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Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

A Brief Biography - From Early Life to First Arrival in the U.S., 1958

(The following excerpts are from the book, The Maharishi: The Biography of the Man Who Gave Transcendental Meditation to the World; by Paul Mason, published by Element Books Limited, 1994. The complete text of the book is available on line at http://www.paulmason.info)

It is said that Mahesh Prasad Varma was born on Friday, January 12. 1917 into a comfortably well-off family, the third of four children. He is of the Kshetriya (warrior or 'protector') caste, with his father believed to have been a minor official in the Department of Forestry. Although it is thought by many that Mahesh's family hail from Jabalpur, it has been suggested that he was in fact born some little distance away in the village of Chichli, near Gadawara in Madhya Pradesh, some 150 kilometres east of Bhopal.

Mahesh received an above-average education. Evidently he showed a certain promise in the scientific disciplines, although, as with many other students, the ancient language of Sanskrit posed difficulties for him. Offered the rare opportunity to engage in higher education, he undertook degree courses in both physics and mathematics at Allahabad University. There, the acquisition of so much information only accentuated his hunger for deeper fulfillment. He was later to recall:

This has been the one question in my mind ever since I was young: If God is omnipresent and God is almighty and God is merciful and in the heart of everyone, why should a man suffer having God within himself? And what is the value of oneself if he keeps suffering?"

"I was completely dissatisfied with what I studied in college. Because I knew - this can't be the whole knowledge. I was searching for something complete whereby I could understand everything."

In his book Thirty Years Around the World, Maharishi spoke about his early spiritual longing and his first meeting with Swami Brahmananda Saraswati or "Guru Dev".

One day someone in the street whispered to me, 'There has come a great saint, but he does not want to be known by the people. If you wish, then we shall go quietly one night.' I said, 'There could be nothing better than that.'"

"As a thirsty man arrives at a well, so I arrived at the feet of my Master. The quest of a perfect Master was there. The first sight of his personality was enough to make me surrender at his feet. He was the most highly revered sage in India and was held as the embodiment of Divine Consciousness.

Maharishi then described his first vision of Guru Dev, in the deep darkness of the night, illumined only by a brief flash of light from a car some distance away. But that glimpse was all that was needed:

"In that one moment, the whole life was surrendered."

Mahesh announce his intention of leaving home to become a disciple to Guru Dev. This monumental decision, to become a monk and renounce his kith and kin and presumably all prospects of a lucrative career, apparently threw his family into great confusion.

Swami Brahmananda insisted that before accepting Mahesh as a disciple he must fulfill two preconditions: he should complete his studies at university; and more importantly he should receive parental permission before joining him. His father therefore listened to the Shankaracharya with extreme reservations but at length reluctantly consented to his son's departure. Mahesh's Uncle Raj offered this insight into his nephew's enthusiasm and commitment for his new life with the Shankaracharya:

"He came to the ashram as a youth bubbling over with mirth, full of energy and joy of living. He became so devoted to his master in everything... At night he lay down outside Guru Dev's door."

In undertaking to serve as a disciple, together with the usual vows of service and celibacy he took a new name, that of Bal Brahmacharya Mahesh. The relationship of guru and chela, an ancient time-honoured Indian tradition, is not entered lightly, for the guru, in accepting a pupil, assumes responsibility for his welfare. In addition to offering material security he is also expected to render such guidance and assistance as might bring about the latter's spiritual advancement. In return for this total support, the chela commits himself completely, dedicating his every thought, word and action to God and guru.

Maharishi's devotion to his teacher is echoed in his own recollections: (from Thirty Years Around the World)

"It was in the deep functioning of my heart and mind, feeling and understanding, to just go in the direction he wanted me to go — this way or that way or that way or that way. Very precious activities sometimes I had to completely abandon because I thought his mind was going that way, and I adjusted myself to that and that.

There was quite a period of tests, but somehow it happened that I just came through them all. Action I took as a means of communicating to him in order to be able to adjust to his thought — this way, this way. In very trifling things, this way, this way. So all the time adjusting to his feelings, thinking.

I remember it took me about two and a half years to really adjust myself. Right from the beginning the whole purpose was to just breathe in his breath. This was my ideal. The whole purpose was just to attune myself with Guru Dev, and that was all that I wanted to do.

Fortunately it struck me that the only way to do this was to adjust my feelings with his feelings; how he thinks, what he wants me to do — this, or this, or this — or he doesn’t want me to do anything — but I want to move with his feelings. Whichever way he sees, I want to see that way; whichever way he wants to think, whatever, I want to think the same way.

And it took about two and a half years, and I thought two and a half years were wasted, but it came out to be quite early to adjust myself with his feelings. And the method that I adopted was just to sense what he wants at what time — what he wants. I picked up activity as a means to adjust to his thought, to his feelings.

