Yup, that was a big draw, sure enough - Spiritual oneupmanship/womanship had a lot to do with it too (though there might still be plenty of old-time premies who haven't yet gotten honest enough to realise that).

Let's face it - the whole Christian messiah trip that Maharaj Ji and his "Holy" family pulled on the West in the early 1970s - it was amazing that so many of us fell for it at the time. What's more amazing is that thirty years later he can pretend it never happened - and still be revered by another generation! (the previous generation who are still with him can only hide their consciences in shame).

It's enough to make one wonder how a messiah-myth like JC's took so long to get established.