A few days ago I was reading the April 30, 2012 issue of The New Yorker magazine. I chanced upon an article entitled, "The Secret of the Temple: The discovery of treasure worth billions of dollars shakes southern India" by Jake Halpern. The article tells about the treasure found in the catacombs of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum, India, and the actions and attitudes that followed this discovery.
Although Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi are never mentioned, I found tremendous food for thought in the article. I realized that though Indians speak English and were influenced by the British, their world view may be so different from Westerners' that their words, logic, ethics, may all mean something very different from a Westerner's concepts. As I read, I experienced culture shock as I tried to translate the Indian values into Western terms. And I realized that some of the incidents described in the article might be instructive for Westerners trying to understand the conundrum that is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
All quotes are taken from the article.
1. What do you make of Mahesh's idea of giving Tony Nader his weight in gold?
"...[I]n centuries past, maharajas had performed a ceremony in which they weighed local princes approaching adulthood, then donated to the temple an equivalent weight in gold...." (p. 49)
2. What about Mahesh's teachings about God: Guru Dev, humans, names of gods and visual representations of gods are God?
An Indian lawyer explains that the statue of Vishnu "is like an incarnation of God, so it is as if God himself is coming out of the temple" when the idol is taken outdoors...."Like many observant Hindus, [he] believes that a temple's deity...resides within its walls...." (p. 49)
"...Photographs of [an Indian historian's ancestors hanging on the walls of his home] were adorned with flowers. Like many Hindus, [he] reveres his ancestors almost as deities...." (p. 50)
"As a Hindu, I see my father and mother as gods. We won't raise our voice against them." (p. 56)
3. What about all the money the TM organization takes in? What about its apparent lack of ethics and social conscience around money? What about Mahesh's apparent comfort in meshing wealth with spirituality?
"...Worshippers make offerings of flowers, incense, silver and gold. Whatever wealth accumulates belongs to the deity. [One lawyer's]...driving purpose in life [was] to serve Vishnu and, in so doing, protect the deity's hoard...." (p. 49)
"Wouldn't it be a good thing," asked the Western author, "if the deity's wealth were used to help people?" An Indian replied that because of government corruption, the money wouldn't end up in the right hands. (p. 57)
Communist activists in the town didn't press for the release of the money to the people because they'd risk alienating their Hindu constituents. The author asked, "What do you think Marx and Lenin would have done?" They replied, "When they are reincarnated, we must ask them." (p. 57)
"...When India became independent, the maharajahs...continued to preside over the temple, both as spiritual leaders and as custodians of the deity's wealth. For centuries, the royal family's management of the temple received little scrutiny...." (p. 49)
"...In India the wealth...in...Hindu temples is viewed largely in spiritual, not monetary, terms...."
(p. 50)
Says an American scholar of Hinduism, "People make deals with deities, and if they receive what they want they pay up." (p. 50)
4. What about Mahesh's lax attitude towards science?
An Indian historian believes the treasure vault "...was connected to the temple's sanctum sanctorum by a 'spiritual charge' which emitted special vibrations that could be felt only 'if you are exceptionally lucky.' This energy should not be disturbed....[T]he picture of the cobra outside [the] Vault gave a clear warning." (pp. 54-55)
The author "asked what would happen if the energy was disturbed. The [historian] told me a story she's heard about an Indian temple that contained a...levitating idol...and it continued to hover until workers began renovating the temple; suddenly the idol came crashing down....Several
gurus had...warned her that opening [the vault] would bring 'danger and damage' to the city." (p. 55)
5. What about Mahesh's lax attitude toward logic, proof and truth?
The Western author notes that it may always remain a mystery whether the vault had ever been robbed. The temple executive, he said, "initially assured me that nobody had entered it for more than a century, but then admitted that there were no records....How could he be certain that nothing had been stolen? 'I am sorry, I cannot answer that question,' he said. 'It is believed that nothing has been stolen.' " (p. 54)
6. What about Mahesh's attitude towards astrology, fate, belief, rituals, puja, divine intervention?
"As the citizens debated what to do about [the vault], the royal family and officials from the temple invited a group of astrologers to hold a four-day ceremony...in order to ascertain the will of the deity....One of the astrologers...said that the key to making the ceremony work was finding a child who could serve as the 'instrument' through which the deity conveyed his wishes...." When the child was found (through coincidences termed "a matter of destiny"), they seated the boy in front of "a lamp, a mirror, a piece of cloth, some grains of rice, betel leaves, a betel nut, an ancient gold coin, and a copy of the Bhagavad Gita. A 'sacred powder' was sprinkled on the ground....The boy was presented with 108 conch shells....As the boy arranged the shells, everyone chanted prayers. 'We prayed to God to show the kid the right message....It's all science. (Emphasis added by TMFree editor.) It's like the doctor who diagnoses a disease from various symptoms.' " (p. 55)
After the ceremony was completed, the astrologer "said, 'It is advised that the wealth found in the chambers is not moved out....These are not just valuables but also divine, and displacing this will invite the wrath of the Lord.' He warned that opening the doors...would 'bode ill for the people and for the land....[T]he deity had already made its displeasure known. The biggest proof...is that [a proponent of opening the vault] has died.' " (p. 55) (Emphasis added by TM-Free editor.)
Showing posts with label gods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gods. Show all posts
Friday, September 07, 2012
Monday, December 28, 2009
How Transcendental Meditation REALLY Works
Corresponding with an emailer recently, it came home to me that many people are not aware of the wealth of material about TM insider teachings already exposed on the Internet. So from time to time, I thought I'd post some golden oldies that TMFB readers may have overlooked.
Linked below is a transcription of "Soma and the Gods" taken from testimony in the Kropinski trial. This videotape is one of a handful that have become infamous in the TM movement because of their secrecy: It is only shown to TM teachers on the heavily regimented Teacher Training Course (TTC). For many years copies of this tape were not even allowed to enter the continental US.
