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ESSAY 46
THE "TM IS NOT RELIGIOUS" MYTH
Transcendental Meditation is being taught in some public
schools. It is being sold as a scientific method of relaxa-
tion and stress reduction. However, it was developed by the
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a Hindu monk from India, in the 1950s.
Hinduism
There are about 450 million adherents of Hinduism world-
wide. Hinduism claims 84 percent of India and 11 percent of
Pakistan. It w as popularized in the US and Europe in the
1970s.
It is an ancient polytheistic religion with beliefs
ranging from animism through a type of monism. The Hindus
believe that the Vedas, the most ancient scriptures of
Hinduism, are divine in origin.
According to Hindu teaching, both animals and humans
have souls. Therefore, Hindus revere cows, monkeys, and other
animals. Cows are specially revered.
Tied in with the reverence of animals, is the belief of
reincarnation. Hindus believe that when the body dies, the
soul is reborn either in an animal or human being. The law
of KARMA asserts that the better the lifestyle, the higher
the reincarnation. This continues until the soul reaches
MOKSHA, spiritual perfection, from which it never leaves.
Yoga
YOGA is the word for " discipline" in Sanskrit, the
classical language of India. Yoga is both (1) a school of
thought in the Hindu religion and (2) a system of mental and
physical exercise developed by that school. The goal of Yoga
is to isolate the soul from the body and mind.
According to Hinduism, a human being consists of
1. PRAKRTI--body, mind and ego (conscious self);
2. PURUSHA--soul (pure, empty consciousness).
Yogis believe that the soul is completely separate from the
rest of the person, but that the person does not realize it.
Because of this lack of knowledge, people suffer. Therefore,
the yoga school gives people PRAJNA (understanding) of the
meaning of their souls. After understanding, the soul will
gain MOKSHA (release) from the SAMSARA (cycle of rebirths).
Yoga offers eight stages of training to moksha:
1. YAMA (disciplined behavior)
2. NIYAMA (self-purification)
3. Body Postures (Example: ASANA, "lotus position")
4. PRANAYAMA (control of breathing)
5. PRATYAHARA (control of the senses)
6. DHARANA (fixing the mind on a chosen object)
7. DHYANA (meditation)
8. SAMADHI (state of concentration in which yogis
realize that their soul is pure and free, and
empty of all content).
Upon completion of all eight stages, the yogi reaches
KAIVALYA which is the total isolation of the soul from the
body, from all other souls, and from all nature.
Other forms of yoga are,
1. BHAKTI-YOGA (dedication of all actions and
thoughts to a chosen god)
2. KARMA-YOGA (doing one' s duty without caring
about reward)
3. HATHA-YOGA (goal of better health through
difficult body positions and breathing
techniques)
4. TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION (Popular form in the
US and Europe, which requires less mental
concentration).
Transcendental Meditation
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a Hindu monk from India, develop-
ed TM (Transcendental Meditation) in the 1950s and exported
it abroad. It became popular in the 1970s. The word TRANS-
CENDENTAL refers to the process of reaching the state of PURE
CONSCIOUSNESS in which the mind is emptied. Followers of
Maharishi misnamed TM the "Science of Creative Intelligence."
TM is practiced by being seated, becoming quiet, closing
the eyes and silently repeating a MANTRA. The mantra is a
teacher-chosen word from the Hindu scriptures tailored for
the individual. TM is practiced 15-20 minutes before meals
in the morning and evening.
TM appears to work. ALPHA WAVES (brain waves) intensify,
blood pressure decreases, anxiety decreases and aggressive-
ness decreases. It may be that faith in the method plays a
part.
The Mantra
The word MANTRA is the Sanskrit word for "speech" or
"prayer." It is a short hymn or prayer from the Veda. In the
past, the BRAHMANS--the priestly caste of Hindus--memorized
the hymns and chanted them according to strict rules.
Hindus today receive a mantra from their GURU (teacher)
and repeat it on a MALA (rosary) to "store up energy for
the spiritual quest." Single-syllable mantras are repeated
silently during meditation.
The sacred word OM in written Sanskrit is the symbol of
Hinduism. It is repeated over and over by a Hindu while
meditating.
Conclusion
In light of the evidence, there can be no question that
Transcendental Meditation is part of Hinduism. It has no
place being taught in a U S tax-supported school.
Sources
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA, International ed. (1993) S.v.
"Hinduism," by W. Norman Brown, President American
Institute of Indian Studies.
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA, International ed. (1993). S.v.
"Mantra," by Charles S. J. White, THE AMERICAN UNIVERSI-
TY.
THE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA, 1991 ed. S.v. "Hinduism," by
Charles S. J. White.
THE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA, 1991 ed. S.v. "Transcendental
Meditation," by Gary E. Schwartz.
THE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA, 1991 ed. S.v. "Yoga," by Gerald
James Larson.
END