Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Passes Away

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru to the Beatles who introduced the West to transcendental meditation, died Tuesday at his home in the Dutch town of Vlodrop, a spokesman said. He was thought to be 91 years old.

 

"He died peacefully at about 7 p.m.," said Bob Roth, a spokesman for the Transcendental Meditation movement that Maharishi founded. He said his death appeared to be due to "natural causes, his age."

 

Once dismissed as hippie mysticism, the Hindu practice of mind control known as transcendental meditation gradually gained medical respectability.

He began teaching TM in 1955 and brought the technique to the United States in 1959. But the movement really took off after the Beatles attended one of his lectures in 1967.

 

Maharishi retreated last month into silence at his home on the grounds of a former Franciscan monastery, saying he wanted to dedicate his remaining days to studying the ancient Indian texts that underpin his movement.

"He had been saying he had done what he set out to do," Roth said late Tuesday.

 

With the help of celebrity endorsements, Maharishi — a Hindi-language title for Great Seer — parlayed his interpretations of ancient scripture into a multi-million-dollar global empire. His roster of famous meditators ran from Mike Love of the Beach Boys to Clint Eastwood and Deepak Chopra, a new age preacher.

 

After 50 years of teaching, Maharishi turned to larger themes, with grand designs to harness the power of group meditation to create world peace and to mobilize his devotees to banish poverty from the earth.

 

His rise to fame came with his association with the Beatles, who first attended one of his lectures in August 1967 in Wales as they looked for a way of attaining higher consciousness in the aftermath of that year's Summer of Love.

 

The Beatles were so charmed by the self-effacing guru that they agreed to stay with at his India compound, starting in February 1968, an astonishing choice for what was then the world's most celebrated music group.

 

But once there, Maharishi had a falling out with the rock stars after rumors emerged that he was making inappropriate advances on attendee Mia Farrow. John Lennon was so angry he wrote a bitter satire, "Sexy Sadie," in which he vowed that Maharishi would "get yours yet."

 

Maharishi insisted he had done nothing wrong and years later McCartney agreed with him. Deepak Chopra, a disciple of Maharishi's and a friend of George Harrison's, has disputed the Farrow story, saying instead that Maharishi had become unhappy with the Beatles because they were using drugs. David Lynch, creator of dark and violent films, lectured at college campuses about the "ocean of tranquility" he found in more than 30 years of practicing TM.

 

In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Lynch said it has aided him "in every aspect of life."

 

He said he believed Maharishi has laid the groundwork for world peace, even if that was not immediately apparent from world affairs.

 

"The world appears in bad shape on the surface, but I compare it to a tree: there are yellow sickly leaves dropping off but Maharishi has brought nourishment to the roots. Hang on for a little while longer, it's coming."

His followers say that some 5 million people devoted 20 minutes every morning and evening reciting a simple sound, or mantra, and delving into their consciousness.

 

"Don't fight darkness. Bring the light, and darkness will disappear," Maharishi said in a 2006 interview, repeating one of his own mantras.

 

Donations and the $2,500 fee to learn TM financed the construction of Peace Palaces, or meditation centers, in dozens of cities around the world. It paid for hundreds of new schools in India.

 

In 1974, Maharishi founded a university in Fairfield, Iowa, that taught meditation alongside the arts and sciences to 700 students and served organic vegetarian food in its cafeterias.

 

In 2001, his followers founded Maharishi Vedic City, a town of about 200 people a few miles north of Fairfield. The city requires the construction of buildings according to design principles set by Maharishi for harmony with nature.

 

Ed Malloy, a TM practitioner and mayor of Fairfield, said Maharishi's followers in Iowa were spending Tuesday evening meditating and holding a "celebration of gratitude for everything he's given."

 

Supporters pointed to hundreds of scientific studies showing that meditation reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, improves concentration and raises results for students and businessmen.

 

Skeptics ridiculed his plan to raise $10 trillion to end poverty by sponsoring organic farming in the world's poorest countries. They scoffed at his notion that meditation groups, acting like psychic shock troops, can end conflict.

