| Never think that war, no matter how necessary, | | | | prince Arjuna is morally confused about whether |
| nor how justified, is not a crime.--Ernest | | | | or not to fight and kill his own relatives. Lord |
| Hemingway | | | | Krishna instructs Arjuna, "This body is the |
| There was little fanfare when Maharishi Mahesh | | | | battlefield." The war is the struggle all spiritual |
| Yogi died in 2008 at the age of 91--a brief | | | | aspirants experience when dealing with the results |
| obituary and some newspaper items about the | | | | of their actions. In other words, life is a continuous |
| Beatles meeting him India in 1968. In fact, | | | | struggle when lived in the world of duality or |
| whenever Maharishi's name appeared in the press, | | | | ignorance. |
| the Beatles grabbed the headlines. Yet the | | | | In the realm of higher consciousness or cosmic |
| diminutive pundit who introduced a unique form of | | | | consciousness, Maharishi's teaching never |
| meditation to the west changed the lives of | | | | approached meditation spiritually. Yogastha Kuru |
| millions, from ashrams to board rooms all over | | | | Karmani is as close as it gets. Supposedly, if you |
| the world. | | | | continue meditating somehow you will become |
| Little Monk - Heart Like a Lion | | | | enlightened and live life in oneness with the Self. |
| A disciple of 20th century Indian Saint | | | | But what does all that mean? Maharishi's "Do |
| Brahmananda Saraswati of the Shankaracharya | | | | Nothing, Accomplish Everything" means you are |
| tradition, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was a spiritual | | | | not the doer. Yet many people say they have |
| teacher with a masters in Physics. He started the | | | | practiced various forms of meditation for decades |
| Spiritual Regeneration Movement in 1957. Realizing | | | | and have yet to achieve that state of |
| the label would not have the same appeal in | | | | self-realization. |
| western culture, he changed its name and began | | | | "The Power of Now" |
| teaching the technique he learned from his master | | | | In his book, "The Power of Now," in seminars and |
| using specific Indian mantras. If you were not | | | | videos, modern day spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle |
| living in a cave during the mid-20th century, | | | | describes non-duality as "being present." When we |
| chances are you're acquainted with this meditation. | | | | are totally present, in the moment, without |
| Educated in the sciences, Maharishi concluded our | | | | interference by the 'egoic' mind, whatever |
| decisions and actions are tied directly to the | | | | decisions we make or actions we take will be the |
| physiology and bio-chemistry of the body, as well | | | | right ones because we are not the doer. |
| as neural pathways of the brain or nervous | | | | Therefore, when a person is totally present he is |
| system. By observation and experiment he | | | | living in the harmonious state of oneness with |
| demonstrated how meditation affects the mind | | | | God. |
| and body by lowering blood pressure, lessening | | | | In a previous article, "Consciousness Rising and the |
| A.D.H.D. and various other physical, social and | | | | Art of Being," the paragraph "Courage Under Fire," |
| emotional disorders. Dr. Deepak Chopra was one | | | | I write about being with American soldiers who |
| of Maharishi's early proponents in the United | | | | had to fight off a Vietcong attack on a village |
| States. | | | | where I was staying. Faced with having to make |
| Another advocate was physician Herbert Benson, | | | | on-the-spot decisions, the soldiers performed with |
| founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at | | | | unimaginable courage and profound efficiency. |
| Massachusetts General Hospital and former | | | | With no time to think, they acted spontaneously, |
| professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. | | | | and they saved my life. They were completely in |
| After learning Maharishi's meditation technique, Dr. | | | | the moment, which is our natural state. It was like |
| Benson experimented on his own. Substituting | | | | Arjuna taking his cue from Krishna. |
| other word imagery for Indian mantras, he called | | | | A Golden Age |
| his method "The Relaxation Response." | | | | Hatred, genocide and war would be impossible if |
| Do Less Accomplish More | | | | the entire planet lived in the harmonious state of |
| Research over the last 50 years confirms what | | | | oneness. The key is to live in that state 24/7. |
| eastern cultures have known for millennia. While | | | | India abounds with stories of people who lived in |
| sitting with eyes closed for 20-30 minutes twice | | | | caves for decades until they achieved God |
| daily, beginning by repeating a mantra, the | | | | realization. 2,500 years ago The Buddha struggled |
| meditator seemingly isn't doing much of anything. | | | | endlessly before sitting under a Bodhi (fig) tree for |
| Yet while in the transcendental state, deep | | | | six years until he attained enlightenment. Though |
| stresses are released and greater health prevails. | | | | there might be a few, most 21st century |
| The person returns to the active waking state | | | | aspirants are not suited for that role. Yet many |
| refreshed, relaxed and able to function more | | | | have lived and studied in the presence of realized |
| effectively with less effort. Maharishi coined the | | | | teachers for decades and are still seeking "the |
| two phrases "do less, accomplish more," and "do | | | | brass ring." |
| nothing, accomplish everything." A student of the | | | | Perhaps the earth is older than even scientists |
| Tao Te Ching of Lao-Tsu will be familiar with the | | | | think. Or not. Is it possible there once was a |
| following: | | | | golden age when all humans lived with love and |
| "The further one goes, the less one knows | | | | respect for each other? Could it be that because |
| Thus the Sage does not go, yet he knows | | | | times got to be so good, people became careless |
| He does not look, yet he sees | | | | and forgot about the importance of vigilance? |
| He does not do, yet all is done." | | | | Today there is an urgency to evolve. Rising |
| Non-Duality and Yogastha Kuru Karmani | | | | consciousness demands it. No one gives you |
| Roughly translated, the above Sanskrit phrase | | | | enlightenment. It isn't earned by good deeds or |
| from the sacred Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad | | | | withheld by bad. Everything happens in accordance |
| Gita, means "established in Being, perform action." | | | | with the laws of nature, i.e. automatically. |
| The story told in the Gita is an allegory for every | | | | Consciousness does not make mistakes. |
| human being. The scenario is a battlefield where | | | | |