Regarding Maharishi Yagyas®

(Please note:  This website does not promote, encourage, approve of, recommend, or support the purchase of or the value of "Maharishi Yagyas."  This article is written solely for the purpose of education and discussion. - Laurie)


A friend of TM-Free Blog recently showed me an email he received on January 12, 2014 from one of the branches of the TM organization (TMO).  The email starts with the title "Maharishi Vedic Pandits Creating World Peace."  Excerpts from the email follow:

"We are delighted to...announc[e] a highly beneficial, affordable and exciting expansion to the Yagya program for individuals and families - the Maharishi Special Yagya Program."

My comment:  This seems to me like deceptive advertising.  Where is the proof that the yagyas are "highly beneficial"?  And why do they call these yagyas "affordable"?  I clicked around, and found that they cost from $1,000 to $10,000 apiece.

"Maharishi designed a beautiful series of Special Yagyas for important times in life: Birthdays, Weddings, Wedding Anniversaries, and for the Birth of a Child."

They say "Maharishi designed" them.  Well, Maharishi has been dead for several years, but they're only being advertised this year.  So did he design them after he died?  Or, if he designed them during his lifetime - for the benefit of humanity - why are they only being made available now?  Also, Maharishi freely admitted that he knew only a little Sanskrit.  If so, how could he design Sanskrit rituals?  So what's going on?  Personally, I believe that someone else designed them, but is attributing them to Maharishi because that gives them more credibility.  

The yagyas are called "beautiful," but since donors are not present when these rites are performed, we'll have to take the TMO's word for it.  Also, we'll have to take the TMO's word that these rituals are being performed at all.

"These Special Yagyas bring the blessings of Nature to individuals and families at transitional times when specific, supportive Laws of Nature are particularly lively and accessible...."

Here we have several unscientific and undefined phrases which however have strong emotional resonance.  This style of writing circumvents scientific inquiry, since science requires terms to be defined.  Evocative phrases include "blessings of Nature," "specific, supportive Laws of Nature" and "particularly lively and accessible."

"All funds from this program support the large group of Maharishi Vedic Pandits, which is bringing peace, affluence and harmony to our world...."

According to Wikipedia, in  January 2014 there were 41 armed conflicts on earth.  In 2012, there were 905 natural catastrophes  which resulted in approximately $200,000,000 USD worth of damage.  So to me it seems inaccurate to state that the Pandits are bringing "peace, affluence and harmony" to our world.

But to backtrack, you may be asking, "What is the Maharishi Yagya program?"  Here is the answer, from maharishiyagya.org.

 "...the remedial measures one can take to avert problems seen in the birth chart to be coming to the individual.  It is a practical means to help protect us from unwanted influences - such as illness, accidents or loss; and also to support positive influences.  Regular Maharishi Yagya performances help maintain life in balance.

..Maharishi Vedic Astrology expert has seen something in the birth chart; and it's destined for the person.  But some influence could be created to change that destiny - and that's the Maharishi Yagya program...." 

More evocative and undefined phrases.  The above quote sort of explains what a Maharishi Yagya supposedly does.  But it doesn't explain what a Maharishi Yagya is.  Other TMO sites explain that it is a TMO-style Sanskrit chant plus ceremony performed by one or more TMO-trained Indian men.  The many TMO websites are vague, but apparently each yagya takes one day or less. TMO literature clearly states that the more money you spend on your yagya, the more powerful its effect.  They also strongly urge the customer to buy the most expensive yagya one can afford.

How much money is the TMO earning from this program?  A TMO email from December 18, 2013 states that:

"...the National Yagya program is now averaging (i.e., receiving donations of - Laurie) $429,000 USD per month....The whole world is enjoying the blessings of the daily performance...."

That's $5,148,000 a year income for the "National Yagya program" alone.  (The TMO says that the National Yagya program -- that is, the 350 Indian men in Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa who live in pre-fabricated, under-heated homes and earn $100-200/month apiece -- costs $600,000 a month to run.  I'm not sure why it should cost that much.  Anyone have any ideas?)  And there are many other "Maharishi Yagya" programs, which also bring in money for the TMO.

The announcement/advertisement for this new yagya program states that:

"the oral tradition of Vedic chanting has been declared an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO."  (United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization - Laurie).  

This sounds impressive, but by now I always double-check anything the TMO says.  So I researched the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" UNESCO project.  Their website states that their list of intangible cultural heritages is made up of those "elements that help demonstrate the diversity of this heritage and raise awareness about its importance."  From 2008-2013, 282 intangible heritages were listed by UNESCO.  Aside from yagyas, other examples of "intangible heritages" included woodcrafting in Madagascar, textile art of Peru, ox-herding traditions of Costa Rica, and Sardinian pastoral songs of Italy.
  
By the way, payment for these yagyas is legally designated as a "donation," and donations are tax deductible for U.S. tax payers.  All U.S. non-profits must make public their finances, and the financial audit can be found at www.vedicpandits.org/pdf/BSF-Audited-Financial Statement-12-31-2011.pdf.

