Two Prophecies of the Past – Anecdotes with the Maharishi
Two stories related to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi came to my mind when I heard about his passing:
In January 1979 – I just had finished the TM-“governor”-course with the Sidhi-program – we went to Seelisberg, Switzerland, the then capital of the TM-movement, for a meeting with the Maharishi. In a lecture I heard him say that within about four years the “sidhas” (people practising the sidhi-techniques) would be seen flying over the Lake Lucerne by yogic powers, thus demonstrating the control over the “field of all possibilities”, as he used to call the base-state of the mind.
There had been great expectations around about developing yogic powers within a short while. It was attracting and misleading the attention to side issues of the path. I had experienced myself quite strong inner energies with these sidhi-techniques, but I only later understood that this isn’t the purpose of a genuine spiritual growth.
In late autumn 1977 – I just had returned from the TM teacher formation course – the German TM-groups were informed that the TM co-ordinator for Germany had been flying with the Maharishi along the “Iron Curtain”, that separated East and West Germany. The Maharishi was reported to have said that the separation of Germany would end within the next months.
I mentioned this to my father, who said to me: “You are crazy. As long as I live, the Iron curtain won’t fall.” I made a bet with him: If within the next 9 month the curtain falls, he would give me 20.000 Deutsche Mark, if nothing happens within a year, I would pay him 1.000 Marks. We signed a paper with my eldest sister as a witness and put it into my father’s safe. Of course nothing happened, and I gave him the 1.000 Mark, which he later returned to me at another occasion. I never made a bet again in my life.
I later heard the Maharshi had said that the iron curtain would fall “within a short time” – whatever this time might be. When 12 years later the curtain and the Berlin Wall fell within an incredibly short time, I was reminded of my bet, and even my father said, he wouldn’t have thought that the political situation could change so quickly.
I became increasingly immune to all kinds of prophecies and soothsaying. When I hear anything, I put it into an “inner broom cupboard”, without letting it touch me.
A photo sent by a friend, of the “mahasamadhi” of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – his conscious passing over in meditation. Copyright: Maharishi-people in Vlodrop, Holland.
P.S.: I just got n e-mail with the text of Deepa Chopra published in The Times of India. It begins saying: “The Maharishi didn’t die like mere mortals do. He just went into what we call ‘maha samadhi’. On January 12 this year, his 91st birthday, he announced that his work in the world was over and he was going into silence. He didn’t speak to a single soul after that day. And today, he has passed so elegantly.”
You might be interested in reading the revelation by Deepak Chopra of an undisclosed illness of Maharishi and the parting of their ways.
February 8th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Maharishi was also the inspiration of my early years. He always spoke in cosmic proportions.
Was he deluded? I don’t think so. I really think he made a difference and I hope the group meditations and homas of the 40.000 brahmin pundits he trained in India will purify the earth consciousness.
Maharishi felt sorry about the decline of the Vedic tradition in India and he wanted to preserve this tradition.
Maharishi was highly appreciated by spiritual luminaries like Anandamayi Ma.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar forwarned his close disciples of the imminent Mahasamadhi of his former master some days before. He said his achievements in the world of spirituality were ‘unsurpassed’
Karunamayi stopped her satsang in India around the time of Maharishi taking Mahasamadhi in Holland for about 10 minutes and said that she watched the passing of this great soul.
I also think that he was truly great but spirituality can’t really be marketed, that was his great flaw…
February 8th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Dear Dirk
Thank you very much for your comment shedding some light on the impact of the Maharishi and the appreciation he received from spiritual luminaries.
I’m not in a position to judge about this, I cannot and don’t want to measure him. I only wrote from the perspective of my individual experiences and showed a little aspect on how he influenced my life.
So I don’t want to diminish or criticize his attainments nor do I know about the deeper purposes he was pursuing in his life. I learned a lot from him, I paid my price – and the path lead me to other shores.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Dear Lutger,
It is true, so many payed their price. Quite a few left disillusioned, many others found other spiritual shores. But I think his purpose was genuine. I remember him taking flowers from his devotees in Amsterdam in 1979.
For every flower came a heartfelt ‘Jai Guru Dev’with really a vibration of offering all he got to his master.
Allthough he was in silence, it is reported that on his deathbed he spoke again about his ‘gurudev’. I can only admire such dedication 55 years after his master left the body.
February 15th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
The “Mahasamadhi” photo you published was taken in 2002. If you want an actual Mahasamadhi photo, I’ll be happy to send you one.
