THE MEANING OF BECOMING AND BEING A MEMBER
OF A
SMALL AND STRUCTURED RELIGIOUS GROUP

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN PSYCHOLOGY
BY
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN STONES
RHODES UNIVERSITY AUGUST; 1979
GRAHAMSTOWN

ii ABSTRACT

The concern of this investigation is with the meaning of becoming as well as being a member of one of four specific small and structured religious communities. Three of these religious groups - the Jesus People, the Hare Krishna Devotees and the Maharaj Ji premies - are considered to be non-conformist in terms of the life-style, value-system and theology each adopts within the mainstream social and theological ethos, while the fourth group - a sample of Catholic Seminarians - like the other groups is a small community with a structured life-style, but its life-style and value-system is not necessarily non-conformist.

These groups are all to be found, amongst other places, in Johannesburg, apart from the Catholic Priests, all of whom were living in a seminary in Pretoria.

All the members of these religious communities - both men and women - who were interviewed were Caucasian, their educational standard ranged from pre-matric through to university graduate status, and the overall average age of the group members was 24 years - the youngest subject was aged l7 while the oldest was 31 years of age.

Rather than a measurement orientated procedure, a phenomenologically inspired methodological procedure was used to explicate the data. It is argued that a descriptive phenomenological perspective is more appropriate for the elucidation of meaning-structures, especially with reference to the present inquiry, than would be a quantitative, measurement and mathematical treatment of the subject-matter with which this thesis is concerned.

The results are best summarized by stating that, although the explication revealed that the four groups are distinctly different in certain aspects of the meaning-structures of the individuals' becoming and being members of a group, there are nonetheless marked similarities between the groups in other aspects of the explicated data.

The final non-conformist religious group in the present study - the Divine Light Mission, more commonly known as the Maharaj Ji Premies - has, like the Hare Krishna Devotees, received little rigorous academic attention.

Apart from receiving much "popular" support in the mass media, ranging from nediocre (Cameron, l973; Rowley, l97l) through to extremely distasteful and biased writings (Larson, l974), the Maharaj Ji Premies have only been marginally implicated in research concerned more with contemporary movements as a whole (Levine and Salter, l976).

No previous research on the Divine Light Mission in South Africa has been done.

C. The Maharaj Ji Premies

The Divya Sandesh Parishad Mission, more commonly known as the Divine Light Mission (DLM), was registered as a non-profit organization in 1960, its founder being Param Sant Satgurudev Sri Hans Ji Maharaj.

Sri Hans Ji Maharaj, believed to be a descendant from the lineage of Lord Rama (an avatar i.e. an incarnation of God), had a charismatic personality and from childhood was said to be spiritually inclined. In his early teens, he accepted updesh (initiation) from a gosvami (one who has complete self-control), Dada Guru, and began disseminating spiritual knowledge in and around Delhi (approximately l930) (Sri Hans Ji Maharaj, l970).

From the beginning, Sri Hans Ji Maharaj's approach was non-conformist, since he asserted that meditation was something that could be performed continually and did not require renunciation of the world, nor did it necessitate visits to a temple. He instructed the premies (his followers - meaning 'lovers of truth') in spiritual matters in a down to earth fashion rather than burdening them with intellectual philosophies. He became renowned for his use of parables and anecdotes related directly to the premies' immediate situation, rather than referring to parables making use of traditional content, and he taught that theory bereft of action was futile. Furthermore, he was opposed to all outward show of religiosity displayed by many sadhus (one who is on a path of spiritual enlightenment (sadhanna) - may be anyone from a brahmachari through to a sannyasi). Telling of prayer-beads, penances, fasting and the like were anathema to him, as was distinction between various castes and discrimination based on sex. Sri Hans Ji Maharaj eulogized spirituality and criticized institutionalized religions. For him, religion had to be lived

and experienced.

"Religion does not mean to worship deities, to read scriptures, to take dips in the Holy Ganges or to recite mantras. It is unshakable faith in truth and a ceaseless quest to realize it in the innermost part of our nature." (Sri Hans Ji Maharaj, l97O, p. x) By l950 he had collected such a large gathering of disciples, that, whereas previously they had may met for satsang (holy discourse) in his presence, they now began meeting in his absence, giving satsang themselves or inviting his mahatmas (sages considered to be spiritually enlightened - usually sannyasis) to deliver satsang.

During this time, pamphlets were written, handbills distributed and other literature given to people informing them of Sri Hans Ji Maharaj and his exposition of the Vedas and other scriptures. Generally, the premies comprised the lower middle-class and Sri Hans Ji Maharaj glorified the "innocence and humility" of the poor. He maintained that, while the world is for the wealthy, God is for the poor; poverty can be a blessing in disguise, since it helps prevent one from becoming ensnared in the trappings of materialism. While Sri Hans Ji Maharaj was an inveterate opponent of materialism pursued as an end, he was nevertheless keenly aware of the reality of abject poverty and avidly supported the securing of material goods for the upraising of the poor, but he felt their lives could only be truly enriched once they had become spiritually conscious.

Some of the major objectives of the DLM are:

To achieve a balance between material prosperity and the pursuit of spiritual goals.
To achieve a unity and oneness of mankind by instructing them in the technique of experiencing and hence utilizing the universal principle of all life (the Word). It is believed that all religions are one, but that, through ignorance, different sects and creeds have arisen.

40
"All wise men and seers of truth agree, on the fundamental unity and oneness of spiritual reality, it is only the unenlightened who disagree and propound different theories about religion. The mess that has been made of religion is more because of the educated scholars who merely recite the scriptures like parrots. They may make wonderful expositions and arguments but have no direct experience of the truth." (Sri Hans Ji Maharaj, l970, p. 27) (italics mine)
It is felt that the seeds of war exist within man and hence peace will only be achieved once man realizes and experiences his true self, thereby overcoming ignorance of the self - the root cause of all evils and unrest.
It aims at educating the poor, no matter how rudimentary that education may be.
DLM also aims at relieving distress caused by ill-health, natural calamities and so forth, and so is supportive of medical science.

It is felt that, although the spirit is separate and distinct from the body, it nevertheless has to function via the body, and so bodily health is imperative.

When Sri Hans Ji Maharaj died in l966, the leadership of the mission passed to his youngest son, Sri Sant Guru Maharaj Ji, who at the time was a mere eight years old. An important feature of the DLM is that its members believe that Guru Maharaj Ji is Christ returned, the Messiah of the new age - the Aquarian age. Consequently, the teachings of Christ, Krishna, Buddha and

other religions figures have been superseded by those of Guru Maharaj Ji. Premies accept His interpretation of various scriptures, since it is maintained that He is the Perfect Master of this age, while Christ, Krishna and Buddha were Perfect Masters of ages past. By the time He was ll, many westerners had, during their travels through India, heard of the boy-guru, and, in 1969, Maharaj Ji sent His first missionary to London and the first branches of the mission opened in the west. In November 1970, Guru Maharaj Ji spoke those now renowned words,

"I declare that I will establish peace in this world."

Within six months, He had left India, setting out on an international tour, and He visited South Africa in 1972 and again in l976.

The premies in Johannesburg (where the present study was conducted) are mainly white youth between the ages of l7 and 26, most of whom have, at one stage or another, seen Guru Maharaj Ji in person.

In order to understand the movement adequately, it is necessary that the nature of the mission's cosmology first be explicated before the form of the devotion is described.

DLM has, especially since its inception in the West, become increasingly "techno-spiritual" in its belief. It teaches that the purest form of energy is manifested as a sine wave and that, since everything that is exists fundamentally as a multiple sine wave, inner peace and eternal life must be a function of harmony or consonance between cosmic sine waves and inner sine waves or consciousness. Disharmony occurs because the mind, instead of flowing with the present, attempts to remain in the past or to travel to the future. To be present-centred is to be self-realized or, better still, God-realized, since God exists in the reality of the here-and-now (Cameron, l973, pp. 56 ff.).

To have 'Knowledge' is to see divine light, to taste nectar, to hear music and to feel (experience) the Holy word. This is all attained through meditation.

The movement believes that the efficacy of 'Knowledge' derives from the fact that the pineal gland (believed to be the major endocrinal regulator) is activated by the experience of inner light or the life-force. Consequently,

"… the entire bodily system begins to undergo a gentle set of hormonal changes which re-direct our desires, perceptions and behaviour, into the most natural and flowing directions." (Horton, 1973, p. 45)

A second way for us to experience this energy within us is to "taste the nectar". It is believed that a specific technique facilitates excessive secretion of the pineal hormone (which apparently is very sweet to taste) which feeds back onto the endocrinal system, so reinforcing pineal gland activity. The third aspect of 'Knowledge' is that of "celestial music" which is believed to be the sound of this energy which is fundamental to all matter. Finally, the "Holy word" is considered to be the experience of the vibrations of this fundamental energy-force within the very cells of our body.

The mission's cosmology having been described, it is now necessary that the form of devotion be outlined.

Guru Maharaj Ji has prescribed that mission members should perform service, attend satsang and meditate. Service entails various forms of charity work, usually carried out by the premies over the weekends, and occasionally during the week, by those who are self-employed. Satsang - a traditional activity - is held every night of the week and lasts for approximately two hours. The premies as well as the aspirants (who have to attend satsang as well as an aspirant programme for three to six months before being

eligible for updesh or initiation) arrive casually dressed, and, sitting on cushions, proceed to meditate until satsang is officially opened for the evening by an elected premie. Various premies take turns giving satsang to fellow group menbers, the content varying tremendously but the theme remaining constant; how one's approach to life and all aspects thereof have changed through 'Knowledge' and how one could not imagine life without Maharaj Ji. Satsang closes with a five minute meditation.

The third prescription is that premies should meditate whenever they have the opportunity but not to the detriment of all else.

Meditation, apart from Satsang, appears to consume a large proportion of the premies' time, especially of those who are self-employed or supported by the mission. In fact, many of these premies may spend up to six hours of each day in meditation, so that for these individuals following Guru Maharaj Ji precludes holding down a full-time job. It is important to note that Maharaj Ji stresses that it is not necessary to attempt to change one's life-style immediately after receiving 'Knowledge', but that, just through meditation, one will increasingly begin to understand one's own life and how best to live it.

A significant number of premies live communally and support themselves by engaging in various crafts, such as macramé, leather-wear, fine-art and carpentry, while most of the remaining premies hold down full-time jobs, many of them supporting families. A small number of premies take up full- time employment for the DLM and live in the ashram (temple) following a fairly regulated though not necessarily strict life-style. ashram premies tend to practise chastity, vegetarianism, and abstinence from cigarettes, alcohol and non-prescribed drugs.

Guru Maharaj Ji has given the premies agya (commandments), maintaining that these are simple guidelines for living which will make one's life

"… one-pointed, aimed at Truth and maximising {one's} experience of love and happiness." (Guru Maharaj Ji, 1974, p. l4)

Maharaj Ji's agya is

l. Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today;

2. Constantly meditate and remember Holy Name;

3. Leave no room for doubt in your mind;

4. Always have faith in God;

5. Never delay in attending Satsang.

In sunmary, the DLM is a non-conformist religious movement which offers its members a life free from unnecessary concerns provided that they adhere to its principles. The movement makes use of analogies, the content of which is technological, to point to the path of spiritual enlightenment. In addition, the movement extols a scientific cosmology, as shown by its highly advanced and abstract conceptualization of reality.

DLM is distinguished from other religious organizations in that, inter alia, the members believe that Guru Maharaj Ji is the Messiah of the Aquarian age.

The ethos of the DLM is perhaps best summed up in the following excerpt from a devotional song, sung to Guru Maharaj Ji.

"Chanting, fasting, charity, austerity
Never bring you knowledge of the soul
will never reveal your soul
Without the grace of Satguru.
without the Knowledge of Satguru.
Rites and rituals won't reach the goal
Jai Dev Jai Satgurudev (from arti - Guru Maharaj Ji, l974, p. 23)

CHAPTER FOUR
METHODOLOGY

The existence of the experimental method makes us think we have the meams of solving the problems which trouble us; though problems and method pass one another by
L. Wittgenstein

A. VALIDITY OF THE PRESENT RESEARCH

The procedure outlined below is, in effect, its own validation. Since the phenomenological psychologist, through his dialectical method, strives to understand the phenomenon as it emerges in its own context and then describes the phenomenon in a disciplined and controlled way, his method is a rigorous one. That is, intra-subjective validation is a product of a disciplined application of the phenomenological orientation to research (Munro, l975; Von Eckartsberg, l97l).

However, since even the most vigilant and exacting researcher is subject to the influence of his own meaning-structures and pre-reflective prejudices, the validity of the inquiry may be increased through the use of several researchers or judges performing checks of one sort or another on the protocols being explicitated. Inter-subjective validation is used in the present study.

B. RELIABILITY OF THE PRESENT RESEARCH

The problem of reliability is whether the same themes and meanings will re- emerge from the same phenomenon if it is re-questioned. Provided that the procedure outlined below is replicated, the phenomenon will show itself again to be what it is in its own context as revealed through the nature of the questioning procedure. As Strasser (1963) succinctly puts it,

"Man questions the world and the world responds according to the nature of the question." (p. ll4)

The explicit delineation of the questioning procedure (outlined below) makes for the reliability of the present study.

