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WORKING
AT FAIRFIELD HILLS HOSPITAL
IN NEWTOWN,
CONNECTICUT.
Jerry
Haffke Remembers:
Part
XVII
Satguru
Maharaj Ji
And The Divine Light
Mission
I, together
with Jimmy Fowler, was involved with the Divine Light Mission
from June 1972 to November
1973.
We traveled from Newtown, Ct. to Westport, Ct. almost every evening to attend "Satsang".
Later they moved to a house in Bethany, Ct. for a few month and from there
they moved into a stately mansion in New Haven, Ct.
The story of how I got
involved with Satguru Maharaj Ji and how I dragged
my friend Jimmy Fowler into it shall come later.
Jimmy received "Knowledge" on a rainy
spring day in New York City where we had both gone to be admitted into a
knowledge-
session in 1973. After being drenched by relentless rain in the streets of New
York City,
we found the address in Manhattan and were eventually interviewed by the Mahatma
who was
to conduct the initiation. Jimmy was admitted and I was denied participation
because I
had told the Mahatma that I was doing Transcendental Meditation since 1970. He
didn't like that
and told me to come back another time. I was devastated and had to wait in the
street for
Jimmy to go through the session. It took at least five hours which I had to
spend in various
coffee shops and stores.
I eventually did receive
"Knowledge" in November 1973 in New Haven, Ct.
in a session given by Mahatma Jagdeo.
The following article from a July 1973 "Ramparts" magazine gives deep insight
into
the Divine Light Mission phenomenon of that time, although it is somewhat biased
by the left wing politics of that magazine. Be that as it may, in it's core the
article is
perhaps one of the best analyses of this movement which eventually collapsed
through the exact faults pointed out in this article.
I must point out that I never believed that this Satguru Maharaj Ji
was the "Lord of the Universe," but I must admit that there was an incredible
spirituality and radiant bliss at the nightly "Satsang" meetings, especially in
1972
and 1973. My "Knowledge" session was one of the most powerful spiritual
experiences
I ever had and I look back at those beautiful days with lots of beautiful young
people,
the "premies," as once in a lifetime memories of dreams, hopes and innocent
bliss.
Bhole Shri Satguru Dev
Maharaj Ki Jai!
B
Picture from the book "The New Believers," by Daniel Cohen
Read the book
here:
http://www.prem-rawat-bio.org/library/wigm/wigm.htm
Go to Page
17a
To
Continue this Article
Part XVIII
The Jesus Movement
Fall 1973 - Fall 1974
Return to
Part I
Working at Fairfield Hills(State) Hospital - How I came to Fairfield
Hills Hospital - Summation of my
immigration story - Arlington, Virginia and
Washington, DC - Meeting Pete in Danbury, Connecticut - Mrs. Morrell's
Guest House - Working at Danbury Hospital - Hearing
about Fairfield Hills Hospital - Getting a job there - Mrs. Adams
and Mrs. Schwaller - Central Linen Room - A Listing of Former Employees at FHH--People
I Knew and Loved -
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