"To resolve problems through negotiation is a very childish approach," he said.

 

In 1986, two groups founded by his organization were sued in the U.S. by former disciples who accused it of fraud, negligence and intentionally inflicting emotional damage. A jury, however, refused to award punitive damages.

 

Over the years, Maharishi also was accused of fraud by former pupils who claim he failed to teach them to fly. "Yogic flying," showcased as the ultimate level of transcendence, was never witnessed as anything more than TM followers sitting in the cross-legged lotus position and bouncing across spongy mats.

 

Maharishi was born Mahesh Srivastava in central India, reportedly on Jan. 12, 1917 — though he refused to confirm the date or discuss his early life.

He studied physics at Allahabad University before becoming secretary to a well known Hindu holy man. After the death of his teacher, Maharishi brought his message to the West in a language that mixed the occult and science that became the buzz of college campuses.

 

Maharishi's trademark flowing beard and long, graying hair appeared on the cover of the leading news magazines of the day. But aides say Maharishi became disillusioned that TM had become identified with the counterculture.

In 1990 he moved onto the wooded grounds of a monastery in Vlodrop, about 125 miles southeast of Amsterdam.

 

Concerned about his fragile health, he secluded himself in two rooms of the wooden pavilion he built on the compound, speaking only by video to aides around the world and even to his closest advisers in the same building.

John Hagelin, a theoretical physicist who ran for the U.S. presidency three times on the Maharishi-backed Natural Law Party, said that from the Dutch location Maharishi had daylong access to followers in India, Europe and the Americas.

 

"He runs several shifts of us into the ground," said Hagelin, Maharishi's closest aid, speaking in Vlodrop about his then-89-year-old mentor. "He is a fountainhead of innovation and new ideas — far too many than you can ever follow up."

[Murali_Mohan_das]

"And life flows on within you and without you."

 

--The Beatles

[Kulapavana]

He was a very positive person who helped many people reach true spiritual awareness. His practicality was extraordinary. I hope his movement continues without too much internal strife. What they have achieved in terms of building communities always impressed me. I'm sure we could learn from them a lot in this particular area.

[theist]

 

Donations and the $2,500 fee to learn TM financed the construction of Peace Palaces, or meditation centers, in dozens of cities around the world. It paid for hundreds of new schools in India.

 

What is the spiritual value of a Peace Palace, or meditation center built on the strength of selling mantras instead of simply distributing the Holy Name freely as is Mahaprabhu's way. I see none.

 

Some mode of goodness for sure as in their altruistic activities and promotion of ayurvedic principles.

 

I would like to see them incorporate the Holy Names as japa and kirtan into their routine and drop the mantra for sale business. In that I wish them well.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Didn't Srila Prabhupada himself say that many folks do not value something that is freely given? The Maharishi may have been an "uptown" Swami, but don't the (snobbishly) rich need spiritual nourishment as well?

 

 

What is the spiritual value of a Peace Palace, or meditation center built on the strength of selling mantras instead of simply distributing the Holy Name freely as is Mahaprabhu's way. I see none.

 

Some mode of goodness for sure as in their altruistic activities and promotion of ayurvedic principles.

 

I would like to see them incorporate the Holy Names as japa and kirtan into their routine and drop the mantra for sale business. In that I wish them well.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

A couple years ago, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada who is an astrologer was visiting the area with his Irish wife.

 

She told us that her very wealthy father had paid $100,000 for a week-long meditation seminar with the Maharishi. When he and the other wealthy folk arrived, they found that they were being quartered in shipping containers and that the Maharishi wasn't even physically-present at the retreat--he appeared via closed-circuit TV.

 

The Dad was quite peeved, but I found the situation to be hillarious!!

[yogesh]

 

A couple years ago, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada who is an astrologer was visiting the area with his Irish wife.

