This Transcendental Meditation, or TM, is a
system of meditation which is generally practiced twice daily. One
is introduced to the practice of TM by a teacher. After
a short interview with an initiator (a teacher of TM), there
follows a short ceremony or puja to which the
initiate brings flowers, fruit & fresh cotton
handkerchief. During the ceremony the teacher murmurs a traditional
Sanskrit composition (a version of Acharya Vandana)
and performs a ritual set of offerings in front of a portrait of Guru Dev, a
revered Indian sage. Following this ceremony the initiate is given a mantra and an explanation of how to use the mantra to good effect in meditation.
Effects
The principal effects of twice-daily periods of
Transcendental Meditation are; 1. that one feels more relaxed and 2.
that afterwards one is
more capable of attending to one's everyday life. It is as if one were
stepping back a pace, within, drawing one's breath and taking some
moments to
compose oneself. One might also say that this TM meditation is
like routinely clearing one's vision or cleaning one's windscreen. But more importantly this
meditation seems to perform the
function of a circuit-breaker, automatically ridding one of accumulated
stress. In short, Transcendental Meditation is an invaluable practice,
as it seems to enable one to find solace from everyday entanglements
and pressures, whilst simultaneously recharging one's batteries. The
practice itself is sufficient to give these benefits, therefore one is
told that it is not necessary to change one's philosophy or lifestyle.
It is important to understand that one is not being persuaded to adopt
Indian thinking or religion, merely to practice a routine that will hopefully put a
light in the eye and a spring in the step!
Background
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi promoted this system of
meditation, first in India in 1955, and then throughout the West from
1959, dubbing it 'Deep Meditation', then 'Transcendental Deep
Meditation', before settling on the term 'Transcendental Meditation'.
The explanations given by Maharishi
about how TM works are offered by teachers of TM, but
there is no obligation for those learning Transcendental Meditation
to accept or adopt any or all of these perceptions. However, the
writings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi do provide some very intriguing food
for
thought, in that they appear to apply rigorous scientific method to the
subject
of Indian mysticism. Furthermore, study of the teachings of his guru, who is referred to simply as Guru Dev, offers an exceptional opportunity to gain a broad understanding of traditional Indian
thinking.
