Who is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?

Overview

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was an Indian philosopher and teacher born in India. He
developed Transcendental Meditation, which combines mantra meditation
and spiritual techniques. The Maharishi has been called the guru of this
technique, which has more recently been termed a spiritual movement.

The Maharishi earned a degree in physics from Allahabad University in 1942. Around
this same time, he became a disciple and helper to Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, a
notable spiritual leader in India and the Maharishi’s inspiration. Around 1955,
the Maharishi began to promote Transcendental Meditation and related techniques
that are aimed at holistic well-being.

The Maharishi gained particular popularity in the 1960s and 1970s both because of
his worldwide tours to promote his teachings and because of his association with
various celebrities, including members of the band The Beatles. He later detailed
his travel experiences in the book Thirty Years Around the World
(1986). He founded the International Meditation Society in 1959, the same
year his movement was renamed Transcendental Meditation, and in 1966 he founded
the Students’ International Meditation Society. He soon began promoting regular
yoga in combination with meditation, practices that are in
line with the modern teachings that stemmed from his original approach.

The Maharishi later mentored Deepak Chopra, a popular Indian American physician, writer, and public speaker, during the early
1990s. The two parted ways around 1994, when Chopra left the movement, reportedly
because of a disagreement about Chopra’s decision to expand his own teaching and
writing career.

An estimated several million people have studied the Maharishi’s techniques, and
his work has been recognized by many academic and clinical institutions, including
universities and holistic practices. According to various media sources (including
Time and Newsweek), the Maharishi has been
criticized by other Indian scholars and sages for presenting an overly simplified
program that supposedly contradicts traditional Hindu beliefs
and practices. Furthermore, others criticized the Maharishi and his affiliates for
lavish spending and for gaining popularity for his business acumen, rather than
for his spiritual and holistic teachings. The Maharishi stepped down from his
active leadership and administrative roles in 2008, and he observed a period of
spiritual silence (mauna), until his death a few weeks later.

Humes, Cynthia A. “Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Beyond the T. M. Technique.” In Gurus in America, edited by Thomas A. Forsthoefel and Cynthia A. Humes. Gurus in America. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2005.

Mason, Paul. The Maharishi: The Biography of the Man Who Gave Transcendental Meditation to the World. Shaftsbury, Dorset, England: Element Books, 1994.