 

She told us that her very wealthy father had paid $100,000 for a week-long meditation seminar with the Maharishi. When he and the other wealthy folk arrived, they found that they were being quartered in shipping containers and that the Maharishi wasn't even physically-present at the retreat--he appeared via closed-circuit TV.

 

The Dad was quite peeved, but I found the situation to be hillarious!!

Money well spent and a lesson well learned.

 

Hare Krsna

 

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

[Kulapavana]

 

I would like to see them incorporate the Holy Names as japa and kirtan into their routine and drop the mantra for sale business. In that I wish them well.

 

As far as I know, most of the mantras they sell do contain the Holy Names.

[Vedesu]

 

In 1974, Maharishi founded a university in Fairfield, Iowa, that taught meditation alongside the arts and sciences to 700 students and served organic vegetarian food in its cafeterias.

 

I remember a devotee giving a class maybe in '75 or so and telling how someone asked the Maharishi about Krsna and he replied "If you want to known about Krsna, go ask Swami Prabhupada in Iskcon." I don't know how true this is, but it was spoken in Bhagavatam class, so at the time, I assumed it to be factual.

 

Ironically, I spent several years of my youth in Fairfield, Iowa, a good 10 years before Maharishi showed up. It was a great little town, a small college town of 5000 or so with mostly blue-collar folk. My Dad was a professor at Parson's College there, which closed down due to losing its accreditation and was then converted into Maharishi's University. My Dad was a pretty conservative type, but perhaps due to sentiment, he actually went to one or two of the seminars during the mid-'70's, held at the University in Fairfield. It gave me an opportunity to preach to him (by mail, from the Temple I was at), and tell him what Maharishi said about Krsna. My Dad seemed to appreciate that and despite being a conservative old-timer set in his ways, he was always liberal-minded; even appreciative of me being involved with the Hare Krsna's.

 

I've sometimes wondered about how the TM folks meshed with the local yokels there. It appears that they are welcome there.

 

Still, Srila Prabhupada used to preach against selling Gayatri mantras. And the levitation thing seemed like an outright hoax. On the other hand, perhaps Maharishi did some good, being that Bhakta George was introduced to Eastern ideals which enabled him to quickly transition into Krsna Consciousness once he discovered Srila Prabhupada.

 

To me, he seemed mostly harmless, at least compared to people like Guru Maharaja Ji and a few others who were popular during the early 70's.

[theist]

 

Money well spent and a lesson well learned.

 

Hare Krsna

 

Jay Sirla Prabhupada

Yeah, apparently the cheaters and the cheated both got something out of it.

 

The idea that the rich have to pay something for genuine spiritual life is silly. Therich have a different set of obstructions in the form of severe attachment to over accumulation. "It is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God but with God all things are possible." Ambarish (Alfred Ford) was no poor boy. And what of Rupa and Sanatan Gosvamis.

 

The Kingdom of God is not for sale. There is no way to sidestep the necessity of humilty and the acknowlegement that Krsna is the ONLY owner and proprietor.

 

The set up for the rich to malke advancement is by dovetailing their wealth in building Krsna conscious temples, mass prasad distribution etc. and not to be swindled by some impersonalist yogi and spreading some concocted vision of enlightenment.

 

Anything is good even ordinary welfare work. It all has it's place but selling mantras and engaging in a professional spiritual master business is just plain cheating.

 

Sorry if some of you are offended by the simple truth.

[theist]

 

As far as I know, most of the mantras they sell do contain the Holy Names.

 

The Holy Name is never for sale in the markets of rupees and pence. The price is humility enough to beg it from Mahaprabhu and His devotees. They may have a shadow or dim reflection but that is already available on most incense packs from India.

 

I know you devotees are just wanting to see the good and that is commendable. But we can't let that blind us to the cheating also. Even the iskcon child molesters lead kiratans and gave nice sounding lectures but that is no reason to let them skate on their crimes. IMO it makes their crimes that much worse but they were committed under the cloak of holiness.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Most of what we consider "truths" are relative, and not absolute.

