What happened in 1971...

Maharaji's vision: from one to thousands

During the last two months of 1971, while listening, seeing, and interacting with Maharaji almost every day in India, an extraordinary awakening took place in my life.  Just the possibility of expressing my own feeling of peace and joy to others who might be thirsty for the same experience, appeared awesome to me. I wrote out my resume and presented it to Maharaji, including four possible locations I could volunteer my work if accepted: India, New York City, Sweden, and Colombia where my parents were living and I still had resources available to me. Weeks passed, during which he would joke with me about having read my letter, and then he would change the subject.

A couple of days before I was to depart from Delhi, I unexpectedly saw Maharaji speaking to a few people. As soon as he saw me, he stretched his arm pointing directly at me and said, "You must go to Colombia and prepare my way because I'm going to go there this year." Then he asked, "How many were you when you started in America?" "Six or seven," I responded. "And how many of you are here now?" "About 400," I said. Then he proceeded, "You see, it always starts with one person, and then there will be dozens, and then hundreds, and thousands!" He continued speaking to me for a long time. Right there and then, I definitely understood the possibility of his message being spread all over the world, of Maharaji reaching out to the hearts of thousands of people, and this amazing opportunity for me to be part of such an undertaking.

Gita Bai, early student of Maharaji

A Chance Meeting

Like so many other young people at the time, I had been hiking around Europe, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India for some time - just enjoying the freedom of being able to go where I pleased and do what I wanted with no responsibilities. However, there was also a feeling that somehow there had to be more, and despite trying everything on offer (and I do mean everything), I had still not found what I was truly looking for.

Then on the way back from India in late 1970, I ran across two strange-looking English guys on the Greek/Yugoslavian border, where a group of us had been held up overnight. They were dressed in very lightweight Indian cotton clothes and sandals with half-shaven heads and not much else except a sleeping bag each - and here we were heading back to a cold English winter!! It was already getting cold, but this didn't seem to bother them as they kept going on about a 12-year-old boy they had come across somewhere in the foothills of the Himalayas who had spoken to them with great authority and wisdom. They said they believed him to be a true Guru - a Satguru. I guess what caught my attention, however, was the young age of the person they were talking about. They gave me an address in Golder's Green, London, and I remember thinking how ironic it would be if, after traveling all those thousands of miles (this had been my second trip out East - on foot!!), I were to find what I had been looking for in London, a mere 1-1/2 hours by train from my hometown of Salisbury.

In the spring of 1971, after I got back to England, I went to the address they gave me, and I started learning more about this boy called Maharaji. It seemed like no time at all before I was being swept along to Heathrow Airport in June with a couple of hundred others to greet him in person as he first set foot in the West. We had two sacks full of flower petals, roses mainly, and these were strewn in front of him as he came through the arrivals gate. I still remember the great big smile on his face, his white cotton clothes, and his chubby, sandaled feet. For once, I was at the front of the crowd, but when Maharaji came towards us and the cameras started flashing, I was pushed towards him as the crowd jostled for a closer look. I ended up walking right behind him for a couple of meters or so. I thought,  "We are going to crush the poor boy to death before he has even had a chance to say anything." He just walked across those flower petals as if he were walking on air, and he was completely nonplused as regards the chaos that surrounded him. Within a few minutes, he was in the back of the car that had been hired for the day, and he was gone - leaving me and everyone else completely breathless!!

That had me truly hooked, and my claim to fame was the photo of Maharaji that appeared in the local paper the following day proclaiming the arrival of the "boy Guru," with a funny-looking, longhaired hippie behind him (headband and all), which was me trying to stop me and him from getting crushed.

Within 2 or 3 weeks I found myself in a Knowledge Session with about 50 others being shown the techniques of Knowledge by Charan Anand, a mahatma who had accompanied Maharaji from India.

I often look back with immense joy to those days of great excitement. I always feel a great deal of pride and gratitude that, after so many years of wandering, I had found my teacher at such an early stage in my life.

David Windsor, one of the first Westerners to receive the techniques of Knowledge after Maharaji first arrived in England in 1971

I first saw Maharaji at a rock festival

I was a student attending the university in Bournemouth for a year abroad in 1971.I had heard nothing about Maharaji, as he had not yet arrived in the West. Just days before my return to the USA, I was told about an event happening in Glastonbury - not a program that Maharaji was putting on, but a 3-day gathering of people and rock bands. I remember seeing masses of people so obviously searching but not finding. Then at night, while I was near the stage listening to a band, the stage was suddenly cleared, and a chair was set up for a speaker. Out walked Maharaji, 13 years old but serene, in complete contrast to the setting. He spoke only about 15 minutes, but in that short time he made such a promise of personal peace that my life was changed forever.

Lynne Trine

What happened in 1973...

Maharaji is 15 years old.

The year is notable for a series of public events in the West, culminating in an international event in Houston in November.

Early in the year, Maharaji does events in Hardwar, Delhi, and Meerut in India before going to the West.

Cities where Maharaji speaks include London, Los Angeles, Denver, Boulder, New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Paris, Bonn, Munich, Copenhagen, Rome, and Houston. The events in Denmark and Italy mark the first time he speaks in those countries.

Maharaji receives recognition from municipal and state leaders and assemblies in the US. There is extensive media coverage leading up to the event in Houston on November 8, 9, 10, which is attended by approximately 20,000 people.

