not need to be restated in the lead. So, below is a mock-up of my proposed updated lead to the Prem Rawat page; followed by a few miscellaneous revisions to the body. It is in Word format, to be converted into Wiki format once agreed upon and the footnote numbers will then rearrange themselves. A new, approved lead photo will also be coming forth in the future. Verities (talk) 22:49, 17 November 2011 (UTC)
!!! (italics = now omit, since it occurs in the body already; & bold = newly added, except for normal headings shown) !!!
At the age of eight, he succeeded his father Hans Ji Maharaj as leader of the Divine Light Mission (Divya Sandesh Parishad) and as the new Satguru (English: Perfect Master) to millions of Indian followers.[2][3][4][5] Despite his youth, for the next five years he travelled across India during school breaks, often addressing vast audiences. [143] Rawat gained further prominence when he traveled to the West at age 13 to spread his message.[4][5][6] His claimed ability to impart direct knowledge of God attracted a great deal of interest from young adults, and many saw him as an incarnation of the divine. Under his inspired guidance charismatic leadership, the Divine Light Mission (DLM) “Knowledge” became the fastest growing new religious spiritual movement in the West, though it was sometimes described as a cult. Rawat also attracted media attention, being ridiculed in the US for his youth and his supposed divine status, with journalists noting luxury automobiles and multiple residences made available to him by his followers. When Rawat turned sixteen in 1973 he took administrative control of the American Divine Light Mission (DLM) organisation and became more active in guiding the movement.[7] The following May, against his mother's wishes, he married an American.[7] His mother disowned him and appointed his eldest brother as head of the Indian DLM.[8] Rawat retained control of the movement outside India and later abandoned the Indian aspects of his teachings to make his message more widely acceptable.[9][10][11] The Divine Light Mission was disbanded in the West in the early 1980s, succeeded by the organizations Elan Vital (1983) and later with The Prem Rawat Foundation (2001).[12] and Words of Peace Global (2008) [144]. The core of Rawat's teaching is that the human need for fulfillment can be satisfied by turning within to 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 techniques of meditation which he teaches. Prem Rawat has been criticized for a lack of intellectual content in his public discourses.
In the last four decades, Prem Rawat has crossed the globe countless times addressing over 12 million people, on every continent. He has a physically grueling schedule. As a private airplane and helicopter pilot, he regularly tallies 100,000 miles and attends over two events a week, in an average year. [143]
In 1970, many of his new Western followers flew to India to see him, and were present at the India Gate, Delhi event when where on November 8 1970, still only twelve years old, he delivered an address known as the "Peace Bomb", which marked the start of his international work.[24][25]
Elan Vital states that the only effective way of reaching out to the over 80 countries where his message is now promoted is by leased private jet, which Rawat self-pilots, flying around a quarter million miles a year.[20]
Besides public events, he is increasingly asked to speak as an honorary guest at smaller formal gatherings, including the United Nations’ Day of Peace at the Australian Parliament House and the United Nations’ 60th Annivarsary in 2005, as well as the Italian and Argentine Senates in 2006. [143] Over the last three decades, Prem Rawat has been honored by state governors and city mayors across the United States and Europe, and has received the keys and seals of cities in North America, South America and Japan. In 2006, he was awarded the title “Ambassador of Peace” by the Rector of the International University of Peace (UNIPAZ) in Brazil. [143] In 2008, Words of Peace Global (WOPG) was incorporated as an international charitable foundation, registered in the Netherlands. It is funded entirely by donations from supporters and all its activities are free of charge. WOPG is composed largely of volunteers. WOPG hosts events with Prem Rawat ranging from small, intimate talks to international tours. They also host television programs on a wide range of channels across the world, and put out regular LiveStream broadcasts and webcasts of Prem Rawat’s talks. [145]
… These techniques are known as the ‘Knowledge’. In his public talks he does not quote from Hindu, Muslim, and Christian scriptures, but he relies on this inner experience for his inspiration and guidance, and emphasizes that this Knowledge is ‘universal’, not Indian in nature. [105] [106] [107][108]
Introduced in 2005, The Keys, a multimedia presentation available in nine languages, is a program of five DVD packs which Rawat says prepares the student for receiving Knowledge. Knowledge is attained through initiation, with a special session of the sixth Key, which teaches the four techniques of meditation, and is claimed to then allow the practitioner to "go within". [140]
Prem Rawat lives with his wife Marolyn in Malibu, California. They have four grown children. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot License and has type ratings for a number of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.[141] His résumé lists skills in computer graphics, computer-aided design and the development of aviation software. He is listed as co-inventor on a U.S. patent for a world-time aviational watch.
140. ^ The Keys - Exploring The Keys (http://www.wopg.org/en/exploring-the-keys-intro) at the Words of Peace Global website (2011) 141. ^ Cagan, A., Peace is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat, pp.228
144. ^ About TPRF – About Prem Rawat (http://www.tprf.org/en/about-tprf/about-prem-rawat) at The Prem Rawat Foundation website (2011) 145. ^ About - Words of Peace Global (http://www.wopg.org/en/about-words-of-peace) at the Words of Peace Global website (2011)
Rumiton (talk) 15:06, 18 November 2011 (UTC)
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