[theist]

Journalist: One thing I want to know is what you think about people like this famous mantra-selling guru, who turned me off and so many other people. My daughter was very involved in that kind of thing for awhile. She's terribly disillusioned.

 

Srila Prabhupada: The psychology is that the Western people, especially youngsters, are hankering after spiritual life. Now, if somebody comes to me and says, "Swamiji, initiate me," I immediately say, "You have to follow these four principles—no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, and no illicit sex." Many go away. But this mantra seller—he does not put any restrictions. That's just like a physician who says, "You can do whatever you like; you simply take my medicine and you'll be cured." That physician will be very popular.

 

Journalist: Yes. He'll kill a lot of people, but he'll be very well liked.

 

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. [Laughs.] And a real physician says, "You cannot do this. You cannot do that. You cannot eat this." This is a botheration for people. They want something very cheap. Therefore the cheaters come and cheat them. They take the opportunity—because people want to be cheated.

"Oh, let us take advantage!" You see? So the rascals advise people, "You are God—everyone is God. You just have to realize yourself—you have simply forgotten. You take this mantra, and you'll become God. You'll become powerful. There is no need to control the senses. You can drink. You can have unrestricted sex life and whatever you like."

People like this. "Oh, simply by fifteen minutes' meditation I shall become God, and I have to pay only thirty-five dollars." Many millions of people will be ready to do it. For Americans, thirty-five dollars is not very much. But multiplied by a million, it becomes thirty-five million dollars. [Laughs.]

We cannot bluff like that. We say that if you actually want spiritual life, you have to follow the restrictions. The commandment is, "You shall not kill." So I shall not say, "Yes, you can kill—the animal has no feeling, the animal has no soul." We cannot bluff in this way, you see.

 

Journalist: This kind of thing has disenchanted an awful lot of young people.

 

Srila Prabhupada: So please try to help us. This movement is very nice. It will help your country. It will help the whole human society. It is a genuine movement. We are not bluffing or cheating. It is authorized.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Srila Prabhupada tells it like it is. Some people can't handle that form of "truth".

 

Some people need (or think they need) "truth lite", and nothing short of divine intervention will convince them otherwise. Take that Sai Baba admirer on the other thread, for instance.

 

Some people, like the Maharishi and Deepak Chopra, are happy to oblige with "truth lite". They'll water down the message and add artificial sweeteners to make it more palatable.

 

Not everybody can handle full-strength Prabhupada, the illusion-mutilator.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Srila Gurudev says the best way to correct somebody is with encouragement.

 

"That is good, but this is *better*"

[suchandra]

 

Srila Prabhupada tells it like it is. Some people can't handle that form of "truth".

 

 

Guest (1): He says that to meditate twice a day.

Prabhupāda: That’s all right. What is that meditation process?

Guest (1): Okay, you’re given your mantra, and when you sit there and meditate, you think…

Prabhupāda: Do you know that mantra?

Guest (1): Yes, but I can’t speak it.

Prabhupāda: You cannot speak. It is secret?

Guest (1): It’s not secret. If I speak it, I’ll ruin the power.

Prabhupāda: Therefore, our mahā-mantra is so nice that as we chant this loudly, the power becomes loud.

Guest (1): Okay, this is where the problem lies then. Because I think that that’s fine. And I agree. And yet, I don’t think there’s just one mantra.

Prabhupāda: And there is no secret; it is open. It is open.

Guest (1): I don’t think there’s just one mantra, sir. I feel that the entire mantra would be Om. And so Hare Krishna Rāma would be just one part of Om. Now, isn’t that true?

Prabhupāda: Is there any difference between Om and Hare Krishna?

Guest (1): Yeah, Om is the total, isn’t it?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest (1): Well, okay. I’ll reword that. Isn’t Om the total expression sound of nature?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Do you know the definition of Om?

Guest (1): The Bhagavad-gītā defines it.

Prabhupāda: It is in the Bhagavad-gītā said, akṣarāṇām oṁkāro ’smi. Krishna says that “Amongst the alphabets, I am oṁkāra.” Therefore oṁkāra is not different from Krishna. As soon as we say “Krishna,” the oṁkāra is there.

