--- En grupo_expremies@yahoogroups.com, "expremies" <expremies@y...>
escribió:
> Hoy se ha publicado en el foro en inglés un mensaje que me parece
muy
> interesante, ya que da información de primera mano sobre cómo se
> preparan los 'eventos' con Prem Rawat, lo que cuestan, los
ingresos,
> etc... Esta información puede abrir los ojos a muchísimas personas
que
> estén pensando en recibir el 'conocimiento' así como a los premies
que
> sean capaces de abrir su mente un poco. Por supuesto está en
inglés, y
> por eso quería consultar si alguno domina el inglés y se atreve a
> traducirlo, ya que es bastante largo. Si nadie se ve capaz, quizás
lo
> intente yo o al menos un resumen. Este es el texto del mensaje:
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Prem Rawat 'Speaker' Events: The Process, Expenses, Revenues
>
> Let's start with the so-called 'invitation' to Prem Rawat
[hereinafter
> referred to as PR] to speak in a city, anywhere. First, PR meets
with
> his staff, he expresses his wishes, and they discuss potential
tours
> and events. Prerequisites include jet airstrip facilities, luxury
> accommodations for "The Speaker," regular local Knowledge events
and
> some evidence of propagation (aspirants), and in the West, a host
> community's (and an event's) ability to pay for all the expenses -
and
> generate substantial additional revenue. North America and Western
> Europe have always provided almost all the funding for PR and his
> alleged 'mission.'
>
> Then, word is leaked out by PR's associates to the targeted
> communities/cities or to certain individuals, or via visiting
> instructors or other cult officials. Sometimes, PR will even
arrange
> meetings of regular financial donors and express a possible
interest
> in visiting their locales. The attending donors are always sworn to
> secrecy beforehand about these meetings, not to divulge the
location
> to other uninvited "premies" [sic "students" or devotees].
>
> Afterwards, PR's cult subordinates are instructed to advise the
> targeted communities to 'prepare' for him and submit an invitation
> written to PR to visit their city. This way, on the surface, it
always
> appears as though the event is the result of PR "accepting an
> invitation," rather than the invitation being a top-down
directive. In
> some cases, the invitation actually does come from a community
first.
> Nevertheless, a community's "invitation" is always carefully
> orchestrated from the top, too. Meanwhile, the cult members think
that
> PR is coming to town for them, or to do propagation
> (recruitment/conversion of new devotees). The indoctrinated
> possibility of darshan (being in the Master's physical presence)
> re-energizes their programmed devotion to him and focusses them in
> this endeavor. However, there are other factors at play involved.
>
> In the preliminaries of the process, the community has to put
together
> an event team, beginning with an event manager and an event finance
> manager, and present on paper how and where it can hold the event
and
> accommodate PR in royal style. Sometimes this process takes several
> years, involving many people locally and literally thousands of
hours
> of their unpaid professional time, since the requirements are quite
> rigid and detailed. PR has extremely loyal, longtime cult
subordinates
> - very demanding national and international tour event coordinators
> and a directory of event personnel who consult with the
communities to
> assure compliance, every step of the way: tour operations,
> budgets/accounting, security/ushering, productions, AV,
fundraising,
> liaisons, public relations, legal, contributions, seating,
> translation, communications, medical/special needs, sales, etc.
>
> The community event organizers are instructed to communicate via
> internal email on the FirstClass software system, for security and
> confidentiality. They are also instructed not to discuss the
> preparations or any details with unauthorized cult members or
outsiders.
>
> Within the communities, cult members are further instructed how to
> "prepare" for PR. Signed financial pledges are solicited from
> individuals to help underwrite the anticipated event. The community
> must cover thousands of dollars of the event expenses. Detailed
> monthly aspirant reports are also compiled and sent to PR's Los
> Angeles-area cult offices.
