Offical VIETNAM Website | D2 Chapter, HCMC | English
Transcendental
Meditation
Does Transcendental Meditation conflict or comport
with my religious beliefs or my beliefs about God?
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,
The founder of Transcendental Meditation, a Monk of Indian decent.
Q. Maharishi is an Indian Monk, but TM is non-religious?
A. Yes, TM is a mental technique and has no bearing on your religious practices or beliefs. Take the example of purchasing and wearing a pair of glasses --to improve your visual acuity-- where the shop owner is Muslim, we wouldn't stop and consider that maybe his beliefs or life-style would impact our religious beliefs or make us in any way more Muslim. In the same way, learning TM, adding an item to our "tool-box" for reducing stress, developing broader comprehension, greater appreciation of others etc. will not make you Hindu, or tend to change your life-style to be that of a monk's.
Buddhism Judaism Christianity Islam Hinduism
Buddhism
More than 3,000 Buddhist monks
in 100 monasteries throughout Southeast Asia have learned (Shri Lank, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam)
Reverend Koji Oshima, (longtime TM practitioner and certified TM teacher) explains, Buddhist monks appreciate the simplicity, effortlessness, and profound experience of transcendence, which is gained almost immediately after starting the TM practice.
Reverend Koji Oshima (center)
with students who have learned Transcendental Meditation at a monastery in Thailand
“These girls come from poor families of broken homes; some are orphans, violently abused or at-risk of being sexually abused,” said Acharn Yai, Director and Principal of Dhammajarinee Whitney School.
A Buddhist boarding school (the first and only) in Thailand is filling in the gaps left by society – providing a safe-haven for abused, orphaned girls and giving them the education they deserve. In addition to a standard academic curriculum, students learn about Buddhist teachings and general life-skills. They also incorporate the Transcendental Meditation technique into their school days. 400 of the 500 at-risk girls have learned.
Budhhist Boarding School
Dhammajarinee Witthaya School, K-12, Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. (4.27 minutes)
Q. Is there a ceremony that involves making an offering of flowers and fruit to Maharishi's master as a part of the learning of TM? Is this some sort of religious initiation?
A. Yes and no... again, we wouldn't stop and consider that if we went to a Japanese restaurant and took our shoes off, we would endanger our current religious status. It's no difficulty for us to do so, and it demonstrates our respect for a ancient cultural custom.
During Maharishi’s many tours of Asian countries, he often visited monasteries and spoke personally to many Buddhist leaders. One prominent monk in Sri Lanka, who is now the leader, or “Shan Kara,” of one of the three streams of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, has been instrumental in encouraging monks throughout the country to take TM instruction from Reverend Oshima.
Maharishi
Rishikesh 1968
" The greatness of the gardener is in the Full Bloom of the beautiful flower. And that is it – we enjoy the flower and hold high the gardener. The gardener is not there, just from the flower "
Maharishi (center)
with Biuddhist monks performing a ceremony of gratitude to Maharishi's Master, His Divinity, Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, Jagad Guru Shankara Acharya of Jyotir Matha
Takeo , Cambodia
Orphans practicing TM at the start of class.
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“I am sold on TM.” —Warner Earth, Winnebago elder whose blood glucose levels dipped into the normal range
“I am sold on TM.” —Warner Earth, Winnebago elder whose blood glucose levels dipped into the normal range