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Joining the Universal Peace Corps: Transforming the World from Within, Part I
by Cynthia E. Johnson
Transcendental Meditation for Women Blog Translate This Article
18 December 2014
As I sat to research this blogpost, I remembered it was the birthday of my father, who passed away two years ago. I wanted to observe this day by reading one of his sermons. As his life was devoted to peace-making, I felt a sense of continuity with him in writing the topic of this post. I randomly pulled out a sermon of his, ''The Grace of Beginning Again and Again.'' In it, my dad spoke of his high regard for Martin Buber: ''In the writings of this Jewish thinker there radiates such sensitivity of spirit and depth of understanding, such beauty of soul and strength of purpose, such integrity and realism . . . .'' Throughout his life, my father said, Buber urged people to realize their ever-present potential for inner transformation and renewal. In Buber's words, the ''grace of beginning again and ever again.''
I realized how relevant this was for my post—relevant to the question many ask today: CAN we possibly transform this world of ours, on a large scale, for the better? Buber's life was devoted to urging others to realize that this possibility is there each and every moment.
But how? When we want illumination to significant questions, there are three sources we can turn to for knowledge: wisdom of the sages, both ancient and contemporary; modern science; and our own experience. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi calls these the ''Three Eurekas.''
Let's start with the wisdom from the sages. Rabbi Abraham Kook, another great 20th century Jewish leader, addresses our question of how we can transform our world and underscores a poin: the individual has the potential for a profoundly harmonious effect on the whole. Addressing the experience of higher states of consciousness, Rabbi Kook said, ''It turns out that the unity achieved in our souls serves to unite the world as a whole. And all those noble effects of the riches of the souls which everyone who is wise of heart, of a sensitive and holy nature, can feel within himself . . . . because of the manifestation of the mystical discovery of inner unity—these spread and release light and vitality and become a source of blessing and an ornament of peace to the world and its fullness.''
To get a perspective from another culture, we travel back in time to Lao Tzu of ancient China:
From ancient times till now the One has been the source of all attainments By realizing the One Heaven becomes clear, Earth becomes still spirits gain power and hearts fill up with joy By realizing the One kings and lords become instruments of peace and creatures live joyfully upon this earth. Tao te Ching
Is it our responsibility to society as well as a personal joy to incorporate transcendent experiences into our life? According to Teshima, writing about the Jewish Hasidic tradition, ''every Jew must . . . . encourage himself to reproduce those moments of unity,'' the goal of which is ''perpetual brightness in the whole universe.''
This principle—that an enlightened individual automatically affects powerful, positive change in the larger community—is articulated in yet another time and culture. The 14th century anonymous author of the Christian classic, The Cloud of Unknowing, says that even a momentary experience of the transcendent, within the silence of pure consciousness [''pure contemplation''], has a more powerful impact of good upon the world than anything done in the field of activity: ''The whole of mankind is wonderfully helped by what you are doing, in ways you do not understand . . . . It is more profitable to your friends, natural and spiritual, dead or alive.'' ''It is more powerful, I can assure you, than anything else.'' Yet, it is ''the lightest sort of work there is.''
That phrase, ''the lightest sort of work there is,'' is a perfect description of the transcending process during the Transcendental Meditation technique. The mind finds it increasingly easy, more natural, and simple to go beyond its usual concrete level of functioning to experience quieter levels of activity, where consciousness entertains softer levels of thought, and then to experience silent consciousness by itself without the activity of thought. Pure consciousness is the mind's own nature and is effortlessly experienced at the mind's most fundamental state. From within this state, we automatically become ''instruments of peace,'' nourishing our environment with an influence of harmony.
In my next post, I'll explain how the field of consciousness, easily experienced by every individual, is at the fundamental level of all life, all people, and the entire manifest world. And how, when experienced, it's universal qualities of peace and coherence are enlivened throughout everything and everyone. We'll understand this from the perspectives of both hard science and personal experiences, and look at research on the collective practice of TM and how we can have ''a powerful impact of good upon the world.''
See related article: ∙ Celebrating invincibility to every nation: Harmony, coherence, freedom from fear - Maharishi
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