>
> The community's event team has to contact all the leading venues
> (auditoriums, halls, ballrooms) in the area, the best hotels, and
all
> the nearby airports with airfields and facilities capable of
handling
> a Gulfstream V. The event team has to compile piles of extensive
> information at each and every place contacted, in this process,
> including specified dates of availability (as instructed by PR's
tour
> event people), maps, photographs, and numerous line-itemed sheets
of
> data. Much of the data pertains to providing for the "Speaker's"
> requirements of supreme comfort and security. The national tour
event
> director sends a national security person to check each potential
> hotel and venue, r.e. access, security, privacy, etc. In all
dealings
> with the various facilities and their managers, the event teams are
> instructed never to reveal PR's name; he is always referred to as
the
> "Speaker." This naturally tends to arouse some suspicions and
concerns
> with the hotel and hall managers. "Why can't you even tell us his
> name? Why all the secrecy? Do people want to kill him? Will our
> hotel/hall be in danger?" The community's event team is also
ordered
> not to mention the name of PR's organization until a contract is
> actually ready to be signed. This tends to unnerve most hotel and
> venue managers, since this approach is not customary behavior for
> reputable entities.
>
> The luxury hotels must literally have Presidential or Royal Suites
for
> the "Speaker." Typically, a Presidential suite for PR ranges from a
> bargain basement price these days of about $1000 US to $2-
3000+/night,
> depending upon whether the suite is packaged together with an on-
site
> ballroom rental for the event. PR's suite needs to have at least
two
> bedrooms, since he travels with his own personal valet, who
attends to
> his clothes, toilette, and other personal needs. Typically, PR's
> expansive luxury suite will have 2 king bedrooms, 2 spa bathrooms,
an
> elegant living room, a full kitchen, big-screen televisions, stereo
> systems, sweeping views, etc.. PR's suite must also be supplied
with
> specified food and the requisite expensive liquors, etc.
Additionally,
> PR's secretary needs an adjacent suite. The tour event director
will
> also demand a nice suite for herself/himself. And then there are
the
> suites and deluxe rooms for PR's retinue, including PR's mistress,
> family members, instructors, rooms for the other tour event
personnel,
> Visions/Dunrite production staff, and security personnel, and so
> forth. PR also requires the local community to foot the bill for a
> hefty per diem expense account for his ample haute cuisine meals
and
> requests from room service, probably a minimum of $200+/day
nowadays.
>
> The amount of secrecy, detail and nitpicky requirements in these
> arrangements is absolutely unbelievable. The only thing close to
this
> that I've seen is when the President of the United States or Queen
> Elizabeth travels. Not even the world's richest private citizen,
Bill
> Gates, or the Rolling Stones travel in such grandiose style or with
> such detailed, elaborate arrangements.
>
> Continuing, the community must provide a leased luxury vehicle for
PR:
> no less than the top-of-the-line Lexus, Mercedes, or Infinity are
> preferred, and in some countries a Rolls Royce, Bentley, or Jaguar
> (the best BMW may be acceptable). A Lincoln Continental or Cadillac
> generally will not suffice, and a limousine may draw too much
> attention and is harder to park/maneuver in some situations. All
the
> vehicle routes (airport-hotel, hotel-event venue, etc.) must be
mapped
> out in advance and driven during various hours of the day for
accurate
> timing. An approved chauffeur/driver must be provided for PR,
> available 24 hours/day. A number of other nice cars must be leased
or
> made available (with cult member drivers) for PR's retinue.
>
> The airport has port charges and for servicing, fueling, and
storing
> the Gulfstream V, and there are expenses for PR's personal pilot
and
> mechanic, lodging and meals.
>
> At the airport, hotel, event venue, and when traveling by car,
> security personnel and related telecommunications must be
personally
> provided for PR; he has 24hrs/day security personnel on-hand.
> Additional telecommunications systems must also be available for
him.
>
> At the event venue, he must have his own private VIP room and
bathroom
> backstage, and a private guarded backstage entrance/exit and
elevator.
> The parking on any street must also be blocked off, and
plainclothes
> security personnel (with headsets) are placed strategically at all
> entrances and exits and others patrol the sidewalks/streets
> surrounding the venue. Lists of "bongo premies," ex-premie
activists,
> et al are circulated, and computerized files are maintained on
laptop
> computers for immediate access. Event attendees must submit 'smart
> cards,' and anyone looking 'suspicious' is noted and put under
> surveillance, or evicted from the premises.