C. THE CHOICE OF A SAMPLE

The type of subject who eventually would be interviewed was limited by the type of person found in the groups being studied. In addition to this limitation, other conditions also had to be met.

All the subjects should come from a similar cultural milieu.
Hence only individuals belonging to the same ethnic group (Caucasian in this case) and having the same home-language (Levy, l973 inter alia) - this being English - should be interviewed.
The average subject should express a willingness to discuss freely and openly with others his experience associated with becoming as well as being a group member.
The subjects should preferably be naive with respect to psychological theory. Their being untrained would increase the probability of their verbalizing the data of their aware- ness without undue interference from implicit philosophies of various schools of psychological thought. In the words of Kullman and Taylor (1966),

"In describing our 'original' experience of the world, we must not let ourselves be influenced by any empirical or philosophical theory of perception, any hypotheses con- cerning its nature, causes, or physiological or other underlying processes involved." (p. 117)
Subjects should have been group members fora minimum of six months, thus ensuring reasonable commitment to the movement.

Furthermore, rapport should exist between the researcher and the subjects, and it is important that the researcher create a situation in which the subject can feel relaxed, unthreatened and where he has time to spend with the interviewer.

The above conditions were easily met since only English-speaking Whites were encountered in the groups. The exception to this was the Divine Light Mission which, being a somewhat eclectic group - with an Eastern over- tone - catered for a number of Indians. They, however, had their own centre and ashram, meeting only with the White premies for a single service once each month. The Indian premies were not interviewed.

Since for the majority, if not all of the subjects, their life-styles, interests and commitments centre around a religious belief of some sort, most were only too keen to talk to the interviewer about their experiences.

This finding concurs with that of Carroll and Jenkins (l973) who made the point that some of the religiously orientated patients whom they interviewed reported that they felt gratified that someone was seriously interested in their religious concerns and that they - the subjects - were pleased to be able to talk about this focus of their weltansahauung. Furthermore, few if any of the subjects had anything but a brief acquaintance with psychology as a discipline, thus meeting the third condition above. Since the subjects had been in the group for at least six months, it is fairly safe to assume that the prescientifically explicated projects were not the consequence of an "infatuation" with the movement (Salzman, 1966). Such infatuation may lead to spurious data since it may reflect only the initial exaggerated intensity of belief in, and support for, the group.

Rapport was ensured since the researcher had been acquainted with the different groups for varying periods (from one month in the case of the Catholic Priests through to four years in the case of the Jesus People) prior to the present study. Furthermore, arrangements for the interviews were made so as to accommodate each subject,with the researcher emphasizing that the subject should choose a time and place where he would feel relaxed and able to devote his full attention to the interview situation.

As the groups were small and because most members fulfilled the above requirements, the subjects used in the present study are representative of the groups from which they were taken.

Since the present research is concerned with what it means both to become a member of a small and structured religious group, as well as being a group member, any attempt to control for sex-differences between the groups would confound the data. If, for example, one group is predominantly male while another is not, this then must be accepted as being one of the differences between these two groups and must be explicated as such. Any attempt to eliminate sex-differences will also result in an elimination of essential differences in the final explication of the data. That is, an elimination of the sex-differences (if and when they exist) would not be remaining true to the data.

Similarly, attempts to equate groups, or rather members of different groups, in terms of age or background variables would have a similar effect since the final explication may have little in common with the actual lived day- to-day project of being a member of a group which is substantially different from other groups in terms of its sex-ratio and the background of most of its members.

All the members of the groups being studied do, however, have one feature in common. They have all joined small, structured religious groups and have been members of such groups for a period of not less than six months.

The total sample consisted of:*

GROUP

NUMBER

SEX RATIO

AGE
Range X SD

Hare Krishna Devotees

14M/2F

17-30 24.31 3.29

Jesus People

9M/7F

19-29 22.63 2.96

Maharaj Ji Premies

13M/3F

20-31 25.13 3.18

Catholic Priests

16M

19-29 22.63 2.64

* For a further breakdown of the data see appendix B.

PART III

THE MAHARAJ JI PREMIES

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MAHARAJ JI PREMIE

PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

INTERVIEWEE: /(1)I was driving along a road -(laughs)- on the way to Cape Town, and at that time of my life, I was really probing for some new experience - I couldn't even say answers to life, but I was just exploring new realities that I was having different experiences on, which I had done through different drugs - and many different experiences - many different people - travelling around the world a number of times - having worked in a discotheque, and seeing a new existence, and heard music that was completely fresh - that was inspiring - that I could identify it to a dream - to a new world - It just had more - I couldn't say exactly what …. But I was travelling along the road, and I was in the back of the car - where I was travelling to Cape Town, with my wife and her parents. I was very stoned out of my head and, at that time, I had just started doing photography professionally - and I was smoking a lot of dope, really enjoying myself under the images of the new world that awaited me. I was listening to a song - Jimi Hendrix - and I was totally merged with that song - my eyes were closed and then I just heard a whacki - and I opened my eyes and I kind of saw this bird just disintegrate into many pieces after having hit the windscreen of the car. I was immediately taken out of my euphoric state of concentration on the music - and a question just came into my head at that second, like "Wow, that could've been me - that could've been me", you know. It could have been as sudden as that. And "What is life? what is death? What is my existence?" -/(2)and I guess that was a very big start for me - well, I should say, a start in a conscious way./ (3)This whole experience with this bird, you know, it really shook me. It was really profound./(4)And I came back from Cape Town - and I was really refreshed - renewed. I just wanted to make a success out of what I was doing - my photography - and within a couple of weeks we had decided to split

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from South Africa./(5)1 don't know why./(6)At that time, I got into reading a lot of Krishnamurti books, and my sister had just finished her B.A. in psychology and was also into that, so we used to really share a lot./(7)And I was conscious that I needed to find somebody - I needed to find somebody who knew more than me - that could help me - that could definitely teach me something about the truth./(8)And I went through an incredible change - I don't know what pattern it was - but it was within the space of a few weeks after I had come back from Cape Town. This kind of whole conscious search began - and I stopped eating flesh and I stopped eating fish, and eggs, and I stopped smoking cigarettes and I stopped smoking dope./(9)For the next few months, I went through quite an intense withdrawal 'cause my whole body was kind of getting completely new kinds of foods and I'd stopped smoking cigarettes -/(1O)I had such motivation. I don't know what it was, but I just had this tremendous desire - /(11)Anyway, we left South Africa about l3 weeks later. Ne wanted to live in Europe, and just experience more - we'd been to Europe a year before - we were stagnating in South Africa. We got to England and found my wife was pregnant. We were happy, 'cause we wanted a child. We were quite shocked when we saw London this time. It was a different experience from before, so we just ventured on./(12)It was like we were looking for a new world - a new age - in a way. I had to find this something - this age or this consciousness whatever it was./(13)I felt I was starting on a journey of self-deprivation. I mean, I was trying to become pure and I wouldn't eat canned foods and things like that./(14)I was really dedicated to doing it, but I had no balance at all/ - (15)but I couldn't see this at the time./(16)Something was driving me - something was driving me on - through all these different experiences - like abstaining from this, and abstaining from that, I was experiencing something - but it wasn't a real thing - it passed, you know -/(17)and then we went on, through quite a number of experiences I don't think we need get into here, you know. I mean, they were all

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1rofound for me, in that year - 1971 - because that was the year that (Guru Maharaj Ji came to the West), but at this time I didn't know - I hadn't even heard of Him./(18)we then continued travelling, and went to Israel, because we wanted to live in the country, in a more natural way - I didn't want to work in a routine, you know./(19)Actually, I'd been offered a job in London, taking pics for a pornographic magazine, but I didn't want to get into that - making money from feeding other people's consciousnesses with a very uninspiring,very - just a dead-end, you know - frustrate people even more./(20)So, we went to Israel, got into a fantastic kibbutz - there were no Israelis there - just people from all over. The kibbutz was vegetarian, which really suited us./(21)We stayed for a few months, but then we got into a political thing - because the people that had come to the kibbutz before us were laying down all rules, and we said that, if this was going to be a life-commitment, then we should share. Anyway, it didn't quite work out, so we left/(22)and lived in Tel-Aviv until the baby was born - it was a beautiful time, because 1 wasn't into much working - doing photography. I was just shooting what I really loved to shoot, you know; that was nice. And I spent that whole time with my wife, you know, everyday, just the whole growing period. I used to go with her into the maternity home, you know, like, birth and death./(23)I knew that at that time something was working on me. I was reading a lot of Zen. I read a book, "What To Do Until The Messiah Comes" - by Gunter - an Esalen book. I tried meditating like they said, but it was very frustrating.

There was nothing tangible there. It was like trying to create something to meditate on - but I really had this urge, that I wanted to know myself./ (24) when I look back at it now, I can see how I was just in this process of development - just getting closer and closer to realizing what I wanted, you know./(25)The birth of my child was really a strong experience -/(26)Anyway, we didn't actually want to live in Israel, and we now had the responsibility of a kid, so we decided to come back. It was as if something there

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was saying, "Go back" - which was strange, because we left South Africa, we left our friends, almost in a proud way, and now we had to humble ourselves and admit, "D.K., something went wrong" - but we knew that we should come back./(27)It was a very intense experience because all our friends - they'd kind of just gotten into accepting what was going on around and started to adapt to that - and the dreams and all the hopes of a new world seemed to be gone from them. That shocked me a lot, you know, because I didn't believe that that was the way it was supposed to be./(28)The first few months were really heavy. I used to cry to my wife, "Listen, I want to do something that's meaningful, you know. I don't want to just spend my life working, getting some money, living, saving some money, going overseas." It just didn't have any purpose - it just didn't have any meaning. It was just like an emptiness. we'd done so much, we'd travelled around, we'd lived on islands, we'd met so many different kinds of people - we'd experimented with so many different kinds of new realities. He'd done so much together, you know, and nothing had really sustained us, you know./(29)All of it just seemed to be a step -/(30)and then we got this place and I got this job - as a child photographer. Then I went to this shop to get some things for our child, and this woman at this shop said to me, "Have you seen the light? Have you heard the Music? Have you experienced the Word? Have you tasted the Nectar?" - but really strong - not like I'm saying it - almost like four bullets - just bop, bop, bop, bop…. It was really incredible. Something knocked me - really smashed ne. I just knew that that's what I wanted to experience. She said this (guru - 14 years old) - was coming in two day's time, and I should come to (satsang) tonight. I said "Sure" - but it never hit me until I walked out. This wave of love, of peace - it was incredible./(31)I went to (satsang), although it was difficult because my wife was getting a market together, and so there'd be no-one to look after the baby. Anyway, my parents looked after the baby for that

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night./(32)Then I went to (satsang), what really ovenwhelmed me was that there were so many different kinds of people/(33)and there was very high energy - and I listened to what they were saying, and I just felt really good./(34)I couldn't really explain it. I had been feeling what they were saying all my life./(35)0ne thing that overwhelmed me, was that this experience was being offered - the experience of God was being offered here./ (36)I bought a couple of magazines and read them. I didn't figure I was going to follow this up, but when (Maharaj Ji) came to South Africa, we went to the airport - I took my cameras - there were a lot of people there./ (37) Then (Maharaj Ji) arrived, He said a very incredible thing. I don't remember exactly what, it's written down somewhere … He said, "Now that we're united in this Knowledge, we're brothers and sisters." I remember just looking through the camera - the telephoto lens - and there was just this beam./(38)It was almost as if I couldn't look anymore, 'cause it was too strong,/(39)and what I saw in His face was such universality - like He had a part of every kind of person in His face. It wasn't physical - like His face cut up into segments. It was definitely a spiritual feeling of universality. I just felt all being in Him./(40)I was feeling incredible at this point. I just really felt this pull./(41)Anyway, to cut a long story short, I devoted my life to (Maharaj Ji - the Messiah). The (Messiah) had come./(42)My friends thought I was nuts, you know -(laughs)- but I was totally impenetrable. All I could see was just this love, you know. They all said I was crazy - like I was twisted./(43)I don't quite remember what happened in the next week, but I went to a lot of (satsang) and listened to (Maharaj Ji) speaking - even in (Hindi). Just watching Him was just a really incredible experience, you know - there was just this incredible experience. When I received Knowledge, it was real to me, you know. When I practised light-technique, I saw light, blazing light, you know - and also a really soothing sound. I didn't experience much of the Nectar at that

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stage./(44)I just had no control over what was happening, but it was happening./(45)I just knew this was what I was searching for. Maybe I just wanted it so much - to experience who I was - what my purpose was -/ (46)that it was almost like 1 was being magnetized. It felt like that.

There was no way that I could stop it, you know - my whole being was just drawn to this love, you know./(47) Having Knowledge is the difference between death and living. It's the difference between sleeping and being awake, you know. You're asleep; you're in a room, and you're not conscious of the room.

