Transcript
The depth of the lake, and the ripples, and the beautiful reflection of the glacier, remind me of the story of inner life. The mind is deep like a lake. The ripples on the surface represent the conscious mind, the activity of the mind on the surface,and the whole depth of the lake is silent. And that is the sub-conscious mind, which is not used by the waves. But if the waves could deepen and incorporate more silent levels of the water, the waves could become the waves of the ocean, the mighty waves.
This is what happens in Transcendental Meditation. The surface activity of the conscious mind deepens, and incorporates within its fold the depth of the subconscious. And with practice, nothing remains subconscious. The whole subconscious becomes conscious. A man starts using full potential of the mind. And the reflection of the glacier of the water is like the impression of the objects that the mind receives. And as long as the mind is not capable of maintaining its essential nature, which is bliss consciousness, so long the mind gets imprinted by the perception of the objects, and this is called the bondage of the mind. The mind looses bliss consciousness, and gains the joy of the reflections of the world, the joy of the relative order, loosing the bliss of the absolute, eternal being. When the mind is not capable of maintaining its essential nature, bliss consciousness, and is overshadowed by the objects of perception, then only the object remains, and the subject as if becomes annihilated. This annihilation of the subjective nature within is a great loss, it's a loss of eternal bliss at the cost of temporary joys.
Such a life, where the value of the matter dominates, is called material life, and the spirit gets annihilated. But, when through the practice of Transcendental Meditation, the mind goes deep within to the source of thought, transcends the thought, and gains bliss consciousness, and is capable of maintaining that even when it comes out into the world - the experience of objective nature - then it is called spiritual life. Then the spirit is not capable of being overshadowed anymore by the objective experience, and this is spiritual life, this is life in eternal liberation, and without this, life is in bondage. A great loss, as if loss of a billion pounds, and gain of a million. Loss of eternal bliss consciousness, and gain of a wordily, fleeting joy.
The vision, the vision of the lake brings about a great teaching of spiritual life. Life is bliss. It's pure existence, just like the flower is the sap. Different layers of manifestation of pure existence, pure Being, absolute consciousness, pure intelligence - this is what life is. And as it expresses itself, it expresses in layers of existence, layers of energy, layers of intelligence, layers of bliss, happiness, this is life. See all this beautiful nature. People in their sad and miserable moods, in their stressed and strained life, even if they come out to the beautiful nature, they can't enjoy. What is needed is the bliss out of Transcendental Meditation - the joy, the happy mood. If all the population of the people would practice Transcendental Meditation, they'd enjoy all this nature to the maximum.
We are going to create a society free from stress and suffering and strain, and then clearly the gift of God on earth, such pretty nature, will be enjoyed by everyone.
This is what happens in Transcendental Meditation. The surface activity of the conscious mind deepens, and incorporates within its fold the depth of the subconscious. And with practice, nothing remains subconscious. The whole subconscious becomes conscious. A man starts using full potential of the mind. And the reflection of the glacier of the water is like the impression of the objects that the mind receives. And as long as the mind is not capable of maintaining its essential nature, which is bliss consciousness, so long the mind gets imprinted by the perception of the objects, and this is called the bondage of the mind. The mind looses bliss consciousness, and gains the joy of the reflections of the world, the joy of the relative order, loosing the bliss of the absolute, eternal being. When the mind is not capable of maintaining its essential nature, bliss consciousness, and is overshadowed by the objects of perception, then only the object remains, and the subject as if becomes annihilated. This annihilation of the subjective nature within is a great loss, it's a loss of eternal bliss at the cost of temporary joys.
Such a life, where the value of the matter dominates, is called material life, and the spirit gets annihilated. But, when through the practice of Transcendental Meditation, the mind goes deep within to the source of thought, transcends the thought, and gains bliss consciousness, and is capable of maintaining that even when it comes out into the world - the experience of objective nature - then it is called spiritual life. Then the spirit is not capable of being overshadowed anymore by the objective experience, and this is spiritual life, this is life in eternal liberation, and without this, life is in bondage. A great loss, as if loss of a billion pounds, and gain of a million. Loss of eternal bliss consciousness, and gain of a wordily, fleeting joy.