Maharaji is becoming more established in the West and does not return to India until the spring of 1975.

There are signs of growing rifts between Maharaji and his mother and oldest brother, and between Maharaji and some of the senior organizers in the US.

Maharaji celebrates his 16th birthday in December.

Anarchist students disrupt event with Maharaji in Paris

I remember the second visit of Maharaji in Paris, in September 1973. For this event we booked La Mutualité, a hall in the center of the city, famous for tumultuous political meetings. We were very happy that Maharaji was to visit, full of enthusiasm and energy. In one week, working day and night, we covered the walls of Paris and its suburbs with thousands of posters to invite people to come and listen to him. We also handed out thousands and thousands of leaflets in the streets.

On the day of the event, the result of all this publicity was predictable: a big crowd of people stood outside in the street, trying to enter a hall that was already packed. It was intense. As soon as Maharaji came on stage, a small group of young people in the back of the hall started yelling and throwing eggs and tomatoes. Not a single projectile reached Maharaji, but under these circumstances, it was obvious that he could not stay very long.

However, very quietly, Maharaji spent a few minutes speaking, and at the end he said something like, "I came as a friend." In the middle of the confusion, it was so touching to hear his friendly message of peace.

A few months later, a girl from this group became a student of Maharaji. She told me that the behavior of these people was not particularly against Maharaji, but that this was what they used to do for fun in any big meeting: they knew little or nothing about him, but liked creating disturbances. A kind of anarchist's happening. The May '68 French student revolution was still vivid in their minds.

Loïc Allio, an organizer of 1973 Paris event

Virologist consults Maharaji about origins of cancer

Renowned virologist Robert Gallo, now Director of the Institute of Human Virology of the University of Maryland, approached Maharaji to ask where he might find the origin of cancer. "Look within the mysteries of life itself," Maharaji answered. Not a bad piece of advice, as reported by John Crewdson in his book Science Fictions.

José Benaim, Researcher

16-year old Maharaji discusses global economy with business graduate

Maharaji came to Boston in August of 1973, and we had rented a house for him. There was an event at Hynes Auditorium that was designed to hold 5500 people, and nearly 10,000 people showed up. About 7500 or so got crammed into the hall, and another couple of thousand gathered in the street outside where loudspeakers were set up. The next day, I remember standing in the living room of the house with him. I had recently gotten my MBA from Boston University, and he was talking about the global economic situation. He was 15 years old, and he was talking about the Japanese auto industry and the German steel industry and many other things. It was the clearest analysis of the global economic situation I had ever heard. From the standpoint of somebody who had just been to business school, it was really interesting for me that this young man was speaking much more clearly than any professor I'd ever heard.

Jon Knight, an early student of Maharaji's in the US

What happened in 1975...

Maharaji is 17 years old.

The year is notable for the birth of his first child in March, his return to India for the first time in two years - in the face of much opposition from his oldest brother - and the appointment of the first Western instructors.

By February, Maharaji's mother returns to India to join her eldest son, who has been telling Maharaji's students there that Maharaji is no longer the Master.

In April, Maharaji returns to India for a month to speak to his students there. In spite of organized opposition, Maharaji is able to meet thousands of his students at impromptu programs in Kathmandu, Delhi, Jhumri Talaiya, Lucknow, Calcutta, and Mumbai. While in Jhumri Talaiya, he and Marolyn have a Hindu wedding ceremony.

Maharaji visits Nepal for the first time. Later in the year, he makes initial visits to Hong Kong and Venezuela.

In July, Maharaji confirms 4 students as the first Western instructors.

Events with Maharaji are primarily for his students and take place in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Malibu (CA), Denver, Boulder, Caracas, Essen (Germany), London, Sydney, and Orlando (FL). The international outdoor event in Orlando, Florida, in November is attended by 8,000 of his students.

A change in management

I was working at the grandly named International Headquarters of Maharaji's work in Denver. It was a time of change, but to me the most significant development was the desire of Bob Mishler, the man in charge at the time, with a charismatic but driven personality, to downplay Maharaji's role as the teacher to a point of near invisibility. Bob felt this would be much more acceptable to the American mentality. Maharaji rejected the plan, holding the role of the teacher as essential - that you couldn't take the teacher out of the equation. Bob found the rejection hard to take, and he became increasingly unhappy, in the end resigning his role. His successor was Michael Dettmers, who told me Maharaji asked for a message to be sent to Bob saying, "The door that you walked out through goes both ways; you are always welcome to walk back through it." It was sad, because Maharaji and Bob had enjoyed a good relationship.

Glen Whittaker

Maharaji's brother tries to take over from Maharaji

What happened in 1979...

Maharaji was 21 years old.

In February, Maharaji moves from Malibu to Miami, Florida.

He also begins to refurbish a used Boeing-707 aircraft that has been purchased to facilitate his international travels.

Multi-day events for premies were held in Denver, Miami Beach, Marbella (SP), Lingfield (UK), and Kissimmee, FL, twice, The event in Kissimmee in November had over 17,000 international attendees.

Maharaji attends multi-day events for students in Denver, Miami Beach, Marbella (Spain), Lingfield (UK), and Kissimmee (FL) (twice). The international event in Kissimmee in November is attended by over 17,000 students.

Maharaji speaks at public events, including one in Royal Albert Hall, London, and other events in Ventura (CA), Wildwood (NJ), Milwaukee (WI), Portland (OR), Los Angeles, Colorado Springs (CO), New Orleans, Miami, and Reigate (Surrey, UK).

