Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born Mahesh Prasad Varma on the 12th of January 1911, though some sources suggest 1917 or 1918. He belonged to the Kayastha caste, a group traditionally associated with scribes and writing in India. His family name appears as Shrivastava among his cousins and nephews. The exact details of his birth remain uncertain due to the ascetic tradition of relinquishing family connections. He earned a degree in physics from Allahabad University in 1942. While some accounts mention work at the Gun Carriage Factory in Jabalpur, most reports indicate he became an administrative secretary to Swami Brahmananda Saraswati in 1941. This spiritual leader was known as Guru Dev and served as the Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math in the Indian Himalayas. Mahesh took the new name Bal Brahmachari Mahesh during this period. It took him about two and a half years to attune himself to the thinking of his master. He gained trust and eventually became Guru Dev's personal secretary. The Maharishi later stated that his life truly began in 1940 when he learned the secret of swift and deep meditation.
Swami Brahmananda Saraswati insisted that before accepting Mahesh as a pupil, he must first complete his university degree and get permission from his parents. The young student performed common chores but soon gained trust and became Guru Dev's favored pupil. He was trusted to handle the bulk of the Shankaracharya's correspondence without direction. The Maharishi was also sent out to give public speeches on Vedic themes. His association with the illustrious Shankaracharya tradition served as a vital letter of introduction throughout India. Despite being a close disciple, he could not be the Shankaracharya's spiritual successor because he was not a Brahmin. When Saraswati died in Calcutta in 1953, the honor passed to Swami Shantanand Saraswati in June 1953. The Shankaracharya had charged Mahesh with the responsibility of traveling and teaching meditation to the masses. Mahesh remained with Swami Brahmananda Saraswati until the latter died in 1953. He then moved to Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand in the Himalayas where he undertook a reclusive life for two years. This period laid the foundation for his future global mission.
In 1958, the Maharishi went to Madras to address a large crowd gathered to celebrate the memory of Guru Dev. It was there that he spontaneously announced plans to spread the teaching of TM throughout the world. Hundreds of people immediately asked to learn TM. His first world tour began in Rangoon, Burma, now Myanmar, and included Thailand, Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Hawaii. In 1959, he lectured and taught the technique in Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, and London. While in Los Angeles, he stayed at the home of author Helena Olson and developed a three-year plan to propagate Transcendental Meditation globally. That same year, he established the International Meditation Society and other organizations to propagate his teachings. Centers were opened in San Francisco and London. For years, the sole teacher of Transcendental Meditation in America was a San Diego woman named Beulah Smith. By 1960, he had traveled to many cities across Europe including France, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Africa. He also visited Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Africa. During this time, he trained Henry Nyburg as the first European teacher of TM.
In 1967, the Maharishi's fame increased when he became the spiritual advisor to the Beatles. George Harrison and his wife Pattie Boyd urged their friends to attend the Maharishi's lecture at the Hilton on Park Lane in London. The band members studied with him in Bangor, Wales before traveling to Rishikesh, India in February 1968. Ringo Starr and his wife Maureen left after ten days. John Lennon and Paul McCartney departed with their wives after five weeks. During their stay, the group heard that the Maharishi had allegedly made sexual advances towards Mia Farrow. On the 15th of June 1968, the Beatles formally renounced their association with the Maharishi as a public mistake. John Lennon wrote the song Sexy Sadie in response to the episode. Harrison later commented that nothing untoward actually occurred but acknowledged the story exists in history books. Cynthia Lennon expressed regret over leaving on a note of discord despite enjoying kindness from the Maharishi. In 2007, Paul McCartney took his daughter Stella to visit the Maharishi in the Netherlands which renewed their friendship. The Beatles' visit coincided with a thirty-participant teacher training course ongoing at the ashram. Graduates included Prudence Farrow and Mike Love.
In 1992, the Maharishi inaugurated the Natural Law Party calling it a natural government. His adherents founded the party in forty-two countries. John Hagelin ran for U.S. president three times under this banner while denying any formal connection between the Maharishi and the party. Critics charged that the party was an effort to recruit people for Transcendental Meditation. The Indian arm achieved electoral success by winning one seat in a state assembly in 1998. The Maharishi shut down the political effort in 2004 stating he had to get into politics to know what is wrong there. In 2000, he created the Global Country of World Peace to unify all nations in happiness and prosperity. He crowned Tony Nader as king or Maharaja of this organization. The group unsuccessfully attempted to establish a sovereign micronation when offering US$1.3 billion to the President of Suriname for land lease. They also tried to choose a king for Talamanca in Costa Rica. By 1975, his movement operated 370 TM centers staffed by 6,000 teachers. The organization made property investments including buying Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire and Roydon Hall in Maidstone. Plans for Vedaland amusement park near Orlando and Niagara Falls never materialized.
The Maharishi aimed to change the course of human history through his teachings. His philosophy featured the concept that within everyone lies an unlimited reservoir of energy intelligence and happiness. He emphasized the naturalness of his meditation technique as a simple way to develop potential. Beginning in 1962, he recommended daily yoga exercises to accelerate growth further. He taught that practicing Transcendental Meditation twice a day would create inner peace. Mass meditation sessions could supposedly create outer peace by reducing violence and war. A TM website claimed that performances by 7,000 pandits plus hundreds of Yogic Flyers brought coherence to Germany's collective consciousness causing the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the mid-1970s, he began the TM-Sidhi program which included Yogic Flying. This new aspect emphasized both individual and collective benefits created by group practice. The program gave rise to the Maharishi Effect said to suppress crime violence and accidents. Maharishi Vedic Science includes practical aspects like health approaches and theoretical applications such as Consciousness-Based Education. The movement offered in-residence style advanced courses with nearly 1,000 training centers worldwide by his death.
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Common questions
When was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi born and what were the conflicting birth years?
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born on the 12th of January 1911, though some sources suggest 1917 or 1918. The exact details remain uncertain due to ascetic traditions that involve relinquishing family connections.
Who was Swami Brahmananda Saraswati and how did he influence Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?
Swami Brahmananda Saraswati served as the Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math in the Indian Himalayas and mentored Mahesh Prasad Varma from 1941 until his death in Calcutta in 1953. He instructed Mahesh to complete his university degree before accepting him as a pupil and later charged him with traveling to teach meditation to the masses.
How did Maharishi Mahesh Yogi spread Transcendental Meditation globally after 1958?
In 1958, the Maharishi announced plans to spread TM worldwide during an event in Madras and began his first world tour in Rangoon, Burma. By 1960, he had traveled to cities across Europe including France, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Africa while establishing centers in San Francisco and London.
What happened when the Beatles attended Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's lecture in 1967 and 1968?
The Beatles studied with the Maharishi at Bangor, Wales before traveling to Rishikesh, India in February 1968 where Ringo Starr left after ten days and John Lennon and Paul McCartney departed after five weeks. On the 15th of June 1968, the group formally renounced their association due to allegations that the Maharishi made sexual advances towards Mia Farrow.
When did the Natural Law Party operate and what political activities did it pursue under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi inaugurated the Natural Law Party in 1992 which operated in forty-two countries until he shut down the effort in 2004. The Indian arm won one seat in a state assembly in 1998 while adherents founded the party globally without formal connection from the Maharishi himself.