For good reason! Much like the Church of Scientology's OT materials, "Soma and the Gods" lays out the Maharishi's theology in a way that the public is not deemed "ready" for by the TM org.
According to participants in the Kropinski trial, this tape -- along with the entire TTC catalog -- appeared mysteriously on someone's doorstep one day. Since then the tape has been used by plaintiffs in court cases to prove that the TM movement had a religious, specifically Hindu, agenda -- largely because it's one of the few times the Maharishi was captured on tape talking about worshipping the Vedic Gods. (Of course today, the TM movement sells Hindu sacrifices, yagyas or yajnas, to Ganesh, Lakshmi, and other Gods for thousands of dollars without batting an eye! Interestingly, "Post-Vedic yajñas, where milk products, fruits, flowers, cloth and money are offered, are called "yaga"[1], homa or havana," according the Wikipedia link. Sounds a lot like the puja used for TM initiation.)
But the true significance of "Soma and the Gods" is much larger. And the theology that the Maharishi espouses is not Hinduism. It is much more idiosyncratic -- and bizarre.
In a nutshell, the Maharishi describes a parasitic relationship between TMers and the Vedic Gods. TMers produce the magical chemical Soma in their guts -- but it isn't something they can use directly. The Vedic Gods, principally Indra, descend from Heaven and feed on the Soma in the TMers' belly. In return for this primitive relationship, the Gods grant all manner of boons. TMers become successful, happy, prosperous, and develop supernormal abilities.
Unbeknownst to non-TM teachers, the entire TM program can be understood through this simple model.
We practice yogic asanas and pranayama to clear the channels through which Soma will flow. We repeat the name of our own personal "Ishta" (God) to summon Him or Her. Advanced TMers practice the sidhis to "stir" the Soma and further clear channels. We read verses from the Rig Veda's Ninth Mandala that literally invite the Gods by name to feast on the Soma produced in our bodies: "Flow, Soma, in a most sweet and exhilirating stream, effused for Indra to drink.... Be the lavish giver of wealth, most bounteous, the destroyer of enemies, bestow on us the riches of the affluent." And we take Ayurvedic potions and pills believing we will produce "extra" or "more refined" soma.
An anecdote from a former Maharishi International University (MIU/MUM) professor:
On my Governor Training Course, after we had rounded and rounded and rounded for three months, MMY [the Maharishi] finally called to answer our questions. I asked what we should expect from endlessly reading the Ninth Mandala of the Rig Veda and I never forgot his reply: "It will become a living reality."
To my knowledge, this vision is the Maharishi's alone.
The Rig and Sama Vedas themselves describe the process of making a beverage, soma, by grinding and brewing a certain medicinal plant -- or alternatively by feeding a plant to a cow and then imbibing either its milk or urine. James Allegro speculated some years back that soma was actually the hallucinogenic mushroom amanita muscara, a prevalent inebriator among all Aryan cultures. Perhaps. But even in modern day India, there are hotris who perform the Soma sacrifice using the humble soma plant, and imbibing the juice.
Nowhere in all of Vedic literature have we found a single reference to soma as a substance produced in the human stomach and fed upon by Gods. Except in this product of the Maharishi's imagination.
Many sources from the inner circles of the TM movement have already reported on the Maharishi's preoccupation with the influence of other people's thoughts (stress), purity of food (genetic engineering), and apparent preoccupation with "enemies" (re: the CIA and AMA). The unforgettable image of ravening Gods jostling each other to feed at the stomachs of TMers around the world to get their share of the mythical Soma seems a conclusive indication that TM theology may simply be the by-product of the Maharishi's distrubed mind.
- Transcription of "Soma and the Gods"
- Opening court proceedings of "Soma and the Gods"
- Expert testimony on "Soma and the Gods"
A few highlights:
- It's clear from the legal wrangling that TM's lawyer was struggling to control how the jury perceived "Soma and the Gods." Those familiar with the TM movement recognize this as a movement "tic," never trust the conclusions the "unenlightened" public may draw -- always frame and interpret the Maharishi's words before and after they are presented.
- It may not be clear from context that "expert witness" John Farrow was a long-time TM/Maharishi devotee, active in the inner circles. The TM-published Collected Papers are littered with his TM-sponsored research.
- As revealed here, the Maharishi had no legal connection to any TM movement organization -- not as an officer, director, or employee. Nonetheless, he ruled with an iron-hand by force of personality and religious devotion to him personally. (See the TM teacher's oath.)
- According to the judge, John Farrow acts as a "surrogate" for the Maharishi. Even in formal legal proceedings, the TM movement attempts to frame their theology carefully before hand, "putting the tape in its clearest context," rather than trusting to the unfiltered perception of the jury.
- Maharishi discusses Hindu devas as "very refined impulses of energy and intelligence" and refers to their finest vibrations as mantras. In the "New Jersey Court Case," the judge labeled this as overtly religious language -- not scientific concept. Most observers of the TM theology see this sort of "shadow speech" as a camouflaged attempt to discuss fundamentalist Hindu religious concepts without offending Western sensibilities.
- The Maharishi specifically talks about the Hindu God Indra as "that Agency, that force of nature which puts together the mind and the body." By extension, one might surmise that whenever the Maharishi talks about forces or laws of nature, that he is referring to the Gods. In fact, this equation is made explicitly for TM teachers and other insiders.
- Finest impulses of life: Another familiar TM/Maharishi substitution for "Gods."
Friday, December 05, 2008
Revisiting TM Initiation, Part 3: The Mantra
(Please note: This is a four-part series. Revisiting TM Initiation, Part 1 was posted on 11/11/2008, Revisiting TM Initiation, Part 2: The Puja ("Traditional Ceremony of Gratitude") was posted on 11/11/2008, and Revisiting TM Initiation, Part 4: Bowing Down was posted on 1/1/2009.
The last initiate has just left. The initiator is again standing alone in the initiation room. There is a knock at the door. The initiator opens the door and welcomes the next initiate, who is carrying his basket of fruit, flowers, white handkerchief and the initiation form. The initiator closes the door and both sit down. The initiator takes the basket and looks over the form, circling and checking items with a red pen.
