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Dear contributor: The paragraphs in the introduction of this article reached their form through heated debate and careful wording via the contributions of many editors over an extended period of time. Please do not update its text without first placing your proposal for a change in [[Talk:Prem Rawat]] to allow discussion for at least 24 hours.
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|title = Halo 3
{{Infobox_Biography |
|image = [[Image:Halo 3 final boxshot.JPG|256px]]
subject_name = Prem Pal Singh Rawat
|developer = [[Bungie Studios]]
| image_name = MAHARAJI_WIKIPEDIA.jpg|thumb
|publisher = [[Microsoft Game Studios]]
| image_caption =
| dead designer = |
|series = ''[[Halo (series)|Halo]]''
| date_of_birth = [[December 10]], [[1957]]
|engine = [[Proprietary]] <!--There was no name given to either Halo or Halo 2's game engine and it will most likely be the same with Halo 3's. -->
| place_of_birth = [[Haridwar]], [[India]]
|picture format = [[720p]] ([[HDTV]]) <!--720p is the native, all the others are available through the hardware scaling on the Xbox 360. We don't need to mention those since EVERY 360 game can do those. Only relevant resolution is native one. -->
| date_of_death = |
|version =
| place_of_death =
|released = {{vgrelease|North America|NA|[[September 25]] [[2007]]}}<ref name=releasedate>{{cite web |url = http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12467 |title = Finish the Fight on September 25, 2007 |accessdate = 2007-05-16 |author = Luke Smith (Lukems) |date = 2007-05-15 |format = HTML |publisher = Bungie Software |quote = On September 25, 2007, players will be able to finish the fight they started in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2. Halo 3 will release in Europe on September 26, 2007}}</ref><br />
| spouse = Marolyn Rawat<ref>Cagan, A. ''Peace is Possible'', pp.200</ref>
{{vgrelease|Europe|EU|[[September 26]] [[2007]]}}<ref name=releasedate /><br />
| parents = [[Shri Hans Ji Maharaj]], Rajeshwari Devi
{{vgrelease|Japan|JP|[[September 27]] [[2007]]}}<ref name="japrelease">{{cite web |url = http://www.xbox.com/ja-JP/games/h/halo3/ |title = Halo 3 Page Xbox Japan |accessdate = 2007-06-15 |author = Microsoft Games Studio |authorlink = Microsoft Game Studios |year = 2007 |format = HTML |publisher = Xbox.com/ja-JP/ |language = Japanese |quote = 発売日: 2007/09/27 }}</ref>
| children = Premlata Rawat, Hans Rawat, Dayalata Rawat, Amar Rawat<ref>Cagan, A. ''Peace is Possible'', pp.206, 215, 219 and 233</ref>
|genre = [[First-person shooter]]
|modes = [[Single player]], [[Cooperative gameplay|Cooperative mode]], [[Multiplayer]] and [[Online multiplayer]]
|ratings = [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: M<br /> [[Computer Entertainment Rating Organization|CERO]]: D<br>[[Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia)|OFLC]]: M<ref>{{web cite|url=http://www.classification.gov.au/special.html?n=46&p=156&sTitle=Halo+3&sTitleExact=1&sMediaGames=1&sDateFromM=1&sDateFromY=2003&sDateToM=10&sDateToY=2007&record=221739|title=HALO 3 Game (Multi Platform)|publisher=The Classification Board and Classification Review Board|accessdate=2007-07-18}}</ref>
|platforms = [[Xbox 360]]
|media = [[DVD-DL]]
|requirements =
|input = [[Gamepad#Xbox 360|Xbox 360 Controller]]
|footnotes =
}}
'''''Halo 3''''', the third [[video game]] in the [[Xbox]] science fiction franchise ''[[Halo (video game series)|Halo]]'', is a [[first-person shooter]] under development by [[Bungie Studios]] for the [[Xbox 360]] and is expected to "set a new high water mark" for next-generation games.<ref name=Time>[[TIME Magazine]], [[March 19]], [[2007]], page 52</ref> An [http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=Halo3Announcement official announcement] on the developer's website states that ''Halo 3'' will end the current [[story arc]] of the [[Halo (series)|''Halo'' trilogy]]. A public [[beta test]] of the multiplayer component of the game occurred between [[May 16]], [[2007]] and [[June 10]], [[2007]].<ref name=multiplayermadness>{{cite web |url = http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=MPBetaAndVidocRelease |title = Inside Bungie: Multiplayer Madness! |accessdate = 2007-04-17 |author = Frank O'Connor (Frankie) |date = 2007-04-10 |format = HTML |publisher = Bungie.net |quote = The Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta will go live on May 16th at 12:00 AM PDT and run through June 6th at 11:59 PM PDT}}</ref> The final version of the game is due to be released on [[September 25]], [[2007]]<ref name=releasedate /> in the [[United States]], [[Canada]] and [[Australia]], and on [[September 26]], [[2007]] in [[Europe]].
==Gameplay==
'''Prem Rawat''' also known as '''Maharaji''', formerly Guru Maharaj Ji, has been a speaker and teacher on the subject of "inner peace" since he was eight.<ref>Goring, ''Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions'', pp.145</ref> Born in Haridwar, North India on [[December 10]], [[1957]], Rawat was initiated in the [[Techniques of Knowledge|techniques of "Knowledge"]] by his father [[Hans Ji Maharaj]] when he was six years old, and was accepted as a [[satguru]] ([[Sanskrit]]: ''true teacher'') or "[[Perfect Master]]" at his father's funeral in 1966.<ref> Beit-Hallahami, ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Active New Religions, Sects, and Cults'', pp. 85 <br />"When the founder died in 1966, the eight-year old Pretap stood up at the funeral to announce his ascent to the throne and became the movement's recognized leader. [..] Maharaj Ji was considered [[satguru]], or the Perfect Master."</ref><ref>Melton, ''Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America'', pp.141-2 entry [[Divine Light Mission]] <br />"Just six years after the founding of the Mission, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj was succeeded by his younger son Prem Pal Singh Rawat, who was eight when he was recognized as the new Perfect Master and assumed the title, Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji had been recognized as spiritually adept, even within the circle of the Holy Family, as Shri Hans' family was called. He had been initiated at the age of six [...] He assumed the role of Perfect Master at his father's funeral by telling the disciples who had gathered. [...] Though officially the autocratic leader of the Mission, because of Maharaji's age authority was shared by the whole family."</ref>
{{Cleanup|date=July 2007}}
As a [[first person shooter]] (with occasional third person viewpoints) and action game, ''Halo 3'' involves a lot of running, jumping and driving from one point to the next, attempting not to get killed by the game's enemies: the [[Covenant (Halo)|Covenant]] and the [[Flood (Halo)|Flood]]. Often players must kill their foes (though this is not always required) in order to advance the game. This can be done by a variety of means but [[shooting]] them is the most commonly employed. But hitting ([[melee]]) or ramming objects into them (with vehicles or otherwise), throwing [[grenades]] or other explosives at them and even forcing them off large heights can all cause enemies to die, and the game to progress.
The balance of weapons and objects in the game has been adjusted to adhere to what [[Multiplayer]] Designer Lars Bakken describes as the "Golden Three Things of ''Halo''". These are weapons, grenades, and melee attacks; all three of which are simultaneously available to a player at all times while on foot (unless they are dual wielding).
In 1971 he was invited to speak in London and Los Angeles, and attracted substantial media attention that focused on his age and the claims of his followers. He established the Divine Light Mission in the West and attracted many followers from the [[hippie]] culture. Rawat's marriage to a Westerner in 1974 precipitated a family rift, and Rawat's mother and his eldest brother Sat Pal returned to India.<ref>{{cite web | year = 2006 | url = http://www.manavdharam.org/ssjm/1_brief_into.html|title=About Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj|accessdate = 2006-03-06}}</ref><ref>C. L. Tandon v. Prem Pal Singh Rawat, AIR 1978 Delhi 221 - "One valuable touchstone for determining whether the matters in issue are directly and substantially the same is whether the decision in the prior suit will bring the principle of res judicata into operation in the subsequent suit. Because the removal of Prem Pal Singh Rawat by Mataji and the nomination in his place of Satya Pal Singh Rawat and the competence of Mataji to do the same, issues of utmost importance, are alien to the Patna suit, the disposal of the suit at Patna will not stand in the way of the trial of the said issues by the appropriate courts."</ref> Rawat remained in the West, where he was sometimes criticized for leading a luxurious lifestyle and for a lack of intellectual content in his teachings.<ref>[[J. Gordon Melton]] ''Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America'' (New York/London: Garland, 1986; revised edition, pages 141-145.<br />"During the first years, [...] The teachings of the Mission, particularly the public discourses of Maharaj Ji, were condemned as lacking in substance"</ref><ref name="Schnabel1982"> [[Paul Schnabel|Schnabel]], ''Tussen stigma en charisma'' ("Between stigma and charisma"), 1982. Ch. IV, p. 99:
{|
|-
|
|[...] de [...] intellectueel weinig opmerkelijke Maharaj Ji.
|
|[...] the [...] intellectually quite unremarkable Maharaj Ji.
|}</ref><ref>[[Stephen A. Kent|Kent, Stephen A.]] ''From slogans to mantras: social protest and religious conversion in the late Vietnam war era'', Syracuse University press, 2001, ISBN 0-8156-2948-6 <br>(preface) "Indeed, I found his poorly delivered message to be banal. [..] I did not appreciate his characterization of African tribespeople, nor was I impressed with his clumsy analogy.[..]How could anyone have thought that this guy was a spiritual master? Unable to comprehend why anyone had been impressed by the amateurish performance through which I had suffered, I pondered this mystery for years." <br>page 170 "High upon the Movement's list of "spiritual con men" or in this case, boys was Guru Maharaj Ji.[...]," Maharaj Ji's ownership of two [[Lear jet]]s and three Rolls Royces led Madison, Wisconsin's Free For All to label him "Guru Maha Ripoff" (see Haines 1973 174, 8; "Guru Maha Ripoff" 1973,18 )"</ref><ref name="Hunt2003"/>
The idea of "balance" (at least in multiplayer) is that each specific weapon or piece of equipment has specific areas were it is most useful, and others where it falls far short. No matter what combination of weapons a player chooses (players are famously limited only two choices of weapons in ''Halo''), there will be situations in which they have an advantage, and others in which they have a disadvantage. The result is that there is no one weapon/vehicle that is overwhelmingly the best overall choice for whatever type of situation they may encounter (unlike the M6D pistol in the original [[Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo]]).
In the 1980s he began the process of adapting the style of his message for Western and international audiences, dropped "Guru" from his title and currently uses both Maharaji and Prem Rawat, his family name. <ref> Downton. ''Sacred Journeys'' pp.199<br />Although there were still residues of belief in his divinity, in 1976, the vast majority [of premies] viewed the guru primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide , and inspiration. [...] Having quit imputing great powers to Guru Maharaj Ji by the end of 1976, premies assumed much more responsibility for their own spiritual growth. [...]From the beginning Guru Maharaj Ji appealed to premies to give up their beliefs and concepts so that the might experience the Knowledge, or life force more fully[...] Yet Guru Maharaj Ji's emphasis on giving up beliefs and concepts, did not prevent premies from adopting a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity and the coming of a new age. </ref><ref name="EnAmRe" /> Rawat tours extensively to present his message. [[The Prem Rawat Foundation]] was established in 2001 to spearhead [[Humanitarian aid|humanitarian]] efforts and promote his message, which is currently distributed in eighty-eight countries, largely on video, print and television.
[[Image:Halo 3 control scheme.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The current default controller layout.]]
==Childhood in India==
{{details | Hans Ji Maharaj}}
[[Image:T_ym2.jpg|thumb|Prem Rawat at age 6]]
Rawat was born in India where he attended the Catholic-run St. Joseph's Academy elementary school in Dehra Dun. He was the fourth and youngest son of [[Shri Hans Ji Maharaj]] and his second wife, Jagat Janani Mata Shri Rajeshwari Devi.<ref>''Hans Jayanti'' (2000), pp.24-37</ref><ref>Melton, ''Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America'' pp.141-2</ref>
At the age of three he began attending his father's meetings, and speaking himself about fulfillment, love, and peace.<ref>{{cite web | year = 2006 | url = http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Maharaji#1960s | title= Prem Rawat's quotes @ Wikiquote | accessdate = 2006-07-03}} Birthday Celebrations, Prem Nagar ([[Haridwar]]), [[August 21]] [[1962]] as published in "Hansadesh" magazine, Issue 1, Mahesh Kare, January 1963, Ram Lila Grounds, Delhi, India, [[October 29]] [[1966]] (translated from Hindi)<br>"Today I will speak about love. What is love? How can one get love? Why should one get it? There are two kinds of love. One is the worldly connection. The other is attained through Knowledge. In this human body exists the love we have to discover. You should love one another and behave lovingly because when love comes, everything comes. You should speak to one another with love and humility. Love is the essence."</ref> In these early days, Rawat was known both as ''Sant Ji''<ref>The "Sant" term is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] ''sat'' (सद) (truth, reality) has overlapping usages, its root meaning being "one who knows the truth" or "one who has experienced Ultimate Reality". It differs from the [[false cognate]] "Saint" as it is often translated. The term Sant has taken on the more general ethical meaning of "good person", but is assigned specifically to the poet-sants of medieval India. Schomer, Karine, ''The Sant Tradition in Perspective'', in ''Sant Mat: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India'' in Schomer K. and McLeod W.H. (Eds.), pp.22-3, ISBN 0-9612208-0-5 According to Rigopoulos, (page 404) the word Sant is generally used for the [[bhakti]] saint poets of the [[Marathi]] and [[Hindi]] speaking areas.</ref> and as ''Balyogeshwar''.<ref>Sanskrit: बालयोगेश्वर = child master of yogis</ref> When he was six years old, his father taught him the techniques of Knowledge, including young Prem among his other students.