Guest (1): Right. And I imagine that as soon as I say my mantra, Om is also there, is it not?

Prabhupāda: So oṁkāra… In every Vedic mantra the oṁkāra is there. But when Krishna is there, oṁkāra is automatically there. Because it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, akṣarāṇām oṁkāro ’smi: “Amongst the alphabets, I am oṁkāra.” So when you speak of Krishna, the oṁkāra is automatically there. When there is fire, the heat is automatically there.

Guest (1): Okay, one more thing. Transcendental meditation by the Maharishi is not a concentrating process. It’s a process of using the mantra to get into the meditation. And once reaching the point of deep meditation, thoughts will just occur. And there’s no concentrating procedure at all. And this is why I had a question in the first place, in that you said meditation’w impossible because it’s a concentrating process. Well, Maharishi’s meditation is not the concentrating…

Prabhupāda: Then he has manufactured something. It is not stated in the standard book. You see Bhagavad-gītā and Patanjali system, yoga system, that is differently stated.

Guest (1): I see.

Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā, the meditation has to be concentrated upon the Viṣṇu. Mat-para. The word is mat-para. One has to concentrate his meditation upon the form of Viṣṇu. Nothing else. That is real meditation. But if Maharishi has manufactured his own way of meditation, I cannot comment upon it. Because we have to comment on the books of authority. Any other question? All right. (end)

 

 

 

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3-4

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

San Francisco, March 8, 1967

http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/670308SB.SF.htm

[suchandra]

Satsvarūpa: This boy is Bhakta Doug, and he was a personal secretary of Maharishi for two years.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Satsvarūpa: He traveled all over with him. And one day… He was a very good student, and one day Maharishi said, “If you really want to know the highest truth, it’s Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” And then he left and he came and joined our team…

Prabhupāda: Maharishi said like that?

Doug: Yes, he did say that. It took me awhile to make the transition, but with Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, I saw the way through to become Krishna conscious

Devotee (5): Maharishi must have read one of your books, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: He has read my books?

Devotee (5): He must have, if he said that Krishna consciousness is the highest truth. How else could he know but reading your books?

Devotee (3): One time we were in Orlando, Florida, at the Kundalini Yoga festival. And they had Yogi Bhajan there. And he came out and we had a chant, and we had prasādam, and we had BTG’s, and we distributed some BTG’s. And he took a BTG and gave a dollar donation, and he patted us on the head and said, “You boys keep chanting the holy names of God.”

[...]

Prabhupāda: When you were with Maharishi? Come here.

Doug: I joined the Maharishi in 1969, and at that time I was living in Washington, D.C. And his national director came, gave a lecture, and they said that they needed some help because they didn’t have a center there. So I organized the movement out of my parents’ house. I had the center, and I established lectures at all the colleges and started the movement there. And later on, they finally sent some full-time teachers, and they established a center there. And then I started to be with Maharishi and his different courses and doing extensive meditations for long periods of time. And then eventually he formed a committee. This was in 1971-72. He started to form a college called M.I.U., Maharishi International University. And he started to invite educators, and he wanted to… And he also had this…

Prabhupāda: “M.I.U.” means Maharishi…?

Doug: Maharishi International University. And so he started to formulate a curriculum. He was trying to present Vedic studies in Western terms. And so he formed this council of the executive called his executive council. It was called The 108. It didn’t have 108 people, but this was what he called us.

Prabhupāda: One hundred…?

Doug: The 108. He called it The 108, but the official term was the executive council. And that’s what I was with…

Prabhupāda: How many students are there?

Doug: How many students do his meditation?

Prabhupāda: No, the university?

