Teaching on consciousness
editMaharishi’s teaching on consciousness can be seen in his 1994 book Maharishi Vedic University – Introduction[1] to unfold at three levels: individual, collective and fundamental:
With reference to waking, dreaming and sleeping, he defines a fourth state: “Those who practise Transcendental Meditation have the experience that Transcendental Consciousness is unbounded awareness – it is pure wakefulness; it is fully awake within itself; it knows only itself and nothing else. This experience of self-referral unbounded awareness enlivens the holistic level of functioning of the whole brain physiology.[2]
There are important practical implications: the whole population of the world is violating Natural Law, and consequently human life everywhere is shrouded with problems. The only way out is that one should develop higher states of consciousness and thereby live enlightenment and fulfilment in daily life – Heaven on Earth.[3] Maharishi says: “'Fruit of all knowledge' [means] the ability to live mistake-free life in higher states of consciousness, daily life in full accordance with all the Laws of Nature, with the spontaneous ability to do everything right and achieve anything.” [4]
Moreover, the practice of a few individuals can have a direct effect on the environment: “Coherence in collective consciousness and positivity and harmony in national consciousness is produced by the group practice of Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation.” [5]
And, at the fundamental level: “The infinite diversity and dynamism of the creation is just the expression of the eternally silent, self-referral, self-sufficient, unbounded field of consciousness. All life emerges from and is sustained in consciousness. The whole universe is the expression of consciousness; the reality of the universe is one unbounded ocean of consciousness in motion.” [6]
On the basis of this unfolding of the concept of consciousness, Maharishi declares: “The truth is that the Light of God is eternally the same, and it is available to the enlightened in his own self-referral consciousness, which is transcendental reality and is actually never influenced by the language in which it is expressed. In the language of religion, act in accordance with the Will of God; or, in the language of science, live life according to Natural Law.” [7] Therefore the Light of God is the goal of every religion.[8]
Maharishi’s teaching on consciousness
editMaharishi’s teaching on consciousness is available in his 1994 book Maharishi Vedic University – Introduction.[9] It is embedded in a discussion of education:
Other universities in the world have the ability to constantly increase the thirst for knowledge without ever satisfying it. As knowledge is structured in consciousness, consciousness is the basic reality of all knowledge. Without the intellectual understanding of consciousness, and without the experience of consciousness, the expressions of the field of consciousness are meaningless, baseless and fruitless. [Experience of consciousness refers to] research in consciousness the, journey of the attention through sequentially finer levels of the thought process, until awareness fathoms the source of thought, [ie] the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programme.[10]
Maharishi can be seen to unfold the concept of consciousness at three levels: individual, collective and fundamental. On the basis of that unfoldment he declares the goal of every religion to be higher consciousness.
Individual consciousness
editHe begins with a definition. What is consciousness? Consciousness is that which is conscious of itself; wherever subject is experiencing object; wherever subject (knower) is knowing object, these three together are indications of the existence of consciousness. The seven states of consciousness are: waking, dreaming, sleeping, transcendental consciousness, cosmic consciousness, God consciousness and unity consciousness. Defining the fourth of these, he says “Those who practise Transcendental Meditation have the experience that Transcendental Consciousness is unbounded awareness – it is pure wakefulness; it is fully awake within itself; it knows only itself and nothing else. This experience of self-referral unbounded awareness enlivens the holistic level of functioning of the whole brain physiology.” [11] He has explained in a lecture that alternating transcendental consciousness with the first three states develops in time the ability to maintain it together with the first three, resulting in cosmic consciousness.[citation needed] Finally, he notes that knowledge is different in different states of consciousness.[12]
This has important practical consequences: the whole population of the world is violating Natural Law, and consequently human life everywhere is shrouded with problems The only way out is that one should develop higher states of consciousness and thereby live enlightenment and fulfilment in daily life – Heaven on Earth.[13] Maharishi says: “‘Fruit of all knowledge’ is the ability to live mistake-free life in higher states of consciousness, daily life in full accordance with all the Laws of Nature, with the spontaneous ability to do everything right and achieve anything.”[14]
In an interview, Maharishi explains that enlightenment is the normal, natural state of health for the body and mind. It results from the full development of consciousness and depends upon the perfect and harmonious functioning of every part of the body and nervous system. When one is using the full potential of the mind and body in this way, every thought and action is spontaneously correct and life-supporting. This is life free from suffering, life lived in its full stature and significance. The goal of the Transcendental Meditation Technique is the state of enlightenment. This means we experience that inner calmness, that quiet state of least excitation, even when we are dynamically busy.[15]
Collective consciousness
editAccording to Orme-Johnson & Dillbeck,[16]citing Maharishi:[17] "Each level of society is described as having its own characteristic collective consciousness, such as family consciousness, community consciousness, city consciousness, state or provincial consciousness, national consciousness, and world consciousness."