Q: What?
A: There wasn't very much to learn. It's just a simple grid. You know, it's like if you weigh 100 lbs. or less, you get mantra "A." If you weight 100-200 lbs., you get mantra "B." If you weigh 200 lbs. or more, you get mantra "C."
Q: (Picks form off the floor and looks at it.) But I didn't write my weight on this form.
A: I didn't say it was by weight. I said it was "like" weight. We just go by the numbers.
Q: (Looks at form again.) The only number I wrote on this form is my age.
A: That's true.
Q: That's all? You choose my mantra according to my age?
A: I gave Maharishi my word that I wouldn't reveal the mantras he gave me or how to choose them.
Q: Fine, you choose the mantra by age. Then why were you circling and checking off things on my form?
A: Maharishi said to do that so it would look like we were choosing your mantra. He said to be sure to use a red pen. It makes it look more official, don't you think?
Q: (Looks at form again.) But you haven't even circled my age. You've circled all sorts of other things.
A: He specifically said to not circle the age.
Q: Then why are all these questions on this intake form? Look, I've answered all sorts of personal questions: my mental health, my physical health, what previous self-development programs I've tried, even which illegal drugs I've taken. Is none of that relevant?
A: None of it. I don't even read any of that.
Q: Oh, for pity's sake! Then what's the big deal? I'm paying you $2,000 just so you can assign me a mantra by age?
A: Oh no, there's much more to it than that. We maintain the precious purity of this teaching to ensure maximum results for every student, so that everyone who learns is assured of getting exactly what was passed down through the centuries by the Holy Tradition of Masters.
Q: So I receive the identical instructions and the identical mantra, no matter who teaches me?
A: Absolutely. (Long pause) Well, actually, no. I understand that from one course to the next, Maharishi taught different age criteria for the mantras. And on some courses he taught different mantras. And on some courses he taught by age plus sex.
Q: Didn't you feel betrayed when Maharishi told you that?
A: Oh, no. Maharishi never told us that. I found that out later, on the internet. (Author's note: See minet.org/mantras.)
Q: What sort of boondoggle is this, anyway?
A: Please, don't judge so hastily. There are other things that make TM unique and wonderful, like the special way we use the mantra.
Q: What do you mean?
A: Well, as you know, the mantra is a sound that has no meaning and the effects of which are known to be beneficial. The sound keeps the mind alert, yet the meaninglessness of the mantra keeps the mind undirected. That's crucial. So, when we use the mantra in a particular way, the mind, undirected by meaning, naturally dives inward -- (Pause.)
Q: Now what?
A: I just realized that sometimes the mantra actually does have a meaning. And yet that has never prevented anyone's mind from diving inward.
Q: "Sometimes" it has a meaning? But in the preparatory lecture, you told us that the mantra has no meaning.
A: Well, before Maharishi came to the west, he taught TM in India. And the mantras he gave out were already familiar to some Indians. They knew the meaning of them, but TM worked
for them all the same.
Q: What did the mantras mean to the Indians?
A: Maharishi would choose the right mantra for the initiate by asking him, "Who is your favorite god?" The Hindus have lots of gods, you know. Depending on what the student answered, Maharishi would assign a mantra --
Q: Pardon my sarcasm, but what happened to the unchanging Holy Tradition of choosing the mantra by age, or by sex, using a different criterion each year?
A: Well, he realized that asking "Who is your favorite god?" wasn't going to mean much to westerners....
Q: So he personally invented the age and sex system?
A: I don't know. He assured us that this teaching was all passed down in its unchanging purity for generations. But anyway, the mantras he gave out in India did have a meaning to some Indians.
Q: Alright, what did the mantras mean?
A: Some of them were the names of Hindu gods, and some of them were the "seed form" of the names of the Hindu gods. I don't understand the fine points of Hinduism, but certainly some of the Indians recognized these mantras as the names or seed names of gods. Yet the Indians had no trouble doing TM. Hmm, I'm baffled. Maharishi taught us that TM can't work if the mantra has a meaning. I can't figure this out.
Q: So in the west he decided not to hand out the names of Hindu gods?
A: Oh, no, that's not so. All of the mantras Maharishi taught on my course are the seed form names of Hindu gods.
Q: What? Didn't you find that a little contradictory to Maharishi's contention that TM is not a religious practice?
A: Oh no, not at all. You see, Maharishi never told us that the mantras were the names of Hindu gods. He told us that the mantras were meaningless sounds. I learned about the Hindu gods later, on the internet.
Q: Alright, let me get this straight. You are about to teach me a technique whereby I am going to be thinking the name of a Hindu god for 40 minutes every day without my informed consent?
A: Well, yes.
Q: And yet you say in the introductory lecture that TM is not a religious practice?
A: (Laughing) Oh no, of course it isn't. Maharishi says that TM is not a religious practice. And Maharishi wouldn't lie. (Pause.) My, you're so quiet. You must have run out of questions. Well then, shall we begin?
- end -
The last initiate has just left. The initiator is again standing alone in the initiation room. There is a knock at the door. The initiator opens the door and welcomes the next initiate, who is carrying his basket of fruit, flowers, white handkerchief and the initiation form. The initiator closes the door and both sit down. The initiator takes the basket and looks over the form, circling and checking items with a red pen.
Fantasy Initiation #3
Question from initiate: If I have any questions as we go along, is it OK if I ask them?
Answer from initiator: Sure. (She puts pen and form on the floor.) In this personal instruction, you will receive a mantra or sound--
Q: Can I ask you something about the mantra?
A: Yes.
Q: Just now, when you were reviewing my form, were you choosing my mantra?
A: Yes.
Q: How do you know which mantra is right for me?