Rawat's father died in 1966 when he was eight years old, and Rawat succeeded to the role of Satguru and the leadership of the DLM. This was extraordinary, as it was not in accordance with the Hindu tradition of [[primogeniture]].<ref>Lee, ''Sacred Tensions''pp.109-110<br />"Upon the death of his founder in 1966, one of his sons, Guru Maharaj ji, assumed leadership of the movement and won the hearts of many young Westerners." (p.109)<br /> ''Who Is Who In Guruism?''<br /> "During the first 6 years of the new movement [DLM] its head was Shri Hans, the father of the young Maharaj Ji, who, at the age of 8 years, succeeded his father in 1966."</ref><ref name=USChaplains/> His family told American reporters during the early 1970s that Shri Hans was away from home at the time of his death, and that shortly beforehand he had written a letter home to his family essentially naming Rawat as his successor. There is a witness account by Shri Hans' personal driver which refers to Shri Hans' request for Prem to succeed him.<ref>
Singh, Bihari. ''Maharaji accepted by his father's students'', [http://www.avoiceforpeace.net/2006/01/maharaji_accept.html Retrieved Jan 2006].<br>"Right after Shri Maharaj Ji’s death, the family and several mahatmas were discussing who would become Master after the 13 days of mourning were over. They were thinking about Bal Bhagwan Ji, who was the eldest son. When they asked me what I thought, I said, “Shri Maharaj Ji told us when Maharaji was born, ‘He’s going to take my message all over the world.’ [...]Some were suggesting that there be several gurus (all four brothers or some group of 5 or 7 gurus), and others were still in the Bal Bhagwan Ji camp. Particularly in India, when a father dies, the older son steps into his place. [...] Twelve days after Shri Maharaj Ji’s death, Rawat went on stage with a handkerchief on his head and spoke for about 45 minutes to the people who had gathered. After listening to him, everybody accepted him as their Master."
</ref> Speaking much like his father, he took the stage and assured those that mourned his father death, that the master would always be with them and that he would continue his father's work.<ref>Fahlbusch , Lochman, Pelikan, Vischer, and Barret ''The Encyclopedia of Christianity'' p.861<br/>"At the funeral of Shree Hans, his son Prem Pal Singh Rawat [...] comforted those who mourned his father's death with the thought that they still had perfect knowledge with them. The son himself had become the subject of this knowledge, the perfect master, in the place of his father, and took the title of "guru" and the name of Maharaj Ji, or great king, a title of respect of which other titular names were added. The honors paid him by his followers gave him the characteristic of a messianic child. These were supposedly his by nature and they helped him to eliminate rival claims from his own family."</ref> His succession was generally accepted when the crowd responded to him as their teacher.<ref>Melton, ''Encyclopedia of American religions'', p.370-1<br/ >"As they bewailed their loss at his [Shri hans Ji Maharaj] funeral, one of the four sons, then only eight-years old arose and addressed the crowd. [...] Thus Maharaj Ji proclaimed his lordship and established himself as the new head if his father's mission"</ref><ref>Cameron, ''Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji?''</ref> Afterwards, his mother and brothers came on stage to pay their respects to him.<ref>Rawat, Wolf, ''Inner Journey'' TC 00:21:45 (DVD) <br/> He [Shri Maharaj Ji] was the rock. And the next thing you know, he's not there. And it's like, "Do I really understand this? Do I really understand the dynamics of this?"And then I remember being in this hall where all these people had come to pay their respects to him. And they were waiting and crying. And I came on stage and I said, "Don't cry. Don't weep. Because what you really loved is still here and will always be there with you." And it was a powerful moment. It was very genuine. I saw these people weeping and I felt this is something that I can do. I want to help."</ref>
[[AI]] behavior of both enemies and allies in the campaign will be greatly enhanced in ''Halo 3''. Marines' driving and gunning skills on the Warthog, Grunt flanking maneuvers in battle, and Brute "[[pack mentality]]" have all been mentioned by Bungie as examples of using the power of the Xbox 360 for more than just increased polygon counts. Enemy AI will also have new non-combat behaviors, rather than just sitting around waiting for players to kill them, to make them feel more "alive" and realistic
[[Image:Young_Maharaji.jpg|right|thumbnail|240px|About 11 years old.]]
Rawat remained in India for five more years, continuing to offer the Knowledge his father had championed. In the late 1960s, some young Western seekers came across Rawat at his home in Dehra Dun, and several of them asked him to visit the West. In October 1969 he sent a mahatma to London to begin teaching Knowledge on his behalf. In 1970 many of his new Western followers traveled to India to see and hear him, and were present when he announced at a gathering at India Gate in Delhi that he was ready to begin the task of bringing peace to the world. This gathering of 1,000,000 people on 8 November was reported to be one of the largest ever held in [[Delhi]] and was the culmination of an 18-mile-long procession.<ref>Navbharat Times, [[10 November]] [[1970]] (from Hindi original)"A three-day event in commemoration of Sri Hans Ji Maharaj, the largest procession in Delhi history of 18-miles of processionists culminating in a public event at India Gate, where Sant Ji Maharaj addressed the large gathering" <br />Hindustan Times, [[9 November]] [[1970]] (English)"Roads in the Capital spilled over with a 1,000,000 processionists, men, women and children marched from Indra Prasha Estate to the India Gate lawn. [...] People had come from all over the country and belonged to several religions. A few Europeans dressed in white were also in the procession."<br />Guinness Book of World Records, 1970
</ref>
The new default controller layout will see the Right Bumper become the "action" button (pick up, reload, board vehicles, activate switches, etc), with the '''X''' button being used for deployment of special equipment:<ref name="betaquestions"> {{cite web |url = http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/04/10/halo-3-video-questions-cleared-up/ |title = Halo 3 video questions cleared up |accessdate = 2007-04-17 |author = Dustin Burg |date = 2007-04-10 |format = HTML |work = Xbox 360 fanboy Halo 3 Coverage |publisher = Xbox360fanboy.com |quote = ..the new bubble shield and trip mine are two of the X button's deployments ...}}</ref> the portable grav lift, the Bubble Shield, the trip mine and the power drainer. When dual-wielding, weapons can be individually reloaded using either the left or right bumper.
According to the Dutch religious scholar and minister [[Reender Kranenborg]], this speech which was known as the ''Peace Bomb,'' marked the start of Maharaji's mission to the West.<ref>Kranenborg ''Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen''pp.64 <br />English translation "This prediction came true very soon. In 1969 Maharaj ji sent the first disciple to the West. In the next year he held a speech for an audience of thousands of people in Delhi. This speech was known as 'the peace bomb' and was the start of the great mission to the West." Dutch original "Deze voorspelling gaat al snel in vervulling. In 1969 stuurt Maharaj ji de eerste discipel naar het Westen. In het daaropvolgende jaar houdt hij een toespraak in Delhi voor een gehoor van duizenden mensen. Deze toespraak staat bekend als 'de 'vredesbom' en is het begin van de grote zending naar het Westen."</ref>
Other buttons are unchanged, but '''B''' (melee attack) also will be used to take a stationary gun turret off its tripod for mobile use, becoming one of the game's "support weapons" (see ''Weaponry'' below),
==The 1970s==
<ref name="Kotaku 07-05-11">{{cite video | people = Frank O'connor (presenter), Richard Blakeley (Camera), Michael McWhertor (News Writer) |date = 2007-05-11 |title = Kotaku Beta Preview Presentation | url = http://kotaku.com/gaming/has-anyone-here-seen-predator%3F/new-video-of-halo-3-beta-map-weapons-259861.php |format = Flash video/ HTML) |medium = Presentation |publisher = Kotaku.com |accessdate = 2007-05-12 |time = 2:30}}</ref> as well as other context sensitive functions.
[[Image:Maharaji arrival west.jpg|thumb|Los Angeles, 17 July 1971, Maharaji arrives for the first time in the United States. Known then as '''Guru Maharaj Ji''', he dropped the title "Guru" in the 1980s.]] Rawat first came to the West during his school holidays on 17 June 1971, visiting the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. He traveled without his family, and reportedly arrived with only twenty-five English pounds in his pocket.<ref name="Maharaji.org" /> He was interviewed by the BBC and spoke at the first [[Glastonbury Festival]], where he again offered people peace. Rawat made brief trips to Paris and Heidelberg, and on 17 July flew to Los Angeles to begin a tour of American cities.<ref>Pryor, ''The Survival of the Coolest'', p. 148.</ref>
As with previous games however, players can still choose to change the default control layout in their game profile to a number of pre-sets. <ref name="betacontrols">{{cite web |url = http://www.bungie.net/content.aspx?link=h3betaWhatsNew |title = H3 Public Beta: Whats new? |accessdate = 2007-07-07 |author = Frank O'Connor (Frankie) |date = 2007-05-15 |format = HTML/ASP |work = Guide to the Halo 3 Beta |publisher = Bungie.net |quote = The default button layout is one of four available in the Beta }}</ref>
In September 1971, Rawat established the US Divine Light Mission (DLM) in Denver, Colorado, then in October returned to India to celebrate his father's birthday. In 1972, Rawat returned to the West, this time accompanied by his mother and eldest brother, Satpal, and an entourage of mahatmas and other supporters. That year DLM held a multi-day event at Montrose, Colorado which two thousand people attended.
===Campaign===
In November 1973, DLM booked the [[Houston Astrodome]] for "Millennium '73," a three-day gathering coinciding with Shri Hans' birthday. [[Rennie Davis]], a former member of the [[Chicago Seven]], was a prominent spokesman for the group.<ref>Prem Rawat [[September 30, 1973]], published in 'Special Millennium '73 Edition' of the Divine Times, page 2, under the heading 'A Festival for the Whole World'</ref> The attendance was estimated at twenty thousand and according to [[Thomson Gale]], "the rapidly developing movement ran into trouble, beginning with its inability to fill the Houston Astrodome in a highly publicized event." <ref>Carrol, ''Nothing Happened'', pp. 248 <br /> "Divine light Mission attracted twenty thousand devotees to the Houston Astrodome in November 1973."</ref><ref>"Guru Maharaj Ji", ''Biography Resource Center''. [[Farmington Hills, Michigan]]., [[Thomson Gale]]. [[2007]].<br>Through the mid-1970s the rapidly developing movement ran into trouble, beginning with its inability to fill the Houston Astrodome in a highly publicized event, Millennium 73. </ref> <ref>Melton ''Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America'', pp.141-2 </ref>
Only a very limited portion of the Campaign mode has been shown thus far. At [[Marketing for Halo 3#E3 2006 trailer|E3 2006]], in [[Marketing for Halo 3#"Et tu, Brute?" video documentary|"Et Tu, Brute?"]] and again at [[Marketing for Halo 3#E3 2007 trailer |E3 2007]]. There are several distinct types of environments that players will have to traverse in ''Halo 3''; lush jungles, built up towns and sparse desert environments have all been seen.
By the early 1970s, DLM had established [[ashrams]] in South America, North America, Europe and Australia.<ref> Downton, James V. ''Sacred journeys: The conversion of young Americans to Divine Light Mission'',(1979) Columbia University Press. ISBN # 0231041985</ref><ref> Ibid. ''Religious Requirements and Practices'' p. 1-6</ref><ref name="Bowker> Bowker, ''The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions'', pp.287</ref>
====Meta-game====
In 1974, the DLM reportely had 60,000 individuals practising the techniques of Knowledge in the U. K. and "it was a successful movement because it stressed access to the inner world, the attainment of peace and certainty ('leave no room for doubt in your mind'), direct experience of God within, and the use of guaranteed methods".<ref>Leech, ''Soul Friend''</ref>
''Halo 3'' features a "campaign meta-game" in which a player is awarded a score for completing a level in the single-player campaign. No other information is available save for a reference to the Achievements associated with them.<ref name="achievements" /> It implies, as with the previous ''Halo'' games, that campaign levels can be replayed freely, and that single-player Xbox Live Leaderboards will be associated with the "meta-game". It has also been said that not only can players attain awards such as medals in campaign, but even more armor permutations.
{{cquote|The latest batch of images also lift the veil on a pair of Armor Permutations in Halo 3. These multiplayer-only, cosmetic changes to your armor are a way to add diversity, spice and flavor to ''Halo 3'''s multiplayer shenanigans. The C.Q.B. (Close Quarters Battle) and E.V.A. (Extra Vehicular Activity) variants of Spartans are two of the numerous permutations players will be able to unlock in ''Halo 3''. <ref name="screenshotsgalore">
In May 1974 at age sixteen, Rawat married Marolyn Johnson, a twenty-five year old flight attendant and one of his early American students,<ref>Barret, ''The New Believers'' (2003) pp.325</ref>. The marriage to a Westerner apparently precipitated a rift between Prem and his mother,<ref>"Guru Maharaj Ji", ''Biography Resource Center''. [[Farmington Hills, Michigan]], [[Thomson Gale]], 2007: "The marriage further disrupted his relationship with his mother and older brothers. A lawsuit in India gave control of the Indian branch of the Divine Light Mission to Maharaj's mother and led to a complete break with her son, who maintained the complete support of the Western disciples."</ref> for what she described as his pursuit of a "despicable, nonspiritual way of life."<ref name="Rajeshwari Devi criticism">"Guru Tries to Take Control of Mission" in ''The Ruston Daily Leader'', [[April 9]], [[1975]]: "Earlier this month, the guru's mother issued a statement in New Delhi saying she had disowned her son because of his pursuit of 'a despicable, nonspiritual way of life.' [...] Sources close to Rajeshwari Devi said she was upset because of her son's materialistic lifestyle, including a fondness for expensive homes and sports cars, and because of his marriage last year to his secretary."</ref> Rawat took control of the Western DLM away from them, and his mother disowned him and returned to India with two of his brothers. His mother gained legal control of DLM India and appointed the eldest brother, Satpal, as its leader. The other two brothers split in allegiance, one siding with Prem and one siding with Satpal. Most of the mahatmas in the West either returned to India with his mother or were fired. Rawat later commented to the press on the family rift, saying "They live in India and I think [my mother] was upset that I married a foreigner. She thought I had married out of my caste or something like that."<ref name=TheAge>Gawenda, Michael, ''Guru Maharaj Ji Puts his Case'' [[The Age]] [[March 24]] [[1982]]</ref>
{{cite web |url = http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12616 |title = Way Beyond the Beta: Screenshots Galore |accessdate = 2007-07-04 |author = Lukems |date = 2007-07-03 |format = HTML /ASPX |publisher = Bungie.net |language = English }}</ref> }}
===Multiplayer===
According to an article in the 1979 ''Sociological Review'', Maharaj Ji became financially independent through the generosity of his devotees, and this allowed him to follow the lifestyle of an American millionaire, support his family, and finance the world travel of close officials and mahatmas.<ref>Price, ''The Divine Light Mission as a social organization. '' pp.279-96<br />"Immediately following Maharaj Ji's marriage a struggle for power took place within the Holy Family itself. Maharaj Ji was now sixteen years old. He had the knowledge that his personal following in the West was well established. It is likely that he felt the time had come to take the reins of power from his mother, who still dominated the mission and had a strong hold over most of the mahatmas, all of whom were born and brought up in India. Another factor may well have been the financial independence of Maharaj Ji, which he enjoys through the generosity of his devotees. Note 27: Contributions from premies throughout the world allow Maharaj Ji to follow the life style of an American millionaire. He has a house (in his wife's name), an Aston Martin, a boat, a helicopter, the use of fine houses (divine residences) in most European countries as well as South America, Australia and New Zealand, and an income which allows him to run a household and support his wife and children, his brother, Raja Ji, and his wife, Claudia. In addition, his entourage of family, close officials and mahatmas are all financed on their frequent trips around the globe to attend the mission's festivals."</ref>
Like most multiplayer Xbox 360 titles, ''Halo 3'' will use a customized version of [[TrueSkill]] ranking system for its online matchmaking facilities. ''Halo 3''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s matchmaking system will be based on two different ranks, skill and experience (Rating Points or RP). Skill will simply be the TrueSkill rank of the player in a given playlist, and experience (RP) is a linear measure of experience (1 point for each win in the online playlists). Overlaid by a Military rank; so, a player with a designation of a "General" will have played for a longer time than someone who is a "recruit". This is in order to make the system more fair and to reflect the effect of experience on players' profiles.<ref name="1up-3155479"> {{cite web |url = http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3155479 |title = The Five Best Things About Halo 3 |accessdate = 2007-04-28 |author= Luke Smith |date = 2006-11-24 |format = HTML |work = 1up Halo 3 Coverage |publisher = 1up.com |language = English}}</ref> The RP system also has a mechanism built in to dissuade players from excessive quitting from matches, which became a problem for some players in Halo 2. When players quit from a match before it has finished, they will lose 2 RP. So players that regularly quit games, leaving their teammates stranded, may eventually end up having ''negative'' RP.
