Maharishi Mahesh Yogi dies

[Deleted]

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the guru who introduced the Beatles to transcendental meditation, has died at his home in Vlodrop, in the Netherlands. He was believed to be around 91 years old. A spokesman for the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement said he had died peacefully, apparently from "natural causes, his age".

Although the maharishi never abandoned his claim to be leading humanity towards a new era of peace and harmony, he transformed his interpretations of ancient scripture into a multimillion-dollar global empire with more than 5m followers worldwide seeking his higher state of consciousness.

A spokesman for the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement said he had died peacefully, apparently from "natural causes, his age".


He first brought his teachings to the United States in 1959, but the movement gained popularity when the Beatles visited his ashram in India in 1968. The band announced they had abandoned LSD after being exposed to his messages of universal love and peace, but disillusionment set in - a line in John Lennon's song Sexy Sadie, "You made a fool of everyone" is said to refer to the maharishi - and they fell out when the band were discovered using drugs at his Himalayan retreat.

Last year, the folk singer Donovan and the film director David Lynch announced plans to open a university in Scotland teaching TM as a means of reducing violence, crime and stress.

Over the years, the maharishi was accused of fraud over his 'yogic flying'. Supporters showed followers apparently hovering in the lotus position. Closer inspection of the footage, however, showed they were hopping, not flying.

In recent years, he became disillusioned that TM had become identified with the counterculture. In 1990 he moved to the former Franciscan monastery in Vlodrop, near the German border, and began speaking only by video even to aides in the same building. Last month, he retreated into silence. "He had been saying he had done what he set out to do."

The Guardian/ UK

[Nitaidas]

I am not far from the Fairfield university of the TMers. It is about 90 miles away. It is quite an impressive establishment to see and has done much to introduce Sanskrit studies to middle America.

[jijaji]

Sexy Sadie was my 1st Guru ..

I bought a TM mantra from him in 1969 for $35... ;D

Sadly he didn't represent his Guru Brahmanda Saraswati of Jyotir Math very well and deviated from the traditional teachings making up his own gig..

Still I liked him at the time (I was a big Beatles fan)

R.I.P. Sexy Sadie

[Deleted]

Body of Beatles guru in India for last rites
-10 Feb 2008-

Yogi, who died Tuesday in his home in the Dutch village of Vlodrop where he had been living since 1990, will be cremated early Monday, an activist of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) told AFP in New Delhi.

He said Maharishi's body was flown to Varanasi before being taken by road to the pilgrimage centre of Allahabad, situated on the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, considered sacred by devout Hindus.

Servihoo News

Ex-Beatles pay tribute to Maharishi


Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr paid tribute to the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Indian guru who famously set the Beatles on the path to spiritual enlightenment.

Sir Paul said: "I was asked for my thoughts on the passing of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and I can only say that whilst I am deeply saddened by his passing, my memories of him will only be joyful ones."

He added: "He was a great man who worked tirelessly for the people of the world and the cause of unity. I will never forget the dedication that he wrote inside a book he once gave me, which read 'radiate, bliss, consciousness', and that to me says it all. I will miss him but will always think of him with a smile."

Starr also released a statement paying his respects. He said: "One of the wise men I met in my life was the Maharishi. I always was impressed by his joy and I truly believe he knows where he is going."

Virgin Media

[hredwood]

Hello What were the main principal teachings and philosophy of Maharishi. Was he impersonal philosophy teacher or personal teacher, Just wondering as the founder of isckon guru would say that impersonal teachings were not as good as the personal philosophy teachings.
But Krsna says that krsna is both personal and impersonal.

[JD33]

Nitai-Gaur, Radhey-Shyam; Hare Krsna, Hare Ram.

Actually he came down in a Shankar Bhakti line. I know this through discussions with my cousin who has been in the inner group there for many decades. Once on the inside one is Intiatied into Guru puja and reading of Bhagavat as important daily sadhana.

[Deleted]

Jul 23, 2020 0:12:14 GMT -6 JD33 said:

Nitai-Gaur, Radhey-Shyam; Hare Krsna, Hare Ram.

Actually he came down in a Shankar Bhakti line. I know this through discussions with my cousin who has been in the inner group there for many decades. Once on the inside one is Intiatied into Guru puja and reading of Bhagavat as important daily sadhana.

Maharishi was a disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math not a "Shankar Bhakti Line" at all, Gurudev (as he was referred to) taught and lived pretty much as a Shankaracarya would, and being the Shankaracarya of one of Adi-Shankaras Mutts I can tell you they do not study Srimad Bhagavatam...

There has always been Bhakti in Advaita Sampradaya, as Adi-Shankar recommended that for the lay community but it was not towards a specific istadev alone, also it was the Sannyasins that were doing the mahavakyas and atma-vichara...

[Nitaidas]

Feb 6, 2021 19:12:13 GMT -6 @jijaji said:

Jul 23, 2020 0:12:14 GMT -6 JD33 said:

Nitai-Gaur, Radhey-Shyam; Hare Krsna, Hare Ram.

Actually he came down in a Shankar Bhakti line. I know this through discussions with my cousin who has been in the inner group there for many decades. Once on the inside one is Intiatied into Guru puja and reading of Bhagavat as important daily sadhana.

Maharishi was a disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math not a "Shankar Bhakti Line" at all, Gurudev (as he was referred to) taught and lived pretty much as a Shankaracarya would, and being the Shankaracarya of one of Adi-Shankaras Mutts I can tell you they do not study Srimad Bhagavatam...

There has always been Bhakti in Advaita Sampradaya, as Adi-Shankar recommended that for the lay community but it was not towards a specific istadev alone, also it was the Sannyasins that were doing the mahavakyas and atma-vichara...

This is apparently not true, Sri Jijaji (I don't know why your name has been replaced by Deleted sometimes. Maybe we should make you Jijaji2.) There is a biography out translated from a Hindi work that says Swami Brahmananda Saraswati loved the Bhagavata and studied it assiduously. It is no surprise. Many Advaitins love the text, Akhandananda Sarasvati of Vrindaban, for instance. And Karpatri, too, I believe. The Bhagavata, after all, is really a non-dualist text, full of maya-vada. Sridhara Swami too is an Advaitin. We Caitanyites have to do a complicated hermeneutic dance to make it say what we what it to say. Even in TM the text is reserved for advanced members (my ex-TM friend informs me).

Have a look at volume one of Brahmanananda Sarasvati's bio here.

Somewhere around by messy office I have a pre-publication version of the book. I will post it if I find it.

A lot has changed in our understanding of Sankaracarya in the last half a century or so. I have posted a lot about it in various threads on this site. I will post some of the seminal articles that have reformed our understanding of who Sankara really was and what he really wrote. Naturally, our acaryas were in the dark about him. It has been my view for years that we really come in a Sankara lineage, not a Madhva one. The Madhva connection was made up by Baladeva Vidyabhusana to rescue CV control over Govindaji in Jayapur.

Anyway, good to see you here again, babu.

[Nitaidas]

I am sad announce that Jijaji has exited the forum. Perhaps he will be back someday. May he live long and prosper.

राधे राधे !