Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (circa 1917-2008)
by Danny Fisher
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation (T.M.) technique and spiritual guru to such celebrities as actress/activist Mia Farrow and Oscar-nominated film director David Lynch, has died in Vlodrop, The Netherlands. He was thought to have been 91 years old.
Reflecting on his life’s work, the Associated Press writes:
- Once dismissed as hippie mysticism, the Hindu practice of mind control known as transcendental meditation gradually gained medical respectability.
He began teaching T.M. in 1955 and brought the technique to the United States in 1959. But the movement really took off after the Beatles attended one of his lectures in 1967.
The Maharishi’s interactions with other celebrities, counterculture icons, and New Age teachers (including the Rolling Stones, Clint Eastwood, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Donovan, Andy Kaufman, and Deepak Chopra) did much to transform his work into a multi-million dollar enterprise: in addition to teaching T.M. programs, he went on world tours, wrote books, and founded schools and universities (including one in the U.S.). The ubiquity of T.M. in turn did much to increase the awareness and practice of meditation and other Indian spiritual practices in the United States. (So much so that Time Magazine put the Maharishi on the cover of their October 13th, 1975, issue on meditation.)
That meditation instruction, yoga classes, and writings about “Eastern philosophy” are so widely available in my lifetime probably has at least a little something to do with the Maharishi.
Asato Ma Sat Gamaya
Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya
Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
When I saw the tv report of The Beatles goin’ off to see the yogi I said, “This has got to be a put-on.”
And now…..my contribution a la parody lyrics,
to the tune of George Harrison’s
“Awaiting On You All”
(a.k.a.
“Chanting The Name Of The Lord”)
“Chanting The Name Of The Turd”
a.k.a.
“Chanting The Name Of Old Tor”
You may have a smooth grin/
Your lies come out deadpan/
great communicator, mental masturbator/
spent a decade vegetatin’/
If you open up your heart/
blood will gush right out/
your emotions are in your brain/
not in replaceable chest spout/
By chantin’ the name of old Tor and you will see/
it’s worthless as chanting the name of any ole deity/
when earthquakes or giant storms come from the sea/
its as helpful as if you spent your whole life chantin’ Gumby/
You need to cut a fart/
all life needs to make gas/
if you’re an instigator or alligator/
you’re gonna get recycled/
If you open up your heart/
blood will gush right out/
charge gnomes in you chest rent/
`cause they’ll never help you out/
By chantin’ the name of old Tor and you will see/
it’s worthless as chanting the name of any ole deity/
`god speed` or Lennon songs in space shuttles ain’t worth a pee/
when they go boom you’re toast regardless of your theology/
You do need some shelter/
reporters love helter skelter/
Invest in Mardi Gras beads, not flood wall needs,/
and churches go a floatin’/
If you open up your heart/
there’ll be a blood stream/
don’t let the creeps con you/
with their minds so freakin’ mean/
George sang, “Pope owns 51% of General Motors.”/
Harrison was pissed, he only owned 49% of GM stores./
Chant Jehovah, Krishna, Allah, Satan or Tor/
They’re equally worthless to help you, that’s for sure/
Stay on groovin’ safari,
Tor