Doug: In the university? I haven’t been with them in a year and a half, but they recently bought a college, and they have part of a college in Santa Barbara, the University of California there. So they’re pretty well established educationally. But it’s losing its potency actually. I think it’s actually reached its peak and left, because when I was with Maharishi also I noticed that it seemed that a lot of his potency seemed to diminish, his charisma, over the years. Seemed to me he’d get more and more depressed if people weren’t actually reaching the states that he was talking of. It didn’t seem like he was satisfied with the advancement people were making. And certainly he wasn’t answering the questions, because all that time I was asking him “What is the highest truth.” And when he talked to God I would say, “Who is God?” And we’d ask him, “Who is Kṛṣṇa?” and “What about this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement?” And it was word jugglery. He’d kind of evade our questions and satisfy our elan, but… those questions kept coming up. Somehow he kept us from going into too much detail about it. But eventually… I didn’t see him for a few days. This was when I was in the mountains with him, some other people. And we were making up these curriculums for this college program. And he was doing some transcriptions on the Brahma-sūtras, and he came out, and he was in a very solemn mood, and he said… We asked him what he had realized, what truths he had realized from the Brahma-sutras. And he said, “Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest state of consciousness.” So I left shortly after that. I feel that I could have been chanting all those years, making some progress.

[...]

Tripurāri: He translated Bhagavad-gītā, but only six chapters.

Doug: Actually, it’s interesting about that, because he finished the whole Bhagavad-gītā, and he put out these first six chapters in a really a boggling word, way, the first six chapters. He was writing in a way that people could still enjoy material sense enjoyment and still do his technique of meditation. But I had a chance to hear the rest of the Bhagavad-gītā that he had translated. And we asked him… We heard that he had it. We asked him why he didn’t put it out, and he said that the people of the Western world weren’t ready to hear what he had to present. But actually what he had to say was… It’s very authentic. What I read was very close with what you have to say, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that Kṛṣṇa says surrender all your senses unto Him. And I have hopes that maybe someday… Balavanta suggested the idea that I should write him a letter and ask him to have a meeting with you. And maybe some conciliation could be made, and maybe he could come to his senses or something that he could propagate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness also, because he has so many followers. And I think that there must be some sincerity in him, else I wouldn’t have spent so long with him. He must have some sincerity. And I think that he obviously feels that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, and I noticed that on his pūjā table he always had a picture of Kṛṣṇa protecting the cows.

Prabhupāda: Instead of asking him to preach, you preach. He has already enunciated a type of formula, and it is very difficult for him to change it. He does not say that he is Bhagavān?

Doug: No, he does not say he is God.

Prabhupāda: That is good.

Doug: He always talked in terms of higher states of consciousness, in terms of cosmic consciousness, which I understand to be Brahman realization. Then he talked in terms of, after about the sixth state of consciousness was then God consciousness. And then Paramātmā. Then he talked of the highest state of consciousness, and he said it’s Bhagavān realization. But he completely steers away from putting any type of limitation on people’s sense control at all, and this is what I have a hard time understanding. Even though the more I was with him he suggested to his close associates to follow the principles of brahmacārī, and he made me one of his brahmacārīs, and he told us to read the scriptures every day, and we had a lot of association…

Prabhupāda: What is his personal character?

Doug: Pardon me?

Prabhupāda: He is observing celibacy or…

Doug: As far as I’m concerned he’s been celibate for an awful long time. And he had, his master… He comes from the Śaṅkarācārya tradition. His master was the last Śaṅkarācārya. And supposedly his master is a life-long celibate. So as far as I know, he always practiced that. Some other rumors have come up somewhere. I heard that the rumors originally originated with the Beatles when they were in India, that there was something going on like that. But as far as I know and anybody else who had been involved with him knew that he was very strict about that. And he encouraged the, me to meet…

Prabhupāda: Brahmacārī.

Doug: What was that?

Balavanta: Brahmacārī.

Doug: Brahmacārī.

Prabhupāda: Celibacy. Does he observe?

Doug: Yes, as far as I know.

Rūpānuga: Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu told me that he has a doctorate degree in some science.

Doug: Physics.

Rūpānuga: Physics, a doctorate in physics.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Balavanta: He has a degree, a Ph.D. in physics.

