The
Maharishi
The Biography of the Man
Who Gave Transcendental Meditation
to the World
*
Paul Mason
The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi leapt to prominence in the 1960s when his teaching of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and his widely-reported involvement with The Beatles and the Beach Boys provoked reactions ranging from reverence to mockery. Now Paul Mason takes us behind the scenes, drawing on scarce and previously unpublished material.
Much more than just a biography, this is a seminal enquiry into the aims and methods of the Maharishi Movement. We are taken deep into the Indian tradition of the Vedic scriptures, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
He describes the early days of the teachings in the 1950s, through the development of a sprawling bureaucracy, to the attempts to enter mainstream politics with the Natural Law Party.
A selection of reviews
"An
honest warts-and-all account of the Indian guru who brought TM to the
West... Whether Maharishi is Deity Incarnate, a brilliant teacher now
well past his prime, or a Hindu monk who was swayed by capitalism, Paul
Mason's biography is well-written, well-researched and well-rounded."
- I to I.
"Paul
Mason, though he has practised TM himself, is no unquestioning
worshipper."
- Gerald Kaufman MP, Manchester Evening News
'.... will tell you what happened with The Beatles and the Maharishi
.... actually the best story ever written about this period and
subject, although it's not focussed on The Beatles.'
- Beatles Unlimited Magazine
"A
rational look at TM. There are many books written by those in the TM
movement that are biased with all kinds of claims, from unbelievable
health benefits to flying! This book is a very balanced account of
Transcendental Meditation."
- Amazon.com reviewer, awarding it five stars.
"There
is a moral here about how attempts to build heaven on earth all too
often end up looking like business opportunities. But the Maharishi
always had a winning smile"
- Mick Brown, Daily Telegraph.
*
Sample chapter