The organization closes its main offices in Denver and moves to Miami Beach.

What happened in 1980...

Maharaji is 22 years old.

The year is notable for his return to India, in October, for the first time since 1975. While there, he meets with organizers of events, holds an instructor training program for Indian instructors, and speaks to over 38,000 students in Delhi on newly acquired land.

The refurbishing of the 707 is completed in June.

Maharaji continues to hold large, multi-day events for his students in Cartagena (Colombia), Miami, Rome, London, New Delhi, and Kansas City (MO). Other cities where he speaks include Cancun (Mexico), Lima, Sao Paulo, and Leicester (UK).

He returns to South America for events for the first time since 1976, and his visit to Mexico is his first to that country.

Maharaji obtains a private pilot's license. He begins training to obtain certifications and ratings for operating various types of aircraft.

A Universal language

Maharaji went on a tour, stopping first in Mexico City, then Lima, Caracas, and Brazil in 1980. People came from all over to see him at every stop. Because I wasn't busy with organization and preparation and so forth, I had a chance to interact with the local people differently. Many were really poor, and I heard so many stories about how they got the money together to hop on a plane and get there to see him. Then to see him interact with them - it was like he was speaking a universal language.

Dennis Marciniak

What happened in 1982...

Maharaji is 24 years old.

Maharaji again accepts invitations to speak at public events.

Cities where Maharaji speaks at least once include Rome, Kuala Lumpur, Brisbane, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Suva (Fiji), Tokyo, Los Angeles, Lima, Caracas, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Berkeley (CA), Santa Monica (CA), Denver, Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC, Montreal, Toronto, Miami Beach, Paris, Hamburg, Milan, Madrid, Lisbon, Manchester, Leicester, and London (at Royal Albert Hall). In many cities, Maharaji returns and speaks to interested people in a follow-up event.

Maharaji attends multi-day events for his students in Rome, Miami Beach, and New Delhi (attendance of 25,000).

Maharaji again conducts an instructor candidate training program.

Maharaji celebrates his 25th birthday in December.

What happened in 1983

Maharaji is 25 years old.

Maharaji does many events for his students and conducts meetings with instructors.

Cities where Maharaji speaks at least once include Miami, Manchester, Leicester, Brighton (UK), New Delhi, Colombo (Sri Lanka), Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Auckland, Melbourne, Tokyo, Cartagena (Colombia), Lima, Sao Paulo, Caracas, Mexico City, Denver, Vancouver, Santa Monica (CA), New York, Chicago, Paris, Hamburg, Milan, Madrid, London, Birmingham, and Montreal. He visits some cities more than once.

The event in Sri Lanka is Maharaji's first in that country.

Maharaji speaks at multi-day events for students in Miami Beach and New Delhi.

The ashrams, long the centers of activity, start to close in the US. Elan Vital becomes the organizational entity that supports Maharaji's work in the US, and similar transitions begin in other countries.

Maharaji speaks to Buddhists about illusion and reality

I was an instructor visiting Taiwan, preparing for Maharaji's first visit. There was tremendous interest in him because some people thought he might be the "future Buddha," the Great Enlightened One. A lot of people who were from a Buddhist background were very interested in him. As I spoke with people, one question kept coming up. It was based on a quote which I think came from the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism: "Everything you can see and touch and hear is illusion. And illusion can never take you to reality."  So their question was, "You can see Maharaji, and he gives you Knowledge, which is a practice. So that has to be illusion, and how can illusion take you to reality?" Every other question would be resolved, but this one just stumped me. When Maharaji came to give his first talk, after about 20 minutes he leaned forward and brought up this question himself. Immediately, there was pin-drop stillness. Speaking into a microphone, he said, "Once this microphone did not exist. The elements of it were in the earth. They came together, and now it is a microphone. Because it's a microphone that works, you can hear me. But someday it will go back to its elements. It won't always exist. So let's say illusion is what exists temporarily, and reality is what always exists." The next months that I was in Taiwan, that question never came up again.

John Horton, MD

What happened in 1984...

Maharaji is 26 years old.

Maharaji speaks at events for students and the public in New York, Birmingham (UK), Leicester, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Tokyo, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Fiji, Los Angeles, Santa Monica (CA), Miami Beach, Miami, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Milan, Lausanne (France), Versailles, Mainz (Germany), Copenhagen, Edinburgh, London, Leicester, Manchester, Dublin, Newark (NJ), Longmont (CO), Barranquilla (Colombia), Lima, Mendoza, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Caracas, and Brighton (UK).

The events in Greece, Ireland, and Taiwan are Maharaji's first in those countries. His trip to Buenos Aires is the first since 1976.

The ashrams continue to close outside of India.

At mid-year, Maharaji and his family move back to Malibu.

What happened in 1985...

Maharaji is 27 years old.

The year was noteworthy for the number of public events and ongoing instructor training programs.

Maharaji continues to attend events for the public and his students.

