Maharishi Mahesh Yogi a Life Committed to the Spiritual Regeneration of the World
by Melania Radu
“Should there be 1% out of the world population to
practice meditation, there wouldn’t be any wars.”- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the international program named the Transcendental Meditation is mostly known for his results in his declared goal: spiritual regeneration of the world. Starting from a simple yoga technique that he began to teach 50 years ago, he reached six millions disciples, building up a real spiritual empire, with centres all over the world.
The main idea he promoted is that, due to failure to using the entire capacity, the integral brain ability of functioning is wasted. Hence, there emerge all sorts of frustration. Instead, if the entire potential of the brain is used, the cosmic potential of the being is thereby powered and the human fate is accomplished. Here we are at humankind crossroad. This is a moment for man to learn how to use his potential so that the human race may upgrade to a superior level of evolution.
A life full of achievements
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born on January 12, 1917 in a family of Shiva worshippers, belonging to the cast of scribes (KAYASTHA), in Central India. By birth he was named Mahesh Prasad Varma. In 1939 he became disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati that he owes his learning to. When the later died he retreated in the Himalaya for two years, and since 1955 he started to teach a traditional technique of yogi meditation, which he would call later on the Transcendental Meditation.
The Movement for Spiritual Regeneration was born in 1957 in Madras, India, and it continued in 1958 with many world tours that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi performed in order to teach his technique of spiritual transformation. He became famous in the West chiefly to his interaction to The Beatles and other celebs (Beach Boys, Clint Eastwood, David Lynch), who learned the meditation technique from him.
Since1961 he started to organise training courses for meditation, which have been attended by 40.000 persons so far. Maharishi has written many books to promote his teachings. The first publication was in 1964: Science of Being and Art of Living – the Transcendental Meditation, which presents his vision about a “new humanity, developed in all aspects of life”. The book has been sold in more than 1 million issues and translated in 15 languages.
Since 1990 he set down in Vlodrop in Holland, where he left the physical world on February 5, 2008 in a state of perfect awareness, in meditation. He had retreated from all managerial activities, and started MAUNA (the vouch of silence) on January 11, 2008. His corpse was then taken to India, in Rishikesh and traditionally burnt on pyre. His last message was „Live long the world in peace, happiness, prosperity, and freedom from suffering.”
Transcendental Meditation and its effects
This is a simple meditation technique which works with a MANTRA. It can only be learned from an acknowledged teacher; it is bound to be exercised 20 minutes twice a day, it is natural (no connection to mind manipulation or suggestion), no efforts required for practice, it is appropriate for anyone (it is not a religion), it is not philosophy, but a scientific technique, it does not require changing lifestyle.
Sampled effects of the meditation under scientific validation:
– physiological effects: deep relaxation, which induces ALPHA waves prevalence and a state of transcendent consciousness, then a state of relaxation even out of meditation, which helps swift recovering from stress, better functioning of the brain, enhancement of creativity and intelligence, health improvement, decrease of heart disease risks, reduction of biological age (rejuvenation), rise of living hope.
– psychological and spiritual effects: achievement of the Divine Self, perception of a beneficial whole upon world; enhancement of the power of understanding, of memory, intelligence, of the concentration power, creativity, emotional ripeness, wisdom.
– social benefits: decrease of drugs and alcohol rates, reduction of post-trauma stress, improvement of work efficiency, reduction and prevention of violence and criminality.
– ecological modifications: development of a unitary collective consciousness (which results in decrease of individual problems), decrease of criminality rate and life improvement; as for the world peace, reports have been made to assess that meditation of a large group of people, in average 1% out of the world population results in improvement of international relationships and decrease of world conflicts.
Scientific evidence: the Maharishi effect
The first scientific research of the practical effects on the Transcendental Meditation was issued in 1970 in the Scientific American magazine. 600 similar searches have been carried out since in 200 universities and search institutions from 30 other countries. The evaluation has been published in more than 100 reference magazines, which turned the Transcendental Meditation in the most studied human development program in the history of modern science.
