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Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

From: http://www.indiayogi.com/content/indsaints/maharishi1.asp

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, one of the world's most prominent gurus, is considered the foremost promoter of the field of consciousness. His mission in life is to create a Heaven on Earth through the application of the ways of the Veda in daily living.

Earlier Life

The Maharishi was born in the north Indian town of Allahabad on October 18, 1911 (in present day Uttar Pradesh) in 1911. He graduated from Allahabad University in India, in physics and studied for 13 years with Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (also known as Shri Guru Deva), who is renowned as the world's foremost exponent of the ancient Vedic Science of consciousness.

Having studied under him, the Maharishi revived interest in this ancient science towards the creation and sustenance of a healthier and happier society. The Maharishi is responsible for the complete restoration in the thousands of years-old scattered Vedic Literature for the total significance of its theory and practice. He has organized it as a complete science of consciousness.

Heaven on Earth

Vedic science works on the philosophy that everyone's atma (soul) is the ocean of knowledge, power and bliss. And through Maharishi's Vedic Science and Technology everyone can experience this in daily life, making Heaven on Earth a practical reality for all humankind.

Through various programs he has implemented across the world, the Maharishi aims to create a "Heaven on Earth" -- a society, which is characterized with good everywhere. The Heaven on Earth Project calls for the reconstruction of the whole world, inner and outer.

His journey to create Heaven began way back in 1955, over 45 years ago, when he isolated himself in the Himalayas for two years. He started his mission from Madras in 1957, the purpose of which was to alleviate human beings from sufferings of regular life. This mission was also known as the worldwide Spiritual Regeneration Movement. The Maharishi believes that the basis of life is unbounded bliss and every individual can experience it without effort.

At present The Maharishi Heaven on Earth Development Corporation has been established as a global organization to create Heaven on Earth.

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation (TM), a mental technique of realizing consciousness was the first step in this direction. In fact, the TM program is the most widely practiced and extensively researched program of self-development in the world. The first scientific research validating the effects of Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation programme were published in the international scientific journals Science and Scientific American in 1970. In the past 30 years, over 500 scientific research studies conducted on this subject, at more than 200 independent universities, have shown that the TM Program benefits all areas of an individual's life -- mind, body, behavior and environment.

In a recent interview to a publication Maharishi explained that, "Transcendental Meditation is a simple, natural program for the mind; a spontaneous, effortless march of the mind to its own unbounded essence. Through Transcendental Meditation, the mind unfolds its potential for unlimited awareness, transcendental awareness, Unity Consciousness."

According to Maharishi, unlike other forms of meditation Transcendental Meditation, concerns itself only with the mind. "Other systems often involve some additional aspects with which the mind is associated, such as breathing or physical exercises. They can be a little complicated because they deal with so many things. But with Transcendental Meditation there is no possibility of any interference."

Using this technique of meditation, the mind begins an inward awareness journey that easily and naturally arrives at the source of thought, the settled state of the mind. Transcendental meditation is practiced for 15-20 minutes in the morning and evening, while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed.

During this technique, the individual's awareness settles down and one experiences a unique state of restful alertness. As the body becomes deeply relaxed, the mind transcends all mental activity to experience the simplest form of awareness, Transcendental Consciousness, where consciousness is open to itself. This is the Self-referral State of consciousness.

TM is helpful in developing one's latent creative potential while dissolving accumulated stress and fatigue through the deep rest gained during the practice. This experience enlivens the individual's creativity, dynamism, orderliness, and organizing power, which result in increasing effectiveness and helps one deal easily with the pressures of daily living.

The Maharishi Effect

Scientific research conducted in various cities and towns revealed that all over the world, where as little as one percent of the population practices the Transcendental Meditation Technique, the trend of rising crime rate is reversed, indicating increasing order and harmony.

This phenomenon of TM being inversely proportional to crime , violence and negative energy, is generally referred to as the Maharishi Effect.

Reaching out to the world

After successful implementation and thorough research on the subject, Maharishi traveled to other parts of the world to spread his message.

In 1971 he established a university in the United States, Maharishi International University. In 1995, Maharishi established Maharishi University of Management in the USA, Japan, Holland and Russia to eliminate the problems of management and improve the health, creativity and good fortune of management everywhere.

Today there are over 5 million people across the globe who have taken this approach to self-development. In order to spread his message across the Globe, Maharishi, over the years, has established a worldwide organization with more than 1,200 centers in 108 countries

He has established Maharishi Ved Vigyan Bhavans across India, to teach TM and has conducted various programs of Maharishi's Vedic Science.

Now, the Maharishi is establishing Maharishi Vedic Universities and Maharishi University of Management throughout the world to offer mastery over Natural Law to every individual and to perpetuate life in accordance with Natural Law. Maharishi has inspired the foundation of Natural Law Parties in over 80 countries, which will use the principles and scientifically validated programmes of administration through Natural Law, in order to achieve the ideal of conflict-free politics and problem-free government in every country.

Till date he continues to establish Maharishi Ayurveda Universities, and Maharishi Colleges of Vedic Medicine throughout the world to offer mastery over Natural Law.

The Maharishi has also revived various other branches of Vedic Science - Ayurveda (health), Gandharva Veda (music), Sthapatya Veda (construction) and Jyotish.