I appreciate everyone answering if Maharishi ever said it would take a finite time to enlightenment. I certainly heard the rumor when I began to meditate and at that time in 1974 it had morphed from 3-5 years, to 10 years to being open ended.
The explanation I was given was that initially Marshy had said close to 5 years, then changed it to ten using the idea that the world's consciousness was so muddy it was taking longer than expected. My friend Bill who spoke with Jerry Jarvis the other night said his initiator quoted Maharishi having given the 3-5 year time frame when Bill was taught TM during the three days checking. The caveat was given that one had to take into account the stresses in any given individual's physiology and mind as to how long it would actually take. And personally I feel that Marshy used to play around with what he said, in other words if someone asked him a question I don't know that he was totally aware of how intensely people listened to the answer believing they were the words of the Cosmos and so he might throw out a concept without thinking it would be long remembered. I just wondered it anyone remembered Marshy saying it on any ATR or TTC's. Rick? Anyone?
