at least, from the viewpoint of the Org and probably Maharaji too, so long as any person of original thinking propensity can be kept at bay (or discredited). A certain amount of penetration by enquiring media agencies is probably accepted as unavoidable, but presently containable.

Within the world of premiedom, even immense contradictions are feasible.

The old-time premies still feel they are privy to the ultimate secret truth, that Maharaji is the Lord in person. Everything connives to wink at them that this hidden unmentioned kernel is still as valid as ever.

They accept that the constant revisions and blurrings of objective meanings of words are essential to protect the Real underlying truth, until it eventually dawns on each newcomer.

Most old timers seem to eventually accept that Maharaji is inexplicable - he has to be taken as a one-off. The point then is to keep hold of the roller-coaster, to make sure one stays on board the ship, which necessitates non-questioning and taking everything on faith alone.

Non-sequiturs are filed away as the nature of the Master. It is considered uncool, unrealised and disloyal to even think of asking questions.

Interested newcomers just seem to see M as a fascinating individual capable of doing something beneficial for them for free.

As regards his speaking style, IMO he can vary from the charismatically fascinating to the plain excruciatingly boring - trying to extract deep truths from very mundane utterings and examples.

His best and most fluent territory IMO is traditional Indian - Kabir, Nanak, Gita and so on. It is replete with poetry and high-flowing sentiments. He carries the epic quality of this very well.

His other, more modern stuff is necessarily more limited. In order to convey the notion that K is valid at all times and places, to whatever audiences, he seems forced to resort to the extremely mundane, talking for ages solely about breath focus.

He naturally avoids all more detailed discussion of techniques and experience, because this would undermine the notion that K is totally individual to everyone, and that the experience at the end of the day is imparted by grace to each separate person (according to the underlying logic of his teaching).

It is also questionable how much he could talk in greater detail in any case.

It's very interesting that, taken out of the context he is normally perceived in, on-stage, where he can be very fluent and entertaining or totally laboured (sometimes according to his state of mind?), M actually comes across very gauchely.

In a recent TV interview (with someone who appeared to be a premie), designed to show the relaxed guy behind the public persona, he came across very clumsily. He didn't have any fund of homely small talk. From the brief excerpt I saw, there were probably no family group shots showing a naturally free-flowing affection among the members of a normalish family.

It was quite bizarre. However I only saw about five minutes.

Probably one of the most shattering things to any old-timer is the discovery of the broadness of Rhadasoami lineages and tradition, that Prem is one of a number who all claim unique master status. The basic and most fundamental notion of premiedom, which keeps ongoing fidelity of the followers, despite the level of somersaults and contradicitions, is that Maharaji is the sole person of the time to be able to impart Knowledge.

This is the ultimate credo, to be protected at all cost.