You're in the world, and you're not conscious of the world - you're not conscious that you're alive, that you're breathing - you're not conscious of anything. And when you wake up, you know - there's so much to experience. I mean, that's the difference. There's so much. I mean, I couldn't even put it into words./(48)I wouldn't want to go on living without Knowledge, because I know there'd be no point to it. I know the whole point of being alive is to really experience myself - to really know who I am. Otherwise, what's the point?/-(49)we're just going on and on. That's what I was doing before. I was so blind. I can see how I was completely lost in the world - I didn't know which way to turn, which was the right road, which was the left road, which was any road!/(50)And now, it's so clear - there's no confusion as to where I'm going, there's no confusion as to actually where I am either./

INTERVIEWER: would you elaborate on what you mean by this?

INTERVIENEE:/(51) Well, where I am now, this very moment - I am in an opportunity of realization, of something which is perfect - right now - some- thing which is infinite, something which is perfect. I'm in the opportunity of realizing the opportunity of eternity, now, of going into the very depths of my consciousness to get to a point of pure consciousness. It's there, and I experience it. And where I'm going is to this very thing. So my destination is the same. So where I'm going and where I am are the same./ (52)It's a matter of becoming merged into it, because there's still a gap

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between my constant conscious awareness of it, of this experience, of this Truth, and the Truth itself. I'm not always in this experience, you know, and that's my desire - my desire is to be with it always, for ever, you know - not for a short space of time, because it's something I know I've experienced. It really goes beyond time./(53)I can't tell you any more.

There are no words to describe the difference. It's very vast. But I would say that what I've said was about it. what I'm trying to say is that I can see now. I can see what's real. I can see what's real. It's like if you're in my dark-room. It's completely dark and you've never been there before. So what you do is, you knock down things; you break things, and nothing ever gets done - you're just confused, you know, but somebody puts on the light, and you know exactly what you should do, you know. You can see everything and so you can really get things done,/(54)you understand?/

INTERVIEWER: Uhhu.

INTERVIEWEE: …/(55)and that is what I've experienced, by receiving this (Knowledge.)

INTERVIEWER: Thank you, (Mike).

INTERVIENEE: No, that's 0.K. I enjoyed it.

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INFORMATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
PROTOCOL ONE - (1) NAME:_(MAHARAJ Ji PREMIE ______ __ DATE: ______________________ __
(or initials if preferred)

Please write down your experience of the interview which you have just had.

You could, for example, state your attitude and feelings toward the interviewer and the interview situation, as well as any other feelings you have toward the situation you have just been in.

---0ooOooo---

I thoroughly enjoyed the interview as I felt that I was able to give myself completely over to the interview. I was initially dubious as to whether I would be able to speak to you with a tape-recorder switched on, but I found that I soon becane used to this.

I have probably given you all the essential information (as close as you'll ever giet (sic) unless you actually take Knowledge). I could have gone on for ever but it would not have added much to what I have said (I do not think that it would).

---ooo0ooo---

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LIST OF NATURAL MEANING UNITS
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

R = REPETITION
I = IRRELEVANT

1 = I was suddenly struck by the question of the meaning of my life while I was exploring various modes of reality. (see 2,3,l0,l2,l4,l6,23 and 48.)
2 = This marked the beginning of my conscious search for the meaning of my existence. (see l and 3.)
3 = I-was-shaken-by-a-partieular-experience-and-this-proveked-my-questioning my-existence. (R) - (see l,2,23 and 48.)
4 = I-wished-to-be-a-successful-photographer-so-I-left-South-Africa. (I)
5 = I-do-not-know-why. (I)
6 = I was reading Eastern philosophies as well as being interested in psychology.
7 = I became conscious that I required somebody to teach me about the Truth.
8 = My conscious search for Truth began and I rapidly underwent a drastic change and abstained from some of my previous habits. (see 9 and l3.)
9 = I-went-through-an-intense-physiolegical-withdrawal-during-the-next-few months-as-a-consequence-of-my-abstinence. (R) - (see 8 and l3.)
10 = I had a tremendous desire to find the Truth. (see l,l2,l4,l6,23 and 48.)
11 = we were stagnating in South Africa and so we left for Europe but were disillusioned.
12 = I had to find this new consciousness. (see l, l0,l4,l6,23 and 48.)
13 = I was starting a journey of self-deprivation in that I was attempting to become pure. (see 8 and 9.)
14 = I was very dedicated to this quest but my approach was not balanced. (see l,l0,l2,l6,23 and 48.)
15 = I could not see this (item 14.) at the time.

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16 = I felt driven to find this new consciousness but my abstinence was only transitory. (see l,l0,l2,l4,23 and 48.)
17 = I had a number of experiences which, retrospectively, were profound because Guru Maharaj Ji had come to the West in that same year.
18 = My wife and I wanted to live naturally rather than according to a routine.
19 = I did not want to make money from feeding other people's consciousness with uninspiring things - it is a dead-end and only serves to frustrate people even more.
20 = we went to live on a kibbutz (an organized community life-style).
21 = The-kibbutz-did-not-wcrk-out-beenuse-of-difficuities-between-the-various members-and-so-we-moved-on. (I)
22 = For-a-while-we-l+ved-in-¥e¥-Aviv-doing-what-§-wanted - taking-photographs and-be+ng-w+th-my-w+fe. (I)
23 = I knew that something was working on me and I had this urge to know myself. (see l,3,l0,l2,l4,l6 and 48.)
24 = From my present perspective I can see how I was developing towards the realization of my goals. (see 29.)
25 = The-birth-ef-my-ehild-was-a-very-strong-experience. (I)
26 = We-knew-that-we-had-to-return-to-South-Africa-although-it-meant-humbling eurselves-as-we~had-left-in-a-proud-mood. (I)
27 = I was extremely dismayed that all our friends had lost their hope of a new consciousness and had conformed to mainstream values.
28 = Despite our broad spectrum of experiences and activities, life still held very little meaning - just an emptiness.
29 = This-(see-item-28:)-just-seemed-te-be-a-step-towards-eneLs-goal. (R) -(see 24 )
30 = When I heard about Guru Maharaj Ji I had this incredible and intense experience and I just knew that this was what I had been searching for. (see 40,4l,45 and 48.)
31 = Although it was difficult I managed to attend satsang9-

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32 = I was overwhelmed by the fact that so many different types of people followed Guru Maharaj Ji.
33 = There was a high energy level at satsang and listening to what was being said I felt really good.
34 = I felt that I was able to identify and empathise with his followers (premies).
35 = I was overwhelmed that the experience of God was being offered.
36 = Although I doubted whether I would actually become a follower, I decided to visit the airport when Guru Maharaj Ji arrived there.
37 = On seeing Guru Maharaj Ji there was just this strong beam. (see 38.)
38 = It was almost as if I could not look anymore because the beam was so strong. (see 37.)
39 = I had a spiritual feeling of universality - I felt all being in Him.
40 = I felt a great pull towards Guru Maharaj Ji. (see 30,4l,42,43,44,45 and 46.)
41 = I believed the Messiah had come - I dedicated my life to Him. (see 30,40,42,43,45 and 48.)
42 = Although my friends considered me to be crazy I was not perturbed - all I could perceive was this love. (see 40 and 4l.)
43 = I intensely enjoyed listening to and watching Guru Maharaj Ji and my initiation was an incredible experience. (see 40 and 41.)
44 = I had no control over what was happening. (see 40 and 46.)
45 = I knew that this was what I had been searching for - to experience ho I was and my purpose in life. (see 30,40 and 41.)
46 = I felt as if I were being magnetized - my whole being was drawn to this love. (see 40,41 and 44.)
47 = I have changed so greatly due to Knowledge that it cannot be adequately expressed in words. (see 53.)

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48 = I would not want to live without Knowledge as the purpose of life is to know who I really am. (see l,3,l0,l2,l4,l6,23,30 and 4l.)
49 = Prior to receiving Knowledge I was completely lost in the world - I was confused. (see 53.)
50 = I am no longer confused about where I am and where I am going. (see 53.)
51 = I now have the opportunity of realizing eternity - of experiencing pure consciousness which is beyond time.
52 = My desire is to be constantly aware of the eternal Truth.
52 = I have changed greatly: while previously I was "blind" now I can "see" - I am no longer confused. (see 47,49 and 50.)
54 = Do-you-enders£and? (I)
55 = Everything that I have mentioned has been experienced through Knowledge.

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CONSTITUENT PROFILE
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

At a stage in my life when I was exploring various modes of reality I became acutely aware of the need to search consciously for the meaning of my life.

I was interested in psychology and, through my reading of Eastern philosophies, I was aware of the need for a Master to teach one about the Truth. In a short period of time I undenuent a dramatic change and abstained from many of my indulgences as I had a tremendous desire to find the Truth - to find this new consciousness. I started on a journey of self-deprivation in that I was attempting to become pure and, although I was very dedicated to this quest, retrospectively I can see that my approach was not balanced. Although I felt driven to find this new consciousness, my abstinence was only transitory. We were stagnating in South Africa and so we left for Europe but were disillusioned. We wanted to live naturally rather than according to an imposed routine, and, furthermore, I did not want to make money from feeding other people's consciousness with uninspiring things - it is a dead-end and only serves to frustrate people even more. So we lived on a~kibbutz for a period but, because of intra-group difficulties, we decided to leave. we knew that we had to return to South Africa and I was extrenely dismayed that our friends had lost their hope of a new consciousness and had conformed to mainstream values.

During this stage I had a number of experiences which, retrospectively, were profound because Guru Maharaj Ji had come to the west in that same year. Given my present perspective, I can now see how I was developing towards the realization of my goals, although, despite our broad spectrum of experiences and activities, life still held very little meaning - just an emptiness. when I fortuitously heard about Guru Maharaj Ji I had this incredible and intense experience and I just knew that this was what I had been searching for. I was overwhelmed that such a heterogeneous group of people were following Him

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as well as by the fact that the experience of God was being offered. There was a high energy at satsang and, listening to what was being said, I felt really good. I was able to empathise with these people as our personal histories appeared to be similar. Although I had doubted whether I would actually follow Guru Maharaj Ji, I immediately felt attracted and there was this strong beam almost as if I could not look anymore. I had a spiritual feeling of universality - I felt all being in Him. I felt drawn to His love as if I were magnetized, and I had no control over what was happening. I devoted my life to Him, feeling that He was and is the Messiah. I was not perturbed by my friends' thinking that I was crazy, and my initiation experience was incredible. I now have the opportunity of realizing eternity - of experiencing pure consciousness - and my desire is to be constantly aware of the eternal Truth. It is not possible to express in words the effect that Knowledge has had upon my life, because I have changed so greatly - save to say that, while previously I was lost in the world and confused, I am no longer, and that I would not want to live without Knowledge, as the purpose of life is to know who I really am.

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SECOND ORDER PROFILE
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

1 = Became acutely aware of the urgent need to search consciously for the meaning of his life.
2 = Searched in Eastern philosophies - aware of need for Master to teach one about the Truth.
3 = Rapidly changed drastically - became abstinent; attempted to become pure - although approach imbalanced he was dedicated to this quest.
4 = Had a number of experiences which, retrospectively, were profound due to the presence of Guru Maharaj Ji.
5 = Did not wish to live according to an imposed routine,and inability to settle into any environment - felt he was stagnating in South Africa, disillusioned with Europe,and interpersonal difficulties in the kibbutz.
6 = Did not wish to make money from feeding other people's consciousness with uninspiring things - dead-end and serves only to frustrate people even more.
7 = Extremely dismayed that friends had lost hope of a new consciousness and had conformed to mainstream values.
8 = Felt an emptiness - lacked meaning in life.
9 = Felt an inmediate and overwhelming attraction for Guru Maharaj Ji - had a spiritual feeling of universality and felt all being in Him
10 = Felt there was high energy at satsang - was able to empathise and identify with the premies - felt good.
11 = Initiation experience was incredible.
12 = Feels that his past contributed meaningfully to his present.
13 = Alienated from his friends.

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14 = Had no control over his joining the movement: felt drawn as if magnetized.
15 = Not possible to express verbally the effect that Knowledge has had upon his life because change has been so great.
16 = Aim of life is know thyself, hence does not want to live without Knowledge - desires to be constantly aware of the eternal Truth.
17 = was previously lost and confused, but no longer so.

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MAHARAJ JI PREMIE PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

INTERVIEWEE:/ (1)well, how I came to (Knowledge) - when I left school, I wasn't going to get into anything. I didn't have any thought of God or anything. I went travelling for a year. By the time I came back I was completely into trying to understand reality - trying to understand what truth was, 'cause I'd realized much more about the nature of this world, especially the nature of creation - especially to do with atoms and things like that./(2) I really just came to (Knowledge) without me doing anything about it. You know, it was something that just happened. When I went to college, I saw a poster of (Guru Maharaj Ji). I went along to (satsang), and three months later I had received (Knowledge)and was practising it./ (3)For sone time before that, I had a big desire to realize Truth - to realize what my conceptions of God were./(4)And that's what this (Knowledge) has done. It's kind of wiped out all conceptions and everything. It's wiped out all my spiritual concepts,/(5) and it's just a matter of practising it now. I guess by practising it, you know, every day, you feel whole - you feel complete within yourself. You feel peaceful./(6)And say, looking back - I've (had Knowledge) four years know - I can see it changed me a great deal, but I can't say how, except that I know I'm on the true purpose of this life.

