Veda Studies in Europe
In the 21st Century the necessity has arisen to look for universal principles of life which have been lacking sofar because problems keep piling up in all parts of the world Historic studies and cultural research have established that the much-needed wisdom of integrated life has been preserved since millennia by the Vedic Brahmins in India – the traditional scholars, teachers, priests, physician. Their expertise has been safeguarding knowledge based leadership, live-relevant creative intelligence and societal coherence is ancient times. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has shown in theory and practice that the Vedic heritage still has this effect today when taught in the authentic Brahmanic way and he developed the vision of Vedic Universities open to every one striving for progress and peace in his personal life and/or in the socio-ecological. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi´s concept of Vedic Universitie for everyone has been summarized in several books, including the concise pocked book presented here:
Maharishi Vedic University
Vedic Knowlege for Everyone
Maharishi Vedic University Press,
Holland, 1994
In Europe where the traditional cultural value have deteriorated to a high degree, the balancing role of philosophers, teachers, priest, poets and artist has to be upgraded by Vedic Wisdom. Even India itself does not make full use of the Vedic heritage preserved by the Brahman caste, being a neglected section in Indian society. Only by the growing number of people worldwide practicing Yoga and Meditation and using Ayurveda to prevent disease and maintain health, the appreciation of the Vedic heritage grew among Indian leaders. This mutually enriching situation has been boosted through the global activity of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who introduced Vedic methods into the daily life to promote individual creativity and societal harmony. Being a scholar and scientist, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi always ensured that his work has a sound scietific basis. Leaders of society rightly adopt novel strategies only if their effectiveness in problem-solving is validated scientifically and simultaneously maintains cultural integrity.
Two discoveries of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created a great leap in the revival of the Vedic heritage:
- His insight, that the Veda expresses the dynamics of consciousness, which makes the Veda self-explanatory, a property called aspaurusheya bhashya - not man made commentary-of the Veda.
- His TM-Sidhi program which when practiced optimizes the performance of creative intelligence.
In the real sense, Vedic Brahmans exemplify the ultimate reality – Brahman - which from the objective view point is the total potential of Natural Law and from the perspective of the subject is the field of cosmic intelligence. Both aspects indicate the same infinite reality existing outside and inside the individual. In Brahman-hood, there is no separation between individual and environment. Both are embedded in one, all encompassing reality whose typical trait is self-referral consciousness. Any separation between individual and environment indicates some lack of Self referral.
Revitalization of Brahman-hood - the true status of a Vedic brahmans - automatically establishes coherence in world consciousness because individual and environment then are one wholeness of consciousness and differences are the various degree of consciousness within that wholeness.
Solely through the existence of individuals or groups having the coherent status of Brahman-hood, the society becomes coherent.
These insight into the role of Vedic Universities in Society is confirmed by the advances in modern science. Quantum mechanics describes the reciprocity between individual and collective behavior by distinguishing between the fragmented behavior of parts (called classical behavior) and the self-referral quantum behavior of the whole. The distinction between classical and quantum mechanics allows four elementary kinds of relationships between system and environment (H. Primas: Chemistry, Quantum Mechanics and Reductionism, 1981):
- quantum systems existing in classical environments
- classical systems existing in quantum environments
- classical systems existing in classical environment and the
- non-separability of quantum systems from the quantum environment
The revitalization of Brahmanical expertise implies a certain quality of education to exist in society, capable to rise all levels of life to exhibit exemplary performance - from the mind via the body up to the environment. Optimal live-relevant performance is called Siddhi in the Vedic literature and according to Yoga is related to the degree of self-referral consciousness lively in the individual mind. Such an education cultivates successively:
- the innate potential of the individual mind,
- healthy body functions,
- fulfilling societal behavior and
- peace among cultures and nations.