Cities where he attends at least one event include Vancouver, Hayward (CA), Los Angeles, Costa Mesa (CA), Papeete (Tahiti), Suva (Fiji), Auckland, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Taipei, Tokyo, Longmont (CO), Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Gainesville, Miami, Dallas, San Francisco, San Diego, Ventura (CA), Miami Beach, Paris, Rome, Athens, Tel Aviv, Milan, Geneva, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Dublin, Leicester, Manchester, Edinburgh, Marseilles, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire), N'dola (Zambia), Accra (Ghana), Sun City (South Africa), Port Louis (Mauritius); in India at Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Jaipur, Patna, Jhumri Talaiya; Kathmandu; Guayaquil, Mendoza (Argentina), Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Caracas, Mexico City, Bethlehem(PA), and Long Beach (CA).

Maharaji's events in Israel, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Zambia, Mauritius, Tahiti, and Ecuador are his first in those countries.

Maharaji speaks at multi-day events in New Delhi (60,000 attendees) and Miami Beach.

Maharaji introduces a prototype training for part-time instructors.

What happened in 1986...

Maharaji is 28 years old.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Maharaji's accepting the mantle of Master from his father.

Maharaji speaks at many public events, in many cities more than once. Maharaji also attends events for his students and conferences for national organizers.

Multi-day events or conventions take place in Birmingham (UK), Miami Beach, and New Delhi.

Cities were Maharaji speaks during at least one event include Tapatio Springs (TX), Calgary, Vancouver, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Miami Beach, Gainesville, Orlando, Miami, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Durham (NC), Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal, Washington DC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Boston, New York, Morristown (NJ), Portland (ME), New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Tokyo, Osaka, Mexico City, Guayaquil, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Caracas, West Palm Beach (FL), Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Lautoka (Fiji); South Croydon, Birmingham, Dublin, Manchester, Nottingham, London, Bristol (UK); Frankfurt, Munich, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Abidjan, Geneva, Rome, Paris, Montpellier, Copenhagen, and Oxnard (CA).

Training programs for part-time instructors continue, beginning with one in Tapatio, TX.

Instructor training

A beautiful time in my life was the two years when I was a part-time instructor. Every six months we had a refresher training for a week. We were maybe a hundred people in the room with Maharaji. The first day he asked people their names, then he remembered them all, even though people were from different countries. He is such a good teacher, always aware of our physical and emotional states. One thing that impresses me a lot is his body language. When he talks to someone, he is completely present. His whole body turns in the direction of the person he is talking to. I have also observed that he always does a lot of preparation for what he is doing, realizing how precious time is.
Jean-Paul Biberian

What happened in 1987...

Maharaji is 29 years old.

This year is noteworthy, as Maharaji begins to conduct Knowledge reviews for students all over the world.

Maharaji continues to conduct instructor training programs, 8 in all, in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Palestrina (Italy), London, Penang (Malaysia), and Los Angeles. He also holds a training for those students who will present his message.

Maharaji speaks at 14 2-day Knowledge review events in cities in the US and Europe, including Rye (NY), Snowmass (CO), Palm Springs (CA), Grenelefe (FL), Helsinki, Travemunde (Germany), Lyons, Montreux (Switzerland), Valencia (Spain), Rome, and Le Touquet (France).

A multi-day event in New Delhi in April is attended by 60,000 of his students. Maharaji attends several national and international organizer conferences.

Maharaji celebrates his 30th birthday in December.

Article about Maharaji in Times of India

An article published on December 4, 1987 in The Times of India describes Maharaji's mission as involving international tours, during which he explains to "people in general, without any distinction of caste, color, race, stature, or wealth, that the source of happiness, peace, and contentment lies within one's own self. ... He is trying to prepare humanity to face and overcome the present-day tussle and turmoil prevailing in the world in the name of achieving world peace, on an individual basis. In fact, what Maharaj Ji is trying to do is not being comprehended by most of the people, with the results that he is included in the category of those persons who have become mere machines to collect wealth, while Maharaj Ji has taken a pledge to complete this huge task without any monetary consideration."

José Benaim, Researcher

What happened in 1988...

Maharaji is 30 years old.

In February, in Oxnard, California, Maharaji personally conducts a Knowledge Session for the first time. He conducts five more Knowledge Sessions over the course of the year.

These Knowledge Sessions mark a departure from his training others to give the gift of Knowledge on his behalf.

Although he continues to train instructors, Maharaji personally begins to manage the Knowledge process. He trains a few instructors to give Knowledge in the West. Six instructor trainings are held in different parts of the world to re-align existing instructors with a shifting role.

Maharaji attends 20 meetings to help prepare those interested in learning the techniques of Knowledge.

Maharaji holds 8 more 2-day Knowledge review events, and, in the 14 cities where these types of events had previously taken place, he holds one-day events featuring an address by him, a practice session, and a question-and-answer session. He speaks at 5 public events at the beginning of the year.

Cities where events with Maharaji take place at least once include Los Angeles, London, Hamburg, Geneva, Reigate (UK), Madrid, Buenos Aires, Rye (NY), Oxnard (CA), Miami, Montreal, New Delhi, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Auckland, Gold Coast (Australia), Grenelefe (FL), Palm Springs (CA), Birmingham (UK), Athens, Tel Aviv, Versailles, Munich, Rome, London, Lisbon, Madrid, Montreux (Switzerland), Malibu, Brighton (UK), Sydney, and Yokohama.