A: We go by the neurophysiological specificity of the individual in order to choose the mantra which is most appropriate and will bring the most beneficial -- (She stops, remembering her recent vow to herself to be honest with her students from now on.) (Author's note: See Revisiting TM Initiation, Part 2, Nov. 20, 2008.) -- well, actually, choosing the mantra is a totally mechanical, mindless process. There's no sophisticated discernment involved in it at all.
Q: But in the preparatory lecture you said that you had a complicated criteria and it took you months to learn to be a TM teacher.
A: Well, the course itself lasted 5 months. A lot of that time we were meditating. But learning the mantras themselves and how to select the right one took a total of 3 minutes.
Q: What?
A: There wasn't very much to learn. It's just a simple grid. You know, it's like if you weigh 100 lbs. or less, you get mantra "A." If you weight 100-200 lbs., you get mantra "B." If you weigh 200 lbs. or more, you get mantra "C."
Q: (Picks form off the floor and looks at it.) But I didn't write my weight on this form.
A: I didn't say it was by weight. I said it was "like" weight. We just go by the numbers.
Q: (Looks at form again.) The only number I wrote on this form is my age.
A: That's true.
Q: That's all? You choose my mantra according to my age?
A: I gave Maharishi my word that I wouldn't reveal the mantras he gave me or how to choose them.
Q: Fine, you choose the mantra by age. Then why were you circling and checking off things on my form?
A: Maharishi said to do that so it would look like we were choosing your mantra. He said to be sure to use a red pen. It makes it look more official, don't you think?
Q: (Looks at form again.) But you haven't even circled my age. You've circled all sorts of other things.
A: He specifically said to not circle the age.
Q: Then why are all these questions on this intake form? Look, I've answered all sorts of personal questions: my mental health, my physical health, what previous self-development programs I've tried, even which illegal drugs I've taken. Is none of that relevant?
A: None of it. I don't even read any of that.
Q: Oh, for pity's sake! Then what's the big deal? I'm paying you $2,000 just so you can assign me a mantra by age?
A: Oh no, there's much more to it than that. We maintain the precious purity of this teaching to ensure maximum results for every student, so that everyone who learns is assured of getting exactly what was passed down through the centuries by the Holy Tradition of Masters.
Q: So I receive the identical instructions and the identical mantra, no matter who teaches me?
A: Absolutely. (Long pause) Well, actually, no. I understand that from one course to the next, Maharishi taught different age criteria for the mantras. And on some courses he taught different mantras. And on some courses he taught by age plus sex.
Q: Didn't you feel betrayed when Maharishi told you that?
A: Oh, no. Maharishi never told us that. I found that out later, on the internet. (Author's note: See minet.org/mantras.)
Q: What sort of boondoggle is this, anyway?
A: Please, don't judge so hastily. There are other things that make TM unique and wonderful, like the special way we use the mantra.
Q: What do you mean?
A: Well, as you know, the mantra is a sound that has no meaning and the effects of which are known to be beneficial. The sound keeps the mind alert, yet the meaninglessness of the mantra keeps the mind undirected. That's crucial. So, when we use the mantra in a particular way, the mind, undirected by meaning, naturally dives inward -- (Pause.)
Q: Now what?
A: I just realized that sometimes the mantra actually does have a meaning. And yet that has never prevented anyone's mind from diving inward.
Q: "Sometimes" it has a meaning? But in the preparatory lecture, you told us that the mantra has no meaning.
A: Well, before Maharishi came to the west, he taught TM in India. And the mantras he gave out were already familiar to some Indians. They knew the meaning of them, but TM worked
for them all the same.
Q: What did the mantras mean to the Indians?
A: Maharishi would choose the right mantra for the initiate by asking him, "Who is your favorite god?" The Hindus have lots of gods, you know. Depending on what the student answered, Maharishi would assign a mantra --
Q: Pardon my sarcasm, but what happened to the unchanging Holy Tradition of choosing the mantra by age, or by sex, using a different criterion each year?
A: Well, he realized that asking "Who is your favorite god?" wasn't going to mean much to westerners....
Q: So he personally invented the age and sex system?
A: I don't know. He assured us that this teaching was all passed down in its unchanging purity for generations. But anyway, the mantras he gave out in India did have a meaning to some Indians.
Q: Alright, what did the mantras mean?
A: Some of them were the names of Hindu gods, and some of them were the "seed form" of the names of the Hindu gods. I don't understand the fine points of Hinduism, but certainly some of the Indians recognized these mantras as the names or seed names of gods. Yet the Indians had no trouble doing TM. Hmm, I'm baffled. Maharishi taught us that TM can't work if the mantra has a meaning. I can't figure this out.
Q: So in the west he decided not to hand out the names of Hindu gods?
A: Oh, no, that's not so. All of the mantras Maharishi taught on my course are the seed form names of Hindu gods.
Q: What? Didn't you find that a little contradictory to Maharishi's contention that TM is not a religious practice?
A: Oh no, not at all. You see, Maharishi never told us that the mantras were the names of Hindu gods. He told us that the mantras were meaningless sounds. I learned about the Hindu gods later, on the internet.
Q: Alright, let me get this straight. You are about to teach me a technique whereby I am going to be thinking the name of a Hindu god for 40 minutes every day without my informed consent?
A: Well, yes.
Q: And yet you say in the introductory lecture that TM is not a religious practice?
A: (Laughing) Oh no, of course it isn't. Maharishi says that TM is not a religious practice. And Maharishi wouldn't lie. (Pause.) My, you're so quiet. You must have run out of questions. Well then, shall we begin?
- end -
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Revisiting TM Initiation, Part 2: The Puja ("Traditional Ceremony of Gratitude")
Please note: This is a four-part series. "Revisiting TM Initiation, Part 1," was posted 11/11/2008. "Revisiting TM Initiation, Part 3: The Mantra" was posted 12/5/08. "Revisiting TM Initiation, Part 4: Bowing Down" was published 1/1/2009.
The initiator finishes instructing the initiate, and he leaves. The initiator is now alone.