The vision, the vision of the lake brings about a great teaching of spiritual life. Life is bliss. It's pure existence, just like the flower is the sap. Different layers of manifestation of pure existence, pure Being, absolute consciousness, pure intelligence - this is what life is. And as it expresses itself, it expresses in layers of existence, layers of energy, layers of intelligence, layers of bliss, happiness, this is life. See all this beautiful nature. People in their sad and miserable moods, in their stressed and strained life, even if they come out to the beautiful nature, they can't enjoy. What is needed is the bliss out of Transcendental Meditation - the joy, the happy mood. If all the population of the people would practice Transcendental Meditation, they'd enjoy all this nature to the maximum.
We are going to create a society free from stress and suffering and strain, and then clearly the gift of God on earth, such pretty nature, will be enjoyed by everyone.
AUDIENCE: When you meditate transcendentally, what do you meditate about? Do you meditate about silence, or about source of thought, or about the metaphysics of the soul, or about being as being, or about a fullness of existence, or what more concretely?
MAHARIRSHI: In Transcendental Meditation, the definition cannot be framed on what we meditate. We don't meditate about anything. Transcendental Meditation is something in which we don't meditate about anything. Meditation about anything means contemplation. Meditate about the petal, thing all this and this, this I call contemplation, and contemplation is thinking about something on the level of meaning. It's like swimming on the surface of the pond. In thinking about something, we come across newer and newer meaning, newer and newer phases about it. It's like swimming on the surface, and finding new horizons, but swimming on the surface.
Transcendental Meditation is diving deep into the pond. In this Transcendental Meditation, we don't meditate about something. What we do is experience the finer state of thought. Not an intellectual process. It's a mechanical process of direct perception, direct experience. Experience of thought, experience of finer state of though, experience of finest state of thought, experience of source of thought. Direct experience, not thinking about something.
AUDIENCE: Now this experience of thought, what experiences thought? Thought experiences itself, or thought experiences an object?
MAHARISHI: Mind experiences the thought. The thought is the object of experience in this case. Grosser state of thought and subtle state of thought.
AUDIENCE: I understate that you have said that the the principal end of Transcendental Meditation is the expansion of consciousness, the expansion of mind, and I assume also that...
MAHARISHI: Expansion of the mind is the result of this process of experiencing finer states of thought. When these finer states of thought are experienced, then the mind expands. So expansion of the mind is the result, it's not the process.
AUDIENCE: Will the mind experience itself, will the mind experience mind?
MAHARISHI: Mind experiences the thought. Mind is the experiencer, and thought is the object of experience
MAHARIRSHI: In Transcendental Meditation, the definition cannot be framed on what we meditate. We don't meditate about anything. Transcendental Meditation is something in which we don't meditate about anything. Meditation about anything means contemplation. Meditate about the petal, thing all this and this, this I call contemplation, and contemplation is thinking about something on the level of meaning. It's like swimming on the surface of the pond. In thinking about something, we come across newer and newer meaning, newer and newer phases about it. It's like swimming on the surface, and finding new horizons, but swimming on the surface.
Transcendental Meditation is diving deep into the pond. In this Transcendental Meditation, we don't meditate about something. What we do is experience the finer state of thought. Not an intellectual process. It's a mechanical process of direct perception, direct experience. Experience of thought, experience of finer state of though, experience of finest state of thought, experience of source of thought. Direct experience, not thinking about something.
AUDIENCE: Now this experience of thought, what experiences thought? Thought experiences itself, or thought experiences an object?
MAHARISHI: Mind experiences the thought. The thought is the object of experience in this case. Grosser state of thought and subtle state of thought.
AUDIENCE: I understate that you have said that the the principal end of Transcendental Meditation is the expansion of consciousness, the expansion of mind, and I assume also that...
MAHARISHI: Expansion of the mind is the result of this process of experiencing finer states of thought. When these finer states of thought are experienced, then the mind expands. So expansion of the mind is the result, it's not the process.
AUDIENCE: Will the mind experience itself, will the mind experience mind?
MAHARISHI: Mind experiences the thought. Mind is the experiencer, and thought is the object of experience
There could be so many systems of meditation - mind control and trying to concentrate here and there - but all these procedures put the mind to strain, some kind of resistance, because if you try to concentrate the mind… holding the mind in once spot… what is necessary is to let the mind move, until all the moving comes to a standstill in a natural way, that state of least excitation of consciousness is gained. It can only be gained in a natural way. Any effort, any trying to accomplish that state of least excitation will always keep the mind in an excited state. So in the name of meditation, so many systems are there - they have existed since all times - but they keep the mind in strain, in stress, they don't relax the mind. Transcendental Meditation, being a very natural procedure, by itself the mind settles down and once it reaches that state of least excitation, then it becomes most orderly. Orderly thinking starts, behaviours become better, everything in life starts from that experience of least excited state of consciousness.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight: exclusive, he was the Beatles' spiritual guru, and he turned the world on to transcendental meditation. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi gives his first TV interview in 25 years. Next on LARRY KING WEEKEND.