Maharishi claims that individual practice has a net effect on the collective consciousness: "Now millions of Vedic Scientists practising Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation, researching in their own field of consciousness, are busy creating purity in world consciousness, the fertile ground for Heaven on Earth." [18] Further, "coherence in collective consciousness and positivity and harmony in national consciousness is produced by the group practice of Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation.” [19]
Consciousness as fundamental
editNow Maharishi asserts that consciousness is prior to matter: the sound of self-reverberating consciousness, the sound of intelligence in motion, evolves into structures of sound the alphabet, syllables, words, phrases, sentences, and the same mechanics of transformation continues to transform sound (frequency) into form, giving rise to particles of material creation.[20] He says “The infinite diversity and dynamism of the creation is just the expression of the eternally silent, self-referral, self-sufficient, unbounded field of consciousness. All life emerges from and is sustained in consciousness. The whole universe is the expression of consciousness. The reality of the universe is one unbounded ocean of consciousness in motion.” [21]
The goal of every religion is higher consciousness
editOn the basis of this elaboration of the concept of consciousness, Maharishi declares: “The truth is that the Light of God is eternally the same, and it is available to the enlightened in his own self-referral consciousness, which is transcendental reality and is actually never influenced by the language in which it is expressed. In the language of religion, act in accordance with the ‘Will of God’; or, in the language of science, live life according to Natural Law.” [22] Enlightened people of every religion rightfully see the light of their own Lord everywhere, and on that level the Light of God prevails; appreciation and glorification of the reality of their own religion prevails. The Light of God is the goal of every religion.[23]
With reference to religion, Heaven on Earth will be characterized by immediate response to one's prayer. From the platform of every religion, Heaven on Earth will be characterized by life in accord with the will of God - life in accord with Natural Law. With Heaven on Earth, everyone will spontaneously radiate the grace of God in his daily life. The message of bliss has been the message of all the great Masters of all religions of all times. Christ said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you." Buddha gave the message of nirvana. The Upanishads speak of the same sat-chit-ananda, eternal bliss consciousness, that is your own Self. – Maharishi[24]
Notes
edit- ^ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1994) Maharishi Vedic University – Introduction. Holland, Maharishi Vedic University Press, ISBN 90-7175-017-5, referred to below as MVUI
- ^ MVUI pp 155, 260
- ^ MVUI p 69
- ^ MVUI p11
- ^ MVUI pp 280-281
- ^ MVUI pp 67-68
- ^ MVUI pp 230, 216
- ^ MVUI p230-231
- ^ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1994) Maharishi Vedic University – Introduction. Holland, Maharishi Vedic University Press, ISBN 90-7175-017-5
- ^ MVUI pp 12, 14, 8, 18-23, 224, 20
- ^ MVUI pp 53, 161, 155, 260
- ^ MVUI p 160
- ^ MVUI p 69
- ^ MVUI p11
- ^ Interview with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: "What is Enlightenment?" [1]>
- ^ Orme-Johnson, D.W. & Dillbeck, M.C. (1987). Maharishi’s Program to Create World Peace: Theory and Research, Modern Science and Vedic Science, 1, 2, 206–259. [2]
- ^ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (1977). Creating an Ideal Society. Rheinweiler, West Germany: MERU Press., pp. 123–124
- ^ MVUI p201
- ^ MVUI pp 280-281
- ^ MVUI pp 63-64
- ^ MVUI pp 67-68
- ^ MVUI pp 230, 216
- ^ MVUI p229-231
- ^ Footnote on a page of the private website AllTM.org [3]>
Teaching on consciousness revised
editin addition to a meditative technique, which he referred to as the experiential component of his teaching, Maharishi also offered a theoretical component, which he said helped one understand the experience and benefits of the practice. A central aspect of the theoretical component was Maharishi’s teaching on consciousness. He defined consciousness as being an eternally silent, self-referral, self-sufficient, unbounded field of existence, and said that the diversity and dynamism of all of creation is the expression of this field. Further, he said that during the Transcendental Meditation technique, the individual experiences this underlying field of existence. He referred to this as being the experience of transcendental consciousness, which he said is pure awareness — that is, awareness without an object of awareness or without any specific thought. He described this experience as pure wakefulness, and said that the experience of this enlivens all aspects of the brain in an integrated way. He taught that repeated experience of transcendental consciousness could lead to the permanent experience of higher states of consciousness, in which this experience of the unbounded field of existence during meditation is maintained in daily life. And he taught that individuals experiencing transcendental consciousness can affect the environment. He reasoned that since pure consciousness is at the basis of everything and is the source of the diversity and dynamism and orderly functioning of nature, then enlivening this underlying field during meditation is enlivening orderliness in the environment.
He encouraged research of some of these teaching regarding consciousness, and scientists have identified unique physiological, neurophysiological, and psychological characteristics of transcendental consciousness, and of the experience of maintaining transcendental consciousness in daily activity. They have also studied brain integration and the effect of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs on the environment.