The initiator is striken with a bout of conscience. "Good heavens!" she thinks to herself. "I told that initiate one lie after another. I thought I was a person of integrity. I'm ashamed of myself. I've got to turn over a new leaf. I hereby promise myself that from this moment forward, while keeping my promises to Maharishi, I will also be truthful with my initiates."
There is a knock at the door. The next initiate enters with his basket. They both sit down.
Fantasy Initiation #2:
Question from initiate: Is it OK if I ask you a few questions as I'm learning?
Answer from initiator: Sure.
Q: Why do you do the ceremony of gratitude in the traditional way? Why don't you express gratitude in a Western way?
A: Well, Maharishi said that to assure the purity of the teaching of TM, we should start with this traditional ceremony.
Q: But you do so many other things that deviate from the tradition, that are the Western way.
A: You're right. Maharishi was very strict about us wearing Western clothes - he forbade us from wearing Indian costumes when representing TM. And he told the men that they were absolutely not to grow their hair long in imitation of him - they had to keep their hair cut short. Also he modified the traditional meditation posture into sitting in a chair to make it comfortable for Westerners. And he was insistent that we use Western scientific research to sell TM. He changed the language from traditional "God" to "Creative Intelligence" to make it more Western. So you're right - I really can't prove to you that the traditional way is essential.
Q: You said in the preparatory lecture that the reason you do the ceremony is to remind yourself to teach TM in its purity, accurately. Why do you have to remind yourself? My school teachers taught me all sorts of things accurately, without a big reminder priming themselves to teach it accurately. Isn't it enough to just have a minimum level of integrity?
A: Well, when I was learning to be a TM teacher, Maharishi told us to tell the public something different from what was the real reason for the ceremony. He said that when the initiator invokes all those great teachers or gods during the puja -
Q: Gods? Didn't you assure us that this wasn't a religious ceremony?
A: Yes, that's what I said, but there are gods named in the puja.
Q: And didn't you assure us that TM wasn't a religious technique?
A: Well, yes, it isn't. Anyhow, when the initiator invokes the names of the gods and masters, it sort of enlivens the room with the qualities of those beings -
Q: What are you talking about? This sounds like some weird spiritualist religion.
A: Oh, no, it's not a religion. TM is a simple natural non-religious technique. Anyhow, when the initiator invokes the names of the gods and masters, it sort of conjures up the essence of those beings, and Maharishi said that the initiator takes on some of the qualities of those beings -
Q: It sounds like Maharishi trained you to be a medium. It sounds like you're channeling these creatures. Now you're taking on their qualities. Do you think you're "possessed?"
A: Of course not. I continue to say the words I had planned to say; I don't find myself speaking the being's words.
Q: I don't believe in this conjuring stuff. To put it in Western terms, don't you think it would be accurate to say that you go into an altered, highly suggestible state?
A: I've never heard that. But anyhow, when the initiator is vibrating with the qualities of the gods and masters, in that state, we can teach TM properly.
Q: You said in the introductory lectures that TM is a mechanical technique that uses the natural tendency of the mind to go to increasing charm. If it's such a natural technique, why do you have to go into an altered state in order to teach it properly?
A: Maharishi told us on Teacher Training that when the initiator is in that state, the initiate becomes sort of in awe of or intimidated by the initiator, sort of like "cat and mouse" were his words. If the initiator does something, the initiate does it back.
Initiate: That sounds nefarious. It sounds like you're trying to control me. Why can't I just follow your instructions of my own free will, because I want to learn? Why do you have to entrance me into obeying you?
A: I don't know. Maharishi didn't cover that point.
Q: You told us that the ceremony is just a reminder for yourself. But you want me in a suggestible state, right? That's why I have to be present, right?
A: Well, I wouldn't put it that way.
Q: Well, does the puja do anything else aside from supposedly making you resonate with these beings and making me compliant?
A: Well, during the ceremony, I sing out loud in Sanskrit as I simultaneously translate it into English in my head. Then there's a certain point where I start offering objects to the painting of Guru Dev in a very prescribed way. And at the same time, I am supposed to be thinking prescribed "puja feelings" that the actions and words are supposed to be inspiring in me. Like when I am offering water, I am supposed to be thinking of feeling "I feel an upsurge of purifying waves of knowledge." So I am doing four things at once.
Q: Yeah, so what's the point?
A: Maharishi said that the purpose of thinking the "puja feelings" was to amplify the feelings that I was already having.
Q: What's wrong with the feelings you're having naturally? Why do you have to amplify them?
A: I don't know.
Q: So Maharishi wants you to amplify your feelings. You mean talking yourself into feeling an emotion strongly that you may only feel slightly?
A: Yeah, I guess so. Embroidering. Embellishing. Mood-making. It's strange, because Maharishi had such contempt for, and taught us the worthlessness of, what he termed "mood-making." That was the term he used for when people kidded themselves that they were having a spiritual experience. He used the term contemptuously for people who claimed spiritual experiences but did not practice TM. And here he was encouraging us to "mood make."
Q: Well, did you find it successfully amplified your feelings?
A: No. Most of the time I find it sort of disorienting, because it's not easy to keep two thoughts going at the exact same time. (I don't know if other initiators have that same problem. ) Even though he said it was a "feeling," we had to memorize the feeling as specific words. I think it made me sort of woozy. By the end of the puja, I am thoroughly zonked.
Q: Why would Maharishi want you in an altered state by the end of the puja?
A: He said that between invoking the beings to possess some of their qualities, and amplifying the feelings, we get into a deep state, and it is from there that we "pick up" the mantra. Then when we impart it to the initiate, we are "planting" the mantra, and it heads right back inward from whence it came, thus facilitating the inward direction of the meditation.
Q: Wait a minute. In the preparatory lecture, you said that the mantra moves inward due to the natural tendency of the mind to seek increasing charm. Now you're giving me this mumbo jumbo that the mind moves inward because with the help of these beings and your trance state, you have dug up the mantra from some esoteric realm and the mantra wants to go back there. This doesn't make any sense to me, and it certainly doesn't square with what you told us, that this is scientific and non-religious. You have a whole esoteric spiritual teaching going on here. So Maharishi told you that you virtually channel these creatures, and that you and the initiate go into a hypnotic state?