Ideas from India

At this time in Japan, some people saw Maharaji as a sort of mystical being. There was a student of his that I talked to who was convinced that Maharaji was divine. He would say to me, "I think Maharaji's just trying to make it easy for people because they can't accept him as this divine being." I would say, "I really do not think that he sees himself as a divine being." But this fellow stubbornly would not see it that way. When Maharaji came and had a question-and-answer period, this person posed his question to him. Maharaji responded very strongly, expressing his own frustration, saying, "Those are the ideas of India." He started to explain, almost emotionally, that when he was a kid, he was like the hood ornament of this car - this Divine Light Mission and the traditions of India. That's how people saw him, and that's what was projected. Then he looked at him and said, "Look, what do you feel about me?" The person responded, "Yes, I love you, and I am grateful for Knowledge." And Maharaji said, "I love you, too. And let's keep it there, okay? All this other stuff is irrelevant."

John Horton, MD, an instructor for Maharaji at the time

What happened in 1989...

Maharaji is 31 years old.

Maharaji continues to manage the Knowledge process and holds several international events.

He speaks at events for students that include a practice session and a question-and-answer session. Maharaji addresses the public at more than 20 events.

Maharaji attends multi-day international events for his students in Miami (in July, with 9,000 attendees), in New Delhi (in November with 75,000), and in Brussels (in December with 10,500).

Maharaji continues to train instructors who will speak at events and help prepare people interested in learning the techniques of Knowledge.

This year Maharaji speaks at least once in Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami, Brighton (UK), Latina (Italy), Brisbane, Kolkata (India), Ezulwini Valley (Swaziland), Quatres Bornes (Mauritius), Alphaville (Brazil), Buenos Aires, Abidjan, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Rome, Paris, San Francisco, New York, Montreal, Mexico City, Yokohama, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Santa Monica (CA), and Brussels.

What happened in 1990...

Maharaji is 32 years old.

Maharaji continues to direct how his message is presented and the Knowledge process. A landmark event this year is the instructor conference in Malibu in February where he begins to redefine this role.

He speaks at over 50 public events in countries all over the world.

He conducts over 20 meetings for people interested in Knowledge and 14 Knowledge Sessions. Many of these sessions are part of 2-day events that also include Knowledge reviews or practice sessions and a public event.

Maharaji unexpectedly drops in on students attending local events in Montreal, Oakland (CA), and Los Angeles.

In India, Maharaji holds events in New Delhi in March for 55,000 and in November for 60,000, as well as public events in Goa, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Cities where there is at least one event with Maharaji include Malibu, New York, Brighton (UK), New Delhi, Honolulu, Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taipei, Buenos Aires, Vancouver, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Long Beach (CA), Chicago, Boston, Montreal, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Durham (NC), Atlanta, West Palm Beach (FL), Paris, Athens, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Warsaw, Berlin, Vienna, Zurich, Milan, Madrid, Dublin, London, Reigate (UK), Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Abidjan, Miami, Oakland (CA), Hyderabad, Goa, Chennai, Kathmandu, and Rome.

What happened in 1991...

Maharaji is 33 years old.

This year is notable for the first event at "La Tierra del Amor," the land that has been purchased in Escobar, Argentina, near Buenos Aires.

The event at La Tierra is held for 5 days in January with approximately 2,000 attendees. Maharaji gives informal addresses and conducts Knowledge preparation meetings and Knowledge Sessions.

Maharaji speaks at multi-day events in Escobar (Argentina) (2000), Brisbane (1,300), Brighton (UK) (5,000), Madrid (4,000), Abidjan, and Sun City (South Africa). In India, events in New Delhi in April and December are attended by 70,000 and 50,000 students respectively.

Maharaji speaks at events that are open to the public in 32 cities.

Cities where there is at least one event with Maharaji include Escobar (Argentina), Caracas, Anaheim (CA), Miami, East Brunswick (NJ), Chicago, Denver, Mexico City, Tokyo, Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Hong Kong, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Brisbane, Brighton (UK), Toulouse, Geneva, Athens, Copenhagen, Madrid, Pasadena (CA), Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire), Sun City (South Africa), Port Louis (Mauritius), Thousand Oaks (CA), Reigate (UK), Auckland, Vancouver, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Montreal, San Francisco, Boulder (CO), Fort Lauderdale, New York, Phoenix, Honolulu, San Diego, and Los Angeles.

Refuge from war

In 1991 when the Gulf War was going on, Maharaji was concerned about his students living in Israel. He thought it might be a good idea for them to be able to go away from there. The question was, "Where would they go?" Maharaji thought some of them could come to La Tierra [a property for events in Argentina] and some to India. Quite a group went to India and to Argentina also. They stayed there for maybe less than a year. And for them, it was amazing that they were in Israel in a war, and they got a call from someone saying, "Maharaji is concerned about you, and he has invited you to come and stay at one of the centers." Internationally, people helped out financially with their tickets and so on, and they didn't have to pay anything. They just were taken care of.

Claus R.

What happened in 1992...

Maharaji is 34 years old.

This year is notable for the first event at "Amaroo," the Ivory's Rock Conference Centre located in Peak Crossing outside of Brisbane, Australia, and for Maharaji's continuing hands-on participation in all aspects of the Knowledge process.

Early in the year, Maharaji conducts many meetings with people interested in Knowledge and holds several Knowledge Sessions in the West.

There are events for students and interested people.

In India, he speaks at two public events, one in April and another in November, each attended by more than 60,000 people.