Doug: I don’t think it’s a Ph.D. I think it’s just a masters degree.

Prabhupāda: In physics.

Doug: His master told him to finish school before he could join up with him.

Prabhupāda: He talks science about? No.

Doug: He does talk science, yeah. He tries to present Vedic ideas in scientific terms, so that the people of the West will understand. So originally he came out talking about God consciousness and so forth, but eventually he got more and more into this course he calls the science of creative intelligence, SCI, which is what he… (end)

 

Room Conversation

with Tripurāri

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

March 2, 1975, Atlanta

 

 

http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/750302rc.atl.htm

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

His philosophy isn't the perfect Krishna consciousness, but at the same time what he did was good for the world. Would you rather be around people trying to become yogis in Iowa eating organic vegetarian meals or would you rather be around gangster rappers in South Central LA? We can find so many minute faults with every single philosophy and religion in the world, but ultimately there are things that are good for the world and things that are bad for the world. What he did helped bring in a tiny bit of goodness (sattva guna) into the modern world and that is something I can appreciate.

 

No, it's not Krishna consciousness and he is not Prabhupada, but I would rather see more of people like him in the world than less.

[theist]

Out and out atheists also do many altruistic things. Religionists sometimes do many demonic things. "By their fruits you will know them."

 

My point is not to demonize him or pronounce him as a saint but to try to see the whole picture of his life's effects on others.

 

I don't agree with this statement left by a member early on the thread,

"He was a very positive person who helped many people reach true spiritual awareness."

What true spiritual awareness? Mode of goodness is not the spiritual platform. Selling secret mantras is not true spiritual awareness. He very easily could have said, "Chant the Hare Krsna mantra. It is free for all and will bring true spiritual awareness." Instead he presented an alternative to the maha-mantra, a competetive system and diverted many from "true spiritual awareness."

[Murali_Mohan_das]

And some have the gall to divert people away from the feet of Sri Guru by promising salvation through books and a connection to Paramatma.

[Kulapavana]

 

I don't agree with this statement left by a member early on the thread,

What true spiritual awareness? Mode of goodness is not the spiritual platform. Selling secret mantras is not true spiritual awareness. He very easily could have said, "Chant the Hare Krsna mantra. It is free for all and will bring true spiritual awareness." Instead he presented an alternative to the maha-mantra, a competetive system and diverted many from "true spiritual awareness."

 

Maharishi was not opposed to bhakti, but he promoted yoga. Last I checked in Prabhupada's Gita yoga was still considered a true spiritual practice. The aim is somewhat different (they seek out the Paramatma feature of the Lord) but it is certainly spiritual. Just like some Christian can not chant Hare Krsna and become Vaishnavas, others have a hard time giving up jnana or yoga and becoming bhaktas.

[Beggar]

 

And some have the gall to divert people away from the feet of Sri Guru by promising salvation through books and a connection to Paramatma.

 

Here you attacking a particular idea, that another person has written in printed form on the internet. At the same time you are attempting to glorify Sri Guru in printed form on the internet. In the world of thought we are exchanging ideas and here it is the through the medium of English words that we are writing and reading on a electronic screen.

The real issue becomes what is the relationship of ideas which we can know, and bhakti which we can experience in the citta or heart? Where is the line between empiric knowledge and the divya jnana or transcendental knowledge, proper? Divya jnana is bestowed by Sri Guru into the heart of the disciple or sisya. We are told that when the guru is pleased with the disciple then he can will this disciple to have the divine grace bestowed upon them by Bhagavan Sri Krsna.

One person is reading the works of a departed Vaisnava, another the works of a contemporary Vaisnava. One is getting the vapu association of a sadhu (which also infers hearing). and another is not. Yet oddly the one who is not getting the vapu sanga of the sadhu is generally more in line with the correct Gaudiya Siddhanta. And the one who is getting the vapuh form of sadhu sanga may at times express even classic prakrta sahajiya sentiments. How is this? Because tad viddhi pranipatena paraprasnena sevaya. In the interaction with the living sadhu there must be submisive inquiry and service. Submission means to surrender, saranagati. Just like Srila Govinda Maharaj was asked by Srila Sridhar Maharaj, "are you ready to follow me and not your mind?" And the answer was yes. How effective is our hearing from a sadhu and our seva if we have not surrendered our mind?

