On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 6:23 PM, Vaj vajradh...@earthlink.net wrote:
from *Gurus In America* (S U N Y Series in Hindu Studies), ch. 3
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Beyond the TM Technique by Cynthia Humes (© 2005
State University of New York)
Swami Brahmananda's prophecy?
(…)
M A H E S H B E C O M E S A M A H A R I S H I
(…)
While many of Mahesh’s followers claim he was a member of the *kshat**r**i
**y**a ** *or ruling warrior caste, and many books written about
TM and Maharishi reiterate this, Mahesh has made no such claim. Rather,
Maharishi’s name—Varma—and most Indian sources identify him as a member
of the *k**ay**asth** *or educated clerical caste prior to becoming a
monk.
This caste factor is significant. The *k**ay**asths** *are a learned caste
with a long and fascinating history of attempts at self-definition. The *
k**ay**asths** *are famous for having served as the clerical arm of the
Muslims who came to rule North India prior to the British occupation of
North India. A sector sought in the nineteenth century to
identify themselves as descendents of the Emperor Chandragupta, thus gi
ving rise to some people’s claim of their *kshat**r**i**y**ahood*.
Especially during the 1920s and 1930s, *k**ay**asth** *leaders sought to
“*sansk**r**iti**z**e*” caste rituals, that is, emulate higher caste relig
ious behavior, as well as twice- born culture, specifically, abstaining fr
om alcohol. Their high level of education but ambivalent caste status
lead to the kind of scoffing evidenced by this remark, attributed to
Brahmananda Saraswati, “Nowadays, *k**ay**asths*, *v**ais**hy**as*, oil
sellers, and even liquor merchants put on the different colored garb of a
holy man (*sadhu*) and are eager to make many disciples of their own.
In this way both the guru and disciple will have their downfall. What I
am saying is in accord with the sacred codes (*shast**r**as*), I am not
telling you my own mental construction.”13
(…)
This issue over Maharishi’s monopoly of spiritual services mirrors a comme
rcial tradition most Americans would recognize: supposed “quality control
issues” in a franchiser/franchisee relationship. McDonald’s, for
example, requires its franchises to order food products and paper goods
solely through their parent company. Maharishi also requires his
franchisees—teachers, medi- tators, and governors, and so on—to use his pr
oducts, and his alone. Indeed, he even requires his teachers to sign
statements
of loyalty—a contract—to him. He has gone to court to protect his
trademarked wares and monopoly rights, which extend to the mantras used
in TM—all of which can be found in a standard *mant**r**akosha*, or “tr
easury of mantras.”
Wormwood. Wormwood.