UNSC Service Tags (consisting of one letter followed by two numbers) will be used instead of small HUD emblems to identify allies in games. In addition to the customization of Service Tags, players can now choose three different colors (as opposed to two in ''Halo 2'') for their armor in multiplayer (primary, secondary and detail), as well as three for their multiplayer emblem.<ref name="XboxydeBetaMenu"> {{cite web |url = http://www.xboxyde.com/gallery_5404_en.html |title = Halo 3 Beta Character Menu |accessdate = 2007-05-11 |author = BlimBlim |date = 2007-05-11 |format = HTML /JPG Image |work = Xboxyde Halo 3 Coverage |publisher = Xboxyde.com/Gamersyde.com |language = English }}</ref>
During these years, claims of divinity made by the Indian mahatmas, his family, and some followers were reported by the media. An article in [[Time Magazine]] reported that his mother and three older brothers kissed his "lotus feet" whenever they were in his presence, as a demonstration of worship. To them as to his other followers, he is the "Perfect Master" and "Lord of the Universe." <ref name="Time1972">[[Time Magazine]] [[2 November]] [[1972]] [http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,944540,00.html Junior Guru"]</ref><ref name="Time1975">[[Time Magazine]]. [[April 28]] [[1975]] [http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,917390,00.html ''One Lord Too Many''.]</ref> Kranenborg wrote in a 1982 article that "in Maharaj ji's [[satsang]]s one can notice a speaking style that resembles very much some Christian evangelization campaigns: a pressing request, an emphasis on the last possibility to choose before it is too late and a terminology in which one is requested to surrender to the Lord, in this case Maharaj ji himself."<ref>[[Reender Kranenborg|Kranenborg, Reender]] (1982) ''Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen/Eastern faith movements in the West'' (Dutch language) ISBN 90-210-4965-1</ref>The American religious scholar [[J. Gordon Melton]] wrote in 1986 that, "[..]Maharaj Ji, as do many of the other Sant Mat leaders, claims to be a [[Perfect Master]], an embodiment of God on earth, a fitting object of worship and veneration."<ref>[[J. Gordon Melton|Melton, J. Gordon]]. Encyclopedia Handbook of Cults in America p.143, Garland Publishing (1986) ISBN 0-8240-9036-5</ref>Rawat denied claims to be divine in several interviews given to the press and on television.<!--<nowiki><ref name="Young">Interview by [[Johnny Young]]. Miami Beach, Florida, [[August 4]] -- which year? where published?</ref></nowiki>--><ref name="LevineRM2000">Richard M. Levine, ''The Seventies'', 2000, p. 104 <br />"Reporter: "Are you the Messiah foretold in the Bible?; Maharaji Ji: Please do not presume me as that. Respect me as a humble servant of God trying to establish peace in this world"</ref><ref name="TomorrowShow1973">Tom Snyder, ''[[The Tomorrow Show]]'', 1973</ref> In 1971 he had said that yes, he is human (with) hands, bone (and) lungs but that "guru is greater than God because if you go to guru, guru will show you God".<ref name="Grenley1971">Grenley, Peter Friday, [[September 3]] [[1971]] News Journal, Mansfield, Ohio. "I Was A Teen-Age Guru ...Story Of Maharaji Of India" [http://www.newspaperarchive.com/LandingItems/GLP/LP9.aspx?search=&img=WIIwbfg7DKmKID/6NLMW2t9Q3UTGHXuruf4RnOMMeQroz+tJ4eyPMA==&site=&fileType=jpg Newspaper Archive.com] <br>When he is specifically asked whether or not he considers himself a human, however, he pauses, as though figuring out the answer. "Yes, I am a human," he says finally. "Hands bone, lungs. But guru is greater than God because if you go to guru, guru will show you God."</ref>
In the July 2007 issue of ''[[Gamepro]]'', (as well as a few other local an international magazines) it was revealed that Spartan armor in multiplayer will be customizable in look as well as color.<ref name="GameproJuly">{{Citation | last1= Sid | first1= Vicious | last2 = Marbles |first2 = Mr. |last3 = Moses |first3 = Tenacious |last4 = Offender |first4 = Long-Haired | author-link= GamePro |year = 2007 |date = July |title = Halo Goes Supernova |periodical = GamePro |issue = July 2007 |pages = 48-64 |url = http://www.gamepro.org/news.cfm?article_id=114788 |accessdate = 2007-06-06}}</ref> In addition to the standard Mjolnir-armor look, players can choose to swap out helmet, arm and body sections to the new CQB (Close Quarters Battle) and EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) armor types, as well as other, unannounced variants. Bungie has not confirmed whether or not the player can be an Elite, but Frankie says in the 06/08/07 Bungie Weekly Update, "Well, it would be kind of weird for us to add so much customization for appearance and forget about one of the major MP characters, wouldn’t it? We’ll have more news about the existence or otherwise of an Elite model fairly soon."
In an autobiographical book by an early follower who was quite involved with the DLM in the early 70s, Sophia Collier writes, "''There are those who sincerely believe that Guru Maharaj Ji is the Lord of Creation here in the flesh to save the world. And then there are those who know him a little better than that. They relate to him in a more human way... to them he is more of a teacher, a guide, a co-conspirator in their personal pursuit of a more heavenly way of life.''".<ref>Collier, ''Soul rush''<br/>"In the Divine Light Mission there are two groups of people. There are those who sincerely believe that Guru Maharaj Ji is the Lord of Creation here in the flesh to save the world. And then there are those who know him a little better than that. They relate to him in a more human way... to them he is more of a teacher, a guide, a co-conspirator in their personal pursuit of a more heavenly way of life. I have always been in this second group of people... as charming and wise as Guru Maharaj Ji has seemed to me on occasion, I have never found any basis on which to nominate him Lord. Guru Maharaj Ji, though he has never made a definitive statement on his own opinion of his own divinity, generally encourages whatever view is held by the people he is with." </ref>
Bungie also stated that they have redesigned the UI (user interface) from ''Halo 2'', making it easier to generate a custom game in ''Halo 3'' multiplayer.
According to Stephen J Hunt, a professor of sociology, Rawat's major focus is on stillness, peace, and contentment within the individual, and his 'Knowledge' consists of the techniques to obtain them. Knowledge, roughly translated, means the happiness of the true self-understanding. Each individual should seek to comprehend his or her true self. In turn, this brings a sense of well-being, joy, and harmony as one comes in contact with one's "own nature."<ref>Stephen J. Hunt Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8</ref> The first posters about Rawat in the early 1970s said, “Meditation is not what you think.” At that time, Rawat was already making a distinction between the "mind", which he described as including the dark or negative thoughts that a person may have, and the "heart", the place within each person where peace can be found. Lans and Derks wrote that according to Maharaj Ji, "all evil should be attributed to the mind", and that such concept of mind indicates the obstacle of freeing oneself from former bonds, referring primarily to a "state of consciousness characterized by everything but passive, nonrational confidence and trust."<ref>Lans & Derks, ''Premies Versus Sannyasins''<br />"According to Maharaj Ji, all evil should be attributed to the mind[...] indicat[ing] the same obstacle of freeing oneself from former bonds [...] DLM’s concept of mind refers primarily to a state of consciousness characterized by everything but passive, nonrational confidence and trust.""</ref>
In the 1970s Rawat spoke in more than twenty countries and received the keys to the cities of New York City, New Orleans, Monterey, Oakland, Detroit, Miami, and Macon, Georgia in the United States, and Kyoto, Japan.<ref>[http://tprf.org/pr_honors.htm Partial list of honors] The Prem Rawat Foundation website</ref>
Hosts will now be able to "advertise" their custom games via [[Xbox Live]] Public; making it easier to find a multiplayer match to a player's taste without having to link up with friends.<ref name="1up-3155479" />
==The 1980s and 1990s==
[[Image:Maharaji_Royal_Albert_Hall.jpg|thumb|Prem Rawat speaking to the public at the [[Royal Albert Hall]], [[London]]. [[October 12]], [[1981]].
Rawat returned to India in October 1980 for the first time since 1975, and on newly acquired land in Delhi, spoke to over 38,000 students.
In late [[2006]], due to a "significant chunk" of ''Halo 2'' players being female, Bungie was considering to have a female voice for the Spartan character in multiplayer as an additional option.<ref name="cid9170"> {{cite web |url = http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=9170 |title = Bungie Weekly Update 2006/11/10 |accessdate = 2006-11-11 |author = Frank O'Connor (Frankie) |date = 2006-11-10 |format = HTML /ASP |publisher = Bungie.net |language = English |archiveurl = http://nikon.bungie.org/bwu/index.html?item=100 |archivedate = 2006-11-11 |quote = ...one of the things we’re looking at for Halo 3 multiplayer is adding a female voice to the Spartan character...}}</ref>
He also returned to South America, and visited Mexico for the first time. He continued to hold large, multi-day events for his students in Cartagena (Colombia), Miami, Rome, London, New Delhi, and Kansas City (Missouri). Other cities where he spoke included Cancun (Mexico), Lima, Sao Paulo, and Leicester (UK). He obtained a private pilot’s license, and began training towards certifications and type ratings for various aircraft.
A new feature dubbed the "[[asshole|A-hole]] button" can be used to mute annoying players in the game quickly and easily from the in-game scoreboard view.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6165796.html |title=Halo 3 gets shutup button |accessdate=2007-04-28}}</ref>
For a time around 1980, the center of operations moved to [[Miami]], where activities included the development of a commercial executive jet refurbishing facility known as DECA. The initial project was the customization of a [[Boeing 707]] intended for Rawat's work. During 1981, Rawat flew the 707 to forty different cities, and spoke on 120 occasions. He crisscrossed North America four times that year, and toured South America, Europe, India, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. DECA was later sold to Aircraft Modular Products (AMP), a leader in the field of business jet interiors, which in turn was sold in 1998 to B/E Aerospace for $118 US million.<ref>
''B/E Aerospace to buy Aircraft Modular Products''. The South Florida Business Journal, April 1998 [http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/1998/04/13/daily1.html Available online]</ref>
People sifting through the code, as well as those who glitched their way into the Custom Game UI, of the ''Halo 3'' Beta have found that the strength of gravity is indeed a customizable option in multiplayer games, confirming statements made by Bungie employees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/503973679_660e011151.jpg|title=Custom gravity options in Halo 3 Beta menus|accessdate=2007-05-24}}</ref>
The ''Encyclopedia of American Religions'' states that in the early 1980s Rawat personally renounced the trappings of Indian culture and religion, and disbanded the DLM, to make his teachings independent of culture, religious beliefs, and lifestyles.<ref name="EnAmRe">Melton, ''Encyclopedia of American Religions''<br/>"In the early 1980s, Maharaj ji moved to disband the Divine Light Mission and he personally renounced the trappings of Indian culture and religion, disbanding the mission, he founded Elan Vital, an organization to his future role as teacher." [...]Maharaji had made every attempt to abandon the traditional Indian religious trappings in which the techniques originated and to make his presentation acceptable to all the various cultural settings in which followers live. He sees his teachings as independent of culture, religion, beliefs, or lifestyles, and regularly addresses audiences in places as culturally diverse as India, Japan, Taiwan, the Ivory Coast, Slovenia, Mauritius and Venezuela, as well as North America, Europe and the South Pacific.</ref> Other scholars, such as Kranenborg, [[George D. Chryssides]] and [[Ron Geaves]] also described a departure from divine connotations.<ref>Kranenborg, ''Neohindoeïstische bewegingen in Nederland: een encyclopedisch overzicht'', pp.178 <br /> "Zij [Mata Ji, Prem Rawats moeder] onterfde hem spiritueel, in feite werd hij de beweging uitgezet. Maharaji ging zelfstandig verder, zij het met minder pretenties dan voorheen. Zo sprak hij sindsdien niet meer in goddelijke termen over zichzelf, maar noemde zich 'humanitarian leader'" (translation: "She[Rawat's mother, Mata ji] disinherited him spiritually. In fact, he was expelled from the movement. Maharaji continued on independently, with less claims pretensions than in the past, not no longer speaking with divine terms about himself, but calling himself instead as an 'humanitarian leader'."</ref><ref>Geaves, ''From Divine Light Mission to Elan Vital and Beyond''</ref> Rawat continued delivering the four techniques of Knowledge which, according to Chryssides, afford self-understanding and self-realization, in a manner that is independent of culture and not bound to the traditions of India.<ref>Chryssides, ''Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements'' pp.115-6,<br/> Maharaji [still] delivers the four meditative techniques known as the Knowledge which featured in DLM and which afford self-understanding and self-realization, but he insists that such Knowledge is independent of culture and is by no means bound to the religious traditions of India. </ref>
Judging from a preview [[Quicktime VR]] released by Bungie, the characters appear to have breathing animations when standing still, moving up and down slightly.