It's a great pleasure to welcome to LARRY KING LIVE, from Vlodrop, Holland, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
He is the author of the famous book, 'Science of Being and Art of Living: Transcendental Meditation.' He has not done an interview in 25 years. The book has been newly revised and updated. And it's an honor to welcome him to this program.
Is Maharishi a title or a name?
MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI, SPIRITUAL GURU AND AUTHOR: Title, I think. People begin to call significant of the characteristic of the word 'Maharishi.' 'Maha' means great and 'Rishi' is a seer. The seer of reality. The seer, that's what people called, and it became a sort of name.
KING: What is transcendental meditation?
MAHARISHI: Transcendental meditation is something that can be defined as a means to do what one wants to do in a better way, in a right way, for maximum results. It's a program that the mind begins to experience its own finer impressions, finer thoughts, and then finally transcends the finest thought. And that is the level of what they call self-referral pure consciousness, which is the ultimate reality of life, pure intelligence from where the creation emerges, from where the administration of life is maintained, from where physical expression of the universe has its basis.
So transcendental meditation brings about transcendental consciousness, which is self-referral consciousness, the source of all intelligence.
KING: Why...
MAHARISHI: That level of intelligence becomes creative intelligence.
KING: Why does it sound so hard to learn? MAHARISHI: I've been teaching transcendental meditation for 40, 50 years in the world, and everyone who has learned it knows how simple it is, how easy it is, because one's own consciousness cannot be difficult to anyone.
It's one's own life. It's one's own intelligence. It's nothing difficult at all.
KING: Is there a major first step to take? Suppose I want to learn this completely, what's the first thing, other than getting the re-release of your book, the first thing I should do?
MAHARISHI: Intend to have a better life. Just intention to have a more successful life. Think better. Create better influence for others and for oneself. Just the desire to be a better man, that's all.
KING: So we begin with the desire, which sounds very nice, but does this require a change of personality?
MAHARISHI: Change of personality will be for good as a result of it. But the intention is, wherever one is, one makes a plunge into the transcendent. That's all.
There is nothing difficult, there is nothing complicated, only one has to have a desire to have a better quality of life. And for that, one has so much of scientific research now. Hundreds of scientific researches, volumes full of volumes there are.
And that you have mentioned that book, 'Science of Being and Art of Living,' that was the first book that I wrote about 40 years ago. And now dozens of books are there. Hundreds of -- thousands of these videotapes are there for the world.
KING: Why have you been quiet for some time now? Why have you not -- have we not seen you much?
MAHARISHI: No, I was not quiet. Only, I got into creating the effect. I was teaching transcendental meditation for 30, 40 years, but I found that the world is not yet to the extent of possibility in the field of good.
So I realized that talking about like this, and on and on -- I realized that talking is not too much important. Creating the effect in the world -- and now I am engaging in creating the effect in the world.
KING: What you have to say is very important. One would hope that from now on we'll be hearing more of you.
MAHARISHI: People know enough good, but they are not able to do it because the effect from outside, the influence from outside -- his own society, other countries, other cultures, even sun, moon, stars, galaxies, influence. So many, many influences from all over the world make the mind of a man, make his intellect to decide this and this and this. So if people do what they know to be good, the knowledge of good is enough in the world for them to be really happy and really peaceful and really remarkably friendly and supportive to everyone.
KING: Does it also improve you from a health standpoint? A physical health standpoint?
MAHARISHI: Great amount of scientific research is there to show that health is better because transcendental meditation deals with consciousness, and consciousness is the basic value of all the physical expressions. The entire creation is the expression of consciousness.
So when we handle consciousness through our attention, the consciousness becomes awake. More awake, so more healthy.
So we see this transcendental meditation has very good effect on health. It's like the gardener watering the root of life and supplying nourishment to all the leaves and all the branches and everything.
KING: Let me get a break and come right back with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on this edition of LARRY KING LIVE. One of the great spiritual leaders in the world. Don't go away.
It's a great pleasure to welcome to LARRY KING LIVE, from Vlodrop, Holland, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
He is the author of the famous book, 'Science of Being and Art of Living: Transcendental Meditation.' He has not done an interview in 25 years. The book has been newly revised and updated. And it's an honor to welcome him to this program.
