Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Biography Quotes 4 Report mistakes

Early life and education
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, born Mahesh Prasad Varma, emerged from central India in the late 1910s (often cited as 1917 or 1918) during the final decades of British rule. Accounts describe a quiet, studious youth who pursued modern learning alongside exposure to India's spiritual traditions. He studied physics at the University of Allahabad, a background he later invoked when presenting meditation in scientific terms. In his telling, the rigor of scientific method and the experiential precision of meditation were not in conflict but mutually illuminating approaches to understanding consciousness and natural law.

Discipleship under Guru Dev
In the 1940s he became a close disciple and secretary to Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, widely revered as Guru Dev, the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math in the Himalayan tradition of Advaita Vedanta. The years in Guru Dev's service were decisive. Maharishi absorbed a direct, simple technique of meditation and the ideal of inner stillness accessible to householders as well as monks. After Guru Dev's passing in 1953, Maharishi spent extended time in retreat in the Himalayas before deciding to bring meditation to the broader public as a practical means to reduce stress and awaken clarity of mind.

Global teaching and the rise of Transcendental Meditation
By the mid-1950s he was traveling across India giving public talks and courses. He founded the Spiritual Regeneration Movement to carry his teaching beyond India and, soon after, began to use the term Transcendental Meditation (TM) for the effortless technique he taught. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he toured Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America, offering short, structured courses. His public image combined the traditional saffron-clad monk with a precise, almost technical description of how a simple technique could produce deep rest, reduce anxiety, and unfold creativity. He organized national TM organizations, training teachers who would carry the method to schools, companies, and communities.

The Beatles and the 1960s cultural moment
His global profile rose dramatically in 1967, 1968 through contact with leading figures in music and film. The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, attended his lectures in London and a seminar in Bangor, then traveled to his ashram in Rishikesh. They were joined by friends and artists such as Donovan, Mia Farrow, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, and Prudence Farrow. The stay yielded a burst of songwriting and placed meditation at the center of late-1960s conversations about culture and consciousness. The relationship ended abruptly amid disagreements and allegations that circulated at the time; Lennon's song "Sexy Sadie" captured his disillusionment, while Harrison retained a more sympathetic view of the meditation itself. Despite the split, the episode made TM a household term in the West.

Writings, methods, and research
Maharishi's most widely read book, The Science of Being and Art of Living, set out his view that the silent "Being" experienced in meditation is the basis of effective action. He introduced a curriculum he called the Science of Creative Intelligence, presenting consciousness as the field of natural law. In 1976 he inaugurated the TM-Sidhi program, including practices popularly known as "Yogic Flying", asserting that group practice could measurably reduce societal stress. Researchers affiliated with universities began publishing studies on TM's effects on blood pressure, anxiety, and cognitive performance; while interpretations varied, these studies helped move meditation into medical and educational settings and seeded later interest from figures like David Lynch and organizations led by teachers such as Bob Roth.

Institutions and educational ventures
To support a sustained cultural presence, Maharishi fostered an institutional network. He helped establish a university devoted to "Consciousness-Based education", launched in the early 1970s and later headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa (known over the years as Maharishi International University and Maharishi University of Management). Leaders such as Bevan Morris guided the campus for decades, while educators adapted TM and related courses for students. A nearby planned community was developed around architectural and lifestyle principles he promoted. Through the 1970s and 1980s, he also developed programs in "Maharishi Vedic Science", linking meditation with traditional disciplines.

Health, public figures, and movement leadership
Maharishi advocated a holistic approach to health often called Maharishi Ayurveda, which drew interest from medical professionals and authors. Among them was Deepak Chopra, who worked within the movement for a period before pursuing an independent path. In the arts, filmmaker David Lynch became one of the best-known advocates for TM's benefits on creativity and trauma recovery, later creating a foundation to expand access to the technique. Administrators such as Jerry Jarvis helped coordinate activities in the United States, while scientists like John Hagelin became prominent spokespeople connecting meditation, education, and public policy. In 2000 he conferred a leadership role on neuroscientist and physician Tony Nader, naming him Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam to guide the movement's global structure.

Public policy experiments and the Global Country
Maharishi often spoke about "natural law" as a basis for governance. In the early 1990s, his supporters launched the Natural Law Party in several countries, with John Hagelin a frequent candidate in the United States. Around the turn of the millennium he announced the Global Country of World Peace, a framework intended to unite national TM organizations and build "peace palaces" for instruction worldwide. He encouraged large-group meditations to create a measurable "coherence" effect, and affiliated projects experimented with alternative currency and development initiatives. While ambitious and sometimes controversial, these efforts reflected his conviction that inner transformation could have societal consequences.

Later years and passing
After years based in India and Switzerland, Maharishi settled in Vlodrop, Netherlands, where he increasingly worked through video addresses and close aides. He stepped back from frequent travel, focusing on training, institutional consolidation, and the articulation of what he called a complete Vedic framework for life. He died in 2008, prompting tributes from students and teachers across continents. Ceremonies in India and memorial gatherings worldwide marked the end of a half-century of public teaching.

Ideas and legacy
Maharishi presented himself as a transmitter of a simple, ancient technique adapted for modern life. He argued that meditation should be effortless, taught systematically, and integrated into ordinary routines, often recommending two short sessions daily. He framed its benefits in pragmatic terms: stress reduction, clearer thinking, improved health, and, when practiced widely, a calmer social climate. Supporters pointed to research findings and practical outcomes; critics questioned some of the movement's claims and the grand scope of its institutional projects. Yet the arc of his work, from the secretary of Guru Dev to the best-known meditation teacher of his era, helped move contemplative practice from the margins into classrooms, clinics, and workplaces.

His circle connected him to many of the late twentieth century's cultural currents: from the Beatles' Rishikesh sojourn with John, Paul, George, and Ringo, to the advocacy of Donovan, Mia Farrow, Mike Love, and Prudence Farrow; from university builders like Bevan Morris to scientists such as John Hagelin; from popularizers like Deepak Chopra to filmmaker David Lynch; and finally to Tony Nader, entrusted to carry the movement forward. The institutions he founded, the teachers he trained, and the debates he sparked ensured that Transcendental Meditation would remain a significant force in the global conversation about mind, health, and the possibilities of inner experience.

Our collection contains 4 quotes who is written by Maharishi, under the main topics: Meaning of Life - Confidence - Reinvention - Self-Improvement.

Other people realated to Maharishi: John Gray (Author)