>
> The basic costs of event venues varies, depending upon size,
> contractual requirements, and number of days. The rental cost for a
> single 1-day program at a hall with 1,000 seating capacity might
run
> only $2000, 2-3,000 seat hall $3500-5000+, and some halls with
larger
> seating capacities charge upwards of $10,000. Sometimes this base
fee
> does not include any required hall personnel, stagehands, food
> concessions, etc. There is also the exorbitant cost of the audio-
video
> equipment rental; this varies dependent upon whether the system is
all
> in-house or contracted out, which is even more expensive ($2000-
3000).
> The stage set, if simple, might run $500-1000 just for materials,
> usually the fabric. Carpeting adds more to the costs, and a more
> elaborate set costs thousands of dollars, even when constructed by
> devotee volunteer labor. The Speaker must have his specially-
designed
> chair, microphones, and/or an approved lecturn.
>
> Visions International/Dunrite charges a minimum of $3,000-5,000+ to
> replicate what the venue staff is already capable of doing.
Sometimes
> union stagehands and venue personnel are visibly just standing
around,
> with nothing to do but watch the event or grab some coffee. The
> Visions/Dunrite production fee, and licensing fees for materials
> depicting the Speaker all are taken off the top, and go right back
to
> the organization - and the licensing fees to its prime beneficiary.
> Attendees are encouraged to deposit cash and personal checks in
> various donation boxes. (Incidentally, community members are also
> encouraged to send personal checks and cash regularly directly to
> "Prem Rawat" at a Malibu, California post office box, which my
friends
> and I used to do, too.) If there is an opportunity for 'students'
to
> express their 'gratitude' to PR, envelopes and boxes are also
provided
> for similar cash and check donations. Additionally, tables are set
> aside for these same purposes, and for monthly pledges. The net
> revenue from videos, audio tapes, CDs, magazines, books, photos,
> souvenirs, etc. depicting or licensed by PR all accrue to his
benefit,
> as run through Visions Intl.. Similarly, any cult audio CDs
featuring
> his daughter, who occasionally sings at these events dressed in
> provocative, body-clinging attire while looking adoringly at PR.
>
> For the sake of brevity here, these are just a few of the
thousands of
> details and expenses/costs involved in each tour event. There are
also
> expenses for additional hired police, radios/cell phones,
translation
> headsets and transmitters, ushering expenses, telephone/fax,
> gratuities, forms and printing for the information and contribution
> tables, instructors' airfare, a hired cook for PR, etc., ad
nauseum.
>
> Furthermore, in planning these tour events, the national tour event
> director and personnel instruct the community's event manager,
finance
> manager, and their team to get multiple bids on everything, and to
> play the hotels and event venues against each other, in order to
get
> the best deals. This is a tedious process, when there are 3-4
hotels
> and 3-4 venues involved, and trying to mesh PR's tour event
directors'
> constant (and often changing) demands and dates with hotel and
venue
> availability. Then, the community event team managers have to
submit
> separate line-item budgets for each viable venue and luxury hotel
for
> the proposed tour event, and prepare separate budgets and summary
> pages of the grand total expenses projected for each of the
potential
> scenarios. This is absolutely nuts, really, as any legit
independent
> professional in the event/conference/convention/hotel or tourist
> business, will tell you. It is hierarchical control freakdom to the
> nth degree. All this preparation is just preliminary, mind you,
until
> PR himself decides where, when, and if the event will happen - and
> then tells somebody. Meanwhile, dozens of people are getting strung
> along, in the process - the devotees and the outside
businesses/staffs
> alike. And that's just in one community. But wait - there's more!