[[James V. Downton]], in his [[1979]] book ''Sacred Journeys'', writes that in 1976 the majority of ''premies'' saw Rawat primarily as their "spiritual teacher, guide, and inspiration", and quit imputing great powers to him, assuming more responsibility for their own personal growth. He asserts that, since the beginning, Rawat appealed to his followers to give up beliefs and concepts, so that they could experience the Knowledge more fully, but that it did not prevent followers from adopting a "a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity and the coming of a new age."<ref> Downton. ''Sacred Journeys'' pp.199<br />Although there were still residues of belief in his divinity, in 1976, the vast majority [of premies] viewed the guru primarily as their spiritual teacher, guide , and inspiration. [...] Having quit imputing great powers to Guru Maharaj Ji by the end of 1976, premies assumed much more responsibility for their own spiritual growth. [...]From the beginning Guru Maharaj Ji appealed to premies to give up their beliefs and concepts so that the might experience the Knowledge, or life force more fully[...] Yet Guru Maharaj Ji's emphasis on giving up beliefs and concepts, did not prevent premies from adopting a fairly rigid set of ideas about his divinity and the coming of a new age. </ref>
====Saved Films====
In the early [[1980s]] the late [[Margaret Singer]] included the DLM in the list of groups she studied. In [[1979]], Singer mentioned the Divine Light Movement as one of a set of groups that have ''"intense relationships between followers and a powerful idea or leader"'', in an article in ''Psychology Today''.<ref>"Coming Out of the Cults", ''Psychology Today'', January [[1979]].<br /> The people I have studied, however, come from groups in the last, narrow band of the spectrum: groups such as the Children of God, the Unification Church of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the Krishna Consciousness movement, the Divine Light Mission, and the Church of Scientology.</ref>
''Halo 3'' will have a feature called "Saved Films". This feature allows players to save a copy of the game data of a multiplayer match or campaign session to their [[Xbox 360]] [[hard drive]] so they may watch the match over again. The public beta's implementation will only allow viewing of the saved videos from the in-game perspective the person whose recording it is.<ref name="h3betaSavedFilms">{{cite web |url = http://www.bungie.net/content.aspx?link=h3betaSavedFilms |title = Saved Films and File Share |accessdate = 2007-05-16 |author = Frank O'Connor (Frankie) |date = 2007-05-15 |format = HTML /ASPX |work = Halo 3 Beta Guide |publisher = Bungie.net |language = English }}</ref>
In the final game the functionality of the "Saved Film" feature is planned to be extended. Players will be able to view the action from almost any angle and any player's perspective (including a free-roaming camera to "navigate" saved films), as well as being able to slow down the speed, zoom and even play the recording in reverse. Certain sections of the saved films could even be cut out to create a shorter clip of a particularly amazing or special moment.<ref name="h3betaSavedFilms" /> Still pictures from films can also be taken and shared online.
In 1983, the Western ashrams were closed and the Divine Light Mission changed its name to [[Elan Vital]].<ref>[http://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/ViewImage.do;jsessionid=0000x3kyxhvQmIUOPNwkHlTDN7v:10e81ru5k?masterFileId=19871234276&fileId=19871509395 Colorado Secretary of State, Business Center.]</ref><ref> Elan Vital FAQs - About Elan Vital, Inc. [http://www.elanvital.org/faq/faq_EV.htm Available online] (Retrieved May, 2006)</ref> The video production unit was renamed "Visions International,"<ref>[http://www.visionsinternational.org Visions International] website. (Retrieved January 2006)</ref> and it began producing video versions of Rawat's addresses. According to ''America's Alternative Religions'', during the 1980s, Rawat stepped away from the image of himself as a "Perfect Master" and dropped the title "Guru Maharaj Ji" in favor of "Maharaji". He continued to appear to audiences as Maharaji, a teacher, and established a minimal organization called [[Elan Vital (organization)|Elan Vital]]. In this new role, "he may be reaching more listeners than ever, especially abroad, but his role is that of a public speaker, and the original religious movement is essentially defunct."<ref>Miller, ''America's Alternative Religions, pp.474</ref>
An article published on [[December 4]] [[1987]] in [[The Times of India]], describes Rawat's mission as involving international tours during which he explains to "people in general without any distinction of caste, color, race, stature, or wealth that the source of happiness, peace and contentment lies within one's own self. [...] He is trying to prepare humanity to face and overcome the present day tussle and turmoil prevailing in the world in the name of achieving world peace, on individual basis. In fact what Maharaj Ji is trying to do is not being comprehended by most of the people, with the results that he is included in the category of those persons who have become mere machines to collect wealth, while Maharaj Ji has taken a pledge to complete this huge task without any monetary consideration."<ref>The Times of India, [[December 4]] [[1987]]</ref>
As the Saved Films are only the game data (not an actual video), this allows the file sizes to be relatively small. A recording for a typical "long" game is in the region of only 6 [[megabyte|MB]].<ref name="h3betaSavedFilms" /> Films will also be played back at whatever resolution the [[Xbox 360]] is set to, regardless of the resolution at which the a player was using at the time of the recording. All games are recreated in real-time on the Xbox 360 using the ''Halo 3'' engine.
Rawat continued to tour extensively in the 1980s and 1990s, mostly piloting the executive jets that were leased for the purpose himself. He held several-day events in over 40 countries, and in 1990 he spoke at over 50 public events all over the world. In December 1998, Rawat spoke via a live, interactive global satellite broadcast from an event in Pasadena, California, to 86,600 participants in 173 locations in 50 countries. In 1999, regular satellite broadcasts began spreading his message to North American cities, with similar initiatives in other regions and countries.
Players will also be able to show their saved films to other players as well as store a saved film on a central, Bungie run, server with the new File Sharing features. Friends (or rivals) can then view it even when the creating player is not online. During the Beta each player had 25 [[megabyte|MB]] of storage space, which may change by the time the final game ships. The Saved Film feature is described as an "excellent training aid" since players can gain valuable tactical insight into the strategies of other players by viewing the saved films.<ref name="handson">{{cite web |url = http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/20070511-mulitplayerbeta.htm |title = Hands-On: Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta |accessdate = 2007-05-12 |author = Denny Atkin |date = 2007-05-11 |format = HTML |work = Previews on Xbox.com |publisher = Xbox.com |language = English }}</ref>
Rawat reportedly travels about eleven months of the year on world-wide speaking and training tours. He addresses various cultural, educational and community forums, in addition to speaking at large gatherings of his students and the public. During one 2005 India tour, he reportedly spoke to more than a million and a half people.<ref>[http://www.maharajiblog.net/2005/04/more_than_15_mi.html "More than 1.5 million people seek Prem Rawat’s inspiration and guidance"] (Retrieved February 2006)</ref>
This feature will also facilitate the creation of [[machinima]] and other game-related videos, as well as give the creators of such videos advanced tools to enhance the quality of this medium. Video game montage creators can save games to the hard drive of their [[Xbox 360]] console for later use, so they never have to miss a camera shot, while machinima directors and cinematographers will have expanded camera options, instead of having to resort to using a first-person, gameplay perspective.
==21st century==
[[Image:Maharaji Salamanca.jpg|thumb|280px|June 30, 2003. Prem Rawat speaking at the University of Salamanca's first "Conference on Peace".]]
Although based in the U.S., Rawat is active all over the world. Between 1965, when his addresses were first documented, and July 2005, he addressed audiences at 2,280 events around the world. Between January 2004 and June 2005 alone, he delivered 117 addresses in Asia, Europe, and North America.<ref>''Maharaji at Griffith University''</ref><ref>''The Prem Rawat Foundation presents: Maharaji at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University''</ref>With a more culturally neutral approach, Rawat now concentrates on what he calls a "universal message of peace" and "self-fulfillment", <ref>''Conversation with Prem Rawat'', [http://www.tprf.org/Prem_Rawat_conversation.htm Available online.] (Retrieved January 2006)</ref> introducing people to the possibility of [[inner peace]]. According to the Prem Rawat Foundation, his message is currently distributed in eighty-eight countries, largely on video and in print. His message is broadcast in various TV channels such as Canal Infinito in South America, Channel 31 in Australia, Kabel BW in Germany, Dish Network in the U.S.A, and others. The video broadcasts have won awards from various non-related entities.<ref>"Words of Peace" by Maharaji receives TV Award in Brazil" [http://maharaji.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2004/11/29/193283.html Press release].</ref>
===Weapons===
The author [[David V. Barrett]] writes in his 2001 book ''[[The New Believers]],'' that the "the flamboyant and definitively Eastern-inspired Divine Light Mission" has matured into something new, changing its name to reflect a current emphasis as well as to distance itself from the past. Barrett asserts that the fact that Rawat came from a lineage of 'Perfect Masters' is no longer relevant, as that is not where the authority comes from, nor from the recognition of Rawat as the master by his student; rather, this comes from "the nature of the teachings and its benefit to the individual." He also writes that "the Divine Light movement used to be criticized for the devotion given to Maharaji, who was thought to live a life of luxury on the donations of his followers" but a spokesperson "clearly conscious of past criticism, is emphatic that Maharaji has never earned anything from Elan Vital or any other movement promoting his teachings." Barrett continues that "the experience is an individual, subjective experience rather than on a body of dogma, and in its Divine Light days the movement was sometimes criticized for this stressing of emotional experience over intellect."<ref>Barrett 2001, page 327<br>"Unusually, the fact that Maharaji came from a lineage of 'Perfect Masters' is no longer relevant to the reformed movement. This is not where the authority comes from, nor the recognition of Maharaji as the master by his student; this comes rather from the nature of the teaching and its benefit to the individual. [...] The Divine Light movement used to be criticized for the devotion given to Maharaji, who was thought to live a life of luxury on the donations of his followers; Whittaker, clearly conscious of past criticism, is emphatic that Maharaji has never earned anything from Elan Vital or any other movement promoting his teachings.[...] At the heart of Elan Vital is this Knowledge — loosely, the joy of true self-knowledge. [...] The Knowledge includes four meditation techniques; these have some similarities in other Sant-Mat-derived movements, and may derive originally from surat shab yoga. [...] The experience is on individual, subjective inner experience of peace rather than on a body of dogma. In its Divine Light days, the movement was sometimes criticized for this stressing of experience over intellect. Since then, Prem Rawat has made it clear that this inner experience has nothing to do with emotions (interview with Marta Robles) and that in no way does the emphasis on inner experience negate the importance of thinking. The teaching could perhaps best described as practical mysticism."</ref>
''Halo 3'' introduces a new-to-the-series class called "support weapons". These are a group of exceptionally large, powerful and cumbersome two-handed weapons that, when carried, change the view to a third-person perspective and cause the player to move more slowly. The only two weapons in this class that have been revealed thus far are the Machine Gun Turret and the Missile Pod, both of which were available in the public beta.
The now-iconic Assault Rifle which appeared in the original ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo]]'' as the MA5B but was absent from ''[[Halo 2]]'' is returning for ''Halo 3'' retooled into the MA5C. Developer [[Bungie]] hopes it will fill the role as the "ultimate spawn weapon", allowing players to hold their own in a fight straight away (unlike the SMG in ''Halo 2'') but not be so powerful as to overshadow all of the other weapons (like the M6D in ''Halo''). In hopes of fulfilling this, it has a smaller magazine and slower rate of fire than its previous iteration but a longer range and greater accuracy.
In 2001 a new organization, [[The Prem Rawat Foundation]], was founded as a public charitable organization, largely for the production and distribution of audiovisual and other materials containing Rawat's message.<ref>Guidestar report for non-profit organizations.[http://www.guidestar.org/controller/searchResults.gs?action_gsReport=1&npoId=100224061 Available online]</ref> The Foundation funds humanitarian efforts around the world, providing food and medical relief to war-torn areas and medical care in impoverished areas.<ref>Humanitarian Initiatives [http://tprf.org/humanitarian_initiatives/index.htm The Prem Rawat Foundation] (Retrieved January 2006) </ref> On 24 March 2006, Rawat inaugurated a facility in the tribal area of [[Jharkhand]], [[India]], called "Food for People". The custom, 10,000 square foot facility was developed in consultation with local village elders, to provide 45,000 free meals to needy children and adults each month. The facility is run by fifty local villagers trained by volunteers of the [[Raj Vidya Kender]]. The facility was developed with the financial support of the Foundation which also funds its ongoing operations.<ref>[http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=62878 Prem Rawat Inaugurates First 'Food for People' Facility in Northeastern India] (Retrieved [[March 25]] [[2006]])</ref> In 2007, the Foundation was evaluated by the Better Business Bureau using twenty criteria for assessing the accountability of a non profit organization. Following this evaluation, the Foundation was accepted in the "Wise Giving Alliance" of the [[Better Business Bureau]], whose membership is reserved for organizations that have met the BBB's standards of management accountability.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://charityreports.give.org/Public/Report.aspx?CharityID=3098
|title=Charity report
|publisher=BBB Wise Giving Alliance
|retrieved=March 2007}}</ref> [[Rotary International]] describes the foundation as being established by Prem Rawat to "to improve the quality of life for the disadvantaged."<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/presscenter/releases/2006/272.html
|title= Young professionals from 42 countries meet in Malmö to promote international understanding
|publisher = Rotary International
|date=June 7, 2006
|accessdate=2007-01-08
|format=
|work= }}
</ref>
There are more new weapons, most in order to expand the "[[The Covenant (Halo)#Brutes|Brute]] Sandbox." The Brute Spiker, a sub machine-gun like weapon with a vicious double blade on the front, and the Spike Grenade, able to stick to any surface and release a controlled explosion of deadly spikes.
Elan Vital organizations remain active in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Switzerland, and are engaged in event organization, logistics, and fund raising. These entities are much smaller now than the DLM had been in times past, with only a small paid staff, and volunteers doing most of the routine work and preparation for events. While these organizations report that they seek and accept Rawat's input, he is not an officer, director, or employee of Elan Vital or The Prem Rawat Foundation. They report he receives no income from them for his services or from the sale of materials, other than reimbursement for documented tour and speaking expenses.<ref>Elan Vital [http://www.elanvital.org/about.html About] (Retrieved January 2006)</ref> There are many other independent, volunteer-based organizations that promote Rawat's teachings locally in countries of all five continents.<ref>[http://www.contact-info.net/contacts.cfm Volunteer-based organizations] (Retrieved (February 2006)</ref>
When a player is carrying a second weapon in ''Halo 3'', the secondary weapon will be stored on the character's back (for larger, two-handed weapons) or on a leg holster (for smaller, one-handed weapons). This makes it impossible to "hide" a powerful secondary weapon and surprise unsuspecting foes.