A: Isn't it strange that you should put it that way; because at the end of the teacher training course, he told us there were two things we should specifically avoid: channeling and hypnosis. Well, do you have any more questions? No? OK, then shall we begin?
- End -
(Note: The author attended TM Teacher Training in La Antilla, Spain in 1974, and is using those experiences to inform this article. People on other Teacher Training courses may have learned different things.)
The initiator finishes instructing the initiate, and he leaves. The initiator is now alone.
The initiator is striken with a bout of conscience. "Good heavens!" she thinks to herself. "I told that initiate one lie after another. I thought I was a person of integrity. I'm ashamed of myself. I've got to turn over a new leaf. I hereby promise myself that from this moment forward, while keeping my promises to Maharishi, I will also be truthful with my initiates."
There is a knock at the door. The next initiate enters with his basket. They both sit down.
Fantasy Initiation #2:
Question from initiate: Is it OK if I ask you a few questions as I'm learning?
Answer from initiator: Sure.
Q: Why do you do the ceremony of gratitude in the traditional way? Why don't you express gratitude in a Western way?
A: Well, Maharishi said that to assure the purity of the teaching of TM, we should start with this traditional ceremony.
Q: But you do so many other things that deviate from the tradition, that are the Western way.
A: You're right. Maharishi was very strict about us wearing Western clothes - he forbade us from wearing Indian costumes when representing TM. And he told the men that they were absolutely not to grow their hair long in imitation of him - they had to keep their hair cut short. Also he modified the traditional meditation posture into sitting in a chair to make it comfortable for Westerners. And he was insistent that we use Western scientific research to sell TM. He changed the language from traditional "God" to "Creative Intelligence" to make it more Western. So you're right - I really can't prove to you that the traditional way is essential.
Q: You said in the preparatory lecture that the reason you do the ceremony is to remind yourself to teach TM in its purity, accurately. Why do you have to remind yourself? My school teachers taught me all sorts of things accurately, without a big reminder priming themselves to teach it accurately. Isn't it enough to just have a minimum level of integrity?
A: Well, when I was learning to be a TM teacher, Maharishi told us to tell the public something different from what was the real reason for the ceremony. He said that when the initiator invokes all those great teachers or gods during the puja -
Q: Gods? Didn't you assure us that this wasn't a religious ceremony?
A: Yes, that's what I said, but there are gods named in the puja.
Q: And didn't you assure us that TM wasn't a religious technique?
A: Well, yes, it isn't. Anyhow, when the initiator invokes the names of the gods and masters, it sort of enlivens the room with the qualities of those beings -
Q: What are you talking about? This sounds like some weird spiritualist religion.
A: Oh, no, it's not a religion. TM is a simple natural non-religious technique. Anyhow, when the initiator invokes the names of the gods and masters, it sort of conjures up the essence of those beings, and Maharishi said that the initiator takes on some of the qualities of those beings -
Q: It sounds like Maharishi trained you to be a medium. It sounds like you're channeling these creatures. Now you're taking on their qualities. Do you think you're "possessed?"
A: Of course not. I continue to say the words I had planned to say; I don't find myself speaking the being's words.
Q: I don't believe in this conjuring stuff. To put it in Western terms, don't you think it would be accurate to say that you go into an altered, highly suggestible state?
A: I've never heard that. But anyhow, when the initiator is vibrating with the qualities of the gods and masters, in that state, we can teach TM properly.
Q: You said in the introductory lectures that TM is a mechanical technique that uses the natural tendency of the mind to go to increasing charm. If it's such a natural technique, why do you have to go into an altered state in order to teach it properly?
A: Maharishi told us on Teacher Training that when the initiator is in that state, the initiate becomes sort of in awe of or intimidated by the initiator, sort of like "cat and mouse" were his words. If the initiator does something, the initiate does it back.
Initiate: That sounds nefarious. It sounds like you're trying to control me. Why can't I just follow your instructions of my own free will, because I want to learn? Why do you have to entrance me into obeying you?
A: I don't know. Maharishi didn't cover that point.
Q: You told us that the ceremony is just a reminder for yourself. But you want me in a suggestible state, right? That's why I have to be present, right?
A: Well, I wouldn't put it that way.
Q: Well, does the puja do anything else aside from supposedly making you resonate with these beings and making me compliant?
A: Well, during the ceremony, I sing out loud in Sanskrit as I simultaneously translate it into English in my head. Then there's a certain point where I start offering objects to the painting of Guru Dev in a very prescribed way. And at the same time, I am supposed to be thinking prescribed "puja feelings" that the actions and words are supposed to be inspiring in me. Like when I am offering water, I am supposed to be thinking of feeling "I feel an upsurge of purifying waves of knowledge." So I am doing four things at once.
Q: Yeah, so what's the point?
A: Maharishi said that the purpose of thinking the "puja feelings" was to amplify the feelings that I was already having.
Q: What's wrong with the feelings you're having naturally? Why do you have to amplify them?
A: I don't know.
Q: So Maharishi wants you to amplify your feelings. You mean talking yourself into feeling an emotion strongly that you may only feel slightly?
A: Yeah, I guess so. Embroidering. Embellishing. Mood-making. It's strange, because Maharishi had such contempt for, and taught us the worthlessness of, what he termed "mood-making." That was the term he used for when people kidded themselves that they were having a spiritual experience. He used the term contemptuously for people who claimed spiritual experiences but did not practice TM. And here he was encouraging us to "mood make."
Q: Well, did you find it successfully amplified your feelings?
A: No. Most of the time I find it sort of disorienting, because it's not easy to keep two thoughts going at the exact same time. (I don't know if other initiators have that same problem. ) Even though he said it was a "feeling," we had to memorize the feeling as specific words. I think it made me sort of woozy. By the end of the puja, I am thoroughly zonked.
