Transcendental Meditation

This is one of the several meditative techniques originally innovated by a seer named Shankara who lived 2,500 years ago. The unique contribution of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi lies in making a small modification in the technique so that people of all cultures and social conditions can easily practise it.

Technique

Claudio Naranjo and Robert E Ornstein, authors of the book, On the Psychology of Meditation, have explained the technique of TM as follows:

" In this form of meditation (TM) the practitioner is given a specific mantra and hi has to repeat it silently over and over for about half-hour twice a day in the morning and in the evening. No special posture is required for the exercise; rather, one is instructed to assume a comfortable posture, such as sitting erect in a chair. The thoughts that arise during the meditation are considered to be of no significance and as soon as one is aware that one is no longer focused on this mantra, attention is to be returned to it.

"The specific mantras used in Transcendental Meditation are not given publicity, since the devotees of this technique claim that there are special effects of each one in addition to the general effects of the concentration. But it can be noted here that these mantras are also mellifluous and smooth, including many M's and Y's and vowels, similar to OM or MU in Zen. Devotees of Transcendental Meditation also claim that this technique involves the essence of meditation in a form suitable for Western persons. There is no doubt Mantra Yoga, including Transcendental Meditation, is a very convenient form of meditation. As in the breathing exercises, it is quite easy to produce and attend to a silent word, any where, at any time. Since there is no special posture required, thi arduous training for sitting in a lotus position is unnecessary."

The reasons for the popularity of TM are many. Among the many meditation techniques available, TM is the easiest to learn. It can be practised by all persons irrespective of age, religion, nationality etc. The technique is so simple that anybody can teach it. One of the important qualifications for the instructor of TM is that he should know all the mantras on the basis of individual requirement. It brings profound results to the practitioner in return for the limited effort and time invested.

For the first time in the history of spirituality, research has been conducted extensively on meditation in general and TM in particular and it has been proved that meditation produces wholesome effects on psychological and physiological mechanisms of human beings. Apart from all these, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is one of the best salesmen among religious teachers, who fully used the mass media of press, radio and television to propagate the usage of TM worldwide.

The positive value of mantras is in the "vibrational" qualities of certain sounds and the effect of these vibrations on specific parts of the body or personality. Mantra sounds are supposed to vibrate in certain organs of the body and stimulate them to function better and also to bring them into greater harmony with other organs and personality areas.

The choice of a mantra is crucial. In India, the Guru (the preceptor) prescribes mantras to his shisya (disciple) when initiating him into spiritual life. Mantras are mostly taken from the Vedas.