I know - conceptually, I know what the aim of this life is. I know, again conceptually, I know that this universe is light, this universe is one - there is only one reality permeating everything, and I know it's my aim and my duty to be realizing it./(7)And like by practising (Knowledge), I know that this is happening - not in any way that I expected it to happen./(8)It's a matter of losing your own identification with yourself - losing your - what ever you relate to yourself; how you relate to the world - what you think people think you are, you know, everything, all that gets lost. You're just

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living in the moment. You're just living in the present, you're living everyday./(9)But like there's another side to it, which is to understand the value of this Knowledge. we can see practically that we're alive, that we've been given birth, that we're here - and what's the point of it? What's the point of this creation? What's the point of being here? what's the point of life? You know, each of us have a body, and this world is going on and we're all doing things - but what are we all doing them for? Where's the world going to? - which is the same thing, you know. We're supposed to be here to get back to our true nature which is one with every- thing, which is part of everything, which is within everything - that's the feeling we get within ourselves, you know - the incomplete feeling, where we're not one, where we're not flowing with everything else. we feel it somehow or other. But after receiving (Knowledge) and after practising it, without intellectually realizing how it happens, you realize that you are feeling in-flow - you're feeling good./(10)I mean, I've had this experience before, like on drugs -/(11) I've had a happy life basically. I mean, I've had an easy life, but I was searching before I received (Knowledge); I've stopped now. I guess that was the difference. I wasn't searching any more.

I wasn't looking in any scriptures. I was hardly reading any more books - doing anything. I wasn't searching./(]2)I stopped taking drugs, and things like that 'cause I had no need for them - without even thinking about it./ (13)That's the difficulty, you know; I can't really say how I've changed, because it's all beyond words. It's like the experience of life is beyond words. It really is, you know. They say it's beyond words, but it really is It's beyond ideas, it's beyond putting into boxes, and so, if you try and talk about it, you'll just - as soon as you talk, you have to put it into boxes./(]4)It% like this (Knowledge) - when you (meditate) - Basically what you do is when you (meditate), is you stop your thinking-process, and you start living. You're not (meditating), you're thinking. In other words,

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thoughts are a slow thing, compared to reality, compared to the being, compared to Truth - thoughts live with past and present, you know. when we're speaking we're also using thoughts, and speaking is a limited thing./ (]5)You can't convey - you can never convey the experience. The only thing is to take the experience - practise it yourself, and see what it does for you./(]6)And I promise you, it'll be nothing like you've thought - really, no matter how long you've been thinking about (Knowledge) and maybe doing all this (referring to my interviewing), when you actually (take it), it's going to be a different experience,/(]7)and it's really good to be open to it, totally open to it, you know - prepared for anything - not prepared for what you think it will be, just because you've heard so many people talking about it. You see, you must be open to everything - people - everything./ (18)The thing that stops us being open is our mind, is our thought-process, is our own way of relating to the world, you know./(19)I look at something, and I judge it, and I think, "That's good", and I look at something else, and I think, "That s bad", and you block off things and you open yourself to some things, and you block off other things./(20)If you're practising (Knowledge), you're (meditating), and you've turned your consciousness, you've turned your awareness inside yourself into a very easy flow, into a perfect thing, and what you're doing is you're not directing your conscious ness outwards and onto the world, and judging, which is basically what we do all the time - evaluating, saying "I like it" - "I don't like it" - You're just satisfied within yourself. You're not looking for an experience outside So, whatever experiences come to you, you know that they're just being given to you, you know, they're part of your life, and you accept them - good or bad, up or down, you know, one type of person or another type of person - it makes no difference, because you're not in the way to judge it. You're not in the way to think, "Oh, 1 like this" - which is your own ego./(21))/lhich is why God loves everything, you know, because He doesn't have any judgement

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in that sense, you know, at all. He's just open to everything; He's nature, He's perfect. You know, nature is - the rain falls on evil people and on good people. It doesn't make any difference./(22)And that's the same - when you're experiencing this (game). I guess that's what it does./ (23)Before (Knowledge), you're looking, you're seeking, you're desiring satisfaction - after (Knowledge) you're getting satisfaction from a constant source. It never leaves you. It's always there - always beautifu (24)and if you're practising, then the world appears like a film on the out side - you know, it's very colourful, it's very beautiful, but you don't involve yourself in it, in the same way, because you're satisfied with your life./(25)You know, before I received (Knowledge), I think I was moving towards a oneness - you know, I just called it oneness, but I wasn't sure what that was. I wanted the experience, you see./(26)I often wanted to be alone. I didn't, sort of, socialize that much. with (Knowledge) I have changed quite a bit. I don't socialize too much with non-(premies), just not because I don't want to, or want to, just the situation I'm in, I'm usually with (Eremies). But I'm much more open in groups and things like that, which I wasn't before. Actually, I've become more childlike - childlike is openness, you know; being a child is being open to everything being innocent to everything, and not judging./(27)It's hard./(28)You also appreciate creation, all around you, you know. The feeling that you get from (Knowledge) is the feeling of beauty. You look at creation and it's beautiful./(29)Everyone knows that it's beautiful, but, most of the time, they're not feeling beautiful, you know. They're feeling hung-up, they're feeling tight, wound up - but by (meditating), you free yourself from this ceaseless wandering of your mind, if you like, you free yourself from the anxieties that you've created out of mid-air, and you experience what this universe is - which is beauty, which is bliss (- sat-chit-amanda -) it's Truth, consciousness is bliss./(3O)This universe isn't just Truth - it's also bliss, it's also a feeling of joy, it's also something very nice, which

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you get when you practise, you know, when you're realizing - that feeling comes which a child is feeling. That's why they're always smiling./(3])Like what are we doing in this life, you know? - we're here. Life is going on.

we don't know what life is, but we have certain feelings deep inside us, we want peace, we want happiness. we want to feel complete, and those feelings nay come out and they may not come out. If they start coming out, then you start searching. Then, after you've searched, and you've found - you know - what it's all about, you're just here just to be experiencing life. we're not experiencing our own desires./(32)I look at everybody in this world; you know, they're just getting into their trips. They just feel, "Ah, I want a motor boat", so they work for a motor-boat, and they go out and buy a motor- boat - five minutes later, they've lost their pleasure of the motor-boat.

It's really like that - Ne invent our life-style./(33)Because we cease to think of ourselves, we stop inventing our own way of life, we just settle down to what we've been given. Settle down into the fact that we didn't even make our own bodies, we didn't even make our own way of thinking. we didn't make this creation. So we just surrender to it./(34)we let go, and enjoy it. Everything becomes perfect. Everything happens. It really does too. It's like magic./(35)There's one thing you really have to have with (Knowledge), and that's trust, thatis total faith in it, and as soon as you give your faith, then your faith is rewarded. If you don't give your faith, then it'll never happen. For instance, like speaking now. I could have never spoken in those words before. You've got to put a meaning behind those words. It's like we have to trust one another. It's like me and Ingrid, if we love one another, and if we don't trust one another, then maybe she'll receive that feeling from me or I'll receive that feeling from her. She'll feel it in her life, and I'll get a feedback from that, and it'll all go wrong. That's the sane with this (Knowledge)./(36)(Guru Maharaj Q1) said, "Give me your love and I'll give you peace." He's open to us

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completely, all the time, but it's because we're not open to Him, because we don't open ourselves up. In other words, we don't trust Him. We don't give our trust./(37)And it's so beautiful with (Knowledge), because it's not a blind faith. It's not a blind trust. You're given four practical techniques which you practise - they're very simple to practise - and you learn exactly the thing it does in your life, 'cause it uses up time, like time in (meditation) instead of thinking, which is putting your trust in God; in other words, not thinking for yourself, but - O.K., I've got this problem; I'm not going to think about it; I'm just going to (meditate). And you realize that He knows about it. I mean, if you've got a problem, but you don't know the answer, you keep thinking about it, but you don't solve it. That's why a problem is a problem. If you (meditate), you take your- self into a clear place so that, when you come to deal with the problem, you can see clearly what you have to do to deal with the problem. Mental problems basically don't exist. They only exist, as they say, because they're in your mind. You know, your mind is just going on, and you think of some- thing. Like, for instance, I'm sitting here, and I'm thinking "Oh, I've got to hitch to Cape Town - what if it rains? what if something happens", you know, and I'm just inventing a hundred problems that don't even exist. If you're (meditating), you're not even in that place. I'm just right now, enjoying myself in the present, and when that time comes, I'm still enjoying myself. Those problems won't even exist. You don't conjure them up. It's the same with ordinary, say, physical problems, dealing with - like I've found this recently. with my experience of (Knowledge), I'm able to deal with physical things, just practical things like fixing something, or going to a shop or fixing a washing machine - or anything like that. I can do it much clearer that I ever did it before; even my physical way of relating in the world./(38)! think (Knowledge) is everything. Alright, I've geen growing older and getting more mature, but if it wasn't for (Knowledge), I'd still

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be - I don't know where I'd be. I can't think of it like that because I've got (Knowledge). I feel very much part of this (Knowledge) really./ (39)I could digress, you know, and go into so much talking about (Knowledge)./ (4o)Like (Knowledge) is within us. Our life is within us, you know. we're born to be with this life. There is no alternative. Every other alternative is what we call the mind. And the mind, really, when you take (Knowledge), after you've practised (Knowledge) for some time, you really begin to realize that what the scriptures, or what the books, say - that everything is an illusion. It really is an illusion, you know. Like today, I'm sitting here, doing this. If you hadn't come, I'd be doing something else./(41)So many different things can be going on, and usually the nature of things is to fall down, you know, is to get worse and worse and worse, is to dissipate, and that's how things also happen emotionally, you know. You waste your energy, and things get worse and worse and worse. But with (Knowledge, with meditation), things get better and better, because you're gaining energy./(42)It's impossible to explain - I really feel that I've said all I can say. I mean I can go on forever, because (Knowledge) is unlimited./(43)I really think that an interview is really - it's a funny thing. It's really interesting. It's really a far out thing to be doing, but on the other hand, when you've taken (Knowledge), and after you've practised (Knowledge), I'm sure you're going to realize that the whole thing - although it may have been a good experience - it was kind of, absolutely nothing to do with (Knowledge), because you're going to come to a point where you're going to realize in your life, you know, the miracle of this life, and the time that's passing by, and we're getting older, you know.

and that death is approaching, kind of thing, and the use of this life and the grace, you know. The absolutely incredible thing is to have received (Knowledge), which hardly anyone in the world has received, which is the purpose of the whole entire creation, you know, throughout millenia, which every scripture was written about, and if you get that feeling inside your- self, that you want it, and you want to practise it, then along with - to

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the intensity of that feeiing, you will experience it, and you"l1 find it's an individual experience, you know. It's something incredible, that you cannot have got from anyone else. It's al1 within yourseif. I recommend it./

INTERVIEWER: Thanks, (Dave).

INTERVIEWEE: That's 0.K. - I really hope that you get it together.

I really enjoyed it.

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INFORMATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

NAME: _MAHARAJ JI PREMIE _____ __ DATE: ______________________ __
(or initials if preferred)
Please write down your experience of the interview which you have just had.

You could, for example, state your attitude and feelings toward the inter- viewer and the interview situation, as well as any other feelings you have toward the situation you have just been in.

---ooo0ooo---

This Knowledge is beyond any spoken word. I could go on forever and still you would only learn a certain limited amount about Knowledge. You have to experience it. I felt relaxed throughout the interview and did not feel that you were imposing.

Sat Chit Ananda

---ooo0ooo---

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LIST OF NATURAL MEANING UNITS
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

R = REPETITION
I = IRRELEVANT

1 = Although I was not initially philosophically nor religiously concerned I became desirous of understanding the nature of reality after travelling for a period of time. (see 3 and 25.)
2 = Knowledge was something that just happened to me.
3 = Prior to receiving Knowledge I began to desire to understand God and to realize the Truth. (see l and 25.)
4 = By erasing all my previous conceptions, Knowledge has aided me in understanding God and in realizing the Truth. (see 8.)
5 = In order to feel peaceful and whole it is just a matter now of daily practising Knowledge.
6 = Knowledge has greatly changed me in that I now have a purpose - to realize the unity of the universe. (see 9.)
7 = I know that through practising Knowledge, this realization (see item 6) is happening although in an unexpected fashion. (see l6.)
8 = It (see item 6.) is a matter of losing one's constructs and being present-centred. (see 4.)
9 = The value of this Knowledge is that one begins to feel in harmony with the universe - to feel good. (see 6.)
10 = I have previously experienced this but on drugs.
11 = Although I had a happy and easy life. I was nevertheless searching for something, but now I no longer feel that I have to. (see 23 and 31.)
12 = I stopped taking drugs because I no longer felt the need for them.
13 = It-is-diffieult-te-express-in-words-haw-¥-have-changed.(R) - (see l5.)

