Prem Rawat's Millenium '73 Press Conference
Divine Light Mission staffers ran an effective promotional campaign which meant the Astrodome was packed with over three hundred professional newsmen who came to Houston from all over the U.S.A and the world to find out about Guru Maharaj Ji. It was billed as "The Most Holy and Significant Event in Human History" and it was predicted that 144,000 premies would be there. With few exceptions, these reports have portrayed Maharaj Ji as a materialist and his followers as misguided or misled. Rawat's devotess were astounded to hear Rawat interrogated and Rawat Himself was humiliated and took to drink which did not help his performance at his final speech which left even his most devoted followers dispirited.
The 15 year old Guru Maharaj Ji began the conference with a short speech:
"Ladies and gentlemen the thing I would like to tell you first of all before we begin the conference is that there have been many news appearing in newspapers and televisions. To some extent they are true and to some extent they aren't true and uh we would just like to clarify some of these things because the purpose of this mission, the aim of this mission is to establish peace in this earth and we want that we should be helped by all brothers and sisters because if we are humans, if we are real humans, we would very much like that peace should be on this earth. And thus we would like to have somebody who can establish peace. Well, here I am and I can I say I can establish peace in this world."
Q: Guru, are you the Perfect Body?
A: Oh no. (Sustained laughter)
Q: It's hard for some people to understand how you personally can live so luxuriously in your several homes and your Rolls Royce and stuff and why don't you spend that money on feeding people?
A: "And that's a really good question and let me tell you this, that life you call luxurious ain't luxurious at all because any other person gets the same life I get, he is going to blow apart in a million pieces in a split of a second."
"I'm trying to accomplish peace in this world. This is what I'm trying to do. Trying to accomplish peace in this world."
Q: Guru what happened to the reporter in Detroit that was badly beaten by your followers?
Slimy Premie organiser: Ma'am could you please direct your questions to here. It's kind of like etiquette to the rest of the members of the press that they also have questions too and there are many people here who would like to ask questions (general hubbub from angry reporters)
Q: Could I have an answer to that question please?
Other Reporter: We have propaganda here from South America. Is this a press conference or propaganda for Divine Light Mission?
Slimy Premie organiser: It's a press conference. If everybody just calls out … Let's direct the questions … Do you have a question ma'am?
Reporter: I'm asking about the reporter who was badly beaten by some of Guru Maharaj Ji's followers in Detroit after he threw the pie at the guru. What happened to this reporter?
Slime bag PR premie: Well …
GMJ: And we're gonna find out what happened to … everything … find out present situation
Slime bag PR premie: Gentlemen
Reporter for Newsweek: Could I could I please could I please say sir you asked for the cooperation of the press. With all due respect about half of your answers have been very flippant. Don't you think it's time to level with the press, all the way, if you want our cooperation?
GMJ: Why doesn't the press level with me?
Newsweek: We don't have a chance. This is the point, there doesn't seem
GMJ: You see this is
Newsweek: We seem to have a credibility gap
GMJ: It's on different levels though. You see what I'm trying to tell you is one thing and I'm not going to alter that saying. Again with all respects to press it's like uh what really can I say to this press because press is asking such questions you know
Newsweek: They always will sir
GMJ: Yah. Of course they will. I know that. So there's one point I have to again and again tell 'em that my point is to establish peace into this world. My point is to understand and they press got to understand how am I going to do it.
Newsweek: The questions we asked in very sincere terms were not, they were very flippantly answered, I thought. I'm not upset, I'm just here to do a job. If I was a more religious man I'd be more upset.
A partial record of the interview as published within DLM was sent to me:
Q: It's hard for some people to understand how you personally can live so luxuriously in your several homes and your Rolls Royces. And why don't you spend that money on feeding people?
Guru Maharaj Ji: Now that's a really good question and let me tell you this. That life that you call luxurious isn't luxurious at all because if any other person gets the same life I get, he's going to blow apart in a million pieces in a split of a second.
Q: Yeah, but you don't look like you're starving.
Guru Maharaj Ji: Oh, I don't look like it, do I?
Q: Why don't you practice what you preach?
Guru Maharaj Ji: Oh, I'm going to practice it, don't you bother about it. I'm practicing it as a matter of fact now, I am practicing it and it's for people to realize. People have made Rolls Royce a heck of a car and only that is a tin with a V-8 engine which probably a Chevelle Concourse has. It's been presented to me, it's been given to me.
Q: Why don't you sell it and make it into food for people?
Guru Maharaj Ji: What good would it do if I even make it food for people? All that's going to happen is they will need one more and I don't have another Rolls Royce. I will sell everything and I'll walk and still they will he hungry. Why don't I give them something so that they can support their lives as you are supporting? Why can't give them something like that? That's my plan for the Divine City. The people who cannot help themselves and are disabled, and come into Divine City, will work and earn and feed themselves, forever and ever probably.
Q: could we hear specifics on the Divine City? Where, when, how?
Guru Maharaj Ji: Well, this is all going to be presented because we are having the main meeting probably today about the whole and everybody is bringing their plans.
Q: Did you receive the Knowledge in a vision?
Guru Maharaj Ji: No, it was given to me, as it is given to eight million people, it was given to me by my father.
Q: How can we help you?
Guru Maharaj Ji: Print right information about it. Understand that what we are trying to preach is just the Knowledge itself.
Q. Guru, are you the perfect body?
Guru Maharaj Ji: Oh no. (Big smile)
Q. How do you view Jesus?
Guru Maharaj Ji: Jesus was a Perfect Master of his time, who came to reveal this Knowledge. But I am just a humble servant of God, that's all I am.
Q: Are you the Son of God?
Guru Maharaj Ji: Everybody is a son of God. You aren't the uncle of God or anything like that.
continued on page fourteen
New York Review of Books
November 9:
Maharaj Ji at his first and only press conference:
'I would be very happy if the press could cooperate with me because if peace is established on earth, you will get the credit! And that would be really fantastic and far out, because this is what we really need today, peace!'
Reporter: 'What about your Rolls Royce?'
Maharaj Ji: 'If you're going to feed a child this morning he's going to be hungry again this afternoon … all a Rolls Royce is is a piece of tin. If I gave poor people my Rolls Royce they would need more tomorrow and I don't have any more Rolls Royce to give them.'
He sits a few feet from us in his white satin duds, alternately smiling, pouting, and baiting us. There is a faint mustache on his imperious, round brown face. The press has tried to check out a rumor that he's really nineteen going on twenty, and has faked his passport as a lila, to get more attention.
Reporter: 'Are you the son of God?'
Maharaj Ji: 'Everyone is the son of God.
None of you ain't the uncle or aunt of God.'
Reporter: 'Are you God?'
Maharaj Ji: 'I am a humble servant of God.'
Reporter: 'Then why do your devotees say you're God?'
Maharaj Ji: 'Why don't you ask them?'
Someone then asks about the Detroit incident, which led a reporter to be hit over the head with a blackjack by a man from the Divine Light Mission. The Maharaj Ji's aide says let's pass on to a more relevant question. Mayhem occurs, everyone at the press conference wanting to know more about the incident. (The conference is shortly thereafter terminated. Ken Kelley, covering the events for Ramparts, reports that there's an astrological prediction that the Guru's testicles will descend tomorrow, on the third day of the Millennium.