anders lindh

446 Pages·2014·7.44 MB·English

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“UNITY PERVADES ALL ACTIVITY AS WATER EVERY WAVE” D “UNITY PERVADES ALL ACTIVITY AS
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The major purpose of this thesis is to investigate some essential aspects of the teach- R WATER EVERY WAVE”
ings and philosophy of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1917-2008) expressed during different S

periods of time.
L Principal Teachings and Philosophy of
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There is a primary focus on the teachings expressed in Maharishi’s translation and com-
D Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
mentary on the didactic poem, Bhagavadgītā, with extensive references to Maharishi’s
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metaphorical language. The philosophy and teaching expressed in this text is investi-

gated in relation to later texts.
Since maybe the most significant and most propagated message of Maharishi was his

peace message, its theory and practice, as well as studies published regarding the so-
called Maharishi Effect, are reflected in the thesis.
Maharishi’s philosophy and teachings are analysed using three categories: 1. Vision and
Tradition, as Maharishi could be considered on the one hand, a custodian of the ancient
Vedic tradition and is associated with the Advaita Vedānta tradition of Śaṅkara from his
master. On the other hand, Maharishi could be considered an innovator of this tradition
and a visionary in his interpretation of the Vedic texts in relation to modern science.
2. Consciousness and Experience are central concepts in the teachings of Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi, as well as the relationship between them, which is evidenced by their use
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in Maharishi’s writing and lecturing. 3. Practice before Theory is a concept used because U
of the numerous instances in Maharishi’s philosophy and teaching indicating that he put n
practice before theory for spiritual development. The practice of Transcendental Medita- it
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tion and the advanced TM-Sidhi programme is according to Maha rishi in his vision of a
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better society most essential and he considered the application of a practice forgotten in e
many interpretations of texts like the Bhagavadgītā. r
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The thesis thus considers Maharishi’s view on “Veda” and the “Vedic literature”, and on e
the Self, Ātmā, which could be considered the single most important concept in Maha- s

rishi’s world of ideas on which his entire teaching is based. A
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Anders Lindh has a licentiate’s degree in History of Religion from Lund University and a t 1
High School Teacher Diploma in the subjects of Religion and Swedish language. He has iv V
been a teacher at the Faculty of Education and Society at Malmoe University since 1999. ity KTI
“Unity Pervades all Activity as Water every Wave” is his PhD thesis in History. a PE
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Skrifter med historiska perspektiv 14 v ST
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ISBN 978-91-7104-577-5 (print) W ME
ISBN 978-91-7104-578-2 (pdf online) a R
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