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14 = Meditation (a form of practice in realizing Knowledge) inhibits the thinking process - which is limited in comparison with reality - and so starts one living.
15 = It is impossible to convey in words the experience of Knowledge - one can only experience it oneself. (see l3.)
16 = I-guarantee-that-your-experience-oF-Know¥edge-will-net-be-as-you-expeeted it-to-be.(I) - (see also 7.)
17 = It is important to be totally open to Knowledge and, in fact, to be open to everything. (see 22 and 33.)
18 = It is our way of relating to the world - our constructs - that prevents us from being open. (see l9.)
19 = We close ourselves to certain possibilities because of the constructs we hold. (see 18.)
20 = Through Knowledge one becomes inner-directed rather than being outer-directed as well as judgemental. (see 22 and 33.)
21 = Because God is non-judgemental, He is open to and loves everything and He is perfect.
22 = Knowledge-gives-you-an-openness-to-and-a-love-fer-the-werld. (R) - (see l7, 20 and 28.)
23 = While-prior-te-reeeiving-Knewledge-one-is~eentinually-seeking-for-satis-Faction;-aFter-reeeiving-Knowledge-ene-is-continually-satisfied. (R) - (see ll and 24.)
24 = Through Knowledge the world appears to be beautiful and you are involved in it differently because you are satisfied. (see 23,28 and 29.)
25 = Prior to receiving Knowledge, I was working towards a oneness and, although I was not really sure what this was, I nevertheless wanted this experience. (see l and 3.)
26 = Prior to receiving Knowledge I wanted to be alone much of the time while now I am open to fellow-man - I have become childlike, being open to everything and being innocent to everything. (see 33.)

246

27 = This (see item 26.) is difficult.
28 = Through Knowledge I appreciate the creation and have a feeling of beauty. (see 22,24,253 and 30.)
29 = Knowledge frees one from anxieties and tensions so that one is able to experience the universe as it really is - beautiful. (see 24,28 and 33.)
30 = Through meditation one feels that the universe is more than just Truth - one also gets a feeling of joy. (see 28.)
31 = Once -the ~desi-re -For -peace; -happi-nesrs -and -c-ompl-eteness -has -enuenged-, -than one -begins -to ~sear-eh -and,--havi-ng -ended--th-i-s -searc-hr -ene~ean -exponioaca
='r'Fe-as-i-E-real-l~y-is-rather-than-ac-c-ord-i-ng--to-oneLs-desires. (R) - (see ll and 33.)
32 = Everyone is seeking pleasure, but they only manage to gain it temporarily.
33 = He -eease-to -'ehi-nk--of -our-sel-ves -and -we -ac-eepe -Life -as Jae--have -been-gi-van -i-t(R) - (see l7,20,26,29 and 31.)
34 we surrender to creation and everything becomes perfect.
35 = In order for Knowledge to be efficacious one must have total faith.
36 = Guru Maharaj Ji is completely open to us but it is we who often are not open to Him.
37 = It is good to have Knowledge because it is not a blind faith but a trust in God and it helps one to deal with mental and physical problems by being present-centred
38 = Knowledge is everything to me. (see 40.)
39 I-could-talk-so-much-about-Knowl-edge. (I) - (see also 42.)
40 = Knowledge is the life within us and all else is an illusion. (see 38.)
41 = Through meditation things improve while actually the nature of things is to get worse.
42 = I-feel-thatI-have-said-alI-that-1-ean-say-altheugh-I-could-go-emfor eve|=-besause-Knewledge-is-unlimited. (I) - (see also 39.)

247

43 = I think-that-th+s-$nterv#ew-5s-interesting-but-yea-vi':1»-eeme-to-a-paint where-you-M44-have-te-exper-ienee-Knev?redge-for-yeurseH-since-ét-eannet be-experienced-v?ear?eus¥y-and-you-H44 -a'¢se-rea?ze-that-aetua?-y-your intev-v='rews-have-very-Htt1-e-te-de-w+th-Knewi-edge-Rae}?. (I)

248

CONSTITUENT PROFILE
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

Although I was not initially philosophically nor religiously concerned, I became desirous of understanding the nature of reality after travelling for a period of time. It was at this stage - when I was desirous of understanding God and realizing the Truth - that Knowledge just happened to me and allowed me to understand these things by erasing all prior conceptions that I might have had and by being present-centred. It is now a matter of daily practice of Knowledge to keep peaceful and whole. I have greatly changed in that I now have a purpose - to realize the universal unity - and I know that, through practising Knowledge, this is happening, although in an unexpected fashion.

Furthermore, Knowledge is valuable, since one begins to feel a harmony with the universe - one begins to feel good, which I had not experienced before other than through drugs. Although previously I had a happy and easy life, I was nevertheless searching for something, but now I no longer feel that I have to: once the desire for peace, happiness and completeness has emerged, then one begins to search and, having ended this search, one can experience life as it really is rather than according to one's desires. By inhibiting the thinking process - which is limited in comparison with reality - medita- tion is able to start one living, and, although the experience of Knowledge cannot be verbally conveyed - one can only experience it oneself - it is never- theless important to be totally open to Knowledge and, in fact, to be open to everything. It is our way of relating to the world - our constructs - that prevents us from being open, and so we close ourselves to certain possibilities Through Knowledge one becomes inner-directed rather than being outer-directed as well as being judgemental. Because God is non-judgemental, He is open to and loves everything and He is perfect. Through Knowledge the world appears to be beautiful, and, because one is satisfied, one's involvement is different

249

from what it was previously. Prior to receiving Knowledge I wanted to be alone much of the time, while now I am more open to fellow-man - I have become childlike, being open and innocent to everything, which can be difficult. Furthermore, all anxieties and tensions are alleviated so that one is able to experience the universe as it really is - beautiful - and one also gets a feeling of joy. Everyone seeks pleasure, but they only manage to gain it temporarily, while we cease to think of ourselves and accept life as we have been given it. By surrendering to creation, every- thing becomes perfect. Total faith is essential if Knowledge is to be efficacious and, while Guru Maharaj Ji is completely open to us, it is we who are not always open to Him. Knowledge is not blind faith but a trust in God, and it helps one to deal with mental and physical problems by being present-centred. Furthermore, while the nature of things is to get worse, with meditation they continually improve. Knowledge is everything to me and it is the life within us while all else is illusory.

250

SECOND ORDER PROFILE
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

1 = Became desirous of understanding the nature of reality and of God.
2 = Knowledge fulfilled this desire.
3 = Knowledge erased all previous conceptions of reality.
4 = Knowledge just happened to him.
5 = By practising meditation daily one remains peaceful and whole.
6 = Has been greatly changed by Knowledge.
7 = Now has a purpose - the realization of a universal unity - knows that this is happening although in an unexpected fashion.
8 = One begins to feel in harmony with the universe; one begins to feel good - had not experienced this before other than through drugs.
9 = Although had a happy and easy life was unable to stop searching until received Knowledge: once the desire for happiness and completeness emerges the search begins and only once it has ended can one experience the universe as it really is rather than according to one's desires.
10 = Meditation allows one to strt living by inhibiting one's thoughts
11 = It is important to be totally open-minded; it is our constructs that close us off from certain possibilities.
12 = Through Knowledge - which cannot be experienced vicariously - one becomes more inner-directed and less judgemental.
13 = God is open to and loves everything - He is perfect.
14 = with Knowledge the world appears beautiful and joyous.
15 = Because a premie is satisfied, his involvement in the world is different from what it was previously.
16 = Prior to receiving Knowledge, wanted to be alone much of the time while now he is more open to fellow-man - has become childlike in being open and innocent to everything - can be difficult.
17 = Total faith is essential if Knowledge is to be efficacious.
18 = Meditation alleviates all anxiety and tension so that one can experience the universe as it really is.
19 = Guru Maharaj Ji is completely open to us although we are not always open to Him.
20 = Knowledge is not a blind faith but a trust in God and it helps one to deal with one's mental and physical problems.
21 = Completely dedicated to Knowledge - feels it is the life within us while all else is illusory - feels that there is continual improvement with Knowledge.

252

HIERARCHICAL CATEGORIZATION PERTAINING T0 THE
MAHARAJ J1 PREMIES

Hierarchical
Order

Meditation calms me, helps me to relax, starts me living and stops me thinking, clears my mind, more happy, more satisfied, alleviates all anxiety, more harmonious, feels calmer, less defensive, more natural and spontaneous, have peace, can be myself without pretense.
87.50% (14)

(II;l9.)(III;l3.) (IV;25,29.) (V;lO.) (VI;l4.) (VII;8,9,l0,l8.) (VIII;ll.) (IX;8.) (X;ll.) (XI;l4,l9.) (XII;l3.) (XIII;l5,l8.) (XV;l8.) (XVI;8.)
Have a purpose, can see a purpose in all life situations, having a purpose none of my actions are futile, have a direction, sees life as a challenge.
75.00% (12)

(II;9.) (III;l2.) (IV;30.) (V;l3.) (VI;l6.) (VII;7.) , (VIII;6,l2.) (IX;2,6.) (X;7.) (XI;ll.) (XIII;l4.) (XIV;l5.)
Was shy now more open, more friendly and accepting of other people, more tolerant of other ethnic groups, can relate more easily , feels closer to people, more considerate of others, more involved with people, less alienated, deeper relationships with people, kind and selfless.
68.75% (11)

(II;l0,ll.) (M;9.) (1V;23.) (V;11.) (V1;15.) (VII;ll,l6.) (VIII;9,l0.) (X;23.) (X11;12.) (XV;16.) (XV1;9.)

253
No longer enjoy what I used to enjoy, many habits changed, less inclined to engage in frivolities, feels that great change has occurred, changed completely and rapidly.
68.75% (11)

(I;3,l5.) (II;l3.) (III;6.) (V;5.) (VII;6.) (VIII;7.) (XI;lO.) (XIII;l3.) (XIV;8,l4.) (XV;l5.) (XVI;6.)
Introduced to Knowledge by a friend.
68.75% (11)

(11;2.) (111;3.) (IV;2o.) (V;1.) (v1;1.) (x;4.) - (x1;1.) (XlI;3.) (x111;11.) (xIV;1.) (xv;a.)
Felt friendship, felt accepted and happy, very impressed by unity and sincerity, attracted to satsang, impressed that premies always looked happy, never doubted validity of Know- ledge, means everything to me - completely dedicated to Know- ledge.
62.50% (10)

(II;2,6.) (III;3.) (V;2.) (VI;l3.) (VII;2l.) (VIII;l,2.) (XI;5,9.) (XIII,ll.) (xIV;4.) (XVX;4.)
Becane acutely aware of urgent need to consciously search for the meaning of his life, felt he was stagnating in South Africa, began to feel that there was more to life, materially success- ful but not satisfied, felt emptiness, no meaning, had a nagging feeling, searching for an answer to life,lacked motivation to do anything - is now more motivated - lacked ambition.
50-00% (8)

(I;l,8.) (III;l.) (IV;ll,l6.) (VI;5,8,9,l2.) (X;3.) (XI;6,l7.) (XII;l,2,5.) (XIII;l,3,5.)

254
Now lead a more stable life, feel more in control, able to remain calm in the midst of confusion, more inner- directed and less judgemental, more organized, Knowledge helps one to deal with one's mental and physical problems - it promotes a continual improvement, Knowledge is a prac- tical life-style, gives me a firm basis, helped me in everything, life not possible without Knowledge, Know- ledge is an effective method of spiritual realization.
43.75% (7)

(III;ll.) (VII;l2,20,21.) (VIII;8.) (X;5,26.) (XI; 17,18.) (XII;7.8.) (XIV;7,ll.)
Initially sceptical about Knowledge, not initially impressed, premies' beliefs conflicted with own beliefs, initially cynical but interested, initially felt that Knowledge was below my dignity, initially had reservations.
37.50% (6)

(II;l4.) (XI;3,4.) (XII;4.) (XIV;2.) (XV;5.) (XVI;3.)
Received much from satsang, felt my questions were being answered, Knowledge fulfilled desire to understand nature of reality and of God, felt I was growing psychologically, my conflicts were resolved.
37.50% (5)

(IV;2l.) (V;9.) (VII;l,2.) (IX;8.) (XIV;l3.) (XV;3.)
Searched in the scriptures, empathised with Eastern philosophy.
31-25% (5)

(I;2.) (IV;l9.) (VIII;4.) (XIII;6.) (XVI;l.)
No longer confused, was confused, would still be confused if not for Knowledge.
3l.25% (5)

(I;l7.) (VIII}5.) (XI;l7.) (XII1;2,8.) (XVi2.)

