Guru
sect told to show accounts
By
David Woodhead
THE
Charity Commissioners are to study the financial affairs of
the Divine Light Mission, the organisation sponsoring the
£45,000 three-day festival for the boy Guru Maharaj Ji
at Alexandra Palace, London, this weekend.
The mission was registered as a charity last autumn. It
would not normally be required to submit its accounts until
a year later but it has been asked to supply detailed
accounts as soon as possible.
When asked about its financial resources, mission officials
said: "We are registered with the Charity Commission and our
books are open to inspection."
Mr. Peter Potter, mission treasurer, said: "We prepare
accounts every six months. Our latest accounts are being
audited now and the previous ones, up to last October, do
not give an accurate picture of our present
position."
The
mission's spiritual head is the 15-year-old Guru Maharaj Ji,
"the Perfect Master," whose disciples believe he is the
living incarnation of God and whose followers claim he has,
given them direct experience of God.
The mission says its four main sources of income are: sales
of products marketed by Divine Sales International,
contributions from followers of the Guru, donations from
other well wishers and sales of literature.
It has bought a disused cinema in East Dulwich for
£65,000 which it hopes will be its main meeting place -
a "Palace of Peace." Last year it bought a house, which it
calls the "Divine Residence," in Highgate for
£25,500.
Divine Sales has 65 shops throughout the world, including
eight in Britain, selling clothes, shops, souvenirs and
jumble. The mission claims to be the fastest growing
spiritual movement in the world. Disciples in India are said
to number six million and in the west 100,000, of whom 6,000
are in Britain.
Lavish living
No
expense is spared to provide the Guru with costly
accommodation, lavish transport and good food. But, mission
officials say, he does not ask for this treatment. "We do it
because we love him."
One follower explained: "When Jesus came people were
expecting the saviour to come as a king and he came as a
pauper. Now is he expected to come as a pauper and he comes
as a king. People never recognise the saviour."