But....but....but....Eileen: if premies really think that either Maharaji is a gifted motivation speaker or a divinity trapped in a portly body, either way, wouldn't followers want to discuss and ponder Maharaji's message? And, the event reports on ELK don't cut it.

I hate to belabor this point, Eileen, but I do think it is an important one. It is one example of why events seem very cult-like. It also differentiates Maharaji's message from other religious / spiritual conventions.

It just seems weird the way events are structured.  They are very individual-oriented. The audience is asked to do nothing other than sit and listen.

In contrast, last year I attended a non-Maharaji religious event in Washington, DC.  We had plenary meetings, lunches, break-out sessions, music, and socializing. We were an audience, but we were also allowed to participate by discussing and posing questions to all the speakers. The audience was encouraged to raise questions.

At Maharaji events, nothing happens spontaneously. Sure, some audience members give "expressions," but these amount to nothing other than pre-arranged, sappy outpourings of adoration. Why won't somebody ask a real question like, "So, if peace and inner happiness live inside me, why do you insist, Maharaji, that I need you to show it to me? Why don't you encourage your followers to seek their own path to enlightenment? Why do you think your way is the only way?"