Meditations of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, original publication date 1968 -------------------------------------------- On Sat, 2/22/14, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The UN, UNICEF, DLF and TM... To: [email protected] Date: Saturday, February 22, 2014, 5:00 PM So the American Heart Association's endorsement of TM as the only meditation/relaxation practice that they currently recommend for the clinical treatment of hypertension isn't evidence-based? The stunning results of the African PTSD studies that were just released aren't "evidence" that TM has some effect (pending better controls and head-to-head studies to be sure just how effective TM is relative to other things)? And "prayer" is an interesting thing. According to the Yoga Sutras, any attractive object of attention can be used as an "ishtavadeva,' which is often translated as personal deity. during dhyan practice, But, if you look at the meaning of the words, you get an entirely different interpretation. "Deva" literally means 'shining one.' Maharishi defines "deva" as a fundamental vibration of consciousness. "Ishtava" literally means "cherished." So... from Maharishi's perspective, dhyan (TM) is not praying to gods, but using a "cherished fundamental vibration of consciousness" to take advantage of the tendency of the mind to wander in the direction of more pleasing objects of attention and allow the mind to settle down (the very definition of yoga -"subsidence of mind-fluctuations"). In no common interpretation of the word "prayer," is the above a form of prayer. Even the new agey "listening to spirits" doesn't work here, as the "deepest" point of TM is complete and utter silence with NO "communication" possible as the activity of the brain doesn't support that kind of thing during pure consciousness.