>
> Here's the kicker: What Prem Rawat's tour event directors don't
tell
> the community event team, until literally the last moment, is that
> they are also competing against 3-4 (or more) other communities for
> that tour event for the same exact dates. That means that literally
> hundreds of people and businesses in 3-4+ cities are all getting
> jerked around for each tour event, due to the capricious whims of
> Rawat and his appointed, salaried, often verbally abusive,
> organizational cult stooges. (If there are 4-5 cities on a tour,
then
> that's anywhere from 12 to 20 communities of cult members and
business
> venues/hotels being manipulated like objects.) And at the last
minute,
> sometimes PR changes his mind and itinerary, or scraps some
events -
> or even the entire tour. You can imagine how this demoralizes the
> hard-working, slave-labor devotee professionals who have been
busting
> their butts for several years to make a tour event with
the "Master"
> happen in their city! Some of these people have been volunteering
20
> hours/week or more for up to 2 years ahead of the event, and
> increasing to even more hours as the potential tour event date
> approaches. If their city isn't the one selected for that tour
event,
> their only consolation is a brief phone call from the national tour
> event director, or a fax saying crap like, "Well, we prepared for
> Maharaji 18 times before he finally showed up. If he doesn't come
on
> the 18th invitation, it might be the 19th!" Seriously.
Unbelievable,
> but True!!
>
> Now, as to the revenue from these events: even after all the
> exorbitant expenses for the "Speaker" and his entourage and
security,
> there's a tidy profit to be made. For example, a "winning"
community's
> single-day tour event grand total budget for all the aforementioned
> expenses might be $20,000-25,000 [which includes a 10% contingency
> added], including renting a hall with capacity for 2,500-3,000
people.
> Even if only 1,500 cult members/aspirants show up, that's still a
> range of only $13.33 to $16.66 on the estimated cost per attendee.
If
> each attendee pays a $50 "donation" or "reservation fee," that's
> $75,000 gross revenue. $75,000 - 25,000 still leaves a $50,000 net
> profit from the event. If the attendees pay staggered fees for
better
> seat reservations, the net revenue goes still higher. (And PR's
cult
> devotees paid considerably more if they camped out at Amaroo,
> Australia and bought their meals there on-site at the cult
concessions
> and rip-off restaurant.)
>
> With a smaller event venue (say, 750 seat capacity), the hall
rental
> and personnel and production costs are substantially lower, but the
> lower seating capacity also translates into less cult member
revenue.
> Naturally, these costs vary by venue, city, country, etc. But after
> looking at some of the figures from various small-medium-to larger
> events in the USA beginning about 1995, the organization's
estimated
> costs per attendee are anywhere from about $12-16, and sometimes
> approaching $20. (These figures are calculated by dividing the
> projected grand total expenses by the expected attendance number.)
>
> We also have to add in the cult souvenir sales (those titanium
> watches, expensive photos, PR's designs, jewelry, etc.) and PR's
> self-promoting licensed Visions videos and personality cult
propaganda
> materials, and that's a lot more revenue.
>
> Then, add in the signed pledges from individuals in each community
> planning a tour event, and finally the solicited cash and checks in
> the event's donation boxes, and that's a pretty sizable cash haul
for
> one hour of public speaking by PR. It could be $75,000 to $100,000,
> and that's not even for a major tour event (like the 7,000-8,000
> attending those Long Beach programs in the 1990s). Moreover, it
keeps
> the faithful sheep in the flock, and afterwards the 'gratitude'
checks
> and pledges will flow into the coffers, too. Remember, too, that PR
> and co. have charged $50 per home television subscriber fee for
> digital satellite up-links of many of the same events, and then
> Visions edits and releases versions of these event videos in
required
> community subscriptions (for local video events) and for sale to
cult
> members. And befitting his self-proclaimed Indian nom "Maharaji,"
the
> guy really lives just like a great King, doesn't he? Amazing. What
a
> racket, huh!
>
> Also, if anyone associated with PR's "non-profit organization"
> (registered as a "church" that doesn't file federal tax returns)
finds
> out you are rich or have an inheritance, look out! You can bet
they'll
> be in touch.
>
> So, anyone out there contemplating joining the Prem Rawat cult,
before
> you get lured and tricked by his delusional devotees, then
brainwashed
> by the mind-control videos of the self-proclaimed 'Master', and
> finally sucked into his self-serving personality cult, take note.
> Caveat Emptor: "A mind is a terrible thing to lose," after all. (By
> that [mind], I mean the ability to think, and to use your brain and
> innate intelligence.) Never surrender your mind, your money, your
> time, let alone the reins of your life, to any human incarnation
of an
> 'Imperfect Master.'
