Transcendental
Meditation: Remembering The Legacy
2May 2008, 1456 hrs IST,LANEWAGGER
His
Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi referred to the Bhagavad Gita as “the
pocketbook edition of the Vedas”. It contains all the wisdom
necessary to take us from ignorance to enlightenment.
The
Gita’s most
important verse, Maharishi says, is verse 45 of chapter II. Here
Krishna instructs Arjuna: ‘Nistrai-gunyo
bhavarjuna’ . Be without the three gunas
, O Arjuna. Take your mind from the field of
excitation and chaos, to the state of inner Unity, perfect
orderliness.
In
his commentary on this verse, Maharishi says, “It is difficult for
a man to improve his business affairs while he himself is constantly
immersed in all their details. If he leaves them for a little while,
he becomes able to see the business as a whole and can then more
easily decide what is needed”. Similarly, transcending all mental
activity results in great clarity, peace, and broadened awareness,
which naturally put life in its proper perspective.
“Water
the root, to enjoy the fruit” , sums up Maharishi. Just as a strong
foundation is necessary for a sturdy structure, so inner silence is
the basis of successful activity. By enlivening the “root” of the
mind, the “vacuum state” of consciousness, all aspects of life
get nourished. Maharishi had the key for this: Transcendental
Meditation (TM), a technique of effortless transcending.
To
understand what TM is, we need only analyse its name. “Transcend”
means to go beyond; “meditation” refers to thinking. During TM,
the mind goes from the surface, hectic level of thinking, to more
quiet, less excited states, until one transcends thought altogether,
arriving at the silent oasis of the mind. This is the state of
anandam - pure
consciousness - where the mind is completely calm and fully awake.
For centuries scholars have said that it is very
difficult to transcend thought and gain the state of perfect inner
peace. Maharishi knew otherwise. Transcending is easy because the
mind experiences increasing degrees of happiness at every step of the
way. No effort is required. Any force or control actually prevents
the mind from transcending.
This technique of
effortless transcending is validated by verse 40 of chapter 2: “In
this (Yoga)
no effort is lost and no obstacle exists. Even a little of this
dharma delivers from
great fear”.
Maharishi
commented, “The flow of the mind towards this state is natural, for
it is a state of absolute bliss, and the mind is always craving for
greater happiness. Therefore, as water flows down a slope in a
natural way, so the mind flows naturally in the direction of bliss”.
By
alternating between dipping a white cloth in yellow dye, and then
hanging it in the sun, eventually it becomes colourfast. Similarly,
the regular alternation of TM and daily activity results in a state
where pure consciousness becomes permanent. Then one enjoys inner
silence even while engaged in dynamic activity.
Besides the personal experience of over 60 lakh
people in 140 countries practising TM, nearly 700 scientific research
studies validate its effectiveness (e.g. increased alertness and
focus, 87 per cent reduction in heart
disease, improved
memory, reduced stress).
Maharishi’s
legacy to mankind is a remarkably simple, natural procedure, which
nourishes all aspects of life: mental, physical and spiritual. He
said, “Life is here to enjoy and no one has the right to suffer”.
For over 50 years, Maharishi endeavoured to make the world aware of
this.
http://
spirituality.indiatimes.com
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