February 17th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Dear Rick
Yes, you are most welcome, thank you for your offer.
May 25th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
‘Maharishi was an emperor and an ascetic’
by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | February 11, 2008
During my late teens, a few of us were sitting with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Switzerland. Maharishi was being briefed about some problems in the Transcendental Meditation movement in America. He said, “Once you are at the top, the peak, there is no plateau. So whoever reaches the peak has to come down.” I quipped, “There is no competition for depth.” At this, Maharishi chuckled with a twinkle in his eye.
I have never seen someone as deep as Maharishi. Perhaps that is the reason why everyone– young and old, scientists and simpletons, could relate to him. When Maharishi would meet with Baba Muktananda or Anandamayi Ma, people would wait to hear philosophical discussions. However, to everyone’s amazement, they would just exchange pleasantries — it was more a joyful occasion to be together. They never discussed about atma or paramatma.
Maharshi had great enthusiasm and would speak for hours at a stretch. Sometimes he would speak on abstract Vedanta or the unified field theory of modern science, concepts that many would not be able to grasp. Nevertheless, his presence would hold people there.
Though seemingly engaged in mundane activities all day, he always maintained such a depth of dispassion. Maharishi did not care for praise or criticism. He was gracious with all saints and swamis, even those critical of him. Whenever someone would express concern about bad publicity, he would reply with a smile, “Badnam to kab ke ho gaye.”
Maharishi always dreamt big and made grand plans to such an extent that people would think it was insane. Perhaps this was a technique to transcend the logical mind. He would quote the Bhagwat Gita, “Yo Buddhe Para Tattva Saha,” (The self is beyond the intellect). Once, just a day before the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya (the third day after new moon in the month of May), Maharishi summoned the Vedic pundits. He asked them to depart at once and perform Bhoomi Puja (ground breaking ceremony) to establish new Vedic centres all across India. Though the organisation had no land in any of these areas, he insisted that Bhoomi Puja be done immediately. He would never take ‘no’ for an answer. Though such tasks would seem mind boggling and appear completely impractical, it would help a sadhak, if he rightly understood, to move beyond doership. He would want people to act at once and his deadline was yesterday!
Maharishi often said, “Hathi ke do daant, ek dikhane ke liye aur doosra khane ke liye,” (An elephant has different sets of teeth, one for show and one to chew with). As an acharya in public life, he would speak about meditating to achieve world peace — but to those very close to him, he spoke in terms of maya, pure consciousness and the Vedas. While his scientific discourses nurtured the intellect, in his heart, Maharishi was a pure Vedantist, soaked in Advaita.
Spiritual seekers often make affirmations such as “Aham Brahmasmi,” (I am the self, in the name of self-awareness or spiritual realisation). Maharishi was against such affirmations, explaining that these were only at the level of thought, which is at the gross level, not in the realm of experience. His expression of Vedanta was so exquisite and subtle that only those who could perceive the subtlety could appreciate it. He would say, “Like oil is present in the seed, Vedanta is present in the Vedas.”
Meditation is the gift he gave to the world. Fifty years ago, meditation was not the household name that it is today. He popularised meditation and the Vedas. Though many would find it difficult to digest his style of functioning, his unique contribution to the field of spirituality remains unparalleled.
It was not always easy to be around Maharishi. He had his own way of explaining and interpreting the Vedas, which many scholars would find hard to accept. Only one who practised meditation and had a deep understanding of consciousness could appreciate it. He often said that being with the Guru is like being in a cocoon — you are completely protected in the Guru’s aura, and you emerge as a butterfly soaring high.
Maharishi was a unique combination of an emperor and an ascetic, a perfect disciple and a Jagadguru,�a modern scientist and a deep traditionalist.
Sri Sri Ravishankar is the founder of the Art of Living Foundation
Source URL: http://www.rediff.com///news/2008/feb/11guest.htm
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:49 am
I visited the Hotel Sonnenberg in 1980 for one day when I was involved in the music industry. I got a brief glimpse of the amazing projectect going on there, especially a state of the art music production studio. I didn’t really understand what the objective was, other than to set up a number of such studios around teh world to produce special music that would have a certain spritual effect.
I’m interested to hear from anyone who knows what this was about, and what happened to that project.
Best wishes,
Peter
February 16th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I usually don’t post in Blogs but your blog forced me to, amazing work.. beautiful …