This video records a speech made by Prem Rawat or Guru Maharaj Ji as he then called himself in Rome 1980 to ashram premies and premies wishing to move into an ashram. Much of it is ephemeral but some of the central dogmas of his teachings are restated.

He is the latest incarnation in a lineage of Perfect Masters that includes his father, Jesus Christ, Krishna and Buddha and if He didn't incarnate the planet would be devastated.
He is the incarnation of God in a human body.
He is the only Real Solution for Peace on Earth and political leaders are a joke.
He should be worshipped with real committment.
He explains the Last Supper and taking communion.

Human life, without being His devotee, is meaningless and purposeless.
Human life, without being His devotee, is joyless.
He defines 'premie', the word used to denote the living Master of his day's devotees/followers/students.

Rawat appears to have deep insecurities. Many of his more charismatic followers had become "initiators" - people proselytising publicly and initiating the small number of new followers and inspiring the faithful. These people were overall far more impressive than Rawat himself and he took many opportunities to denigrate them to the "rank and file" followers. He also blames the premies for the failure of 'propagation' ie attracting more followers. He acknowledges that his followers must show some form of positive impact on their lives from practising his Knowledge for the ten years prior to 1980 else people will be unimpressed and dismissive and derisive of Rawat, himself. 28 years later nothing has changed in this respect.

"You know. Look when there is going to be Guru Maharaj Ji in this world, whenever Guru Maharaj Ji is going to come in this world, and has, and will, and you know by His grace will keep coming again and again and again. Cause it's not guaranteed either. He can skip a term and that'll be the devastation of this entire planet."

When Prem Rawat refers to himself coming again and again and he does, again and again, he is not referring to his returning to some favoured destination in his latest personal, executive jet. He is referring to being the incarnation of God in a human body that comes again and again by His "grace" and should he decide not to come then "that'll be the devastation of this entire planet". That's pretty straightforward, isn't it?

"When Guru Maharaji Ji Himself, like I said, that power Himself, accepts and will and does, take a human form, so that you can relate, for every individual human being, then what do you think is left that you can't understand? Do you think He'll come in this world, do you think Guru Maharaj Ji comes in this world to make the most incredible thing the simplest thing and then take the simplest things and make them so incredible that nobody can understand them."

Speaking to a group of his most devoted followers, premies living in ashrams, working for free or donating all their wages to him, Prem Rawat felt free to say things he wouldn't in a public setting. He used the term "Guru Maharaj Ji" sometimes to mean the power of God and sometimes himself: Prem Pal Singh Rawat. His followers understood which he was referring to by the context. Here he explicitly states that He has "taken a human form", he is that Power manifest in a human body so that "every individual human being" can relate to Him. That's pretty straightforward, isn't it?

"it's like what Michael was saying and, you know, he was giving satsang and I was listening to it, in the residence, and he was saying, yeah, there is one joke going on in Venice. It's like yeah, it is a big joke, it has no purpose, it has no meaning, you know, cause the other day we landed in Ciampino, and you know, there's these two Airforce One airplanes sitting there" ...

"Those ideas aren't going to be any good if there isn't some substance that can replace the darkness in everyone's heart. That's what's needed, a real solution, not talk, you know. Oh there's enough talk, there's plenty of talk and what we need is that real solution and always has been, always will be, and is now. Knowledge is the only solution, really Guru Maharaj Ji is the only solution to bring that peace into this world. That's why Guru Maharaji Ji comes in this world."

After sneering at the 1980 G7 summit meaning as a joke, Rawat goes on to explicitly state that He and His Knowledge is the only real solution to humanity's political and social problems and that He specifically "comes in this world" to bring peace into this world.

"Your commitment, that's, you know, that's basically what I have to say nothing new probably to what I said at the last satsang or last to last satsang or last to last satsang. You know. In essence, what I'm trying to say is that when you get up and say "Bhole Satguru Dev Maharaj Ki Jai" mean it! Not just say it because uh 9,000 other people are saying so, so you say it too. You know. And when you sing Arti, mean it."

Rawat has continually demanded worship from his followers. Arti is the song of devotion and worship that was sung daily in the ashrams and at meetings where Rawat spoke. "Bhole (Shri) Satguru Dev Maharaj Ki Jai" was the chant shouted in peak moments of group excitement akin to the "Heil Hitler" chant of the Nazis.

"this whole act has to clean up, has to come to a point where the propagation can really begin to happen. Where there can be that demonstration, where there can be that "Yes! Knowledge! Yes! Guru Maharaji!" Where people can see, like I said in the satsang, you know, people are gonna look at me, then they're gonna look at you, and if they see something there, then they're gonna look at me again and say "Can I have your Knowledge?". When people look at me, then they look at you, and they don't see anything, they're gonna look not look at me either. Why should they? There is nothing there. You know. Because it reflects in every single thing we do in one sense."