[theist]

 

Maharishi was not opposed to bhakti, but he promoted yoga. Last I checked in Prabhupada's Gita yoga was still considered a true spiritual practice. The aim is somewhat different (they seek out the Paramatma feature of the Lord) but it is certainly spiritual. Just like some Christian can not chant Hare Krsna and become Vaishnavas, others have a hard time giving up jnana or yoga and becoming bhaktas.

 

Well my point remains a simple one. The Holy Names are not for sale and there is one mesage for the Kali-yuga which is to chant the Holy Names of which there are hundreds and millions. It is the simplicity of this message FROM THE LORD HIMSELF that gets covered over by saying that some can't take to it and therefore need to be given some made up process as a substitute.

[suchandra]

 

Well my point remains a simple one. The Holy Names are not for sale and there is one mesage for the Kali-yuga which is to chant the Holy Names of which there are hundreds and millions. It is the simplicity of this message FROM THE LORD HIMSELF that gets covered over by saying that some can't take to it and therefore need to be given some made up process as a substitute.

 

Well spoken, on the other hand, Maharishi did a lot spread vegetarianism.

Rather higher level than present meat-eater religions.

 

"So one who has seen, one who is in trance of self-realization, he cannot sit idly. He must come out. He, just like Rāmānujācārya. He declared the mantra publicly. His spiritual master said that this mantra, just like that Maharishi came in your country. He wanted to give some private mantra. If that mantra has any power, why it should be private? If at all the mantra has any, why not it should be publicly declared so that everyone can take advantage of that mantra? That is real. It is cheating, you see? So here is no cheating process. We say that this mahā-mantra can save you, we are distributing publicly, no. Free, without any charge. But people are so fools, they are not prepared to take this. They’ll hanker after that mantra, after Maharishi. Pay thirty-five dollars and take some private mantra, you see? So people want to be cheated. And here, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, these people are preaching without any charge, declaring in the street, park, everywhere, “Come on, take it.” “Oh, this is not good.” This is māyā, this is called illusion. This is spell of māyā. And if you charge something, if you bluff, if you cheat, oh, people will follow."

 

Bhagavad-gītā 6.25-29

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Los Angeles, February 18, 1969

http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/690218BG.LA.htm

[suchandra]

Prabhupāda: Yes. Even he has recommended, Mahesh Yogi.

Tamāla Krishna: Really? To that boy.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you know? To his secretary. When he asked him that “I want real spiritual life,” then he said, “Then go to Krishna consciousness.”

Bahulāśva: They have started a university also, and they are using your books at that university.

Prabhupāda: That’s nice. (laughs)

Bahulāśva: Yeah, Maharishi, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: No, Maharishi has got respect for me. Even this, what is that? Cintāmaṇi?

Harikeśa: Cinmayananda?

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Tamāla Krishna: Śrī Cinmoya.

Bahulāśva: From Bombay?

Prabhupāda: No, no. He has also. He has also. He has given us a certificate: whatever I wrote, he has signed it. Everyone has respect.

Nalini-kantha: But they do not go together. Their practice and our practice, they do not mix.

Prabhupāda: No, no. [break] …our practice, then they are defeated. That they… [break] What they can do? But at heart they know what is their value. [break] …and push on. You will come victorious everywhere. [break] …sūrya-sama, māya andhakāra yāhān kṛṣṇa, tāhān nahi māyāra adhikāra. If you remain seriously in Krishna consciousness, then these people will have no, I mean to say, right to come before you. Adhikāra. They will remain far away.

 

 

 

Morning Walk Conversation

with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

June 21, 1975, Los Angeles

http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/750621mw.la.htm