Incidental to Transcendental

The setting couldn’t have been more idyllic. The wholesome goodness of the Maitreyi Vedic Village, near Pollachi (TN), hits you as soon as you walk into this ashram, which has a curious blend of generosity and simplicity. The misty Anamalai Hills form the ideal backdrop. There’s real purity in the air here. It’s where people from all walks of life (and the walk is mostly barefoot) converge for one basic passion – meditation. The surrounds inspire you to shove chaos out of sight and mind, find peace, and converse with your inner self.

This eco-friendly ashram teaches a form of meditation known as Transcendental Meditation (TM), created by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, made famous to the Western world by The Beatles, particularly George Harrison.

We had an interesting meeting with one such practitioner over the dinner table. Mr Suresh* has been practicing TM for over 35 years, much of it under the guidance of the Maharishi himself. He held an important portfolio with the central government, one which would have guaranteed a cushy life after retirement. But in the early 90s, Suresh gambled with his career, despite the fact that he had a young family to support. He decided to take a two-year sabbatical from work to migrate with his family to Netherlands to work for the Maharishi, where he was then based. Suresh’s bosses turned down the leave request and warned that if he took such a step, his job would be in grave danger. The fear of disciplinary action didn’t deter him and he went ahead with his bold plan. Retirement was still a long way off. Would he regret this decision for the rest of his life?

He explained his dilemma to the Maharishi, who matter of factly replied saying he wouldn’t lose his job. How was he so sure? “That’s the power of TM,” Suresh told me. “You wish for something, it will come true through TM.” The stunning turnaround in fortunes for Suresh on his return to India was something he would never have gauged and it had us listening in amazement. Not only was his job intact, he also gained a double promotion! The Pay Commission had meanwhile revised its rules on government pensions for those who skip years of active service, which meant that his pension wasn’t affected either.

Inspiring enough? Perhaps time to find out more about TM.

For a person like me, with brief forays into the world of spiritual rejuvenation, I thought to myself: Time to make the switch from Incidental Meditation to Transcendental Meditation.

* name changed to protect privacy