Geaves, in his paper ''From Divine Light Mission to Elan Vital and Beyond'' (2004) in which he studied the evolution of the related organizations, states that Rawat has chosen to perpetually let the organizational structures that surround him evolve in such a manner that these structures are created, utilized and then destroyed as needs evolve, providing in this way the necessary flexibility to address changing operational and social needs and attitudes, as well as keeping his students focused on his core message, rather than on administering organizations. <ref> Geaves, Ron, ''From Divine Light Mission to Elan Vital and Beyond: An Exploration of Change and Adaptation'', Nova Religio The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, March 2004, Vol. 7, No. 3, Pages 45-62</ref>
===Vehicles===
==Techniques of Knowledge==
''Halo 3'', like its predecessors, will also feature a strong vehicular component. Vehicles, and their countermeasures (rockets, mines, etc.), are tightly integrated with ''Halo'' gameplay. Many of the series' vehicles are returning in the third installment. Vehicles cover a wide range of types, including light [[reconnaissance]] vehicles, large, heavily armoured [[tanks]], troop and vehicle transport craft, plus various atmospheric and spacecraft, though not all are usable by the player.
{{details|Techniques of Knowledge}}
The Knowledge that Prem Rawat speaks of comprises four techniques that he claims will help his students direct their senses within to experience inner peace. Students often describe the experience as "going within." The Prem Rawat Foundation describes the practice of Knowledge as having no bearing or compatibility problems with peoples' existing religious or spiritual belief system.<ref> Frequently Asked Questions [http://www.tprf.org/faq.htm Available online] (Retrieved January 2006)</ref>
The Mongoose ATV that had been originally designed for ''Halo 2'' but was cut out, finally makes an appearance in ''Halo 3''. Within the games' story, it is a human vehicle in addition to the Scorpion tank and Warthog offroad vehicle. It is a small quad-bike vehicle and, like the ''Warthog'', the driver is unable to fire any on-board weapons, and as such is nearly defenseless. A second player can ride on the back of the vehicle, however, to provide some offensive capability. There will also be a new variant of Warthog, with a rear compartment that can carry more troops instead of a gun. It can be seen briefly in the [[E3 2007]] video.
According to [[George D. Chryssides]], Knowledge was based on self-understanding, providing the practitioner with calmness, peace, and contentment, as the inner-self is identical with the divine, and that Maharaji emphasizes that Knowledge is universal, not Indian, in nature.<ref>Chryssides, George D. ''Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements'' pp.210-1, Scarecrow Press (2001) ISBN 0-8108-4095-2 <br />"Maharaji progressively dissolved the Divine Light Mission, closing the ashrams, affirming his own status as a master rather than a divine leader, and empahasizing that the Knowledge is universal, non Indian, in nature"[...] "This Knowledge was self-understanding, yielding calmness, peace, and contentment, since the innermost self is identical with the divine. Knowledge is attained through initiation, which provides four techniques that allow the practitioner to go within.</ref>
There is also an entirely new [[The Covenant (Halo)#Brute|Brute]] vehicle, dubbed the "Brute Chopper". Unlike other vehicles attributed to The Covenant in the game, that entirely hover or fly above the ground, it has a single large and heavy wheel on the front with a hovering driver seat behind. <ref name="chopper">{{cite web |url = http://www.bungie.net/projects/halo3/content.aspx?link=chopperfiction |title = The Brute Chopper |accessdate = 2007-07-07 |author = Lukems |date = 2007-07-06 |format = HTML /ASP |publisher = Bungie.net |language = English }}</ref> It has been referred to as a "vehicle smasher," able to destroy other vehicles with a single hit. Insofar it has only been seen in the [[E3 2007]] [[Marketing_for_Halo_3#E3_2007_trailer|Trailer]].
These techniques are the same as taught by his father, [[Hans Ji Maharaj]], who in turn learned them from [[Swarupanand]], his teacher. [[Jeffrey K. Hadden]] cites Maharaji in saying that ''"Knowledge is a way to be able to take all your senses that have been going outside all your life, turn them around and put them inside to feel and to actually experience you... What you are looking for is inside of you."''<ref>Hadden & Elliot, ;;Religions of the world: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of beliefs and practices'' pp.428<br/>"The meditation techniques the Maharaji teaches today are the same he learned from his father, Hansji Maharaj, who, in turn, learned them from his spiritual teacher [Sarupanand], 'Knowledge', claims Maharaji, 'is a way to be able to take all your senses that have been going outside all your life, turn them around and put them inside to feel and to actually experience you... What you are looking for is inside of you.'" </ref>
The Banshee and Wraith have been altered in terms of gameplay. The Banshee now has the ability to fire its Fuel Rod Gun in multiplayer matches, an ability which was formerly restricted to Campaign and the multiplayer component of the PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved. The Wraith is now a two-man vehicle. One player drives the vehicles and fires the main cannon, while the other player fires the smaller plasma turret. The plasma turret was formerly exclusive to the Covenant AI in the Halo 2 Campaign.
Kranenborg writes that the techniques of Knowledge, also known as [[kriya]]s, originated from the [[Surat Shabd Yoga|Surat Shabda Yoga]] or [[Sant Mat]], the Path of the [[Sound Current]].<ref name="Kran">Kranenborg, Reender, ''Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen/Eastern faith movements in the West''</ref> This alleged relationship to Surat Shabd Yoga or Sant Mat is neither denied nor acknowledged in any literature from the organizations that support Rawat's work, or by Rawat himself.
===Miscellaneous===
[[Ron Geaves]], Chair in religious studies at the [[University of Chester]] and a student of Rawat, asserts that several scholars have placed Rawat's teachings in the Sant Mat revival, best represented by the [[Radhasoami]] movement, or related to Surat Shabd yoga movements, but states that Rawat's history is actually linked to the lineage of [[Advait Mat]], a north Indian cluster of movements which perceive themselves as originating from [[Totapuri]], the teacher of [[Ramakrishna]], and that Rawat has referred to this lineage as his own on his website.<ref>[[Ron Geaves|Geaves, R. R.]], ''From Totapuri to Maharaji: Reflections on a Lineage (Parampara),'' (2002). Paper presented at the 27th Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions, Oxford. March 2002.</ref> His paper ''Globalization, charisma, innovation, and tradition'' (2006), describes Prem Rawat as having affinities with the medieval [[nirguna]] [[bhakti]] tradition of Northern India, more commonly known as the [[Sant Mat|Sants]], emphasizing universalism, equality, direct experience, lack blind allegiance to religious ritual and dogma, and tendencies towards [[syncretism]]. He further writes that Rawat's renewal of a seemingly Sant idiom led many academics to mistake Divine Light Mission for an offshoot of the [[Radhasoami]] movement. Relating to the aspects of [[charismatic authority|charisma]], Geaves asserts that Rawat does not consider himself to be a charismatic figure, preferring rather to refer to his teachings on the experience of the individual as the basis of his authority, and that although followers in both east and west have asserted that he is either an [[avatar]] of the supreme being or one of the avatars of [[Vishnu]], especially [[Krishna]], he has gone to great lengths to assert his humanity and deconstruct the [[hagiography]] that has developed around his life.<ref>Geaves, Ron ''Globalization, charisma, innovation, and tradition: An exploration of the transformations in the organisational vehicles for the transmission of the teachings of Prem Rawat (Maharaji)'', 2006, Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies, 2 pp.44-62</ref>
[[Fauna]] is undergoing testing for inclusion in the final build of the game, specifically [[seagulls]] and a [[cockatoo]]-like creature.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12310 |title=Bungie Weekly Update: March 23, 2007 |accessdate=2007-03-23}}</ref> Both will exhibit [[Flocking (behavior)|flocking behavior]]. Some Bungie employees are reportedly keen on the possibility of going [[Waterfowl hunting|grousing]] in ''Halo 3''.{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
Although ''Halo 3'' was planned to end the ''Halo'' series, future ''Halo'' games are likely. On the ''Halo 3'' FAQ from the official Bungie website it says, "Q: Is this the last ever ''Halo'' game? A: It is the conclusion to this story arc." This refers to the two announced games in the ''Halo'' universe, including the new ''[[Halo Wars]]'' by Ensemble Studios. Of the [[Untitled Halo Project|other project]], very little is known. Bungie has said that it will be on the Xbox 360, and it will be "made in partnership with ''[[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy|Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]'' director [[Peter Jackson]]"{{Fact|date=April 2007}} and a recently formed development studio headed by him under the name of [[Wingnut Interactive]].
During the period when the organization was at its largest, a student's access to the techniques was constrained through a layer of intermediaries. A ''mahatma'' or, in later times, an instructor would, in a "Knowledge selection" process, decide and choose which aspirants would receive the techniques. Once an aspirant was chosen, he or she would then be granted access to a "Knowledge session" in which the techniques were shown. The approach to receiving Rawat's [[techniques of Knowledge]] has become much less onerous since the year 2000. The use of personal mentors and instructors in smaller groups has largely been abandoned in favor of taped or live instruction by Rawat himself via satellite video or cable television programming<ref>Visions International, [http://www.visionsinternational.org/broadcast.php Broadcast schedule of Maharaji's addresses] (Retrieved January 2006)</ref> along with on-line newsletters for information dissemination. Access to the techniques is now governed by a much less restrictive self-paced and self-assessed preparation process, perhaps reminiscent of a more open attitude prevalent during Rawat's initial foray into the West.
The game's [[Gamerscore|Achievements]] were revealed on [[June 19]], [[2007]].<ref name="achievements" />
As of 2005, there is a self-paced process of preparation, called "The Keys," before a person is taught the techniques of Knowledge. Going through the Keys process involves watching video materials in which Maharaji presents the understanding necessary to learn the techniques of Knowledge.<ref>[http://thekeys.maharaji.net/home/ The Keys] Retrieved November, 2005</ref> However, students must be at least eighteen years old and of legal age in their country in order to prepare for and be taught the techniques of Knowledge. The sixth Key is the “Knowledge Session”, in which persons ready to learn the techniques are taught by Rawat via a multimedia presentation available in fifty languages. These techniques are taught at no cost.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thekeys.maharaji.net/home/?_a=about |title= About The Keys|accessmonthday=August 20 06 |accessmonthday= |accessyear= |author= The Prem Rawat Foundation}}</ref>
==ReceptionSynopsis==
===Plot===
[[Image:Maharaji United Nations Anniversary.jpg|thumb|240px|Prem Rawat addresses an audience of diplomats, and government and civic leaders on June 2005 at a runner-up event to the celebration of the UN's 60th anniversary, at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco, where the UN Charter was signed in 1945. ]]
The game will not begin right where ''Halo 2'' left off. The new comic mini-series, ''[[Halo: Uprising]]'', will bridge the story gap between the ending of ''Halo 2'', and the beginning of ''Halo 3''.<ref name="H_uprising">{{cite web |url = http://www.halo3.com/html/Halo_Uprising.html |title = Halo: Uprising On Halo3.com |accessdate = 2007-06-22 |author = Bungie Studios |authorlink = Bungie Studios |date = 2007-06-14 |format = HTML |publisher = Halo3.com |language = English|quote = ...the miniseries will bridge the gap between ''Halo 2'' and the upcoming release of the highly-anticipated Halo 3 video game... }}</ref>
When the game begins, [[Master Chief (Halo)|Master Chief]] is back on a thoroughly conquered, [[Covenant (Halo)|Covenant]]-controlled Earth, and [[Cortana]] is still a prisoner of [[Gravemind]]. Covenant ships are hovering over an excavation site a few miles from the ruins of [[New Mombasa]] and have uncovered a large artifact in this site. The [[Arbiter (Halo)|Arbiter]], along with the remaining [[Covenant Elite|Elites]], [[Covenant (Halo)#Hunters|Hunters]], and some portion of the [[Covenant (Halo)#Grunts|Grunts]], have allied themselves with the human forces after splitting from the rest of the Covenant in ''[[Halo 2]]''.
Many scholars and authors have written about Prem Rawat and related organisations. They include: [[David V. Barrett]], [[George D. Chryssides]], Lucy DuPertuis, Eugene M. Elliot III,<ref>[[Jeffrey K. Hadden|Hadden, Jeffrey K.]] and Elliot III, Eugene M. '' "Divine Light Mission/Elan Vital" in [[J. Gordon Melton|Melton, Gordon J.]] and Bauman, Martin (Eds.) "Religions of the world: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of beliefs and practices" ABC-CLIO (2002), ISBN 1-57607-223-1 </ref> Erwin Fahlbusch,<ref>Fahlbusch E. (Ed.) ''The Encyclopedia of Christianity'' (1998). p.861, ISBN 90-04-11316-9</ref> Sandra S. Frankiel,<ref> Frankiel, Sandra S. in Lippy, Charles H. and Williams. Peter W. (Eds.) ''Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience'' p.1521, harles Scribner's Sons (1988), ISBN 0-684-18863-5 (Vol III)</ref> [[Ron Geaves]], Rosemary Goring,<ref>Goring, Rosemary. ''Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions''. p.145, Wordsworth Editions (1997), ISBN 1-85326-354-0</ref> Wim Haan, [[Jeffrey K. Hadden]], [[Andrew Kopkind]],<ref>Kopkind, Andrew. ''The Thirty Years' Wars'' pp.233-4. Verso, ISBN 1-85984-096-5</ref> [[Stephen A. Kent]] , [[Ralph Larkin]], Raymond Lee, Saul V. Levine,<ref>Levine, ''Life in the Cults'' </ref> [[James Lewis]], Charles H. Lippy,<ref>Lippy, Charles H.''Pluralism Comes of Age: American Religious Culture in the Twentieth Century'' p.114, M. E. Sharpe (2002), ISBN 0-7656-0151-6</ref> John Bassett McCleary,<ref>McCleary Bassett, John. ''The Hippie Dictionary: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the 1960s and 1970s''. p.140, Ten Speed Press(2004), ISBN 1-58008-547-4</ref> Dennis Marcellino, Tim Miller, [[J. Gordon Melton]], Ruth Prince, David Riches,<ref> Prince Ruth & Riches Davies, ''The New Age in Glastonbury: The Construction of Religious Movements'', pp.99-100, Berghahn Books (2001), ISBN 1-57181-792-1 - "Maharaj Ji was considered to be deeply spirtually imbued, enabling him to teach secret techniques of meditation that would be learned in stages as a process of initiation; for followers this meant two hours of meditation each day. Maharaj Ji;s techniques were considered to heighten spiritual experience and to help people realise their full potential in day-to-day living"</ref> [[Paul Schnabel]],<ref>[[Paul Schnabel|Schnabel]], ''Tussen stigma en charisma'' ("Between stigma and charisma"), 1982. Chapter II, p. 33; Chapter IV p. 99 and pp. 101-2; Chapter V p. 142.</ref> Robert P. Sutton<ref>"''Modern American Communes: A Dictionary''. p44. Greenwood Publishing. ISBN 0313321817 -"In the 1980's, as Maharaji slowly dissolved tmpost of the ashrams and resigned his responsibilities as leader of the Divine Light Mission to become a lecturer, the communal aspects of the movement disappeared"</ref> [[Jan van der Lans]] and [[Bryan R. Wilson]]<ref> Wilson, Bryan, ''New Religious Movements: Challenge and Response''. pp.268-9, Routledge (UK), ISBN 0-415-20049-0</ref>
The story mode will be divided into nine main levels,<ref name="achievements">{{cite web |url = http://www.xbox360achievements.org/achievements.php?gameID=274 |title = Halo 3 Achievement List |accessdate = 2007-06-17 |author = Bungie Software |format = HTML |publisher = Xbox360Achievements.org |language = English}}</ref> which gives some information about the game's length and an indistinct view of the story arc.
