Someone must have said the TM was the fastest way to enlightenment. I seem to recall hear that phrase, or something similar to it. On a quick search I found a website page that mentioned it:
http://shell.forethought.net/~risaacs/l_mahari.htm http://shell.forethought.net/~risaacs/l_mahari.htm 'Maharishi is a disciple of the now deceased, former Shankaracharya of North India, Swami Brahmananda Saraswati. This great swami was a Surya Yogin, and one of the characteristics of a Surya Yogin is that he teaches in a manner which causes different disciples to draw different conclusions about the nature of his teaching. A good example of this is the disparity in the teachings of Maharishi and those of Swami Prakashananda, both disciples of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati. The former claims that "TM" (a form of Raja Yoga) is the fastest way to enlightenment and the latter claims that his version of Bhakti Yoga is not only the fastest way, but also the only way to reach "the highest dimensions of spiritual awareness". Forgetting for the moment that both of these attitudes are not in harmony with key principles of The Art of Multi-dimensional Living, let us stay focused on Maharishi's contributions to the transformation of world consciousness and how he interpreted and developed Swami Brahmananda Saraswati's basic teaching.' Another web page with a similar mention. http://www.nnseek.com/Teachter_s.html http://www.nnseek.com/Teachter_s.html 'The reason he once started meditation was because of a meditation teachter that told him when he was twenty: hey, Transcendental Meditation is the fastest way to enlightenment. Then I knew: this is what I was looking for.' So the phrase seems to have been around. I think it is likely Maharishi said it at some point, as he always exaggerated for effect. I recall also something about in 5 years you would be enlightened with TM. I think Charlie Lutes said it. But then he added that Maharishi forgot to add the zeros. I recall some governors in the mid seventies saying Maharishi said that some of them (in the group they were in on a course) might get enlightened, implying, because they were young, they might have enough time before they died. If enlightenment is a state 'out of time', .i.e., eternal, how is it possible to get enlightened temporally? If it is reality, it already has to be here, whether it is realised or not. It is not a matter of doing something. It is a matter of letting something that is going on now stopping, so that the anticipation that enlightenment is going to be some event at a future time no longer arises in experience; then there is the possibility. For any one individual, there is no fastest path, there is only what happens with that particular person, 30 seconds; 70 years; never; who knows? What is the worst path to enlightenment, the one that takes the longest, but still works? Could it be we have already learned it? ======= ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <fleetwood_macncheese@...> wrote : Same conclusion as everyone else's - Edg nailed it to the wall. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <steve.sundur@...> wrote : That is my recollection as well, as one who did give many lectures and teach courses. It just wasn't a talking point. Of course was going to produce dozens of teachers who claimed something, I forget what, a few days ago. I requested he produce one, which of course he couldn't. What the f, do you think the lurking reporters make of this guy? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <fleetwood_macncheese@...> wrote : Barry is trolling. I have never heard anyone in the TM Org, including my teacher, say that TM was the fastest way to enlightenment. It is not on any tapes, or in any lectures, or books. I challenge Barry to find even one recorded instance of this phrase, used by anyone in the TMO. He is more interested in tooting his limp horn, than any sort of reality based conversation. As usual. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <steve.sundur@...> wrote : Actually, Barry, you've discounted Maharishi's progress on the spiritual path as someone who had achieved nothing. At the same time you've discussed your experiences practicing his technique, which happen to coincide with the signposts of higher consciousness outlined by M. I always had a feeling that it would emerge that you would in some way appoint yourself as being the "One". Maybe consider changing your handle to "Neo turq", or "Neo Barry" No need to be modest about it. Come out of the closet, boy. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <turquoiseb@...> wrote : It's not so much a rumor, more of a sales pitch or claim, but I've always gotten a chuckle from "TM is the fastest path to enlightenment on the planet," coming from an organization that in over 50 years has been unable to produce even a single person they can point at and say, "This person is enlightened, and got that way as a result of practicing TM." Think of it...over 50 years with a single "success story" they're willing to present in public, and they still claim to be "the fastest path."