|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
Maharishi's Bhagavad-Gita Now Available as a Book on Tape for the First Time
"This is the glory of the nature of the Self. Having come back home the traveler finds peace. The intensity of happiness is beyond the superlative. The bliss of this state eliminates the possibility of any sorrow, great or small. Into the bright light of the sun no darkness can penetrate; no sorrow can enter bliss consciousness, nor can bliss consciousness know any gain greater than itself. This state of self-sufficiency leaves one steadfast in oneself, fulfilled in eternal contentment."
--From Maharishi's Commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 6, verse 20.
In 1961, in response to the growing demand all over the world for the knowledge of Transcendental Meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi began the first Teacher Training Course, at Rishikesh, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas. There, on the peaceful banks of the Ganges, in response to questions from the course participants about experiences arising during their periods of long meditation, Maharishi was inspired to begin his commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita, which he describes as the pocketbook edition of the whole of the Vedic literature.
During the five years that it took for the commentary to be completed, Dr. Vernon Katz, a founder of Maharishi's movement in Great Britain, who had completed his doctoral thesis on the Bhagavad-Gita at Oxford University a few years before, worked closely with Maharishi on the translation and editing of the commentary. Dr. Katz has been instrumental in bringing out the new audio-book of Maharishi's classic, working with members of Maharishi Thousand-Headed Purusha at the Spiritual Center of America in North Carolina.
The Bhagavad-Gita records the instruction in enlightenment given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield, just as the great war described in the Mahabharata--of which the Gita is a part--was about to begin.
"I think Maharishi wrote his commentary to emphasize the importance of direct experience," says Dr. Katz. "In this modern age, when the experience of pure consciousness had been lost, that was what was needed.
"Maharishi responds to the need of the time, so he naturally responded to the experiences of those practicing Transcendental Meditation by giving them the knowledge that explained their experiences," he says.
In fact, the commentary is a detailed road map, charting the way through all the important experiences on the path to full enlightenment. The explicit description of these experiences, in simple, straightforward language, is unique in the world today and has informed hundreds of thousands of readers since its publication. As a book on tape, these profound experiences of higher states of consciousness leap out at the listener when one recognizes one's own experience.
Dr. Mike Tompkins, a brilliant orator in his own right, reads Maharishi's commentary on these tapes, while Dr. Katz reads Maharishi's translation of the verses.
The language of both the verses and the commentary are a delight to the ear. "When we were doing the Gita," Dr. Katz remembers, "I was astounded by the beauty of Maharishi's words--it was pure poetry. It was just so lovely having beauty of language put to the service of this great knowledge."
For example, at the end of Chapter 1, we read: "Fortunate are they whose minds are distressed for the misfortunes of others. More fortunate still are they who are able to relieve the misfortunes of others, themselves remaining undisturbed."
Dr. Harold Bloomfield, a best-selling author, psychiatrist, and teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program, says about Maharishi's Gita on tape, "While listening my experience was that of smooth joy and bliss. These tapes will spontaneously transport you to higher states of consciousness." Harriet Berman, a trustee of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment in Fairfield, says, "I felt like I was transported to Vedic times. The Sanskrit in particular was so thrilling--my physiology came alive whenever the chanting resumed."
The commentary also analyzes misconceptions prevalent in the world about spiritual growth to enlightenment. Dr. Katz played an important role here as well. "Seeing how the Bhagavad Gita was taught to students allowed Maharishi to explain it so that people who are not enlightened can understand it. It gave him a chance to reflect on all the wrong interpretations of the Gita, which I had picked up at Oxford and elsewhere."
The Gita also offers practical guidance for virtually every problem facing modern man. Maharishi's commentary gives insight on many topics, including the role of dharma, or one's allotted duty, in practical life; family problems; fame and honor; love and attachment; the antidote to sorrow and other negative emotions; right and wrong action; the basis of fear and anger; and diet, recreation, and daily routine.
The tapes include the traditional Sanskrit recitation of each verse by renowned Bhagavad-Gita pundits of India, and a "wholeness tape," in which Dr. Katz reads the translation of all six chapters of verses on one tape.
In his Introduction, Maharishi summarizes the value of the Gita:
"The Bhagavad-Gita is the Light of Life, lit by God at the altar of man, to save humanity from the darkness of ignorance and suffering. It is a scripture which outlives time, and can be acknowledged as indispensable to the life of any man in any age. It is the encyclopedia of life and this commentary provides an index to it."
***
The entire 12-tape set of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita may be ordered for $60 by calling (888) 840-0680. To order the tapes on the Internet, visit the Web site <http://www.purusha.org/1Store.html>.