Transcendental Meditation : Research = Biased Advertising

At long last, critique emerges of Transcendental Meditation’s so-called “scientific data” which is really just masked advertising. Mere publication, even in scientific journals, does not demonstrate truth.

“Mysterious Disappearing Paper Finally Reappears In Another Journal “ was published on November 13, 2012  and may be read both here at “CardioBrief, a one-stop source for cardiology news and links”  and here in "Forbes". Larry Husten cited concerns about the re-publication of a TM study-cum-advertising which had previously been revoked before press by the Archives of Internal Medicine. Husten questioned this TM study now published in “Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes”. 

Husten reviewed the study’s mysterious retraction by The Archives of Internal Medicine, critiqued the study’s statistical methods and alluded to cult-like association of the researcher from the Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management.

In 1975 Herbert Benson compared the benefits from TM with other forms of Judeo-Christian prayer and, (lo!) found identical results. The same results have been repeated many times with various forms of meditation, prayer and restful states. Resting quietly for a few minutes daily, in prayer, day dreaming or contemplation proved beneficial without the use of a mystical fruit-flowers-handkerchief Hindu puja with secretive mystical mantra. Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine continues to provide medical support for meditative practices without a hidden agenda.

TM True Believers repeatedly site “over 600 scientific articles” of so-called research on Transcendental Meditation to justify that TM is the best method for stress management (or to solve any of life’s maladies, for that matter). Not one of those TM-cited journals compares TM to other forms of meditation or mindfulness practices.

On Monday November 12th, American Veteran’s Day, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien aired a few minutes with TM spokesperson Bobby Roth, speaking about TM to help military veterans cope with PTSD.

A man (anonymity requested) raised in the TM Movement by a former political candidate for TM’s Natural Law Party  offered us the following critique of CNN’s recent TM docu-sales pitch :

Ever since I donated to the TM movement twelve years ago I've been receiving all the requests for donations associated with every current event from the gulf war and having a Rakshasa as our president to affecting the presidential election and bringing rain or stopping rain, depending.  I found the deception incredibly blatant in this recent CNN piece on Veterans Day.  No talk of  Tony Nader or in movement lingo Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam, no talk of enlightenment, they didn't even mention Maharishi or the Holy Tradition, or for gods sake the The Beatles!!!  This was a pure propaganda piece focused on the angle of perceived benefits for veterans.  Yes, finding religion and a simple belief system that has all the answers to life can be soothing to the soul, but guess what we have many REAL religions on earth today and these veterans don't need to be lied to and manipulated by one of the largest eastern religious cults in America.  Not to mention the very real side effects of falling down the TM rabbit hole!!!!

In this couple minute clip they hit the following points:

1)  The solution to all problems

2)  Heals the brain by removing deep stress

3)  Simple, easy, mental technique

4)  Non religious, yet at the same time the common denominator of all religions

5)  Benefits everyone not just veterans

6)  Young people are the ones we can convert

7)  Its a therapy, tested, sound, the missing element regular medicine is no longer needed yet its in addition to that regular medicine

8)  Government funded to give illusion of credibility

9)  Its just like going to a yoga class

So deceptive and I find it amazing that one of the shows hosts (that learned) doesn't mention the Puja or Maharishi or Guru Dev or anything else spicy.  No wonder people fall for this pitch, our media is asleep at the wheel.  I guess if you can fool Oprah you can fool these amateurs.

Is it a religion, or a dessert topping?

One of the more stupefying features of TM is its vague claim of not being a religion: "The Transcendental Meditation technique is not a religion or philosophy." But an overview of everything connected with TM practice - the organization and the people who teach TM - suggests something completely different. Religious aspects are woven throughout this entire enterprise that claims to be "scientific" in nature. In fact, the core doctrine of the organization which teaches TM is that of a religion. This religious organization holds that Transcendental Meditation and other practices in the program have an effect on the individual and society through means that can only be described as religious. The TM organization's stated goals of global transformation have many similarities to those of other religious faiths.

The TM movement's denial of its own obvious religiosity is absurd. As my title suggests, it brings to mind this great Saturday Night Live sketch. "New Shimmer's a floor wax and a dessert topping!"

"Shimmer Floor Wax", Saturday Night Live, January 10, 1976

"Tastes terrific... and just look at that shine!" But, as with Chevy Chase's rendition of the somewhat sleazy pitchman selling a surrealistic, self-contradictory product, something doesn't add up when it comes to the TM teacher's standard pitch concerning the relationship between TM and religious belief.

Critics over the years have pointed out that the religious nature of TM was proven by the decision in a Federal court case, Malnak v. Yogi, decades ago (1977). Yet promoters continue to insist that Transcendental Meditation is not a religious activity and may be implemented in public schools.

The following essay analyzes how the words and behaviors of the people and organizations promoting Transcendental Meditation mark it as a religious program. This is clearly demonstrated by current websites and online videos produced by the TM movement.