A. Applicants must be active members and make formal written application to the Board of Directors of Divine Light Mission through its representatives. After successfully completing a one-year novitiate training, he may then take lifetime vows or terminate his commitment.
Standard operating procedure.
B. Following acceptance of application by the Board, the applicant must take written vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
'Written' vows...kind of like a one-sided prenuptual.
C. Renunciate members must follow the direction of the Ashram Supervisor with respect to their conduct and activities while a member of the Renunciate Order (see Part Five).
Standard stuff, hagven't gotten to Part 5 yet.
D. Renunciate members must be given special dispensation by the Board of Directors or Guru Maharaj Ji if they wish to leave the Renunciate Order and remain in the membership of Divine Light Mission. This dispensation may be granted if a petition for such dispensation is submitted to the Ashram Supervisor or to Guru Maharaj Ji and is approved by the Board of Directors.
So if someone takes life vows and wants to leave the ashram but stay in DLM, he has to get the OK from Prem or his Board of Directors (his remote control devices). It MAY be granted (or may not?). And what is the person supposed to do if not approved to leave? Just suck it up and wash the dishes?
So somebody wants to give their life in service to someone who they believe and who has pretty much told them he is the spiritually heaviest person on the planet, the Lord incarnate. They take a life vow and follow all the rules and regs. They have left home, job, family, wife, kids, friends, everything, and signed on as shipmates on the (they believed from the ads) oceanliner of bliss, captained by none other than the Living Perfect Master of this Age. OK, fine. So years go by and the liner is way out to sea and the captain says he's shutting the shipmate's quarters down and they will have to fend for themselves. Doesn't sound like bliss or love to me, but what do I know?