Conclusions point out that Maharishi program has practical effects and it is an efficient remedy for modern life disorders. By all levels enhancement meditation operates at the basic functional program of nature, which reflects the unifying field of the Nature Law into the individual and collective consciousness, so that life can be lived in consonance to the Natural Law. Reports rated at 1% the minimum share of population to practice meditation or the technique of SIDDHIs enhancement, which is enough to trigger positive changes for the entire society. Scientists have denominated this phenomenon as the Maharishi Effect.
SIDDHIs Enhancement and the Extended Maharishi Effect
Researchers reported that the Maharishi Effect is all the more powerful in the SIDDHIs enhancement program. Therefore, it is enough for a group as less than 1% out of the total population, (the square root of a share) to practice this program in order to enable the Maharishi Effect. This effect has been denominated the Extended Maharishi Effect.
The program for SIDDHIs enhancement urges the mind functioning at the peaceful level, which makes thinking and action much more powerful. The peaceful level of mind represents the maximum potential of energy, creativity and intelligence, which mind displays also out of the meditation time. Basically meditation mediates nurturing of all human sides: mind, body and spirit.
The peaceful mind level is reached by meditation and it is connected to the transcendental consciousness. It represents the fourth state of consciousness, where the other three are the dreaming sleep state, the deep sleep state and the state of awareness. It can be scientifically detected by brain waves, breath frequency and metabolism monitoring.
Meditation makes mind as calm as a lake without waves. Then by the SIDDHIs enhancement program it becomes active inside itself as if fine waves had been created to reach to the furthest shore. Maharishi would say: “The logic is simple: as much as mind can restlessly stir till it gets tired, it can also stay still and be calm. We can skilfully bring it to its peaceful level. This means to collect the mind. This means yoga”.
The most important part of the program is Yogic Flying, which comprises three stages. At the first stage, the body in the lotus pose starts taking small leaps ahead. At further stages the body is supposed to float in the air and even move at will. The inner state is a euphoric one, lacking body weight in bliss.
The scientific researches have reported that the SIDDHIs enhancement program determines an optimum functioning of the brain. The state of brain unity and integration is at the maximum at the moments the body lifts up in the air. “The SIDDHIs enhancement program is a key to the heavenly life on earth”, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi would say.
The Peace Palaces – sources of peace and harmony in the world
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi initiated the construction of Peace Palaces, where the teaching activities: learning, meditation, veda science and SIDDHIs development programs bring about good consonant effects in the town and by extension in the entire world. There have been 3,000 similar constructions in the world, out of which 100 occur in the USA.
Starting from the premise that the attempt to stop criminality and terrorism and the world evil tendencies by punishing the criminals failed Maharishi suggests precautions which prove more intelligent and creative for the scientific times we are living. These measures are bound to set up a permanent steady ground for world peace.
Therefore there are 200 experts working in each Peace Palace. Researches have been made to prove that the spiritual activities of such a group can neutralize the negative influences in the area collective consciousness and also engender a strong positive harmonising influence. This influence will echo in the entire world consciousness.
Vedas Science as promoted by Maharishi
Besides the Transcendental Meditation, which is currently studied as seven stages technique, Maharishi also refreshed a large array of practical methods from the Vedas science, which are nowadays applied in business, public institutions or private life.
The Vedas Science of Maharishi is inspired form India Vedas tradition with reference to the Natural Law in the Maharishi approach. It represents the science of consciousness and all the practical programs (in health, education, architecture, agriculture, astrology, music) have been set for complete use of mind body and consciousness and eventually enable the state of illumination. Maharishi would say that every single person has its birth right to live in harmony to the Natural Law, avoiding the errors that bring suffering to himself or to the world.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi opened thousands of research centres all over the world and founded hundreds of schools, colleges, universities. He created a television on spiritual lines, programs to fight poverty, he applied practical ways to create and maintain world peace.
yogaesoteric
June 2008
