Confused! Maharishi Mahesh's Science of Being

[Fernworm]

Hi everyone.
I am trying my best to read Maharishi Mahesh's Science of Being and Art of Living text on transcendental meditation. I'm finding it incredibly confusing! I don't know if it's the word choice, the cadence, or if it's inherently discombobulating, but I've read plenty of other spiritual texts like the Gita, a ton by Prabhupada, Yogananda's stuff, so I'm not unfamiliar with the content. It's just very difficult to get through a paragraph and know what the hell I just read. Anyone else have this problem or have any tips on how to read his books?

[JustBe]

Originally Posted by Fernworm

Hi everyone.
I am trying my best to read Maharishi Mahesh's Science of Being and Art of Living text on transcendental meditation. I'm finding it incredibly confusing! I don't know if it's the word choice, the cadence, or if it's inherently discombobulating, but I've read plenty of other spiritual texts like the Gita, a ton by Prabhupada, Yogananda's stuff, so I'm not unfamiliar with the content. It's just very difficult to get through a paragraph and know what the hell I just read. Anyone else have this problem or have any tips on how to read his books?

Can you drop a passage here to see what all the confusion is about. I think you can post a few lines, but not a whole host? I would be interested to read a little of your confusion.

Ok Just found some interesting info on this.

This might help you, I read this just now.

THEORY AND PRACTICE: While it remains a must-read for everyone practicing or considering to practice Transcendental Meditation, a reviewer of “The Science of Being and Art of Living” correctly reminds us: “Anyone can INTELLECTUALIZE the concepts within this book; but with the EXPERIENCE from a routine TM practice–you will really UNDERSTAND the concepts and incorporate them (and the benefits) into your life without effort.”https://tmhome.com/books-videos/scie...ing-maharishi/

Perhaps it is through experience of TM that you will understand what your reading more so.

[iamthat]

I haven't read the book as (for whatever reason) I have never been drawn to TM, although my bookshelves have numerous books on Indian spirituality.

But out of curiosity I looked at an excerpt of 'The Science of Being and Art of Living' on Amazon and found a diagram of thoughts arising plus the following description based on the diagram.

The subtle states of the bubble of thought below the level of the conscious state are not consciously appreciated. If there could be a way of conscious appreciation of the bubble of thought at all levels of development, and at the source Z, then the small area of the conscious mind represented by W1 will become a bigger area, represented by W2.

If the bubble of thought could be consciously appreciated at the level below A and at all levels of its subtlety from A to Z, then it would be possible to bring the level Z within the range of the conscious mind. In this way the depth of the conscious mind represented by W1 would become greater, as represented by W2, and the power of the conscious mind would be increased manifold.

Obviously it helps to see the diagram, and when you ponder on what is being said then it may all be very logical and valid. But I can certainly understand why Fernworm struggles to make sense of it.

Which is a pity as there may be a lot of useful information in this book. Maybe the problem is partly that Maharishi was very keen to give TM scientific credibility to support his claims that society could be transformed if a particular percentage of society practised TM. A more simple approach might have made the book more readable.

But as I said, I have not read it.

Peace.

[running]

in my view the quote below from him is the only thing needed to know. and to know there are methods to bring one to that space. everything else is merely contemplations in the mind that hold little weight. as they are just ideas floating in the mind and written down. for what reason? i dont know? maybe for entertainment. i dont know? but it seems from my view that whats real and important, valid and useful, becomes lost in a lot of nonsense.

maharishi quotes below

“There is nothing in the world which could possibly give lasting contentment to the mind because everything is perishable and ever-changing and phenomenal. Therefore, the quest of the mind for happiness is not satisfied, and the mind wanders all the time, seeking a point where it can rest in eternal bliss. A man with such a mind gains lasting satisfaction and contentment only when he comes in tune with the bliss consciousness of Being.”


“If it is left without the basis of the bliss of unity within, the mind is as though it were being tossed about like a football, from one point to the other, having no stable status of its own.”