Q: Why would Maharishi want you in an altered state by the end of the puja?
A: He said that between invoking the beings to possess some of their qualities, and amplifying the feelings, we get into a deep state, and it is from there that we "pick up" the mantra. Then when we impart it to the initiate, we are "planting" the mantra, and it heads right back inward from whence it came, thus facilitating the inward direction of the meditation.
Q: Wait a minute. In the preparatory lecture, you said that the mantra moves inward due to the natural tendency of the mind to seek increasing charm. Now you're giving me this mumbo jumbo that the mind moves inward because with the help of these beings and your trance state, you have dug up the mantra from some esoteric realm and the mantra wants to go back there. This doesn't make any sense to me, and it certainly doesn't square with what you told us, that this is scientific and non-religious. You have a whole esoteric spiritual teaching going on here. So Maharishi told you that you virtually channel these creatures, and that you and the initiate go into a hypnotic state?
A: Isn't it strange that you should put it that way; because at the end of the teacher training course, he told us there were two things we should specifically avoid: channeling and hypnosis. Well, do you have any more questions? No? OK, then shall we begin?
- End -
(Note: The author attended TM Teacher Training in La Antilla, Spain in 1974, and is using those experiences to inform this article. People on other Teacher Training courses may have learned different things.)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Book Review. The Maharishi: The Biography of the Man Who Brought Transcendental Meditation to the World by Paul Mason
(Oops! I accidentally deleted this post today. So here it is again. Originally posted 10/11/2008.)
Over the years, many commentors and contributors to TM-Free Blog have recommended books that they have found relevant. I have recently read a few of those books, and thought you all might enjoy some book reviews.
The Maharishi: The Biography of the Man Who Brought Transcendental Meditation to the World, a 300-page book written by Paul Mason and published by Element Books Ltd. in 1994, provides an overview of Maharishi's life from the mid-1950's to about 1993. When I read this book, I was reminded of the saying, "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, the chances are good that it is a duck." Maharishi comes across as a simple, straightforward, not-too-deeply thinking salesperson intent on selling his product.
The book is rather moderate in tone, with a slightly jaundiced undertone, neither adoring or damning of Maharishi. The author matter-of-factly quotes Maharishi's many contradictory statements, leaving the readers to draw their own conclusions.
Of the many points Paul Mason covered, I found three to be of particular interest. The first
was Maharishi's "utter...isolat[ion] from comtemporary faiths and teachings," (p. 83.) Maharishi taught that all other gurus and teachers were misguided, and that he alone had the truth. Mason quotes Maharishi's writings from an uncompleted commentary to the Bhagavad Gita as follows, "Thus we find that all fields of religion and philosophy have been misunderstood for many centuries past."
Second, Mason shows that Maharishi's original intent was to spread a spiritual knowledge. In fact, his first organization was called the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. Quotes from Maharishi's early days give insight into his original teachings. For instance, "Between human species and these [gods are the]...finest levels of creation, the celestial level of life, gods. Huge numbers of...angels and gods," (p.162). By the early 1970's, however, Maharishi was saying, "In this scientific age we use scientific language," and spiritually-loaded language disappeared (for instance "God" was replaced with the term "Creative Intelligence") and his organizations were incorporated as educational non-profits. (Some time after the book was published, Maharishi did return to his religious roots and speak about more "spiritual" matters.)
An example of Maharishi's early comfort with revealing the spiritual basis of his teachings is in his pamphlet Beacon Light of the Himilayas, published about 1955. He wrote, "We do not select any sound like mike, flower, table...etc. For our practice we select only the suitable mantras of personal Gods. Such mantras fetch us the grace of personal Gods...."
Which leads to my third point, which is the ease with which Maharishi dissembled about the mantras, leaving me to wonder what else he lied about. In his early days, Maharishi stated, "Through long practice of usages of these mantras for different types of people, certain universal formulae have been obtained and using those formulae of judgment the selection of a proper mantra is brought about...." "[Mantras] are passed on from the master to the disciple in every generation and this is the teaching that concerns very fine levels of the whole creation...." "The tradition of masters is the most authentic place to take these suitable thoughts from. Authenticity from the tradition is the only measure which will give us some confidence about the absolute suitability of the mantra...." "One percent unsuitable effect [from the wrong mantra] will become million times greater...." After pages of this, Mason dryly drops the fact that the mantras are chosen by age.
Actually, Maharishi was not consistent in what mantras he gave to TM teachers. On one Teacher Training Course, he gave out one set of mantras to be chosen by age, on another course a different set of mantras to be chosen by age, on a third course a set to be chosen by age and sex, and so on.
Mason also includes anecdotes that leave the reader wondering what stories lie behind them. For instance someone mentions in passing that "Maharishi converses with the Heirarchy." What is "the Heirarchy"? A stranger in an airport in Europe accosts Maharishi with, "You're a fraud!" What did he mean? Jerry Jarvis, the onetime president of Maharishi's Students' International Meditation Society says, "Using the sutras [in the TM-Sidhis technique] is a strain on the nervous sytem and some people flip out." What had he seen?
This is not a comprehensive biography. At least two things are missing: the private life of Maharishi, and his impact on the life of others. Regarding his private life, for instance, there is no mention of his attempt to lead the Ouspensky organization in Europe, his sexual relations with women on his staff, his heart attack and subsequent (non-ayurvedic) treatment by western medicine, or his contempt for those who put him on a pedastal. Regarding his impact on the lives of others, there is no mention of the hundreds, myself included, who uprooted themselves and moved to Fairfield, Iowa at his bequest, or the hundreds of people who gave years of their lives, thousands of dollars and sometimes their mental and physical health to Mahrishi's dream.
On the plus side, this is a quickly-moving, easy-to-read book for people looking for an introduction to the life, mind, and public face of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi from aproximately 1954 to 1993.
