Dome Daze

The Maharishi Patanjali Golden Dome of the Age of Enlightenment was built for men to practice Maharishi's TM Sidhi program together.

Followed shortly by the shoddily constructed Bagambhrini Golden Dome of Pure Knowledge for women to practice "Program" (aptly named).

Someone just sent this new Wikipedia link to TMFree moderators - a well referenced thesis on Maharishi devotees' beloved Golden Domes of Pure Knowledge, or the "flying halls" :

Wikipedia Golden Domes

"The Golden Domes of Pure Knowledge", or just "The Domes" - curve-roofed structures from a custom designed kit contracted from a geodesic dome company, are America’s mecca for practicing the TM-Sidhi Program. Hundreds or (ideally) thousands of meditating butt-bouncing TM Sidhas and Governors believe they cultivate enlightenment and world peace by daily hours inside these structures.

In honor of Wikipedia's new entry on the Golden Domes, let's share some Dome Stories. I'll begin :



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I remember the excitement of our 1980 and 1981 community fundraising, followed by construction of these buildings as "physical manifestation of our group coherence," or so we wanted to believe. We had the enthusiasm of a prolonged Amish barn-raising. My (then) husband poured cement for the Dome’s foundation. It was great to have employment in the early daze of TM's community life, when work and money was scarce for the majority of those trying to fulfill Maharishi's directives for his Ideal Society.

Others must remember the nightly vigil of cars surrounding the Domes’ cement basement circular foundation to provide light for around-the-clock construction crews. Cars extended like wheel spokes from the growing half circle of cement foundation, their paired headlights beaming towards the exposed central foundation. The foundation’s other half was already built into the hillside. Construction crews worked into the wee hours to complete building before winter's first snowfall. Many gladly sacrificed their car batteries for this cause.

How about Maharishi's visit to bless the structure? The first snow flakes almost suspended in the air as Maharishi’s petite frame stood beneath the Dome's triangulated open beams. In his nearly transparent white silk dhoti, Maharishi stood upon a makeshift stage holding a bouquet of flowers, nearly as long as he was tall, diagonally across his body. An audience of standing throngs huddled together to stay warm with mittened palms reverently pressed together, fingers directed upwards just below their chins. Someone whispered to me “Maharishi’s vibratory rate is so high from his level of consciousness; he produces his own heat and never feels cold. That is common with enlightened people. Hindu Saints wear sandalwood paste upon their foreheads to prevent their brains from overheating. That's why photos of Guru Dev (Maharishi's teacher) show him with sandalwood paste smeared on his forehead.”

Muted winter sunlight through Maharishi’s dhoti outlined tiny bare legs amongst the snowflakes, a thin brown pashmina shawl casually resting upon his shoulders. 'Maybe Maharishi does generate his own heat to to calmly withstand this cold' I thought to myself, remembering photos of him barely dressed in Lake Tahoe and in Himalayan snow.

My husband sat honorably with the Dome construction crew in reserved front row seats beneath outdoor space heaters, close to Maharishi (Gina's aside - Where were space heaters and lights during Dome construction?) I stood further back on the hill crowded with others. I was pregnant in a long down coat, fur-rimmed hood pulled over my ears and blue moon-boots while balancing my three year old daughter in her red snow suit upon my shoulders, affording my child a clear view of Maharishi over others' heads.

After Maharishi's inauguration and recognition of each member of the construction crew who had autographed the final framing beam of the not-yet completed holy structure, Maharishi's white limo slowly moved through the polite crowds as the snow began to fall. Masses tried to separate as the white limo nosed its way through crowds toward the road. Trying to depart with the masses, I was surprised when headlights of Maharishi's limo pressed behind my thighs. There was nowhere for me to move away, the car pressed harder. I struggled to maintain my pregnant balance on the hillside with a child upon my shoulders, trying to press myself sideways into a sea of winter garments as the assertive vehicle forced my fall backward to sit upon its hood. Holding onto my daughter's snowboots in front of my shoulders, I twisted around and was embarrassed to see that my buttocks was directly in front of Maharishi in the limo's passenger seat. His dark silent eyes briefly connected with mine through the spray of gladiolas and lillies still in his arms. At the time I wondered if Maharishi’s omniscience recognized me from the previous year in India when I had presented him with a rose from the daughter currently balancing upon my shoulders, or if he was reprimanding me and hundreds of others for being in the car's path. As the car continued to press forward. I wondered why he didn't ask the driver to stop for a moment to allow a woman and child to right themselves. Perhaps they were concerned the devotional crowd would swarm the vehicle.

Reluctant to put my daughter down lest she get lost or crushed, I somehow edged to the right while balancing my child. The limo continued to press through the crowd, literally rubbing against standing pedestrians. Through the reflection of my daughter and myself in Maharishi's window I saw his straight-faced forward gaze as the limo's metal then glass windows rubbed against many down and wool coats, uniform mittened and gloved palms pressed together in obeisance to their Guru. I wondered why Maharishi did not use a version of the 'royal wave' common to politicians and royalty when passing adoring fans.

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Please share your own memories from The Domes' mystical magical fantastical white padded large circular spaces, in TMFree's comments below.

Alternatively, Wikipedia welcomes documentable editorial suggestions and discussion related to the article. Feel free to make suggestions directly to Wikipedia's new article on the Golden Domes. Wikipedia's editorial policies are publicly posted.
I've not contributed to Wikipedia edits - IMHO, the article already appears well-researched.