In [[2003]], [[Stephen J. Hunt]] wrote in ''Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction'' that Prem Rawat's teachings are a kind of "practical mysticism" and that he speaks "not of God, but of the god or divinity within." References to divinity suggest an acceptance of a "creative, loving power", but that he distances himself and his teachings from religious concepts. The major focus of Maharaji is on stillness, peace, and contentment within the individual, and his 'Knowledge' consists of the techniques to obtain them. Knowledge, roughly translated, means the happiness of the true self-understanding. Each individual should seek to comprehend his or her true self. In turn, this brings a sense of well-being, joy, and harmony as one comes in contact with one's "own nature." The Knowledge includes four meditation procedures: Light, Music, Nectar and Word. The process of reaching the true self within can only be achieved by the individual, but with the guidance and help of a teacher. Hence, the movement seems to embrace aspects of world-rejection and world-affirmation. The tens of thousands of followers in the West do not see themselves as members of a religion, but the adherents of a system of teachings that extol the goal of enjoying life to the full."<ref>Hunt, Stephen J. ''Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction'' (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8".<br />The major focus of Maharaji is on stillness, peace, and contentment within the individual, and his 'Knowledge' consists of the techniques to obtain them. Knowledge, roughly translated, means the happiness of the true self-understanding. Each individual should seek to comprehend his or her true self. In turn, this brings a sense of well-being, joy, and harmony as one comes in contact with one's "own nature." The Knowledge includes four meditation procedures: Light, Music, Nectar and Word. The process of reaching the true self within can only be achieved by the individual, but with the guidance and help of a teacher. Hence, the movement seems to embrace aspects of world-rejection and world-affirmation. The tens of thousands of followers in the West do not see themselves as members of a religion, but the adherents of a system of teachings that extol the goal of enjoying life to the full."</ref> Concerning asceticisms, Hunts writes that Rawat "leaving his more ascetic life behind him, he does not personally eschews material possessions." Hunt describes that over time, critics have focused on "what appears to be his opulent lifestyle and argue that it is supported largely by the donations of his followers". Hunt also writes that by keeping a low profile the movement has managed to escape the gaze of publicity that surrounds other new religious movements.<ref name="Hunt2003"> Hunt, Stephen J. ''Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction'' (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8<br />" The teachings provide a kind of practical mysticism. Maharaji speaks not of God, but of the god or divinity within, the power that gives existence. He has occasionally referred to the existence of the two gods—the one created by humankind and the one which creates humankind. Although such references apparently suggest an acceptance of a creative, loving power, he distances himself and his teachings from any concept of religion. It is not clear whether it is possible to receive Knowledge from anyone other than Maharaji. He claims only to encourage people to "experience the present reality of life now." Leaving his more ascetic life behind him, he does not personally eschews material possessions. Over time, critics have focused on what appears to be his opulent lifestyle and argue that it is supported largely by the donations of his followers. However, deliberately keeping a low profile has meant that the movement has generally managed to escape the gaze of publicity that surrounds other NRMs."</ref>
==Features==
===Practitioners of Knowledge===
===Graphics===
According to the Prem Rawat Foundation, Rawat has, over the years, engaged more than ten million people in 250 cities and fifty countries. They estimate slightly more than half a million have been taught the techniques since he came to the West, about 125,000 of this number between January 2000 and April 2004.<ref>Annual report [http://tprf.org/about_annual.htm TPRF](retrieved January 2006)</ref>
[[Image:Halo3 draw distance.png|left|thumb|250px|An example of the [[draw distance]] in Halo 3.]]
In 1997, "Religions of the World: A Latter-day Saint View" estimated a general membership of appox. 1.2 mil. worldwide, with 50,000 in the U.S.<ref> Palmer & Keller, ''Religions of the World'', pp.95.</ref> Volunteers estimate an additional 125,000 are currently in preparation to be taught the techniques, 65,000 having been in preparation five months or more, with these numbers on the increase in many countries. A press release states that 2004 was the first year where the number of new students has exceeded 50,000.<ref>''Record number of new students for Prem Rawat worldwide'' [http://tprf.org/Prem_Rawat_press_releases/Prem_Rawat_record_new_students.htm Press release]</ref> Printed and audiovisual materials are available in approximately seventy languages, and the organizations estimate Rawat currently has hundreds of thousands of practicing students worldwide, representing a wide variety of backgrounds and personal situations. However, since there is no longer any membership component to the organizations, it is difficult to determine with precision the number of persons actually practicing his techniques. Chryssides' ''Historical Dictionary of New Religious movements'' (2001), estimates 15,000 people practicing the techniques in the United States and 5,000 in the United Kingdom.
[[Image:Halo 3 singleplayer.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Work-in-progress ''Halo 3'' screenshot of single player.]]
''Halo 3'' utilizes a proprietary, in-house [[Game engine|graphics engine]], often referred to as the "''Halo 3'' Engine".<ref name="igntrailer">{{cite web |url = http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/706/706251p1.html |title = E3 2k6: Halo 3 Trailer Impressions |accessdate = 2007-06-25 |author = Kathleen Sanders |date = 2006-05-09 |format = HTML |work = IGN E3 2006 Coverage |publisher = IGN.com |quote = ...rendered in real-time on the Xbox 360 using the current version of the Halo 3 engine.}}</ref> This engine builds upon the technologies of the ''Halo 2'' Engine (and previously the ''Halo'' Engine) and is re-optimized for the architecture of Xbox 360.
As detailed on the [[Bungie Studios]] website, it will employ advanced graphics technologies such as [[High dynamic range rendering|High Dynamic Range]], global lighting, real-time reflections and real-time [[depth of field]] effect.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} Depth of field however will only be used in cutscenes and not during gameplay. Certain surfaces, including the Master Chief's visor (when visible) and the armor of a Ghost, will have real-time reflections. Most of the objects in the game will cast real-time shadows on themselves and the environment around them, including the game's plant life. ''Halo 3'' will use [[Normal mapping|normal]], [[Bump mapping|bump]], and [[parallax mapping]] to give surfaces more detail without dramatically increasing the number of polygons.
'Premie' is the name given to students of Rawat in India and other Eastern countries. It stems from the [[Hindi]] word "prem" (''prema'' in [[Sanskrit]]), which means "love"; "premie" means "lover." Until the early 1990s it also was the name given to his students in the West, and it is still occasionally used. Nowadays students of Rawat sometimes refer to fellow students as "People that received the techniques of Knowledge," "People with Knowledge," or more generically as "Maharaji's students."
Bungie has also stated that the [[draw distance]] of the game will be in excess of {{mi to km|10}}. Sophisticated new atmospheric models are used in the game to replace the traditional [[skybox (video games)|skybox]],<ref>{{cite video | people = alextotherescue | year = 2007 | date = May 25 | title = Halo 3: Sky Testing Part 2 | url = http://youtube.com/watch?v=aFnbhQU0lcY | format = flash | publisher = Clan Hat Trick | accessdate = 2007-05-27}}</ref> allowing several layers of cloud and atmospheric cover, and even a pseudo "space" beyond that.
===Recognition - media appearances===
[[Water]] effects are also dramatically improved, and water can now reflect and refract images simultaneously. As well as being able to simulate effects such as waterfalls, water will visually flow around objects in its path and splash when players, vehicles, or other objects travel through it.
===Physics===
Rawat has received proclamations and resolutions that honor his work from the governors of [[Michigan]], [[New Mexico]], [[New Hampshire]], [[New York]], [[San Francisco]], and [[Los Angeles]],<ref>[http://tprf.org/media_press_room.htm TPRF website press room]</ref> and the keys to the cities of [[New York City]]; [[New Orleans, Louisiana]]; [[Oakland, California]]; [[Kyoto, Japan]]; [[Detroit, Michigan]]; [[Miami, Florida]] and [[Miami Beach, Florida]]. In 2006 he received the title of "Ambassador or Peace" from the International University of Peace [[Unipaz]].<ref> [http://tprf.org/Prem_Rawat_press_releases/Prem_Rawat_Honored_by_University_of_Peace.htm Prem Rawat Honored by International University of Peace]</ref>
''Halo 3'', like ''[[Halo 2]]'', uses a version of the [[Havok (software)|Havok]] physics engine for much of its physics calculations.<ref name="cid12545">{{cite web |url = http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12545 |title = Bungie Weekly Update: 06/15/07 |accessdate = 2007-06-16 |author = Frank O'Connor (Frankie) |date = 2007-06-15 |format = HTML |publisher = Bungie.net |language = English |quote = ..and this isn’t a Havok physics issue, this is a bug with the Halo melee physics...}}</ref> <ref name="havokgames">{{cite web |url = http://www.havok.com/content/blogcategory/37/78/ |title = Havok - Upcoming Releases |accessdate = 2007-07-13 |author = Havok Inc |date = |format = HTML |publisher = Havok.com |language = English |quote = The following game titles on current and next-generation Xbox 360 and Playstation®3 platforms will be released utilizing Havok products.... Halo 3}}</ref> Although parts of the physics, like melee, are done with custom code on top of the [[Game engine#Middleware|middleware]].
A wide variety of objects are affected by physical interactions in ''Halo 3''. Crates, canisters, objective objects, dropped weapons, characters, bodies, vehicles, and some parts of the world geometry all interact with each other and the world around them in believable physical ways. Trajectories of thrown objects are also affected by the gravity lifts in the game (including the "Mancannon").
In May 2006, Rawat made a guest appearance for a half-hour interview with [[Rajiv Mehrotra]] on his weekly talk show on [[Doordarshan]] TV,<ref>[http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Society/Prem_Rawat_Interviewed_on_National_TV_in_India_71155.html Prem Rawat Interviewed on National TV in India] Press release</ref> one of the national TV stations accessible all across India.
Some of the foliage in the game is physically reactive; it not only moves in the simulated wind, but actually reacts to the player's (or other creatures) presence and bullet fire, as well as explosions. Some flora in the game will also be destroyed after receiving enough damage.
In July 2006, [[Bhairon Singh Shekhawat]], the vice-president of India, referred to Prem Rawat as a "messenger of peace" in opening a meeting attended by 25,000 young people held at the Gandhi Indoor Stadium.<ref> Cagan, A. ''Peace is Possible'', pp.319, July 19, 2006 <br>"I’m convinced that the people of India and from other countries need to embrace in their hearts Prem Rawat’s call to peace. For the last forty years, as a messenger of peace, he has been making a constant effort to teach a lesson of peace. I would like to express my heartfelt feeling towards him as a most trusted and respected person who takes a message of joy to society and society puts it into practice. Doing so is the greatest success there can be in life. I want his message to reach the people around the world." </ref>
===Audio===
For accolades by business, academy and government leaders see [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Maharaji#About Wikiquote].
As with all titles on the [[Xbox 360]], ''Halo 3'' will fully support [[Surround sound#5.1 Channel Surround (digital discrete: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS)|5.1 surround sound]] audio. In the game, there will be many more individual pieces of combat dialogue than in either of the preceding ''Halo'' titles (''[[Halo 2]]'' had over 15,000), and the AI controlling this dialogue is designed to ensure the exchanges flow naturally and convincingly. Separate recordings have been made for nearby and distant gunfire, making for a more realistic experience. Distant gunfire sounds, which may first seem like prerecorded ambient sound, may often be the result of an actual firefight happening in the distance.
[[Marty O'Donnell]] is again composing the original score. Some pieces of the game's music are produced with a much larger real orchestra than anything in the prior two games. For example, the music for the announcement trailer was recorded with a 60-piece orchestra and a 24-piece [[choir]].
==Criticism==
Voice actors returning to reprise their roles in ''Halo 3'' include: [[Jen Taylor]] as Cortana and [[Steve Downes]] as the voice of Master Chief. Actress [[Julie Benz]] however, is not voicing Miranda Keyes for ''Halo 3''.<ref name="mirandakeyes">{{cite web |url = http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting=%7B586AE81D-35CC-4DE1-AAD8-920B33FDDDFC%7D |title = Dexter's No. 1 Gal — Julie Benz |accessdate = 2007-04-28 |author = Matt Webb Mitovich |date = 2006-12-15 |format = HTML |publisher = TVGuide.com |quote = Benz: You know what? I am actually not a part of Halo 3. }}</ref>
Prem Rawat has at times been the subject of criticism from religious scholars, individuals related to [[anti-cult movement]]s, articles in the press and media, and former members.