255
More sensitive and appreciative of nature, greater appreciation of life, more aware of importance of human life, more aware of people and things, experienced a universal love.
31.25% (5)

(III;l4.) (V;l2.) (IX;3.) (XI;l6.) (XV;l9.)
Was curious about Knowledge, interested in Knowledge.
31.25% (5)

(X;4.) (XI;2.) (XII;4.) (XV;5.) (XVI;2.)
Felt great identification with premies, Knowledge felt right, felt at home in satsang.
25.00% (4)

(I;l0.) (II;5,9.) (IV;20.) (IX;l.)
Felt drawn - as if magnetized - to the love of the premies, had no control over what was happening, Knowledge just happened to me.
25.00% (4)

(I;l4.)(VII;4.) (XI;7.) (XV;6.)
Felt different from others, unable to relate to people, almost became very alienated, spent much time on my own (Before receiving Knowledge.)
25.00% (4)

(IV;l,2,4,l3,28.) (V;7.) (VI;2,4.) (XIII;4.)
Became abstinent - but approach initially imbalanced, began attempting to purify myself.
18.75% (3)

(I;3.) (III;2.) (IV;l4.)

256
Interested to learn about God, always interested in comparative religion, have always been interested in religion.
18.75% (3)

(II;l.) (XIV;3.) (XV;l.)
was going through a trying period, all I had was lost.
18.75% (3)

(II;3.) (XII;6.) (XIII;7.)
Knowledge is not as easy as I thought, being a premie is a difficult but rewarding occupation.
18.75% (3)

(II,7.) (VII;l6.) (IX;5.)
Changes occurred gradually, changes occurred subtly.
18.75% (3)

(II;l2.) (VIII;7.) (IX;l4.)
Felt that I was a complete failure, had no hope, more confident now.
18.75% (3)

(II;l5.) (IV;3.) (XII;8.)
Many things occurred in a short time, Knowledge occurred rapidly.
18.75% (3)

IV;24.) (X;l3.) (XIII;l2.)
Stopped drinking and taking drugs.
18.75% (3)

(V;6.) (IX;l0.) (XV;7,8.)
Knowledge erased all previous conceptions of reality, old concepts were broken down, now have a proper perspective.
18.75% (3)

(VII;3.) (IX;ll.) (XV;4.)

257
Was unable to experience things fully, can now experience life as it is rather than according to one's desires.
18.75% (3)

(VlI;9,l8.) (X;2.) (XIII;l6.)
Extremely dismayed that friends had conformed to mainstream values, alienated from friends, drifted away from friends_(Before receiving Knowledge.)
12.50% (2)

(1§7,1s.) (IV;12.)
Felt immediate and ovenuhelming attraction to GMJ - had a spiritual feeling of universality and felt all being in Him.
12.50% (2)

(I;9.) (II;8.)
Initiation was an incredible experience, filled with a comforting presence.
12.50% (2)

(I;ll.)'(IV;22.)
Realized that I'd been selfish to people, was selfish.
12.50% (2)

(II;l6.) (IV;l7.)
Used to avoid problems rather than confront them, Knowledge made me face up to reality.
12.50% (2)

(II;l8.) (III;l0.)
Have had lovely experiences after Knowledge, many profound experiences have occurred after receiving Knowledge.
12.50% (2)

(III;7.) (IV;25.)

258
Other techniques helped to increase confidence, but these techniques are limited.
12.50% (2)

(IV;9.) (X;l6.)
Activities haven't changed, but motivation behind them has, involvement in world is different from what it was previously because satisfied.
12.50% (2)

(IV;3l.) (VII;l5.)
Drugs gave a good experience in comparison with ordinary experience,-felt in harmony with the universe through the use of drugs.
12.50% (2)

(v1;1o.) (vx1;s.)
Must practise Knowledge in order to feel peaceful and whole. l2.50% (2)
(Vll;5.) (X;8,l7.)
Positive attitude attitude toward God: God is open to and loves everything - He is perfect, the Creator can help us to avoid destruction.
12.50% (2)

(VII;l3.) (IX;l7.)
Positive attitude toward GMJ : GMJ is completely open, be- lieves that GMJ is Christ.
12.50% (2)
(VII;l9.) (XV;l3.)
Not as fervent as I used to be.
12.50% (2)

(VIII;3.) (xIV;12.)

259
Most people's activities do not bring happiness, can see the futility of attachment.
12.50% (2)

(VIII;l3.) (IX;l2.)
Finds the world of today sickening, worldly desires pull people away from Knowledge.(After receiving Knowledge)
12.50% (2)

(IX;l8.) (XV;l2.)
People desire to be perfect but require encouragement, feels that man's true nature is one of positive qualities. (After receiving Knowledge)
12.50% (2)
(X;l4.) (XI;l3.)
I've always believed in God, feels there is something beyond our thoughts, always believed the purpose of life is spiritual.
12.50% (2)

(x;1s,19.) (XIV;lO.)
Parental disapproval of my involvement.
12.50% (2)

(XI;8.) (XV;9.)
Must be sincere, endeavour to practise Knowledge to the best of my ability.
12.50% (2)

(XV;ll.) (XVI;5.)
Became aware of the need for a Master to teach one about the Truth.
6.25% (1)
(
I;2.)

260
Had a number of experiences which, retrospectively, were profound due to the presence of Guru Maharaj Ji.
6.25% (1)

(I;4-)
Did not wish to live according to an imposed routine,and inability to settle into any environment.
6.25% (1)

(I;5-)
Did not wish to make money from feeding other people's consciousnesses with uninspiring things - dead-end and serves only to frustrate people even more.
6.25% (1)

(I;6.)
Felt there was a high energy at satsang.
6.25% (1)

(I;l0.)
Past contributes meaningfully to his present.
6.25% (1)

(I;l2.)
Aim of life is to know oneself, hence does not want to live without Knowledge - desires to be constantly aware of the eternal Truth.
6.25% (1)

(I;l6.)
Family member greatly changed by Knowledge.
6.25% (1)

(Il;4.)
Initially not interested in Knowledge.
6.25% (1)

(lII;4.)

261
Felt disappointed with the initiation experience.
6.25% (1)

(III;5.)
Before conformed without questioning, now question my activities.
6.25% (1)

(III;8.)
Dropped out of school - could not tolerate it.
6.25% (1)

(IV;5.)
Positive attitude toward the world: Saw the world as beautiful. (Before receiving Knowledge)
6.25% (1)

(IV;6.)
Positive attitude toward people: Saw them as beautiful. (Before receiving Knowledge)
6.25% (1)

(IV;6.)
Felt frustrated because of inability to express a beauty with himself. (Before receiving Knowledge)
6.25% (1)

(IV;7.)
Loves sharing which brings people closer together.
6.25% (1)

(IV;8.)
Began searching for a means to actualize myself.
6.25% (1)

(lV;l0.)

262
Prior to Knowledge, I was becoming kinder to people.
6.25% (1)

(IV;l5.)
I began desiring positive qualities in my life.
6.25% (1)

(IV;l8.)
Initially too fanatical.
6.25% (1)

(IV;26.)
Knowledge gave me support during difficult periods.
6.25% (1)

(IV;Z7.)
Had always been sceptical about God.
6.25% (1)

(V;3.)
Brought up in a Christian home.
6.25% (1)

(V;4.)
Initial period of involvement with Knowledge was the most meaningful period of my life.
6.25% (1)

(V;8-)
No longer feels programmed.
6.25% (1)

(V;l4.)
Feels that people tend to be critical of one-another. (Before Receiving Knowledge)
6.25% (1)

(VI;3.)

263
Never feared death.
6.25% (1)

(VI;6.)
Unable to accept myself fully.
6.25% (1)

(VI;ll.)
Feels that purpose in life is being realized although in an unexpected fashion.
6.25% (1)

(VII;7.)
One's constructs close one off from certain possibilities
6.25% (1)

(VIl;ll.)
Knowledge cannot be experienced vicariously.
6.25% (1)

(VII;l2.)
Sees the world as beautiful and joyous. (After receiving Knowledge)
6.25% (1)

(VII;l4.)
Through Knowledge has become childlike in being open and innocent to everything.
6.25% (1)

(v1x;1s.)
Must have total faith if Knowledge is to be efficacious.
6.25% (1)

(VII;l7.)
Knowledge is not a blind faith but a trust in God.
6.25% (1)

(VII;20.)

264
People seek to be happy.
6.25% (1)
(v111;1a.)
Still searching; have not yet fully experienced Knowledge.
6.25% (1)
(VIII;l5.)
Only obstacle to God-realization is man's constructs.
6.25% (1)
(IX;4.)
Things go right when I am selfless.
6.25% (1)
(IX;7.)
Feels that man is more than just body and mind.
6.25% (1)
(IX;l3.)
People come to Knowledge because unconsciously they are seeking perfection.
6.25% (1)
(IX;l5.)
Sees man as driving himself towards destruction. (After receiving Knowledge)
6.25% (1)
(IX;l6.)
Prior to Knowledge, I was growing in consciousness but was not aware of this, began living the life-style of a premie prior to Knowledge.
6.25% (1)

(X;l,6.)
Thought I was smart, but now can see that actually I was ignorant.
6.25% (1)

(X;lO.)
Feel that I must put more effort into it.
6.25% (1)

(X;l8.)
Nature is a reflection of harmony.
6.25% (1)

(X;2O.)
People desire to harmonise with something.
6.25% (1)

(X;2l.)

265
Anger and fear control most of our lives.
6.25% (1)

(X;22.)
People want to be noticed and loved but they are afraid.
6.25% (1)

(X;24.)
Now feels part of everything unlike before.
6.25% (1)

(XI;l5.)
Feels that changes are definitely due to Knowledge.
6.25% (1)

(XI;l8.)
Felt good to be actively involved; the experience of being committed made a difference in my life.
6.25% (1)

(XII;9,l0.)
Now I am able to concentrate on what I am doing.
6.25% (1)

(XII;ll.)
I was not impressed with the Jesus People.
6.25% (1)

(XIII;l0.)

266
Feels more responsible.
6.25% (1)

(XIII;l7.)
Unable to relate to premies - both now and then.
6.25% (1)

(xIV;s.)
Not surprised by the initiation experience.
6.25% (1)

(XIV;6.)
Find it difficult to relate to people with futile life-styles.
6.25% (1)

(XIV;9.)
It is difficult to live according to the scriptures - feels bad because not living according to the scriptures.
6.25% (1)

(xv;1o.11.)
Feels that attachment is bad.
6.25% (1)

(XV;l4.)
More generous.
6.25% (1)

(XV;l7.)
Feels that friends were frightened by his change lest they had to sacrifice in order to change.
6.25% (1)

(XV;20.)
Less hypocritical.
6.25% (1)

(XVI;7.)

267
No 1onger anti-establishment - now concerned with changing pe0ple's consciousness.
6.25% (1)

(XVI;10.)

268

EXTENDED DESCRIPTION OF THE MEANING OF BECOMING AND
BEING A MEMBER OF THE DIVINE LIGHT MISSION

One of the major themes of becoming and being a member (satsang) of the Divine Light Mission is that of an openness-to-the-world which is perceived as being beautiful and joyous. Most of the premies, for example, stated that meditation (an integral aspect of being a premie) helped them to be more calm and to relax; it started them living and stopped them thinking.

They explicitly stated that they were happier and more satisfied, that they felt good, less defensive, more natural and spontaneous; that they could be themselves without pretense (no.l.). In fact, one premie stated that, through Knowledge, he had become childlike in being open and innocent to everything (no.79 - VII;16.). Furthermore, these same group members explicitly stated that they had become more sensitive to and appreciative of nature, that they were more aware of the importance of human life, that they experienced a universal love (no.l3.) and that one was now able to experience life more fully, to experience life as it really is rather than according to one's desires (no.27.) since one's constructs close one off from certain possibilities (no.76 - VII;ll.).

Compatible with this openness of being is the theme of increased openness to fellow-man, such that explicit statements occur to the effect that one is now more open to and accepting of other people, that one can relate more easily to and is more considerate of other people. One now feels closer to and more involved with people; one feels less alienated and has a deeper relationship with people (no.3.).

Many premies interviewed explicitly stated that, being in the movement, one has a purpose such that none of one's actions are futile and one is able to perceive a purpose in all life-situations so that it is possible to construe one's past as contributing meaningfully to one's present (n0.52.). Life has

269

become a challenge; it has taken on a new meaning (no.2.), and it is felt that Knowledge (an integral aspect of being a premie)must be practised in order for one to feel peaceful and whole (no.37.); the aim of life being to know oneself, there is the desire to be constantly aware of the eternal Truth (no. 53.) and to realize a universal unity (no.2 - VII;7.). Further- more, it is felt that one's purpose in life is being realized although in an unexpected fashion (no.75 - VII;7.).

In stark contrast to this in-the-movement mode of being - pregnant with meaning - one finds themes indicating that, prior to joining the movement, group members lacked personal ambition and had begun consciously to question the meaning of their existence. There was a feeling of dissatisfaction-despite-material-success; a feeling that there was something more to life - an acute and urgent need to search for the answer to one's existence (no.7.).

In addition, a number of premies explicitly stated that, prior to being a member of the Mission, they had drifted away from and were alienated from their friends, were extremely dismayed that their friends had conformed to mainstream values, and felt that most people were critical of one-another (nos. 28 and 72.). There were also themes indicating that, prior to joining the movement, they felt different from others, felt unable to relate to fellow- man and felt alienated, that one also spent much of one's time on one's own (no. l7.), that one did not wish to live according to an imposed routine, and that there was an experienced inability to settle into any particular environment (no.49.). Furthermore, explicit descriptive themes emerged from a small number of group members to the effect that, prior to joining the Mission, there had been a trying period when all that one possessed was lost, and one felt a complete failure and lacked confidence (nos. 20 and 23.).