>
> Lastly, anyone within the cult in denial of the facts presented
here -
> is either very ignorant or living a lie, as spoon-fed by PR's cult
> zombie cloning apparatus. If there's someone out there who would
like
> to learn some meditation, fine - so long as it doesn't entail
joining
> a cult, or following a guru of any kind or stripe. If the truth is
> within you, then you don't need to look outside to anyone else for
it.
> And the 'Knowledge' techniques (and now "keys') he supposedly
> 'reveals' are free on the internet, and in numerous books, without
any
> false attachments to anybody or to some deceptively misrepresented
> cult/church.
>
> When I was in Hawaii, this Christian television network had this
> sequenced show with a process called the "Wisdom Keys," and after
you
> got bitten by the bug (as it were), then they hit you up for some
> money, of course. After watching it for a bit, it made me wonder
where
> PR copped his recent Keys idea. Just like he copped his
Pasadena 'dung
> beetle' discourse from watching the Discovery Channel. Are you
going
> to pay money just to hear somebody regurgitate that kind of stuff,
or
> to hear some jumbled watered-down Hindu platitudes, or attend the
cult
> videos for 6 months just to learn some hijacked universal yoga
> teachings falsely represented as somebody's [unholy cash-cow]
> monopoly? Well, I hope NOT.
>
> -----
>
> Caveat and disclaimer: I was never an employee of the Prem Singh
Rawat
> (aka Guru Maharaji) personality cult, nor have I ever gotten any
of my
> information by illicit means, nor do I possess anything legally
> belonging to the cult or its agents. Like many guileless and unwary
> spiritual suckers, I was simply an abused volunteer and financial
> contributor for many years. The information submitted here is
based on
> first-hand knowledge, personal experience, and statements and
> information shared with me and others via numerous contacts with
some
> of Rawat's closest aides/organizers. Anyone inside the cult (or
> outside) attempting to harass me (or my family) in any way for
posting
> this publicly does so at their own legal peril, including potential
> criminal charges of racketeering and terrorism, and shall be held
> liable for violating any pertinent civil statutes, with penalties
> including damages, costs, and fees. If you'll notice, except for
> Rawat, I did NOT mention any PR cult officials or operatives by
name
> here (although I definitely could, and lots more, too).
>
> Upfront: Please be advised that my only intention is to simply
present
> this information as a 'service', as it were, to other unwary human
> beings (including cult members). Other than writing this single
> lengthy post for now, I frankly do not have the time available nor
an
> inclination to respond to questions or engage in related dialogue
> about the cult (or correspond by any means with any inquiring minds
> out there). I do hope anyone reading this post understands and can
> empathize. (And this has already taken me more than a day to
prepare
> and write.)
>
> Throughout recorded history, billions of people have been misled by
> religions/cults and their leaders, and millions of people have
> suffered and even perished at the hands of religious fanatics. The
> transit system bombings in London today bear bloody witness and
> testimony to the abomination of religious zealots. Rawat and his
> devotees fall into the category of delusional cult zealots.
Prideful,
> intolerant, superstitious, religious zealots on all sides are
> tyrannizing and tormenting the rest of the people of this planet.
>
> My unsolicited advice to one and all: Think for yourself - practice
> self-reliance, and understanding, too. And in keeping up the good
> fight for truth and justice, practice peaceful means - because an
eye
> for an eye makes the whole world blind! The horror, the horror...
>
> Best wishes (and I'll try and check back in sometime in the
future),
>
> Mick




Hola:

Ciertamente es muy interesante enterarse de cómo se preparan los
eventos del tristemente famoso M.J. Lo que lamento es no tener
tiempo suficiente para traducir un correo tan largo. Bastante tiempo
me lleva ya el estar al día en el foro inglés.

Por otra parte, hay que tener en cuenta que si esta información es
interesante, no menos lo son todos los correos catalogados como "lo
mejor del foro" y que ocupan siete hojas, que se pueden encontrar
bajo //best.drek.us/ , o sea, una labor de chinos, que considero
justificada en el foro inglés por el movimiento que tiene.

Un saludo para todos