He blames the premies for the failure of propagation in attracting more followers. He acknowledges that his followers must show some form of positive impact on their lives from practising his Knowledge for ten years prior to 1980 else people will be unimpressed and dismissive and derisive of Rawat, himself. How many decades will it take? 28 years later nothing has changed in this respect.

"There was one day Jesus decided to have dinner so he called all his devotees called it a farewell party sort of called everybody together and said "Here, enjoy the meal." Since that day to now, I mean of course the bread's changed to little cookies, you know, but that's all it is. That becomes the peak, you know and that becomes the whole thing, and you know of course then you have these priests who love that blood so much that they won't put the glass down, you know "More, more!". You know or then you get somebody hungry and says, "More flesh, more flesh, more blood, more flesh.""

Rawat's statements about Christianity or other religions are publicly respectful but in front of his followers they are disrespectful, distasteful and astonishingly ignorant.

"I mean we can live in this world without the inspiration of Knowledge, sure, but that life is quite meaningless, that life is very purposeless and Knowledge brings us that inspiration home, brings us that contentment in our life through which we can live life. Through which it has a meaning, through which it has a purpose through which it has a reason, through which it can motivate us inside to exist for a purpose. It brings us love because without love, life itself would be quite meaningless. And yet, where does that love come from, that can truly inspire us within. Where does that love come from?"

Rawat has continually stated that the lives of normal human beings are joyless, meaningless and purposeless. "Where does that love come from?" Why Prem Rawat and His Knowledge, naturally.

"Because when we come in this world, we come for a reason. We live, we exist, we breathe, we have this entire world around us to give it all a meaning, to give us a meaning, to give us a purpose, to give us a motivation. And when we get into all these different trips, the true essence, the true meaning is lost and then all that exists is a very barren life. I mean I, you know, you see so many people out there. What do they do every day? They've got their routine, they get up, get into their routine, come back home and their whole life is just a routine, there is no deviation from that routine, it's just one simple thing, that's all. They don't enjoy it, they can't enjoy it and nobody who else around them enjoys it either. You know it's like, you know, it becomes such a, it can become such a devastating experience and we have to recognize that opportunity in our lives which Guru Maharaj Ji gives us to have a meaning, to have a purpose."

He claims that he is the only source that can give real meaning and purpose in human life.

"A premie is not just somebody who has received Knowledge. The word 'premie' again is a Hindi Word … premie mean lovers … but what is a premie? What is, what is a premie in this day and age and what has been a premie since ever since a human being was created? What is a, what is a premie, what is the definition of a premie? And the definition is one, you know, who has received the gift that Guru Maharaj Ji has bestowed upon that being, practices that gift, has that love, has that faith, and has surrendered in his heart towards Guru Maharaj Ji, towards the living Master of his day. Then you may say that's getting close enough to a definition of 'premie'."

The basis of Prem Rawat's authority was that he is the only living (Perfect) Master, the last in a long line that includes Jesus Christ, Buddha, Krishna, his father Hans Rawat and others "since ever since a human being was created". By 1980 he was claiming/explaining that His Knowlege only "works" if the person practising "his" techniques of meditation loves him, has faith in him and obeys him.

"What's a good premie, join the ashram and every time the initiator comes by, grease him a little bit. Really, you know when he asks for water, be there, bring him the water. When he feels like chit-chatting support him in that. You have to understand that initiators are regular ordinary dumb human beings. … they're nobodies. And in their very basic training, you may say, they're taught one simple thing, what is it? … An initiator has to be nobody, has to lose yourself, your identity. And I can say very openly, they haven't. It's going to take them years at hacking away, hacking away, hacking away, hacking away. I mean Grand Canyon wasn't made overnight, you know. And yet, you know, when they, their mind comes in and they want to chit-chat, there you are, so to get in the good, good white book of initiators, you know, and then once you have that, you have all the areas covered and then you are the quote good premie, never argue with initiator, every time he asks for water, cover the glass, you know, just be around him, act good, play it straight while he is in town after that, you can, you can do anything you feel like."

Prem Rawat is very short, slightly over 5 feet, was a fat kid who's grown into an obese, sick looking 50 year old. The success of his career has depended upon inheriting his father's large following as an Indian Godman just before the enormous wave of interest in Indian gurus in the 1960's and 1970's. It was the enthusiasm, drive and faith of his early Western followers that created his following in the early 1970's and once he took control that success quickly dried up. Rawat disparaged his most devoted and charismatic followers and has preferred to promote himself and not utilise their talents publicly despite this preventing him gaining more than an handful of new followers during the enormous growth of the "New Age". .