In Australia, Maharaji attends a 5-day event at Amaroo in October. Cities where there is at least one event with Maharaji include Los Angeles, Miami Beach, Oxnard (CA), Miami, Ventura (CA), Thousand Oaks (CA), East Brunswick (NJ), Brisbane, New Delhi, Reigate (UK), Eastbourne (UK), Versailles, Milan, Athens, Sitges (Spain), Brighton (UK), Nottingham, Madrid, London, Rome, Fort Lauderdale, Pasadena (CA), and Peak Crossing (Australia).

Maharaji celebrates his 35th birthday in December.

What happened in 1993...

Maharaji is 35 years old.

This year, Maharaji's continues his personal involvement in the Knowledge process. He also establishes video events as a practical and effective way to present his message.

Maharaji personally conducts meetings for people interested in Knowledge and holds Knowledge Sessions. The number of people actively preparing for Knowledge is high, and he asks a small number of instructors to assist with those meetings.

Maharaji conducts Knowledge practice and review sessions and speaks at many events for the public.

At the multi-day event in Ostia, Italy, Maharaji encourages his students to use videos of his addresses to introduce guests to his message.

50,000 attend a multi-day event with Maharaji in New Delhi in November.

Cities where he attends at least one event include Anaheim (CA), Santa Monica, Fort Lauderdale, New Delhi, Sao Paulo (Brazil), Escobar (Argentina), Peak Crossing (Australia), Brighton (UK), Paris, Mannheim (Germany), Ostia (Italy), Crete, Barcelona, Porto (Portugal), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Denver, Montreal, Philadelphia, Kyoto, Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Kuala Lumpur, Reduit (Mauritius), Johannesburg, Yamossoukro (Cote d'Ivoire), Accra (Ghana), and Birmingham (UK).

What happened in 1994...

Maharaji is 36 years old.

This year is marked by Maharaji's continued personal involvement in the Knowledge process, ongoing Knowledge reviews for his students, and open events for the public.

Maharaji speaks at several multi-day events: in New Delhi for 64,000 attendees in April, at the Ivory's Rock Conference Centre in May with 3,300 attendees, in Kathmandu for 11,000 in October, and in Long Beach, CA, in December for 6,400 international attendees.

Maharaji attends at least one event this year in Westlake Village (CA), Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Phoenix, San Diego, Isla Margarita (Venezuela), New York City, Denver, Brisbane, Otsu (Japan), Kyoto, Okayama, Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Kathmandu, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Penang (Malaysia), Reduit (Mauritius), Peak Crossing (Australia), Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Dublin, Mannheim (Germany), Porto (Portugal), Barcelona, Brighton (UK), Copenhagen, Paris, Rome, Athens, London, Accra (Ghana), Abidjan, Cotonou (Benin), Miami Beach, Sao Paulo, Santiago (Chile), Buenos Aires, Malibu, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Melbourne, Long Beach (CA), and Oxnard (CA).

Maharaji attends his first event in Benin, West Africa.

What happened in 1995...

Maharaji is 37 years old.

The year is marked by Maharaji's ongoing involvement in the Knowledge process and the first of many team trainings for those organizing his work.

Maharaji continues to conduct Knowledge preparation meetings and Knowledge Sessions and speak at events for students and those who are preparing for Knowledge.

Maharaji's wife, Marolyn, suffers an aneurysm, and for more than a month Maharaji does not speak at any events.

Multi-day events with Maharaji include one in New Delhi for 56,000 attendees in April.

Cities where Maharaji speaks during at least one event include Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Tainan (Taiwan), New Delhi, Miami Beach, Thousand Oaks (CA), Brighton (UK), Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland, Sheffield (UK), Mannheim (Germany), Rome, Barcelona, Porto (Portugal), Hove (UK), Gatwick (UK), Milan, Barcelona, Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London, Washington DC, Thousand Oaks (CA), Denver, Cotonou (Benin), Abidjan, Accra (Ghana), Montreal, Miami, Pasadena, Universal City (CA), Brisbane, Long Beach (CA), Los Angeles, and Malibu.

In late December, Maharaji attends the first of many team trainings for a small group of instructors and organizers.

Maharaji designs team trainings based on individual responsibility

In 1995 and 1996 Maharaji began team trainings for people who were helping with his work. He wanted to bring in some accountability and for people to learn how to work together. He also wanted to cut out the sense of hierarchy. I was one of the facilitators. I'd been in the training field for twenty years at the time and saw how intuitive Maharaji was about how to do a training. Very few ideas were presented. Tasks would be given to people, and the tasks would not allow for positional importance or expertise because they were too simple. People had to think for themselves and be able to justify their proposals to the rest of the team. If anybody disagreed with the proposal, they could object, but they would have to give clear grounds for their objection. The one who made the proposal would then have to answer the objection for the work to go forward. It brought out the best and the worst in people, so that they had a chance to look at both. He had a lot of trust that if people could be more conscious and they worked together, there was nothing they couldn't do. Probably the most common thing that people said coming out that training, even though it was teamwork training, was, "I've found my voice."

Tim Gallwey, author, corporate consultant

What happened in 1996...

Maharaji is 38 years old.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Maharaji's arrival in the West and the 30th anniversary of Maharaji's accepting the mantle of Master from his father.

Besides ongoing meetings for people interested in Knowledge and Knowledge Sessions, the year's activities are focused on team trainings and events for students that feature Knowledge reviews.

Multi-day international events with Maharaji are held in Rome, in June, with 6,500 attending and in Miami Beach, in July, with 7,500.