In terms of the above explication it is understandable that some of the premies should explicitly state that they had received much from being a group member,

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felt their questions were being answered and that they felt they were growing psychologically, their conflicts being resolved (no.lO.), while it was also felt that Knowledge was fulfilling their desire to understand the nature of reality and of God. This, however, does not necessarily imply that being a premie is an easy occupation (no.2l.).

Supportive of this radical difference between the pre-movement and the in- movement modes of being-in-the-world, is a major theme emerging from a large number of group members to the effect that they have completely and radically changed; that one no longer enjoys what one used to enjoy, that one is less inclined to engage in frivolities (no.4.), and that, although one's approach may have been unbalanced, there was nevertheless an attempt to become pure (no.l8.) and there was a dedication to this spiritual quest (nos. 6, 53, 80 and 91.). Furthermore, a few group members explicitly stated that, being in the movement, one's previous conceptions of reality are changed and one develops a proper perspective (no.26.). Several of the premies (no. 9) indicated that they initially felt ambivalent about joining the movement, and thus one finds, for example, explicit descriptive statements to the effect that initially they were not impressed by the Mission, that the premies' beliefs conflicted with their own beliefs, and that initially they had reservations about the Mission, feeling that being a member was below their dignity. However, for some of these premies (II; XI; XV ) their ambivalence appeared to be short-lived, since, on actually seeing Guru Maharaj Ji or on receiving Knowledge, they reported an immediate attraction as well as being filled with a comforting presence (nos. 29 and 30.). Furthermore, they felt that they had little or no control over what was happening and felt drawn to the premies as if magnetized (no.l6.).

Many of the premies explicitly stated that they were introduced to the Divine Light Mission by friends (no. 5.) and that, having had contact with

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group members, they felt a friendship and acceptance. They were further impressed by the unity and sincerity of thepremies and felt that they always appeared to be happy (no.6.). In addition, two premies explicitly expressed a positive attitude toward Guru Maharaj Ji, stating that He is completely open to man and that He is Christ (no.39.). These themes support the general feeling tone concerning the openness of the group members. Furthermore, some group members explicitly stated that they felt an at-homeness in the movement, and on meeting the premies were able innediately to identify and empathise with them. (no. l5.).

Incompatible with this general feeling tone is the explicit expression by one group member (IX) that he still found the world of today sickening and that he felt man was driving himself to destruction (nos. 42 and 88.).

Also incompatible, to a certain extent, with this general feeling tone of openness is the explicit statement by another group member (no.lO2 - XIV;5.) that she could not and still cannot relate to the other group members, al- though this same individual stated that she felt attracted to the movement by the love shown to her by the premies (no.6 - XIV;4.). This suggests that, although she may be open to the premies, there is an inability on her part to relate to them other than in terms of their being members of the group which espouses a belief-system to which she has declared her allegiance.

For a large proportion of premies, being a member of the Divine Light Mission neans being more stable and having a practical life-style. In addition, it is felt that Knowledge helps one to deal with one's mental and physical problems and that it promotes a continual improvement of things. Hence, one finds explicit descriptive statements to the effect that one has been forced to face up to reality and confront one's problems rather than avoid them (no. 32.); that, although previously lost and confused, this is no longer the case

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(no.l2.); that one now has a firm basis in life; that one feels in control and more organized, more inner-directed; and that one is more able to remain calm in the midst of confusion; and, finally, that one now has an effective method of spiritual realization (no.8.).

Another major theme that emerged indicates that, prior to joining the Divine Light Mission, many group members were already spiritually inclined. Thus one finds explicit descriptive statements to the effect that they have always been interested in religion, that they had been searching in the scriptures for the answer to the question put to them by their existence, and that they have always believed the purpose of life to be of a spiritual nature (nos. ll, l9 and 44.). Since a great many of the premies (over half of those interviewed) indicated that they were already spiritually inclined prior to joining the movement, and, since the majority of these individuals explicitly expressed that they felt they had greatly changed (no.4.), it would appear that this changednmde of being does not refer specifically to becoming-spirituaL but rather to a mode of being-spiritual. That is, being a group member is synono- mous with being-an-openness-to-the-world which would include a way of being- spiritual. This mode of spiritual-being was explicitly stated by two premies who expressed the sentiment that God is open to and loves everything, that He is perfect and that He can help one to avoid destruction (no.38.). Further- more, total faith is considered to be essential if Knowledge is to be efficacious - this is not a blind faith but a trust in God (nos. 80 and 81 respectively - VII;l7,20.).

Compatible with the above exposition concerning this mode of spiritual-being is the explicit theme emerging from the protocols of two premies that their activities have not changed but that the motivation behind them has, and that their involvement in the world is different from what it was previously (no. 35.).

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An apparently incompatible theme concerning one's relationship to the world and to fellow-man emerged from the protocol of one of the group members (nos. 59 and 60 - IV; 6.). This theme would appear to indicate that this premie had an extremely good relationship with both fellow-man and the world prior to joining the movement. However, this same individual also explicitly states that he felt so frustrated by his inability to express a beauty that he felt inside himself (no. 61.), that, although materially successful, he did not feel satisfied and had begun to feel that there was possibly more to life thanjust attaining one's goals (no. 7.). He further explicitly stated that, through being in the Mission, he was beginning to relax (no. 1.) and felt an at-homeness (no. 15.). Furthermore, retrospectively he could see that he had been selfish to others (no. 31.) and spent a lot of time on his own, felt different from others and was unable to relate to them - so much so, that he had begun to despise fellow-man (no. 17.). From this explication, it would seem that, although at the cognitive level the world and fellow-man are per- ceived as being beautiful, at the experiential level this subject, like other group members (nos. 7, 17, 20, 23, 28 and 72.), had a poor relationship with fellow-man and with the world.

The remaining themes were found to be compatible with the above Extended Description of the meaning of becoming and being a member of the Divine Light Mission.

CHAPTER SIX

THE MEANING OF BECOMING AND BEING A MEMBER OF
A SMALL AND STRUCTURED RELIGIOUS GROUP - A COMPARISON

354

Associated things are unities: wholes and
non-wholes, accord and discord, hanmony and
dishanmony, all fiom one and one from all.
Invisible harmony is more powerful than
visible harmony.
Heraclitus

Since the aim of the researcher is to understand more fully what it means to become and to be a member of each one of the groups in question, the comparison - far from being redundant - illuminates certain themes of each group which are similar to or different from themes in the other groups. Thus - although, strictly speaking, a comparison is not required - the data may be made to reveal more of itself through the process of comparison presented below.

One common theme emerging from the four religious groups investigated, indicates that all group mebers are, to a certain extent, spiritually inclined prior to joining their respective groups and that, through being a group member, they derive purpose, direction and meaning in life. This contrasts with their pre-movement mode of being-in-the-world, the nature of which varies across the groups. For example, for both the Jesus movement and the Divine Light Mission, the pre-movement mode of being is characterised by themes of_feeling alienated, empty, having an unhappy home-life, being bored, dissatisfied, lacking ambition, feeling different from others and a gradual drifting away from friends. That is, their prior mode of being centres around their relationship to fellow-man. For the Catholic Priests, however, their previous mode of being tends to be characterised by a feeling that everything was shallow and artificial; there was a feeling of empti- ness and yet a happy home-life. That is, their prior mode of being centres around a feeling that life was shallow. For the Hare Krishna movement, the pre-movement mode of being is characterised not only by a feeling of emptiness, but also by a feeling that one is trapped - that one is a

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prisoner - and by feelings of restlessness and anxiety. That is, the pre- movement mode of being for the Hare Krishna group members centres around a feeling of trappedness.

Explicit themes to the effect that there was an initial anbivalence with regard to joining the movement emerge from many of the protocols of members of the Divine Light Mission as well as from those of the Jesus movement, in which there is also the theme, emerging from two of the protocols, that one's salvation is doubted. This theme of initial ambivalence strikingly contrasts with an explicit theme emerging from the Catholic Priest group which indicates that many of the seminarians never doubted their vocation - joining a relig- ious order so as to serve people - although there was a continual questioning of their decision concerning the priesthood after they had joined. Only four of the Hare Krishna Devotees explicitly state that they had any initial ambivalence with regard to joining the movement.

An explicit but minor theme emerges from the Jesus People and Divine Light Mission groups, indicating that joining the group was preceded by a trying period when all that the person possessed was lost and his world had collapsed This "crisis phenomenon" does not appear in the protocols of either the Catholic Priests or the Hare Krishna Devotees.

Explicit themes emerge from all the groups to indicate an increased experien- tial closeness to a personal God, and it would appear that the nature of a person's relationship with God tends to vary according to his group membership The Catholic Priests, for example, although perceiving God as a friend, would appear to be motivated by a need to be dutiful (one must be loyal to the Church and be conmitted to the priesthood), as well as by a dependency upon that which they perceive to be God. Thus, for example, God is said to be essential to one's life; it is felt that one should be guided by Christ and

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that one is totally dependent upon God. The Jesus People, however, appear to be motivated by a love for God; God is seen as a friend who will never forsake one and who will help one in times of need - a friend to whom one can really talk. The Hare Krishna Devotees, on the other hand, appear to worship God out of a feeling of duty. The Maharaj Ji Premies reveal themes indicating that it is felt that God is open to everything and is a loving God. This, however, is qualified by the explicit theme that Knowledge will only be efficacious if one has total faith, which is considered not to be a blind faith but a trust in God.

Explicit themes emerge from all the groups other than the Jesus People group that being a group member facilitated spiritual development and a person's desire to understand God. This does not necessarily imply that spiritual growth did not occur in the Jesus People group, but rather that this develop- ment was not made explicit as such.

The Hare Krishna and the Divine Light Mission groups are set apart from the other two groups in that there are no explicit themes concerning one's relationship to the Devil, whilst explicit themes concerning one's relation- ship to the Devil do emerge from the Jesus People group and the Catholic Priest group. In the Catholic Priest group the belief in the presence of the Devil is prevalent, while in the Jesus People group this theme only occurs in the protocols from two of the group members, suggesting that in the Jesus movement - unlike in the Catholic Priest group - the Devil does not play a major part in their mode of being-in-the-world. This is surpris- ing, since Satan - the Devil - is conceived to be just as existentially real as Christ Himself - a personal being who epitomises evil and is the adversary of Jesus Christ. It could be, however, that the Jesus People's faith in a God who is conceived to be a friend who will not forsake one, assures them of protection against whatever threat Satan would otherwise

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be to them. Thus the dimension of evil eminating from the Devil is, existentially, of little consequence and hence does not feature prominently in the protocols of the Jesus People.

The Hare Krishna group and the Divine Light Mission group are again set apart from the other two groups in that both the former groups yield explicit themes to the effect that being in the movement has afforded the members a practical and stable life-style enabling them to deal with problems of various descriptions. Such themes are not explicit in either the Catholic Priest group or the Jesus People group, although the theme that only by being fulfilled - facilitated by joining the priesthood - can one be of use to society, does emerge from the Catholic Priest group. This implies that, to a certain extent, being religiously alive as a Catholic Priest enables one to have a stable and practical life-style.

Explicit themes concerning one's attitude toward death emerge from the protocols of the Jesus People, the Hare Krishna Devotees and the Catholic Priests. In all three cases, the themes are to the effect that death is seen as being meaningful and that it is no longer feared. It is interesting that the three groups which indicate a perceived meaningfulness of death should also be those groups which believe that God has yet to come again as incarnate Being and which do not adhere to the belief that God incarnate is in our midst as do the members of the Divine Light Mission.

While both the Jesus movement and the Divine Light Mission present themes to the effect that great changes have occurred in their modes of being, the groups are differentiated on two counts. Firstly, the Jesus People experience themselves primarily in terms of being-changed while the premies do not. That is, while the premies experience great change as a consequence of being group members, as do the Jesus People, they do not also primarily experience them-

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selves being-controlled rather than being-in-control and hence do not experience themselves as being-changed. Parenthetically, it may be noted that the feeling of being-changed, as opposed to simply the feeling of changing, has as its concomitant theme in the Jesus People group the feeling that, since one is not in control of one's life, one is absolved from the need to govern one's own life. Consequently, one is more able to accept responsibility because - ultimately - one is not responsible.

Themes of this nature do not emerge from, or at least are not prevalent in, the protocols of the other three groups. Secondly, although the Jesus People present themes of an increased openness to fellow-man, they neverthe- less also present explicit themes of still being at dis-ease in the world, while the premies, on the other hand, present explicit themes only of an increased openness to fellow-man and to the world. The Catholic Priests do not - unlike the above two groups - experience a great deal of change in both the nature and the degree of their relatedness to fellow-man and to the world, but rather experience a change which is primarily in the degree of relatedness. In addition, a theme that the Catholic Priests have also become more open to themselves - more aware of and more accepting of themselves - explicitly emerges. A theme of this nature also explicitly emerges from the protocols of the Divine Light Mission group, but not from the two remaining groups. The Hare Krishna Devotees do not experience any substantial change in their relatedness to fellow-man and to the world, indicating a feeling of being-at-dis-ease with fellow-man and in the world both before joining the movement and also as members of the movement. Further more, any changes that do occur tend to be of degree rather than of nature.

