This was my introduction to Prem Rawat (AKA Maharaji) in 1972.
It was a poster stapled to a telephone pole along the sidewalk in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
This image resurfaced recently. Someone on Facebook posted it up. Someone in New York commented, “Thank you, Don. I've been looking for this for weeks now. It was used as a hand-held sign/poster back in NYC.” Ha! She couldn’t believe it made it all the way to Michigan.
I’m now (8.29.22) prepping for a trip to Australia to see Prem Rawat. That would be about 50 years, so I say hip hip hooray for finding something that lasted 50 years and gave me a steady supply of joy, love, elation, adventure and personal growth. I may have turned out weird, but it could have been a lot worse.
Yeah, it’s been 50 years and I’m still trying to learn how to stay focused. Ha! It’s a challenge every day. It hasn’t gotten easier, or maybe it’s just that the bar has been raised. One time Prem said, ’a guru is someone who takes you to the same place that they are at’, something like that. He has said alot of beautiful, sweet things that have blown my mind.
I have traveled the world to hear him speak: India, Argentina, Canada, Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, L.A. Portland, Houston, Tucson, Mexico City, Cancun, Ecuador, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Kansas City . . . the list goes on and each city reminds of an event that happened. Not the actual words, so much, but the event itself. The travel, the prep, the arrival, the hall wherever it was being held, oh yeah London, wow, I remember that one. Ha!
There were like a million people in this hall, the Peace Palace or something like that and I was way in the back and could barely see him sitting on the stage. I had been told that the first time I see him, he will surrounded by light. Well that didn’t happen although I did squint and tried to make it happen. I guess I felt like I wasn’t high enough or something. Anyways I just remember alot of excited, happy energy from a bunch of 20 somethings who had got off on Prem’s meditation. We did a parade, as I recall, in downtown London with signs and banners. Very Indian.
He, of course, is from India, was born there, grew up there until he started traveling internationally in 1972. He has kind of become a World Citizen since then. I’m very proud of that, and of everything he has accomplished in his mission to bring peace to people.
So, yeah, that was the poster. I felt like he was looking at me. I still feel like he’s looking at me, but maybe that’s just me. Maybe I caught the resonance. Maybe it was his vibe All I can say for sure is that it brought a new horizon into view. And that’s a good way to put it because you never arrive at the horizon. It always remains a distant image, a possibility, a compelling destination.
Always hungry, always alert, that’s the way it is with Prem’s knowledge, the thing he gives people so they can be in the same place he is. And he is standing there in the center of the universe on that poster. Calmly looking at me.
music :: 00:00- ,12:32
Prem