In November, Maharaji does several events in India outside of New Delhi, including a public event in Ahmedabad where he speaks to 51,000.

There is a multi-day, international event for 8,900 in Long Beach, CA, at year's end.

This year Maharaji speaks at least once in the following cities: Malibu, Miami Beach, Thousand Oaks (CA), Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Osaka, Okayama, Brighton (UK), Barcelona, Geneva, Mannheim (Germany), Stockholm, Santa Monica (CA), Montreal, Aurora (IL), Greenvale (NY), Rome, London, Cotonou (Benin), Abidjan, Aguas de Lindoia (Brazil), Montevideo, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Grand Baie (Mauritius), Reigate (UK), Auckland, Peak Crossing (Australia), Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Kolkata (India), Kathmandu, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Long Beach (CA).

What happened in 1997...

Maharaji is 39 years old.

This year is notable for team-training sessions and Maharaji's continued involvement with Knowledge preparation meetings and Knowledge Sessions.

Maharaji reinstitutes the part-time instructor role at one of the team trainings. Instructors are to provide general inspiration and assist in the Knowledge preparation process as needed.

Maharaji continues to conduct meetings for people interested in Knowledge and Knowledge Sessions as time allows. Two instructors conduct preparation meetings and Knowledge Sessions using a video presentation of the techniques when Maharaji is not available.

There are events for students, people preparing for Knowledge, and the public.

Maharaji speaks at multi-day events in New Delhi, in April with 50,000 attendees, in Brighton (UK) with 4,000, in Amaroo for 4,400, in Kathmandu for 13,000, and in Long Beach (CA) with 8,900 attendees in December.

Maharaji attends at least one event in Fort Lauderdale, New Delhi, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Paris, Mannheim (Germany), Barcelona, Milan, Leicester, Brighton (UK), Copenhagen, London, Toronto, New York, Oakland, Miami Beach, Veracruz (Mexico), Isla Margarita (Venezuela), Santiago (Chile), Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Abidjan, Durban, Grand Baie (Mauritius), Peak Crossing (Australia), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Denver, New Delhi, Kolkata (India), Kathmandu, and Long Beach (CA).

Maharaji celebrates his 40th birthday in December.

What happened in 1998...

Maharaji is 40 years old.

Noteworthy events of the year include ongoing team-training sessions, meetings with students about letting more people know about Maharaji and Knowledge, and a live satellite broadcast.

Maharaji continues to attend team-training sessions and conducts Knowledge preparation meetings and Knowledge Sessions as time allows.

Events for students feature Knowledge practice sessions or Knowledge reviews. Maharaji speaks at events for people preparing for Knowledge and for students.

Meetings with Maharaji for students involved in propagation and event planning are held in the UK and the US.

In December, Maharaji speaks via a live, interactive global satellite broadcast from an event in Pasadena, CA, to 86,600 participants in 173 locations in 50 countries.

Cities where Maharaji attends at least one event include Malibu, Miami, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, New Delhi, Ascot (UK), Miami Beach, Montreal, Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles), Long Beach (CA), London, Reigate (UK), Rome, Colorado Springs, Atlantic City, Chicago, Hartford (CT), Abidjan, Cotonou (Benin), Brighton (UK), Barcelona, Accra (Ghana), Agoura (CA), Brisbane, Peak Crossing (Australia), Kyoto, Kathmandu, Grand Baie (Mauritius), and Pasadena (CA).

Maharaji's event in Curaçao is his first in that country.

What happened in 1999...

Maharaji is 41 years old.

This year is notable for team-training sessions, multi-day events for students, and the launching of Maharaji's personal website in January.

Maharaji speaks at events for students and those preparing for Knowledge. Events for students include Knowledge practice sessions and sessions focusing on participation.

Maharaji conducts Knowledge preparation meetings and Knowledge Sessions as time allows. A few instructors continue to conduct Knowledge Sessions when Maharaji is not available to do so.

Large multi-day events with Maharaji take place in Manchester (UK) for 6,600 attendees and in New Delhi for 67,000.

Cities where Maharaji attends at least one event include New Delhi, Johor Bahru (Malaysia), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Peak Crossing (Australia), Miami Beach, Mar del Plata (Argentina), Montreal, Miami, Manchester (UK), Barcelona, Arundel (UK), and Agoura (CA).

For the first time, Maharaji's message is broadcast on a regular basis via satellite to North American cities. Similar initiatives follow in other regions and countries.

What happened in 2000...

Maharaji is 42 years old.

The landmark event of this year is the introduction of the computer-based presentation of the techniques of Knowledge.

This video presentation is used for Knowledge reviews for Maharaji's students and for Knowledge Sessions.

Most events are for students, although Maharaji does speak at some meetings for people preparing for Knowledge.

A multi-day event in New Delhi in November is attended by 81,000.

Team-training sessions continue. Maharaji also attends event-planning meetings and meetings for those involved in introducing people to his message.

Cities where Maharaji speaks during at least one event include Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, Los Angeles, Santa Monica (CA), Woodland Hills (CA), Boston, Toronto, Alexandria (VA), Atlanta, New Delhi, Peak Crossing (Australia), Auckland, Paris, Harrowgate (UK), Rome, Barcelona, Durban, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, New Delhi, Kathmandu, Grand Baie (Mauritius), and Westlake Village (CA).

What happened in 2001...

Maharaji is 43 years old.

