4 Days In November
This video, titled 'Four Days In November', a Visions International (a division of Élan Vital Inc) release, was released in 2000. It includes footage of his meetings in Delhi, India in late 1999, the last program he appeared in during the 20th century. It's highlight is the recording of the first and probably only known public performance of Prem Rawat singing. He duets with his daughter, Daya, in a bhajan which includes some truly awful, out-of-tune singing by the Perfect Master himself and some part singing with the large audience. Unfortunately there are only a few testimonies from premies or "students" on the video regarding this singing as they are extraordinary. There is also a full transcript of Rawat's (Maharaji) speeches from this video available.
The song's lyrics are basically 'Night and Day, With You I'll Stay' repeated for 10 minutes in Hindi and English. Prem Rawat has never shown any of the expected beneficial effects of meditation on his health, appearance or demeanour and it has been claimed by former close associates that he doesn't meditate. In this film, in this performance, we see him enjoying himself to an extent never before recorded in any of his many filmed public meetings. He is "blissed-out"! Maybe his students would be happier practising the Karaoke rather than the Knowledge.
This recording of the first and probably only known public performance of Prem Rawat singing is remarkable. He duets with his daughter, Daya, in a bhajan which includes some truly awful, out-of-tune singing by him and some part singing with the large audience. The song's lyrics are basically 'Night and Day, With You I'll Stay' repeated for 10 minutes in Hindi and English. I'm sure there are many of his premies, devotees or "students" who will consider it the highlight of their life to watch it.
It's certainly a shame that not more personal premie 'satsang' was recorded after this "historic" event. These responses are certainly normal examples of the "expressions" of gratitude and joy that many students of Prem Rawat give afer having his darshan though they are usually not quite as inspired as they are after hearing Prem Rawat sing. Wondering about the effects of practising Maharaji's Knowledge? The editor's comments are in italics.
It was interesting for me watching this as I hadn't seen Malcolm Davey "give satsang" since 1974 and he was still the same, he used to mug for the camera even then when there wasn't a camera and he did like to overuse the word 'powerful'. This quote, if sincere, shows the insularity and ignorance of premies. The section in the video immediately before Davey talks shows normal movement in the large crowd and there are giant stadia all over the world where people will "sit in complete stillness and complete silence" for a short time while a person lines up a penalty goal or a baseball pitch. In India there are places set up for just such an event as this, but permanently and for far more people.
Here we have photos of the satsang hall at the Radha Soami Dera at Beas which seats 300,000 in relative comfort. 'Satsangis' coming for darshan of the Radhasoami Master (where it does not involve kissing of the guru's feet as it's an internal connection) will also be fed for free. When donations aren't used to provide personal jets and an opulent lifestyle for a Master then there are funds available for infrastructure, even in a poor country like India. Rawat's eldest brother, Satpal Maharaj, provides covered shelter for over 100,000 of his followers to sit "in complete stillness and complete silence" at his festivals.
"And then on the last day, you know, it seemed like so much was happening, Maharaji had talked and given so much inspiration and then just when you thought it was over and that was it, then this happened."
Malcolm Davey was one of the first premies recruited in Australia and has been involved with audio-visual work for Guru Maharaj Ji, Maharaji and Prem Rawat since the early 1970's. He lost his hair quite early in life.
It's certainly a shame that not more personal premie 'satsang' was recorded after this historic event. But these responses are certainly normal examples of the "expressions" of gratitude and joy that most students of Prem Rawat give after having his darshan though they are usually not quite as inspired as they are after hearing Prem Rawat sing. Wondering about the effects of practising Maharaji's Knowledge?
"For this was certainly a wonderful opportunity for me, to be at a program in India with my Teacher and for the first time that I know of, certainly the first time I'd ever seen it, to see Maharaji sing and we saw totally at ease and happy. I, I felt like I was at a party with him and, and he just took me somewhere else to a feeling of "Wow, you know, this is what it feels like to be somewhere with my Teacher and have him give me, it felt like a part of him, a part of his happiness, his experience and it just felt wonderful."
"I feel like I'm so grateful that I got to go because it was an amazing time for me and the thing that I remember the clearest is the night that he sang. He was up on stage and he was pulling all of us in to particpate with him in such a way that I felt just like a little child so full of delight and happiness and so simple and it was a feeling I remember from my childhood and I remember it from being an adult as well but I don't have it all the time and I love it and I loved being there."
"Usually when a program finishes I'm a bit sad, you know at the end of the evening and at the end of this evening I wasn't because I realized that after a day's break we were going to be able to come back and celebrate Diwali with him, that second evening. And it just made the whole thing more special."
It seems very unlikely that practising the techniques of meditation revealed in Maharaji's Knowledge could directly alter the artistic or aesthetic sense of Prem Rawat's devotees. It appears that their extremely enthusastic, orgiastic reaction to his dancing and public singing is conditioned by their religious faith and concepts about the supernatural qualities of his person.
Diwali, The Festival of Lights, is one of the most important Hindu religious festivals. It is not one of the 3 major Festivals celebrated by Prem Rawat and his devotees in the West. These are Hans Jayanti, Holi and Guru Puja. Here is a clip of a dance from that Diwali celebration.
Executive Producer, Visions International
Tom Hagan
Executive Producer, Dunrite Productions
Michael Wood
Event Director
Raja Ji
Writer/Director
Ray Belcher
Production Assistant
Susan Gregory