Over the years, many commentors and contributors to TM-Free Blog have recommended books that they have found relevant. I have recently read a few of those books, and thought you all might enjoy some book reviews.
The Maharishi: The Biography of the Man Who Brought Transcendental Meditation to the World, a 300-page book written by Paul Mason and published by Element Books Ltd. in 1994, provides an overview of Maharishi's life from the mid-1950's to about 1993. When I read this book, I was reminded of the saying, "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, the chances are good that it is a duck." Maharishi comes across as a simple, straightforward, not-too-deeply thinking salesperson intent on selling his product.
The book is rather moderate in tone, with a slightly jaundiced undertone, neither adoring or damning of Maharishi. The author matter-of-factly quotes Maharishi's many contradictory statements, leaving the readers to draw their own conclusions.
Of the many points Paul Mason covered, I found three to be of particular interest. The first
was Maharishi's "utter...isolat[ion] from comtemporary faiths and teachings," (p. 83.) Maharishi taught that all other gurus and teachers were misguided, and that he alone had the truth. Mason quotes Maharishi's writings from an uncompleted commentary to the Bhagavad Gita as follows, "Thus we find that all fields of religion and philosophy have been misunderstood for many centuries past."
Second, Mason shows that Maharishi's original intent was to spread a spiritual knowledge. In fact, his first organization was called the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. Quotes from Maharishi's early days give insight into his original teachings. For instance, "Between human species and these [gods are the]...finest levels of creation, the celestial level of life, gods. Huge numbers of...angels and gods," (p.162). By the early 1970's, however, Maharishi was saying, "In this scientific age we use scientific language," and spiritually-loaded language disappeared (for instance "God" was replaced with the term "Creative Intelligence") and his organizations were incorporated as educational non-profits. (Some time after the book was published, Maharishi did return to his religious roots and speak about more "spiritual" matters.)
An example of Maharishi's early comfort with revealing the spiritual basis of his teachings is in his pamphlet Beacon Light of the Himilayas, published about 1955. He wrote, "We do not select any sound like mike, flower, table...etc. For our practice we select only the suitable mantras of personal Gods. Such mantras fetch us the grace of personal Gods...."
Which leads to my third point, which is the ease with which Maharishi dissembled about the mantras, leaving me to wonder what else he lied about. In his early days, Maharishi stated, "Through long practice of usages of these mantras for different types of people, certain universal formulae have been obtained and using those formulae of judgment the selection of a proper mantra is brought about...." "[Mantras] are passed on from the master to the disciple in every generation and this is the teaching that concerns very fine levels of the whole creation...." "The tradition of masters is the most authentic place to take these suitable thoughts from. Authenticity from the tradition is the only measure which will give us some confidence about the absolute suitability of the mantra...." "One percent unsuitable effect [from the wrong mantra] will become million times greater...." After pages of this, Mason dryly drops the fact that the mantras are chosen by age.
Actually, Maharishi was not consistent in what mantras he gave to TM teachers. On one Teacher Training Course, he gave out one set of mantras to be chosen by age, on another course a different set of mantras to be chosen by age, on a third course a set to be chosen by age and sex, and so on.
Mason also includes anecdotes that leave the reader wondering what stories lie behind them. For instance someone mentions in passing that "Maharishi converses with the Heirarchy." What is "the Heirarchy"? A stranger in an airport in Europe accosts Maharishi with, "You're a fraud!" What did he mean? Jerry Jarvis, the onetime president of Maharishi's Students' International Meditation Society says, "Using the sutras [in the TM-Sidhis technique] is a strain on the nervous sytem and some people flip out." What had he seen?
This is not a comprehensive biography. At least two things are missing: the private life of Maharishi, and his impact on the life of others. Regarding his private life, for instance, there is no mention of his attempt to lead the Ouspensky organization in Europe, his sexual relations with women on his staff, his heart attack and subsequent (non-ayurvedic) treatment by western medicine, or his contempt for those who put him on a pedastal. Regarding his impact on the lives of others, there is no mention of the hundreds, myself included, who uprooted themselves and moved to Fairfield, Iowa at his bequest, or the hundreds of people who gave years of their lives, thousands of dollars and sometimes their mental and physical health to Mahrishi's dream.
On the plus side, this is a quickly-moving, easy-to-read book for people looking for an introduction to the life, mind, and public face of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi from aproximately 1954 to 1993.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Yes, We Are No Religion
Not only does the TM movement sell "yagyas" -- religious ceremonies to Hindu gods such as Ganesh -- they print a monthly calendar of holy days for various Hindu deities. What follows showed up in my mail today. Thought you'd all be interested.
Celebrating the Vedic Calendar Auspicious Vedic Days for August, 2007 Available on the Maharishi Channel by satellite and Internet Thursday, August 2 Sankashti Haran Shri Ganesh Chaturthi, Day of Ganesh
For removal of great problems
Sunday, August 5 Bhanu Saptami, Day of Surya
Promoting health and perfect functioning of physiology
Thursday, August 9 Kamada Ekadashi, Day of Vishnu
Accomplishing one's desires
Friday, August 10 Pradosh, Day of Shiva
For spiritual and material progress
Saturday, August 11 Monthly Shivaratri, Day of Shiva
Promoting progress of life
Thursday, August 16 Vinayaka Shri Ganesh Chaturthi, Day of Ganesh
For removing obstacles
Friday, August 17 Surya Sankranti, Day of Surya
Surya – nourishing all life
Friday, August 24 Putrada Ekadashi, Day of Vishnu
Flow and continuation of the evolutionary process
Sunday, August 26 Pradosh, Day of Shiva
For spiritual and material progress
Tuesday, August 28 Raksha Bhandan, Day of Vishnu
Strengthening one's family relations
Wednesday, August 29 Ashunya Shayan Vrat, Day of Lakshmi and Vishnu
Enlivening fullness and restfulness in awareness
Friday, August 31 Sankashti Haran Shri Ganesh Chaturthi, Day of Ganesh
For removal of great problems
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