Is Maharishi a title or a name?
MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI, SPIRITUAL GURU AND AUTHOR: Title, I think. People begin to call significant of the characteristic of the word 'Maharishi.' 'Maha' means great and 'Rishi' is a seer. The seer of reality. The seer, that's what people called, and it became a sort of name.
KING: What is transcendental meditation?
MAHARISHI: Transcendental meditation is something that can be defined as a means to do what one wants to do in a better way, in a right way, for maximum results. It's a program that the mind begins to experience its own finer impressions, finer thoughts, and then finally transcends the finest thought. And that is the level of what they call self-referral pure consciousness, which is the ultimate reality of life, pure intelligence from where the creation emerges, from where the administration of life is maintained, from where physical expression of the universe has its basis.
So transcendental meditation brings about transcendental consciousness, which is self-referral consciousness, the source of all intelligence.
KING: Why...
MAHARISHI: That level of intelligence becomes creative intelligence.
KING: Why does it sound so hard to learn? MAHARISHI: I've been teaching transcendental meditation for 40, 50 years in the world, and everyone who has learned it knows how simple it is, how easy it is, because one's own consciousness cannot be difficult to anyone.
It's one's own life. It's one's own intelligence. It's nothing difficult at all.
KING: Is there a major first step to take? Suppose I want to learn this completely, what's the first thing, other than getting the re-release of your book, the first thing I should do?
MAHARISHI: Intend to have a better life. Just intention to have a more successful life. Think better. Create better influence for others and for oneself. Just the desire to be a better man, that's all.
KING: So we begin with the desire, which sounds very nice, but does this require a change of personality?
MAHARISHI: Change of personality will be for good as a result of it. But the intention is, wherever one is, one makes a plunge into the transcendent. That's all.
There is nothing difficult, there is nothing complicated, only one has to have a desire to have a better quality of life. And for that, one has so much of scientific research now. Hundreds of scientific researches, volumes full of volumes there are.
And that you have mentioned that book, 'Science of Being and Art of Living,' that was the first book that I wrote about 40 years ago. And now dozens of books are there. Hundreds of -- thousands of these videotapes are there for the world.
KING: Why have you been quiet for some time now? Why have you not -- have we not seen you much?
MAHARISHI: No, I was not quiet. Only, I got into creating the effect. I was teaching transcendental meditation for 30, 40 years, but I found that the world is not yet to the extent of possibility in the field of good.
So I realized that talking about like this, and on and on -- I realized that talking is not too much important. Creating the effect in the world -- and now I am engaging in creating the effect in the world.
KING: What you have to say is very important. One would hope that from now on we'll be hearing more of you.
MAHARISHI: People know enough good, but they are not able to do it because the effect from outside, the influence from outside -- his own society, other countries, other cultures, even sun, moon, stars, galaxies, influence. So many, many influences from all over the world make the mind of a man, make his intellect to decide this and this and this. So if people do what they know to be good, the knowledge of good is enough in the world for them to be really happy and really peaceful and really remarkably friendly and supportive to everyone.
KING: Does it also improve you from a health standpoint? A physical health standpoint?
MAHARISHI: Great amount of scientific research is there to show that health is better because transcendental meditation deals with consciousness, and consciousness is the basic value of all the physical expressions. The entire creation is the expression of consciousness.
So when we handle consciousness through our attention, the consciousness becomes awake. More awake, so more healthy.
So we see this transcendental meditation has very good effect on health. It's like the gardener watering the root of life and supplying nourishment to all the leaves and all the branches and everything.
KING: Let me get a break and come right back with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on this edition of LARRY KING LIVE. One of the great spiritual leaders in the world. Don't go away.
1
Maharishi tells the story of inner life (6:11)
Founder of the Transcendental Meditation technique, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, talks about the nature of the mind and inner life. CBC documentary, Lake Lousie, Canada.
2
What do you meditate about? (3:53)
Speaking to the Harvard Law School Forum in 1970, Maharishi answers the question: "In Transcendental Meditation, what do you meditate about?"
3
Maharishi on the Merv Griffin Show, 1975 (1:29)
Maharishi talks about the "least excited" state of consciousness, where the mind is completely settled and silent.
4
Maharishi on Larry King Live (8:06)
Maharishi is interviewed on Larry King Live. In his first interview in 25 years, Maharishi talks about the meaning of his name, the Transcendental Meditation technique, and the intention to have a better quality of life.