Just about two and a half years for my thoughts to be mainly flowing in tune with his — how much perfectly, there was no way to measure, but I knew I was making very, very rare mistakes; no mistakes almost.

And from there on for me the whole thing was very light and beautiful, no obstacles, clear, everything. Then I was living around him without even feeling that I was living. It’s a very genuine feeling of complete oneness with Guru Dev, just like that. People who have seen me moving with Guru Dev know I was not as if in this isolated, single body or something. There was something of a universal value.

And what I did from my side was just on that first glimpse of the flashy light on him, the life was surrendered."

Brahmachari Mahesh appears to have become so well attuned to his master's thoughts that he took it upon himself to become his private secretary and dealt with the majority of his correspondence without recourse to his 'Guru Dev'. Sometimes he would even be sent to some distant town or village to lecture on the scriptures. His Uncle Raj says:

"I can say straight out that Maharishi was Guru Dev's favourite disciple and no wonder - few are capable of such work and few have such unending loyalty."

Photographs taken at this time show the Shankaracharya to have aged considerably, his health having for some time given cause for much concern. Homeopathic and allopathic (Western) medicines were administered to him but were of no avail, and he declined rapidly. At 1.15 pm on Wednesday, 20 May 1953, after a period of five minutes absorbed in silent meditation, Shankaracharya Swami Brahmananda Saraswati breathed his last. Hours before his death he allegedly summoned Brahmachari Mahesh and explained to him that, as a dying father's unfinished business is dealt with by his sons, the same is true for the guru and his chela. He directed him to:

"Look around. Many people are dejected. There is a lack of energy in their minds. Their minds are not strong enough. What I have taught you also contains the knowledge of the technique for the householder, which has been misinterpreted and forgotten during the centuries.

After further deliberation on this topic, the elderly swami is supposed to have added these words of reassurance:

Don't think of money for traveling here and there. Don't worry and don't be afraid of being alone and don't be anxious about anything. Begin working and everything will go by itself.

After his death, still seated in the lotus position, he was taken to Calcutta railway station and transported to Benares, where at Kedareshwar Mahadev he was committed to the waters of the Ganges. According to several written accounts:

"The chest was lowered into the Ganga. Brahmachari Mahesh Yogi dived alongside and retained a touch of the precious container till it finally came to rest on the riverbed. Reverently, he bowed and surfaced again, sharing the agony perceptible in the faces surrounding him."

After Swami Brahmananda's death, people were left wondering who, if anyone, would be appointed in his stead. It will be observed that one of the preconditions of entitlement to this post is being born a Brahmin. Brahmachari Mahesh, being of the Kshetriya caste, was not eligible to hold this venerated office. So on Friday, 12 June 1953, at the wish of Swami Brahmananda, his close disciple Sri Swami Shantanand Saraswati Maharaj was installed as successor to the throne of Shankaracharya.

With his master's passing Brahmachari Mahesh took leave of the monastery and retired to the caves of the "Valley of the Saints" in Uttar Kashi, high in the Himalayas. It was in this remote and ancient place that Swami Brahmananda had found his guru and taken initiation into the mysteries of yoga. The destination he sought lay on the outskirts of town, an ashram by the name of Sri Shankaracharya Gyan Mandir.

Having arrived at Gyan Mandir, Mahesh committed himself to prolonged spells of deep silence.

"Where I stayed in a small Ashram in Uttar Kashi, the cave is like a very small basement under a room. The entrance is through an opening only big enough for one person to enter. Down there is quiet. No sound. Cool in summer. Warm in winter."

Brahmachari Mahesh was to spend many months in solitude in his sandy cave.

He pursued his sadhana and in spite of the isolation (or perhaps because of it), he began to entertain the notion of travel. He had a friend who came to visit, an extremely elderly monk who wore his hair so long that it trailed along the ground behind him. On hearing of the younger man's hankering for travel the old man said, 'This is holy ground. All the rest is just mud.' On that note the subject was firmly closed. However Mahesh's wish to travel persisted.

"When I mentioned to him a few weeks later he said, 'I think you have been thinking of it for so long. Why not get rid of this thought, and get rid of this thought means go there and come back and never think of it again.' When he said that, this purpose of not returning or returning didn't come to my mind. But at least he responded to that idea which was coming to my mind - go to Rameshvaram, go to Rameshvaram." [a place of religious pilgrimage in southern India]

After the year and a half or so spent in seclusion at Gyan Mandir, Brahmachari Mahesh took to the road in order to follow his inspiration to visit southern India. His destination was very close to Sri Lanka, renowned for its religious atmosphere, drawing pilgrims from all over the subcontinent. After touring around the temples and holy shrines of Rameshvaram and other places in southern India, a stranger introduced himself and inquired, 'Would you bring some of the wisdom of the Himalayas to us?'