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Maharaji's arrival in the West. A landmark event is the establishment of The Prem Rawat Foundation.

A new element of some events is a session that allows for individuals' expressions and interaction with Maharaji. Events for students also feature Knowledge reviews with a video presentation of the techniques of Knowledge.

Maharaji establishes two teams that travel and conduct Knowledge Sessions with the video presentation. Instructors assist with Knowledge preparation meetings and Knowledge Sessions as needed.

Maharaji attends events for students and those preparing for Knowledge. Multi-day events are held with Maharaji in Amaroo for 4,600 attendees, Nottingham (UK) for 6,000, and Miami Beach for 4,400 attendees.

Cities where Maharaji speaks at least once include Westlake Village (CA), Oxnard (CA), New Delhi, Hyderabad, Thessaloniki (Greece), Portland (OR), Awaji Island (Japan), Peak Crossing (Australia), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Miami Beach, Versailles, Barcelona, Lisbon, Nottingham, Rome, Geneva, Mainz (Germany), London, Agoura (CA), Universal City (CA), Florianopolis (Brazil), Buenos Aires, Curaçao (Netherland Antilles), Malibu, Scottsdale (AZ), White Plains (NY), Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Boulder (CO).

What happened in 2002...

Maharaji is 44 years old.

This year is notable for Maharaji's extensive tour of Indian cities, public events in Europe, and interviews for articles in print media. The website for The Prem Rawat Foundation is launched.

Maharaji speaks at events for his students in 12 cities in India.

There are public events in Europe as well as events for his students that include opportunities for students in the audience to speak with Maharaji.

Maharaji speaks at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Interviews with Maharaji are published in print media.

Cities in which Maharaji attends at least one event include Peak Crossing (Australia), Sacramento (CA), Vancouver, Pasadena, Westlake Village (CA), Montreal, Lisbon, Barcelona, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Geneva, Munich, Augsburg, Athens, London, Brighton (UK), Reigate (UK), Rome, Bangkok, Chicago, Toronto, Miami Beach, Coral Springs (FL), Malibu, and in India: Vadodara, Hyderabad, Jaipur, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehra Dun, Brubaneswar, Ranchi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Jodhpur.

Maharaji celebrates his 45th birthday in December.

What happened in 2003...

Maharaji is 45 years old.

This year is notable for special media events with Maharaji, highly successful public events in India, and trainings for Knowledge Session teams.

An interview with Maharaji and television journalist Burt Wolf is filmed, and more print media interviews are conducted. Maharaji accepts invitations to present his message at several universities in the US.

Maharaji concludes a successful public event tour in India with a live, satellite follow-up event that allows him to speak to and answer questions from over 400,000 interested guests listening from over 1,000 locations.

Maharaji speaks at public events in Europe and continues holding events for his students featuring Knowledge reviews and time for interaction.

Maharaji initiates trainings in India for candidates for the first Knowledge Session teams that will be responsible for conducting Knowledge Sessions.

Maharaji attends event-planning meetings in India and elsewhere.

Cities where Maharaji speaks at least once include Woodland Hills (CA), Malibu, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, Davie (FL), Boulder, Berkeley, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, New York, Purchase (NY), Miami Beach, Bristol (UK), Salamanca (Spain), Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, London, Reigate, Ljubljana, and Accra (Ghana), Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and in India: Vadadora, Nagpur, New Delhi, Pune, Goa, Chennai, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Dehra Dun, Faridabad, Agra, Ambala, Kota, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, and Ranchi.

Maharaji's oldest daughter marries in June.

What happened in 2004...

Maharaji is 46 years old.

This year is notable for the development of "The Keys," more successful public events in cities in India, as well as worldwide media events and a number of special events.

Maharaji develops and films The Keys - a series of custom-made videos in which he addresses key understandings about Knowledge for those preparing to learn the techniques.

Maharaji speaks at public events in India in March and April concluding with a live satellite follow-up event with an audience of over 650,000 located in the cities where he has spoken.

Maharaji is interviewed for print media articles and accepts invitations to speak at universities, conferences, and forums, including the Italian Parliament.

Events for students featuring Knowledge reviews and time for personal interaction with Maharaji continue. Maharaji also attends public events in cities in Europe and North America.

Trainings are held for more candidates for the Knowledge Session teams to be located in different regions and countries around the world.

Cities where Maharaji attends at least one event include Fort Lauderdale, Kuala Lumpur, Brisbane, Peak Crossing (Australia), Westlake Village (CA), Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Augsburg (Germany), Birmingham (UK), Dublin, London, Rome, Cambridge (MA), Toronto, Newark (NJ), Los Angeles, Berkeley (CA), Hollywood (CA), and Tokyo, and in India: Gurgaon, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Bareilly, Allahbad, Ranchi, Bhagalpur, Farrukhabad, and Karnal.

What happened in 2005...

Maharaji is 47 years old.

This year is notable for the launch of The Keys, more successful public events in cities in India, and media and special events.

Encouraging the power of the individual

Maharaji has always seemed to me to believe strongly in the power of the individual, but also in the responsibility of the individual to respond to what was happening and not to either depend on government or blame government. I saw this in his response to the tsunami in Asia and the Katrina hurricane in the US. He wondered what individuals were doing to help. He wanted to help through his Foundation, and he very much wanted to make sure all his students were okay, but he also encouraged anyone who wanted to help to volunteer their time.

Tim Gallwey, author, corporate consultant