===Achievements===
Kranenborg's impression was that the person of Maharaj ji had become more central over the course of years, and that Maharaj ji's assertions about himself and his vocation went further as he became more aware of the extent of his divinity. Kranenborg asserted that Jos Lammers, whom he labelled as an "ex-premie", made similar comments as van der Lans about Maharaji's lifestyle in his interview with the Dutch magazine [[Haagse Post]]. He further wrote that when Christians get into dialogue with premies that the lifestyle of the guru is of great importance. He argued that a [[satguru]] who drives an expensive car and owns a big yacht may not be a problem for premies, but it is a problem for Christians and that they should ask premies why Maharaj ji does not live what Kranenborg considers to be a normal and simple life.<ref>[[Reender Kranenborg|Kranenborg, Reender]] (1982) ''Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen/Eastern faith movements in the West'' (Dutch language) ISBN 90-210-4965-1</ref>
There are 49 achievements worth 1000 points [http://www.achieve360points.com/games/halo3 Click Here to View Achievements]
[[Jan van der Lans]], a professor of [[psychology of religion]] at the [[Radboud University Nijmegen]], wrote about followers of gurus in a book published in [[1981]] commissioned by the [[KSGV]], a [[Christian]]-inspired Dutch association that organizes conferences and publishes articles and books related to [[faith]], [[religion]] and [[mental health]].<ref>[http://www.ksgv.nl/KSGV_doelstelling.html KSGV: Objectives]<br>''"Het KSGV onderneemt zijn activiteiten vanuit een christelijke inspiratie."''</ref> Van der Lans wrote that Maharaji is an example of a guru who has become a charlatan leading a double life. On the one hand, he tried to remain loyal to the role in which he was forced and to the expectations of his students, yet on the other hand, his private life was one of idleness and pleasure, which was only known to small circle of insiders. According to van der Lans, one could consider him either a fraud or a victim of his surroundings.<ref>Lans, Jan van der (Dutch language) [http://www.ksgv.nl/2-18.html ''Volgelingen van de goeroe: Hedendaagse religieuze bewegingen in Nederland''] page 117, written upon request for the [http://www.ksgv.nl/KSGV_English.html KSGV] published by Ambo, Baarn, [[1981]] ISBN 90-263-0521-4</ref>
The sociologist [[Ralph Larkin]] with Daniel A. Foss wrote in 1978 that the DLM "emphasized formal structure without substantive content."<ref>Foss, Daniel, and Ralph Larkin. "Worshipping the Absurd: The Negation of Social Causality Among the Followers of the Guru Maharaji'ji." ''Sociological Analysis'', 39 (1978): 157-164. </ref> In response the religious scholar Dr. [[Ron Geaves]], who is a student of Prem Rawat, accused them of bias, pointing to the number of students that were attracted to the DLM.<ref> Geaves, Ron. ''From Divine Light Mission to Elan Vital and Beyond: An Exploration of Change and Adaptation'', Nova Religio, March 2004, Vol. 7, No. 3, Pages 45-62</ref>
==Different versions==
An article published in the official magazine about religious movements of the [[Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam|Free university of Amsterdam]] written by Wim Haan, a student of theology at a Pastoral and Theology school in a small town in the Netherlands states that the battle against the mind sometimes degenerated into complete irrationality, that sometimes [[premie]]s branded every critical and objective approach as "mind", and that they often avoided discussions with outsiders because these discussions could possibly stimulate the mind.<ref>Haan, Wim (Dutch language) ''De missie van het Goddelijk licht van goeroe Maharaj Ji: een subjektieve duiding'' from the series ''Religieuze bewegingen in Nederland: Feiten en Visies'' nr. 3, autumn 1981. ISBN 90-242-2341-5 (Based mainly on the Dutch branch of the Divine Light Mission.) ''Note: Haan was part of a critical movement within the Catholic church''</ref>
[[Image:Halo 3 front-1-.jpg|175px|right|thumb| ''Halo 3'' Limited Edition cover]] There will be three different versions of ''Halo 3'' for retail sale: the Standard Edition, which contains the game disc and a manual; the Collector's Edition, which contains the game disc, manual, interactive Xbox 360 bonus disc with several featurettes, and Beastarum, which is a "hard cover, bound collection of information and art covering the species, cultures and civilizations of ''Halo 3''." according to Bungie; the Legendary Edition, which contains the game disc, manual, interactive bonus disc, Beastarum, Legendary DVD containing special content exclusive to the Legendary Edition, and a scale replica of the Master Chief's Helmet as a case for the three discs.<ref name="versions">
{{cite web |url = http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12531 |title = Three Versions of Halo 3 |accessdate = 2007-06-08 |author = Frank O'Connor (Frankie) |date = 2007-06-08 |format = HTML |publisher = Bungie.net |language = English |archiveurl = http://nikon.bungie.org/bwu/index.html?item=130 |archivedate = 2007-06-09}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable" style="margin: 0.5em auto;"
The sociologist [[Stephen A. Kent]] described Prem Rawat's message as "banal" based on his personal experience with Rawat in the preface of his book and treats elsewhere in his book the criticism by the [[counter culture|countercultural]] left on him in the [[1970s]].<ref name="Kent2001">[[Stephen A. Kent|Kent, Stephen A.]] ''From slogans to mantras: social protest and religious conversion in the late Vietnam war era'', Syracuse University press, 2001, ISBN 0-8156-2948-6 </ref>
!valign="right"| Version
!Standard
!Collector's
!Legendary
|-
|Price ([[United States dollar|USD]])
|$59.99
|$69.99
|$129.99
|-
|Game Disc & Manual
|style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|-
|Interactive Xbox 360 Disc
|style="background: #ffdddd" | No
|style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|-
|Beastarum
|style="background: #ffdddd" | No
|style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes*
|-
|Legendary DVD
|style="background: #ffdddd" | No
|style="background: #ffdddd" | No
|style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|-
|Master Chief Helmet Replica
|style="background: #ffdddd" | No
|style="background: #ffdddd" | No
|style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|-
|}
<small><center>''* Additional content on DVD''</center></small>
==Marketing==
The [[psychiatrist]] [[Saul V. Levine]], who has published several articles about cults and new religious movements, wrote in an article titled ''Life in Cults'', published in [[1989]], that public perception is that the [[Divine Light Mission]], the [[Hare Krishna]], the [[Unification Church]], and the [[Children of God]] are seen as cults held in low esteem and that families' perceptions ''"that their children are being financially exploited"'' is one of the most pernicious and malevolent aspects of these groups, where ''"the leaders live in ostentation and offensive opulence."'' He also wrote that ''"[...] in the Divine Light Mission, members are expected to turn over all material possessions and earnings to the religion and to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, meat, and sex"''.<ref>Levine, Saul V. ''Life in the Cults'', article that appeared in the book edited by Marc Galanter [[M.D.]], (1989), ''Cults and new religious movements: a report of the committee on psychiatry and religion of the [[American Psychiatric Association]]'', ISBN 0-89042-212-5</ref>
{{main|Marketing for Halo 3}}
Various marketing techniques have been employed in promoting the release of ''Halo 3''. This has included various trailers of the game; real-time [[cinematic|cinematics]], recorded [[gameplay]] sequences, pre-rendered [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] and even [[live action]] film. Throughout the course of development several "developer documentaries" were released, which explain the processes behind creating parts of the game. A large scale multiplayer Beta test was played on Xbox Live with many members of the public being able to take part and experience the game for themselves. Beginning in June 2007, an [[alternate reality game]] began on the internet, designed to create hype for the game while involving players in slowing revealing some background information for the game.
In addition to high profile events, Bungie often talked about the game in its Weekly Update, occasionally releasing media of the game on their site. Numerous interviews with Bungie staff have been conducted by many gaming press establishments, covering a vast range of subjects. Magazines and journals also occasionally ran stories revealing new information.
Melton reports that "Maharaj Ji, who frequently acted like the teenager that he was in public, was seen as immature and hence unfit to be a religious leader." <ref> Melton. ''Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America''pp 141-145</ref>
As ''Halo 3'' draws nearer to completion and release the marketing drive is set to increase, to ensure it achieves the multi-million and system-selling status that the prior two games did. Much of the advertising to date has focused on appealing to the general public, rather than just hardcore fans of the game.
Glock and Bellah describes Rawat as being the subject of great controversy in India, "where he is also a major heretic." <ref>Glock, Charles Y. and Bellah, Robert N. eds.''Guru Maharaj Ji and the Divine Light Mission,'' in ''The New Religious Consciousness'', Berkeley: University of California Press. pp.52-72. ISBN 0-52003-472-4</ref>
==See also==
====Criticism in the media====
*[[Iris (game)]]
After Prem Rawat's first arrival in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[United States]] in [[1971]] at the age of thirteen and through the [[1970s]] he, his students and his organizations attracted media scrutiny and attention. Examples of articles appearing in the mainstream press in that decade include a [[1974]] article in [[Rolling Stone magazine]] and a [[1979]] article in the [[New York Review of Books]].<ref>Rolling Stone Magazine. ''The Seventies: A Tumultuous Decade Reconsidered.'' Rolling Stones Press, 1998. p. 102, ISBN 0-316-75914-7</ref><ref>du Plessix Gray, Francine. ''Blissing out in Houston.'' The New York Review of Books. vol.20, no. 20 (December 13, 1973) [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/article-preview?article_id=9652]</ref>
*[[Halo 2]]
*[[Microsoft Games]]
*[[Bungie]]
*[[Halo universe]]
==References==
A [[1980]] article in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that a Congressional Panel had singled out, among other controversial groups: ''"Guru Maharaj Ji's Divine Light Mission...as cults that employ manipulative techniques and turn children against their parents."''<ref name="WPCult">[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/cult/misc/mdpanel.htm Panel Urged to Probe Cults], ''[[The Washington Post]]'', [[March 14]], [[1980]].</ref> An article which mentioned the Divine Light Mission appeared in ''[[Time Magazine]]'' in [[1997]].<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986138-3,00.html The Lure of the Cult], ''[[Time Magazine]]'', [[April 7]], [[1997]]<br>The modern era of cultism dates to the 1970s, when the free inquiry of the previous decade led quite a few exhausted seekers into intellectual surrender. Out from the rubble of the countercultures came such groups as the Children of God and the Divine Light Mission, est and the Church of Scientology, the robotic political followers of Lyndon LaRouche and the Unification Church of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. On Nov. 18, 1978, the cultism of the '70s arrived at its dark crescendo in Jonestown, Guyana, where more than 900 members of Jim Jones' Peoples Temple died at his order, most by suicide</ref> A [[1998]] article in ''[[Rocky Mountain News]]'' referred to Elan Vital as a "cult".<ref>"Former Guru on a Different Mission", ''[[Rocky Mountain News]]'', [[January 30]], [[1998]].<br>Nowadays, former cult members estimate Maharaji (he's dropped the Guru from his name and simplified the spelling) has 100000 to 200000 followers...</ref>
{{reflist|2}}
In [[2002]], an article by the ''[[Australian Associated Press]]'' referred to the organization as the "Elan Vital cult."<ref>"Guru's followers flock to hear him speak", [[Australian Associated Press]], [[September 3]], [[2002]], [[Brisbane, Australia]]</ref>
====Criticism by former members ====
[[J. Gordon Melton]] describes that in the mid-1970s several ex-members became vocal critics. Some of the criticism leveled at Rawat derives from Robert Mishler, former President of DLM ( who died in 1979). According to Melton in a 1986 article, Mishler's complaints that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill and that money was increasingly diverted to Maharaji's personal use found little support and did not affect the progress of the Mission.<ref>Melton. ''Encyclopedic Handbook'' pp.144-5 <br />"However as the group withdrew from the public eye, little controversy followed it except the accusations of Robert Mishner [sic], the former president of the Mission who left in 1977. Mishner complained that the ideals of the group had become impossible to fulfill and that money was increasingly diverted to Maharaj Ji's personal use. Mishner's charges [...] found little support and have not affected the progress of the Mission."</ref>. Another scholar, James Lewis, notes a number of ex-members made claims of brainwashing and mind control.<ref name ="Lewis">Lewis ''The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions'', p.210<br/>"a number of ex-members became critics of the movement, attacking it with charges of brainwashing and mind control"</ref> In a [[FAQ]] article about ''opposition to Maharaji and his message'', Elan Vital claims that there are a handful of former students that actively engage in opposing Rawat, his students and organizations, and lists a series of complaints against them. '<ref>[http://www.elanvital.org/faq/faq_opposition_i.htm "Opposition to Maharaji and his message – Detractors and the negative message they convey"]</ref>
Some of the criticism leveled at Prem Rawat derives from Bob Mishler, a former president of DLM, and Robert Hand after they parted ways with Prem Rawat in the 1970s.<ref>Brown, Chip, ''Parents Versus Cult: Frustration, Kidnapping, Tears; Who Became Kidnappers to Rescue Daughter From Her Guru'', The Washington Post, February 15, 1982<br>"Suddenly there were new reports from people who'd actually managed the Divine Light Mission—Robert Mishler, the man who organized the business side of the mission and served for 5 1/2 years as its president, and Robert Hand Jr., who served as a vice president for two years. In the aftermath of Jonestown, Mishler and Hand felt compelled to warn of similarities between Guru Maharaj Ji and Jim Jones. They claimed the potential for another Jonestown existed in the Divine Light Mission because the most fanatic followers of Maharaj Ji would not question even the craziest commands. As Jim Jones convincingly demonstrated, the health of a cult group can depend on the stability of the leader.<br>Mishler and Hand revealed aspects of life inside the mission that frightened the Deitzes. In addition to his ulcer, the Perfect Master who held the secret to peace and spiritual happiness 'had tremendous problems of anxiety which he combatted with alcohol,' Mishler said in a Denver radio interview in February 1979."</ref>
== Personal ==
Rawat lives with his wife in [[Malibu, California]] in the Unites States. They have four grown children. He is an experienced airline transport-rated and commercial [[aviator|pilot]] and holds a number of pilot ratings on jet [[fixed-wing aircraft|airplane]]s and [[helicopter]]s.<ref> Cagan, A., ''Peace is Possible'', pp.228</ref> His résumé discusses skills in [[computer graphics]], computer-aided design, and development of aviation software. He is listed as co-inventor on a U.S. Patent for a world-time watch for [[aeronautic]] applications.<ref>[http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN%2F5982710 U.S. Patent Office]</ref> A U.S. citizen since 1977,<ref>"Guru Maharaj Ji becomes a citizen of the US", ''Rocky Mountain News'', Wednesday, [[October 19]] [[1977]], Denver, Colorado, USA</ref> he reports that he supports himself and his family as a private investor, and that he has contributed to the success of several [[startup company|startup companies]] in various industries, including [[software]].<ref name="Maharaji.org">{{cite web | year = 1999 | url = http://maharaji.org | title=Maharaj.org | accessdate = 1999-01-01}}</ref>
==Works by Prem Rawat==
===Books===
*Guru Maharaj Ji ''The living master: Quotes from Guru Maharaj Ji'' (1978) published by the [[Divine Light Mission]]
*Rawat, Prem ''Clarity'' (2003) Published by [[The Prem Rawat Foundation]] 1st edition ISBN 0-9740627-1-5
*Rawat, Prem ''Listen to the Cry of Your Own Heart - Something Wonderful Is Being Said'', Visions International (1995)
===Excerpts===
{{listen | filename=Prem Rawat United Nations Anniversary.ogg | title=Prem Rawat at the United Nations’ 60th Anniversary. | description=Excerpt of '''Maharaji's''' address. | format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{quotation|Peace needs to be in everyone's life. Of all the things we have tried in this world, there is one thing we have never given a chance. That one thing is peace. If we want to hope for something, maybe we could hope in our heart that peace will come in our life. The peace that we are looking for is within. It is in the heart, waiting to be felt, and I can help you get in touch with it. It is not the world that needs peace; it is people. When people in the world are at peace within, the world will be at peace. <br/>'''Maharaji'''.<ref>[http://www.tprf.org/Prem_Rawat_letter.htm A letter from Prem Rawat] (Retrieved January 2006)</ref>}}
== Footnotes and references ==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references />
</div>
=== Bibliographical references ===
* Aagaard, Johannes, ''Who Is Who In Guruism?'' (1980), in ''Update'', Vol. 4.3, October 1980
* Barret, David V., ''[[The New Believers: A Survey of Sects, Cults and Alternative Religions]]'' (2001), Cassel, ISBN 1-84403-040-7
* [[Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin]] ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Active New Religions, Sects, and Cults'', (1997), ISBN 0-8239-1505-0
* Bowker, John (Ed.), ''The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions'', Oxford University Press, New York (1997) ISBN 0-19-213965-7
* [[Andrea Cagan|Cagan, Andrea]], ''Peace Is Possible: The Life and Message of Prem Rawat'', Mighty River Press ([[2007 in literature|2007]]), ISBN 978-0978869496
* Cameron, Charles (Ed.), ''Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji?'' (1973), Bantam Books, Inc.