The following chronology summarizes Maharishi Mahesh Yogis contributions to Vedic studies:
- In the 1950s Maharishi Mahesh Yogi started to teach the simple and natural meditation technique of the Shankaracharya tradion which traces back to Adi Shankara who revitalized the Vedic heritage 3500 years ago. Every time this meditation is taught, a short traditional invocation is performed mentioning the genealogy of the teachers (Gurus) of this Vedic tradition. To not forget the importance of the role of the teacher in maintaining the Vedic heritage. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi recommends using the expression “Jai Guru Deva" when reference is made to the Vedic tradition. Without the unbroken line of teachers, the Vedic heritage would not exist. Through Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the phrase "Jai Guru Deva" became known and popular in the modern world.
- In the 1960s the focus of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was on "books and buildings" a formula proposed to him by German practitioners of Transcendental Meditation. Two fundamental books have been published during this decade: The Science of Bering and the Art of Living(1964) and the Commentary of the Bhagavad Gita (1966)- Also, during this time, the construction of two academies has been completed: The Meditation Academy in Bremen (Germany) and in Rishikesh (India). In Rishikesh the first training courses for teachers of Transcendental Meditation took place, and the academy in Bremen became a retreat to those who want to probe deep into their own consciousness. Experiences of higher states of consciousness (cosmic consciousness, god consciousness and unity consciousness) have been reported by participants in meditation retreats conducted by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in many place in Europe and North America
- In the 1970s Maharishi Mahesh Yogi established a work study center in Switzerland combining the experience of deep silence with Vedic studies. During a historic course in Switzerland, the authentic meaning of Vedic study was revealed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The self-explanatory structure of Rig Veda which he called the Apaurusheya Bushy - uncreated commentary-of Rig Veda is the result of the first phase of Vedic studies. Practical outcome is the TM-Sdihi program to optimize the ever evolving relationship between mind, body and society by creating coherence. To verify the coherence creating effect of the TM-Siidhi program, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi established European Research University as center to promote Global research in Consciousness.
- In the 1980 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi repeatedly switched between Holland, where a large center of Vedic teaching had been established, and India, where near New Delhi a campus for Vedic studies was constructed. During that time many educational tools to illustrate the structure of Vedic science and its relationship with the findings of modern science were developed and also the curriculum of Vedic science for all levels of education from secondary to postdoctoral research
- In the 1990 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi focused on publishing books geared to revitalize Vedic India. Together with Tony Nader, a medical doctor with PhD in neuroscience, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi consolidated his insight into Vedic science by showing in detail the structural relationship between the Veda and its Literature with human Physiology. This implies that all structures and transformation existing in Nature are expressed in sound form in the Veda: Veda is the language of nature or in other words is the sound representation of all the laws of nature. After Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's departure from earth, 2008, Tony Nader became the head of all his intuitions and programs with the legacy of establishing global Ram Raj - Vedic civilization supporting the cultural integrity of very country.
Europe may play a crucial role in establishing institutions of Vedic study open to everyone everywhere in the world.
- Already many academic thinkers have recognized the incompleteness of the organizing principles developed during the previous 500 years. A new kind of management skill is required based on complete knowledge expressing expanded awareness and live-relevant creative intelligence by utilizing all the laws of nature, not only just a few., and therefor capable of maintaining balance in all fields of life.
- An increasing numbers of people are using Yoga, meditation end Ayurveda to counterbalance the effect of stress and expand their awareness..
- The texts of the traditional Vedic Literature are available in all European countries, but have to be understood and applied on the basis of higher states of consciousness
- It is possible to built upon experiences in bringing together Vedic Brahmans – the custodians of the Vedic heritage - with educators and researchers from various academic fields to connect ancient Vedic and modern scientific understanding towards a complete science of life – Vedic Science.
- From Europe originated the science, education, technology and economy which created a highly fragmented conflict prone global civilisation. So it is appropriate that for the next stage in global cultural development to be coherent, the mistakes of the past have to be outrooted at their source, in Europe.