Supportive of this chronic dis-ease with fellow-man and the world in both the pre-movement and the in-movement modes of existence, and the lack of any substantial change in these modes as a consequence of joining the Hare Krishna Devotees, is the theme that emotional involvement is painful and can be

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destructive. Such a theme does not explicitly emerge from the protocols of the other groups, the protocols of which indicate that the members of these groups have changed - in varying degrees - with respect to their relatedness to fellow-man and the world.

The explicit theme of bodiliness - that the body is a hindrance - emerges from the protocols of the Hare Krishna Devotees only. This is not unexpec- ted, since the theology of this group centres around the belief that one is separate and distinct from one's body; that man is actually eternal spirit- soul and that bodily identification is felt to result in much unnecessary suffering. This doctrine almost makes it mandatory that a devotee view his body as a hindrance, and as one devotee stated "… our true identity lies beyond this material world." This explicit theme of negative bodiliness is compatible with the chronic feeling of dis-ease with fellow-man and with the world in the Hare Krishna Devotee group. A lived-doctrine advocating a radical split and essential difference between self and body is not found in the theology of the other three groups.

Temporality as a lived-dimension does change in the Hare Krishna group, such that there is now a flowing-with-time rather than a fighting-against-time; an ability to be-with-time rather than to feel threatened by it. For members of both the Hare Krishna movement and the Jesus movement there is a discontin- uity of their temporality in that there is a closedness-to-the past; the past is not seen as a building-block for the present but rather as a millstone that must be shaken loose. This is not the case for the Catholic Priest group and the Divine Light Mission group.

Explicit themes emerge from all the groups other than the Catholic Priest group to indicate a feeling of at-homeness in the respective movements, a highly attractive aspect being the openness of the other group members.

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The Catholic Priests, in contrast to this, reveal explicit themes to the effect that there is a lived-distance between the seminarians and that there is an ever-present tension in the seminary. Furthermore, although being celibate, they deeply longed for marriage and family-life. That is, there would appear to be anything but an at-homeness in the seminary. In addition, celibacy is viewed as being a sacrifice - a difficult sacrifice - yet there is the consolation that God will assist one to persevere and also the knowledge that sacrifice is viewed as an integral aspect of Christianity. The issue of celibacy is certainly problematic as can be seen from the Extended Description of the meaning of becoming and being a Catholic Priest. That sexuality is not problematic in the other groups is evident in that, as Van Kaam (1967) points out, an issue, event or mode of behaviour - in short, a phenomenon - that is problematic will reveal itself as being so. It will "stand out" from its surrounds, from its context, as it did in the Catholic Priest group but not in the other three groups.

There are, no doubt, many further comparisons that can be made, but to extend the above comparison would serve only to dilute the significant features of the salient similarities and differences between the religious groups of the present inquiry.

CHAPTER SEVEN

CONCLUSION - A PERSONAL ENDING

361

At this point I'll bring my work to an end.
If it is found well written and aptly composed
that is what I myself hoped; if cheap and mediocre,
I could only db my best.
Macc. 15; 38

The question of existence never gets straightened out except through existing itself.
Martin Heidegger - Being and Time

Most researchers - if not all - must surely be continually reflecting, either explicitly or implicitly, on their original motivation for embarking on their particular project. This must be the case especially for research into the area of religious sentiments. Yet most researchers fail to present their personal orientation - their personal reasons for conducting the research in the first place - explicitly. It is this aspect of an investigation - of the present research - that I am determined not to omit.

I first became acquainted with the Jesus People, both as a movement and as a group of young people, during late l972 while in Cape Town. Through curiosity about the type of person who joined the movement I actively pursued a coincidental meeting with some members of the Jesus movement and eventually I was given an open invitation to live with members of the Invisible Church in Johannesburg should I ever be anywhere in that area. I ventured to Johannesburg and took up residence in one of the houses run by the Invisible Church.

At that stage, I was struck by the fellowship and sense of belonging that existed within the movement, although this was offered at a price - that of overt commitment to the ideology of the movement. However, such commitment also promoted the derivation of a feeling of security and direction given to the members by various authority figures - both human and divine - in the movement. Although the Jesus People were friendly, they nevertheless 362

were dogmatic and had a very limited world-view, the core of which was Jesus Christ. They repeatedly espoused the value of an emotional conver- sion and emphasized that, in order to be "saved", one merely had to acknowledge that one was a sinner and accept Christ into one's life.

Although the Jesus People were anti-intellectual - many in the extreme - they nevertheless appeared to derive great satisfaction from engaging in intellectual arguments concerning the merits of adopting a literalist stance.

Many of the individuals who were frequent attenders at the church services, had previously been in the Jesus houses but had now "graduated". Such persons attributed their present stability to the personal growth that occurred during their membership within the movement and still felt that Jesus Christ was an important aspect of their new found life-style.

My encounter with the Jesus People raised a number of questions for me concerning the efficacy of the Jesus movement as a type of "half-way house" leading back into mainstream society, and the type of person who found the movement beneficial, as well as questions concerning the infrastructure of the Jesus movement itself. I continued asking questions along these lines which culminated in a research project (Stones, l976) ending in late l975.

The project itself, in turn, raised a number of questions to which I gave serious consideration. These questions eventually seemed to focus on two particular aspects. Firstly, were other non-conformist religious groups effectively and substantially different from the Jesus movement which I had been investigating, and, secondly, was the methodology which I used adequate for the study and elucidation of the structure of religious commitment? As the first question crystallized, it became the focus of a desire to conduct a further study on four particular groups - those in the present investigation - while the second question remained problematic.

This was soon, however, to be solved by my introduction to phenomenology and the application of its ethos to the discipline of psychology. As I 363

1grappled with various conflicts concerning the viability of phenomenolo- gical research in psychology, I gradually came to appreciate that phenomen- ology is propaedeutic to other forms of psychological research and that its emphasis on experience, on meaning and on description, among other things, made it almost mandatory that a phenomenological approach be adopted if I were to answer mysecond question satisfactorily - the substance of chapters three and four being my answer.

I renewed old acquaintances within the Jesus movement and, after developing rapport with as many members as possible, I began to interview individuals.

That is, I simply asked them to tell me about themselves as Jesus People and about the process of their becoming converted. Since my feelings toward the movement had not changed substantially since my first project, there is little need to reiterate these, save to say that I, as a person and as a researcher, felt more at ease and more as if I were "getting somewhere" with the phenomenological approach than with the psychometric and natural scientific measurement perspective of my earlier research - which is not to devalue this previous work but to emphasise the difference in orientation.

My entry into the Hare Krishna movement was facilitated by the fortuitous fact that one of the devotees happened to have been an undergraduate student whom I had taught and who had decided to "drop-out" of university in order to "drop-into" the Hare Krishna movement. After living with the devotees in their temple for approximately two and a half months, I broached the possibili ty of my conducting research, involving various members, into the movement.

After some deliberation, the temple president agreed to my proposal and I received tremendous assistance from the devotees, with one or two exceptions, albeit an assistance aimed ultimately at my conversion. A couple of devotees, although willing to co-operate, were nevertheless condescending towards me

364

and appeared to consider me as being inferior because I had not experienced Krishna Consciousness.

Most of the members of ISKCON were well-educated and appeared to have well thought out reasons for joining the movement. Furthermore, there appeared to be little or no conflict concerning their commitments to the movement as opposed to their commitments - or lack of them - to mainstream values, although resolution of any conflict may have been attained by the adoption of an extreme posture - that of total commitment to ISKCON with the rigidity of recalcitrant converts. My impression of most of the members of ISKCON was that, unlike the Jesus People, who tended on the whole towards emotionalism, the Hare Krishna Devotees tended towards intellectualism - a "superior" brand at that. While I found the devotees' philosophy to be interesting and to have depth, the Maharaj Ji premies, in contrast, were more experientially- orientated than philosophically inclined.

The Divine Light Mission proved to be the most difficult group to gain entry into, and it was only after several months of correspondence, visiting and joining in with their services that I managed to persuade the regional directors of the DLM that I was not intent on doing an exposé and that I was not about to commercialise Guru Maharaj Ji and his followers. By the time I had received permission from the various directors to conduct a research programme, I had been attending an occasional satsang for slightly over six months, and had been a regular attender at satsang and other services for approximately two months. Put simply, I had become well-known in the Johannesburg branch of the DLM and had developed rapport with many of its members. Most of the premies struck me as having been lonely and friendless prior to joining the movement, which appeared to suffuse them with a direction and goal in life - something which they had rarely experienced before.

By attendingsatsangthere was the possibility for these lonely individuals

365

to meet others and for friendships to develop. Although this obviously holds true for almost any gathering of people, it appeared to be far more the case with the Maharaj Ji premies than with the other groups which, for example, demanded a commitment explicitly requiring changed life-styles, value-systems and place of abode. Not so with the DLM. Members could be fully committed and yet, apart from some reappropriation of their time, could retain their prior life-styles and, to a certain extent, their value systems as well as their previous places of abode. A few of the members of the DLM tended to be suspicious of my activities and refused to be interviewed. These individuals were certainly atypical, since most of the premies were willing to co-operate and, in fact, appeared to feel quite privileged that I should take sufficient interest in their belief to travel to Johannesburg to speak to them. One striking difference between the premies on the one hand and the Jesus People and the Hare Krishna Devotees on the other was that, while the latter groups took a great interest in scriptural exegesis, the former group did not. Instead, they placed an emphasis on experiential living rather than on scripturally-guided living. Consequently, their philosophy tended to be simplistic, being little more than the continual reiteration that Guru Maharaj Ji is the new Messiah and that all scripture is past - the present is living, and living experientially is an enhancement of the present; in fact, an enhancement of life.

The Divine Light Mission, however, is a movement which requires little overt commitment other than that one spends a fair amount of time attending Satsang, doing service and meditating. That is, it is a movement which would appear to "give one something to do" and, more importantly, something to do with someone.

Since it appears that it is this community aspect that is the movement's primary draw card, it is likely that the DLM in one form or another will continue to exist for some time to come wherever there is a sufficiently large contingent of lonely young people. As for those people who are already members of the movement, I would suggest that, as they develop friendships, so making new social contacts and developing interpersonal skills, they will gradually relinquish their affiliation with the DLM, which served its purpose for them as a temporary haven - a respite from various existential difficulties.

THE MEANING OF BECOMING AND BEING A MEMBER OF A SMALL AND STRUCTURED RELIGIOUS GROUP

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN PSYCHOLOGY BY CHRISTOPHER ROBIN STONES RHODES UNIVERSITY AUGUST; 1979 GRAHAMSTOWN

C. The Maharaj Ji Premies

CHAPTER FOUR METHODOLOGY

A. VALIDITY OF THE PRESENT RESEARCH

B. RELIABILITY OF THE PRESENT RESEARCH

C. THE CHOICE OF A SAMPLE

PART III THE MAHARAJ JI PREMIES

MAHARAJ JI PREMIE PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

LIST OF NATURAL MEANING UNITS MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

CONSTITUENT PROFILE MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

SECOND ORDER PROFILE MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

MAHARAJ JI PREMIE PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

INFORMATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

LIST OF NATURAL MEANING UNITS MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

CONSTITUENT PROFILE MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

SECOND ORDER PROFILE MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

EXTENDED DESCRIPTION OF THE MEANING OF BECOMING AND BEING A MEMBER OF THE DIVINE LIGHT MISSION

CHAPTER SIX

THE MEANING OF BECOMING AND BEING A MEMBER OF A SMALL AND STRUCTURED RELIGIOUS GROUP - A COMPARISON

CHAPTER SEVEN

CONCLUSION - A PERSONAL ENDING

THE MEANING OF BECOMING AND BEING A MEMBER
OF A
SMALL AND STRUCTURED RELIGIOUS GROUP

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN PSYCHOLOGY
BY
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN STONES
RHODES UNIVERSITY AUGUST; 1979
GRAHAMSTOWN

CHAPTER FOUR
METHODOLOGY

PART III

THE MAHARAJ JI PREMIES

MAHARAJ JI PREMIE

PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

LIST OF NATURAL MEANING UNITS
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

CONSTITUENT PROFILE
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

SECOND ORDER PROFILE
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL ONE - (I)

INFORMATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

LIST OF NATURAL MEANING UNITS
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

CONSTITUENT PROFILE
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

SECOND ORDER PROFILE
MAHARAJ JI PREMIE - PROTOCOL SEVEN - (VII)

EXTENDED DESCRIPTION OF THE MEANING OF BECOMING AND
BEING A MEMBER OF THE DIVINE LIGHT MISSION

THE MEANING OF BECOMING AND BEING A MEMBER OF
A SMALL AND STRUCTURED RELIGIOUS GROUP - A COMPARISON