* Carrol, Peter N. ''Nothing Happened: The Tragedy and Promise of America in the 1970s'', Holt, Rinehart and Winston (1982), ISBN 0030583195
* Chryssides, George D., ''Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements'', Scarecrow Press (2001) ISBN 0-8108-4095-2
* Collier, Sophia, ''Soul rush: The odyssey of a young woman of the '70s'', Morrow (1978), ISBN 0-688-03276-1
* Downton, James V., ''Sacred journeys: The conversion of young Americans to Divine Light Mission'',(1979) Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-04198-5
* DuPertuis, Lucy (Summer 1986), ''How people recognize charisma: the case of darshan in Radhasoami and Divine Light Mission'' Sociological Analysis, University of Guam, Vol 47, No 2
* Fahlbusch E., Lochman J. M., Mbiti J., Pelikan J., Vischer L, Barret D. (Eds.) ''The Encyclopedia of Christianity'' (1998), ISBN 90-04-11316-9
*Frankiel, Sandra S. in Lippy, Charles H. and Williams. Peter W. (Eds.) ''Encyclopedia of the American Religious Experience'', p.1521, Charles Scribner's Sons (1988), ISBN 0-684-18863-5 (Vol III)
*[[Ron Geaves|Geaves, Ron]] (2002), ''From Divine Light Mission to Elan Vital and Beyond: an Exploration of Change and Adaptation'', 2002 International Conference on Minority Religions, Social Change and Freedom of Conscience, [[University of Utah]] at [[Salt Lake City]]
* Geaves, Ron, ''From Totapuri to Maharaji: Reflections on a Lineage (Parampara),''. Paper presented at the 27th Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions, Oxford. March 2002.
* Geaves, Ron, ''Globalization, charisma, innovation, and tradition: An exploration of the transformations in the organisational vehicles for the transmission of the teachings of Prem Rawat (Maharaji), 2006, Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies, 2 44-62.
* Goring, Rosemary (Ed.). ''Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions'' (1997) Wordsworth Editions, ISBN 1-85326-354-0
* Haan, Wim, ''De missie van het Goddelijk licht van goeroe Maharaj Ji: een subjektieve duiding from the series Religieuze bewegingen in Nederland'' Feiten en Visies nr. 3, autumn 1981 (Dutch language) ISBN 90-242-2341-5.
* Hadden, Jeffrey K. and Elliot III, Eugene M., ''Divine Light Mission/Elan Vital'' in Melton, Gordon J. and Bauman, Martin (Eds.) "Religions of the world: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of beliefs and practices" ABC-CLIO (2002), ISBN 1-57607-223-1
* ''Hans Jayanti (2000), DUO, New Delhi, Book published in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Shri Hans' birth.
* Hinnells, John (Editor), ''The Penguin Dictionary of Religions'' (1997), ISBN 0-14-051261-6
*[[Stephen A. Kent|Kent, Stephen A.]] ''From slogans to mantras: social protest and religious conversion in the late Vietnam war era'', Syracuse University press, 2001, ISBN 0-8156-2948-6
* Hunt, Stephen J. ''Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction'' (2003), pp.116-7, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3410-8
* Kent, Stephen A. ''From slogans to mantras: social protest and religious conversion in the late Vietnam war era'', Syracuse University press, 2001, ISBN 0-8156-2948-6
* Kranenborg, Reender Dr. (1982) ''Oosterse Geloofsbewegingen in het Westen'' ("Eastern faith movements in the West") (Dutch language) ISBN 90-210-4965-1
* Kranenborg, Reender, ''Neohindoeïstische bewegingen in Nederland: een encyclopedisch overzicht'', Kampen Kok cop. (2002)
* Lans, Jan van der and Dr. Frans Derks, ''Premies Versus Sannyasins'' in “Update: A Quarterly Journal on New Religious Movements”, X/2 (June 1986)
* Lans, Jan van der Dr. ''Volgelingen van de goeroe: Hedendaagse religieuze bewegingen in Nederland'' (Dutch language), Ambo, Baarn, 1981 ISBN 90-263-0521-4
* Lee, Raymond L M., ''Sacred Tensions: Modernity and Religious Transformation in Malaysia'' (1997), The University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 1-57003-167-3
* Leech, Keneth. ''Soul Friend'' (2001), Morehouse Group, ISBN 0-8192-1888-X
* Levine, Richard Michael. "Who is your guru" in the 1973 section of ''The Seventies: A Tumultuous Decade Reconsidered'' (Book by [[Rolling Stone magazine|Rolling Stone]]). Little, Brown and Company (2000). ISBN 0-316-81547-0
* Levine, Saul V. ''Life in the Cults''in Galanter, Mark M.D., ''Cults and new religious movements: a report of the committee on psychiatry and religion of the American Psychiatric Association'' (1989), ISBN 0-89042-212-5
* Lewis, James, ''The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions''m Prometheus Books, ISBN 1-57392-888-7
* Lippy, Charles H., ''Pluralism Comes of Age: American Religious Culture in the Twentieth Century'', M. E. Sharpe (2002), ISBN 0-7656-0151-6
* McGuire, Meredith B. ''Religion: the Social Context'' 5th edition (2002) ISBN 0-534-54126-7
* Melton, Gordon J., ''Encyclopedia of American Religions'' 7th edition. Thomson (2003), ISBN 0-78766-384-0
* Melton, Gordon J., ''Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America'', (1986), Garland Publishing, ISBN 0-8240-9036-5.
* Miller, Tim (Ed.) America's Alternative Religions (S U N Y Series in Religious Studies) (1995) State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-2397-2
* Palmer, Spencer J. P. and Keller R. R., ''Religions of the World: A Latter-day Saint View'', Brigham Young University (1997) ISBN 0-8425-2350-2
* Price, Maeve, ''The Divine Light Mission as a social organization''. (note 1) Sociological Review, 27(1979)
* Pryor, William, ''The Survival of the Coolest: A Darwin's Death Defying Journey Into the Interior of Addiction'' (2004), Clear Press, ISBN 1-904555-13-6
* Rawat, Prem and Wolf, Burt. ''Inner Journey: A spirited conversation about self-discovery'' (DVD). ISBN 0-9740627-0-7
* Rawat, Prem, ''Maharaji at Griffith University'' (2004) ISBN 0-9740627-2-3
* Rigopoulos, Antonio ''The life and teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi'' State University of New York press, Albany, (1993) ISBN 0-7914-1268-7
* (In [[Dutch language|Dutch]]:) [[Paul Schnabel|Schnabel, Paul]]. ''Tussen stigma en charisma: nieuwe religieuze bewegingen en geestelijke volksgezondheid'' ("Between stigma and charisma: new religious movements and mental health"). Erasmus University Rotterdam, Faculty of Medicine, Ph.D. thesis, 1982. Deventer, Van Loghum Slaterus, ISBN 90-6001-746-3.
* ''The Prem Rawat Foundation presents: Maharaji at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University'' (2005) ISBN 0-9740627-3-1
* U. S. Department of the Army, ''Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains'' (2001), The Minerva Group, ISBN 0-89875-607-3
==External links==
{{col-begin}}
===Official websites of Prem Rawat===
{{col-2}}
* [http://maharaji.net/ 'Maharaji', Prem Rawat's personal website]. Available in 16 languages.
;Official Sites
* [http://www.tprf.org/ The Prem Rawat Foundation]
*[http://www.halo3.com Official site]
* [http://thekeys.maharaji.net The Keys website] - Keys for preparing to receive the techniques of Knowledge
*[http://www.bungie.net/Projects/Halo3/default.aspx Official ''Halo 3'' site at Bungie.net]
* [http://eurcommunications.org/languages/en/html/about/about.htm Broadcasts, online radio, audio-visual materials about Maharaji and his message], Europe - Available in 11 languages
* [http://www.rajvidyakenderxbox.orgcom/en-US/games/h/halo3/ Raj''Halo Vidya3'' Kender,at IndiaXbox.com]
* [http://contactinfo.net Portal for contact information] Information about volunteer groups world-wide, news, etc.
* [http://www.voiceofmaharaji.info/ Excerpts from recent addresses]
;External Homepages
===Other===
*[[Wikia:Halo:Halo 3|''Halo 3'' article at Halopedia]]
*[http://www.rickross.com/groups/vital.html Elan Vital / Divine Light Mission], at [[Rick Ross (consultant)|Rick Ross]] Institute's website
*[http://freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/e/elan/ Elan Vital], at [[Steven Hassan]]'s "Freedom of Mind" website
*[http://www.apologeticsindex.org/r23.html Prem Rawat / Elan Vital, Inc.], at [[Anton Hein]] Apologetics Index website
*[http://www.manavdharam.org Manav Dharam] website of Sat Pal, Prem Rawat's elder brother who claims to be a Satguru
;Media/Press mention
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/cult/misc/mdpanel.htm ''Panel Urged to Probe Cults''], ''The Washington Post'', March 14, 1980, Mansfield, Stephanie
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986138-3,00.html ''The Lure of the Cult''], ''Time Magazine'', April 7, 1997, Andrew Meier/Moscow, Richard N. Ostling/New York and Andrew Purvis/Toronto, brief mention of Divine Light Mission.
;News
<br />
*[http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/news/events/e32006/articles/halo3.htm ''Halo 3'' Revealed!] on Xbox.com
*[http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3154510 ''Three Weeks of Halo 3''] at [http://www.1up.com 1up.com]
*[http://www.gruntsrus.com ''Halo 3'' News and Updates]
*[http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/706/706251p1.html ''Halo 3'' Story] on IGN
*[http://www.planetxbox360.com/index.php/gamedetails/show/97 ''Halo 3'' Information] at Planet Xbox 360
*[http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/1/9/F19C4342-3F45-438A-B197-23406BF30824/halo3-screenshots.zip Image Press Kit] (''Direct download link - 102 MB - Zipfile'')
*[http://www.360-play.com/news_story.asp?news_item=25 5 Years of ''Halo'' and an update] at 360-Play.com
*[http://www.halo3site.com/pages/halo-3-2006-recap/ ''Halo 3'' 2006 Recap]
*[http://www.gamerzines.com/360zine/issue-2/halo-3-preview.html ''Halo 3'' overview]
*[http://www.bungie.net/content.aspx?link=h3betaFAQ ''Halo 3'' Public Beta FAQ]
*[http://www.xbox360achievements.org/achievements.php?gameID=274 ''Halo 3'' Achievement list]
{{col-2}}
{{Wikisource author}}
===Videos===
{{Commonscat|Prem Rawat}}
;Official
{{wikiquote|Prem Rawat}}
''Official videos are also available on the [[Xbox Live Marketplace]]''
{{Prem Rawat}}
*[http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/b/3/5b3d8532-65bc-4bf6-b5ea-6ba0f2084d74/h3_e32006_announce_large.wmv HD announcement trailer], on Microsoft.com. (''Direct link - WMV'')
*[http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/3/3/F33EE031-FCD3-4189-AE59-1E70A72F7962/H3E3_Bnet_large_ST.wmv High Resolution Behind The Scenes] (of E3 2006 trailer) on Bungie (''Direct download link - 383 MB - WMV'')
*[http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/f/4/8f4afc7b-70cc-4765-a235-65b28308f88d/z3Halo3_Documentary_Brutes_BungieNet_360p30_51_2Mbps.wmv Et Tu Brute?] Video Documentary (''Direct Link - WMV - 360px'')
*[http://bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=e3makingof ''Halo 3'' Documentary] [[Bungie.net]] in-depth documentary of the E3 2006 teaser trailer.
*[http://download.microsoft.com/download/a/6/1/a61f31a9-e4ee-44d2-ac95-86279817fc33/Halo3_E3_TRAILER_2007_720p30_ST_6300Kbps.wmv 720p E3 2007 trailer] of Halo 3 Campaign (''WMV - [[720p]] - 92MB'') A montage of campaign clips shown at the [[E3 2007]] [[Microsoft]] Conference ([http://download.microsoft.com/download/a/6/1/a61f31a9-e4ee-44d2-ac95-86279817fc33/Halo3_E3_TRAILER_2007_360p30_ST_2Mbps.wmv Medium]) ([http://download.microsoft.com/download/a/6/1/a61f31a9-e4ee-44d2-ac95-86279817fc33/Halo3_E3_TRAILER_2007_180p30_ST_600Kbps.wmv Small])
;Other Videos
{{Persondata
*[http://www.xboxyde.com/news_4325_en.html Three ''Halo 3'' Beta videos on Xboyxde.com]. HD, SD and streaming variants available. As well as a gallery of screen captures.
|NAME=Prem Rawat
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Prem Rawat; Prem Pal Singh Rawat; Maharaji; Guru Maharaji; Guru Maharaj Ji, Balyogeshwar
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Addresses people on the subject of finding [[inner peace|peace within]] and says that he is able to offer a practical way which he calls "[[Techniques of Knowledge|Knowledge]]"
|DATE OF BIRTH=[[December 10]], [[1957]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Deradun]], [[India]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{col-end}}
[[Category:Prem Rawat|*]]
[[Category:1957 births|Rawat, Prem]]
[[Category:Living people|Rawat, Prem]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:Indian Americans|Rawat, Prem]]
[[Category:People from Uttarakhand|Rawat, Prem]]
{{Halo}}
{{Bungie Studios}}
[[Category:2007 video games]]
[[Category:Video game sequels]]
[[Category:Xbox 360 games]]
[[Category:Xbox 360-only games]]
[[Category:Halo games]]
[[daes:PremHalo Rawat3]]
[[defr:PremHalo Pal Singh Rawat3]]
[[elit:ΠρεμHalo Ραβάτ3]]
[[esnl:PremHalo Rawat (Maharaji)3]]
[[frja:PremHalo Rawat3]]
[[itno:PremHalo Rawat3]]
[[simplepl:MaharajiHalo 3]]
[[fi:Halo 3]]
[[sv:Halo 3]]
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