The brahmachari explained that he was unaccustomed to giving lectures but told the stranger where he might be contacted. The stranger returned and during the following week a series of lectures was held in the locality. Such was the interest generated by these talks that the local press was alerted and further lectures were arranged.

Mahesh's master, Guru Dev, had many devotees in southern India who had grouped together in the city of Alleppey to found and dedicate to his name the the Society for Spiritual Development. At nearby Cochin arrangements were made for yagyas (religious rituals) to be performed from 23 to 26 October 1955. The assembly was estimated at over 10,000 and the star of the show, 'Maharshi' (Great Sage) Bala Brahmachari Mahesh Yogi Maharaj of Uttar Kasi, Himalayas. (It is worth pausing a moment to reflect on the evolving name and title of 'Maharishi'. It has been suggested that Mahesh's own explanation for the genesis of this title is simply that, when addressed as 'Maharshi' he 'did not resist' it.) His message of hope centered on the promise that sat-chit-anandam (unlimited bliss) is accessible to all:

"Then why waste time in helplessness and suffer any agony in life? Why suffer when you can enjoy? Why be miserable when you can be happy? Now, let the days of misery and peacelessness be over and let their operation become tales of the past. Allow not the past history of agony to be continued in the present. Be happy and gay."

Having been met with so much enthusiasm in southern India, the Maharishi took to propagating his message in the various other provinces of India. Although hundreds, sometimes thousands, turned out to hear the Maharishi's lectures about meditation (it is even said that mass initiations were not uncommon), the desire to contact ever greater numbers of people steered him to ever greater success.

After many months of touring he returned to southern India once more, this time using the city of Madras where the Seminar of Luminaries was attended by over 10,000 people. As it drew to a close the Maharishi felt inclined to ask those assembled there: 'Why can't we spiritually regenerate the world through this technique?' Apparently his question drew tumultuous applause, prompting him to arrange a day's extension to the festivities. The next day, January 1^st, 1958 the Maharishi announced:

"The one aim of the Spiritual Regeneration Movement is to provide a simple and easy method of meditation and infuse this system of meditation in the daily life of everybody everywhere on earth. To meet this end, this Movement had been started to work for the construction of meditation centres everywhere in every part of human habitation."

The Maharishi later explained:

"It was the concern of Guru Deva, His Divinity Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, to enlighten all men everywhere that resulted in the foundation of the world-wide Spiritual Regeneration Movement in 1958, five years after his departure from us."

It was at Bangalore in the spring of 1958 that the Maharishi claims to have been inspired to make his next move.

"One fine morning I thoughtfully reviewed the work done and calculated how much time it will take for the whole world with this rate and I found out that it will take 200 years (laughter).Then I said 'No, I must change my ways of work'; then I thought what to do. Then I thought: I must go to the most advanced country because I thought - the country is most advanced because the people of that country would try something new very readily.

When I met some people in the morning I said, 'I want to go to America,' and they said, 'All right'."

Arrangements were made, but the trip to America had to be delayed whilst travel documents were obtained. During the wait, Maharishi made a relatively short hop across the Bay of Bengal to Rangoon, the capital of neighbouring Burma. An unexpected boost to his popularity came when the prediction of an aged Buddhist monk became known - a year before, he had foretold that a great Indian yogi would visit Rangoon on Bodhipurnima Day. This prophecy brought forth visits from monks, high-ranking officials and a large complement of local men, women and children. This was the first clear indication that the Maharishi's teachings were capable of attracting people from outside the specifically Hindu world.

In Spring of 1958, Maharishi's tour of Southeast Asia included Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Everywhere he went, he was greeted enthusiastically by people from all walks of life. Finally, the momentum of the tour took him to the island of Hawaii, and from there, on to America.

So it was that the Bal Brahmachari Mahesh who had toyed so uneasily with the recurrent thought to 'go to Rameshvaram' had not only relinquished the role of hermit but in less than four years had assumed the position of Director of Operations in an organization that took as its goal the spiritual regeneration of the world. Within nine months of traveling, the interest shown in his practice of Deep Meditation was such that its future success seemed fairly well assured.

"I had one thing in mind - that I know something which is useful to every man; therefore no matter where I am people will find in me the commodity that they want. (laugh) With that confidence I left India and gradually I came to the States."

Bibliography

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi; Love and God, Maharishi International University, 1973

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi; Thirty Years Around the World - Dawn of the Age of Enlightenment, vol. 1 1957-64. Maharishi Vedic University, 1986.

The Maharishi; The Biography of the Man Who Gave Transcendental Meditation to the World; by Paul Mason, 1994, Element Books Limited. (A complete text is available on line at http://www.paulmason.info)

Lynn D. Napper; Our Spiritual Heritage, Hesperides Books, 1998

Prem C. Pasricha; The Whole Thing, The Real Thing, Thompson Press (India) Limited, 1975

Dr. Raj R. P. Varma; Strange Facts about a Great Saint, Varma & Sons, 1980

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