Transcendental Meditation TM

Transcendental Meditation is a specific and wonderful technique of mantra meditation that has been discovered and developed by the great and famous Gurudev Shri Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 20th century.

I have been initiated at young age while I was a teenager and later in my life I became initiated again for the second time.

I have tried a lot of mantras and meditations, but I must admit that Maharishi 's technique and insight still is the best and most effective of all meditation techniques.

The mantras that are used are derived and modified versions of the originial Sanskrit Tantric Shakti Beej Beeja Bija Mantras (AIM or AING for Godess Sarasvati, SHRIM or SHRING for Godess Laksmi, HRIM or HRING for Godess Maheshvari and KRIM or KRING for Godess Kali) which are commonly found in the books and traditions of Tantric Hinduism.

Maharishi has modified these sanskrit mantras in a specific way such that they are very easy to think. By this modification the mantras also possess a very special quality : the have the specific quality to be thought and experienced at finer levels very easily in comparison to the original Sanskrit versions (see above) and also in comparison to other thoughts or objects of meditation. It is his genius and accomlishment that he discovered and developed this.

The modificated mantras are :

SHRIM or SHRING (original sanskrit version) becomes modified (TM version) : SHEAREENG or SHEAREEM

HRIM or HRING (original sanskrit version) becomes modified (TM version) : HEAREENG or HEAREEM

KRIM or KRING (original sanskrit version) becomes modified (TM version) : KEAREENG or KEAREEM

AIM or AING (orginal sankrit version) stayes the same : AING or AIM

SHYAM (original sanskrit version) becomes modified (TM version) : SHEAYAM

Correct Pronuniciation : the "EA" is pronounced as the "EA" in "HEAR" or "EAR"

the "EE"is pronounced as the "EE" in "DEEP" or "KEEP"

the "A" in SHEAYAM is pronounced as the "A" in "ARMY"

Method of giving the mantras :

In TM the mantras are given according to the age at the time of initiation :

For the age group below 24 years : AING or AIM is used

Age group between 24 and 35 years : SHEAREENG or SHEAREEM is used

Age group between 35 and 45 years : HEAREENG or HEAREEM is used

Age group between 45 and 55 years : KEAREENG or KEAREEM is used

Age group of 55 and above : SHEAYAM is used

Initiation Ceremony :

For optimal results and benefits it is necessary that you are initiated by a TM teacher. A small ceremony is done in which the blessing is asked for the one who is initiated. It is my personal experience that this initiation ceremony is absolutely necessary for getting good results with the meditation.

The main principle during Transcendental Meditation is thinking the mantra effortlessly :

"In this meditation, we do not concentrate, we do not try to think the mantra clearly. Mental repetition is not a clear pronunciation, rather it is a faint idea. We don't try to make a rhythm of the mantra. We don't try to control thoughts. We do not wish that thoughts should not come. If a thought comes, we do not try to push it out. We don't feel sorry about it. When a thought comes, the mind is completely absorbed in the thought. And if at any time you seem to be forgetting the mantra, don't try to hold on. Whenever we forget the mantra, we come back to to it very quietly. It is a very simple and natural process.

"When we become aware that we are not thinking the mantra, then we quietly come back to the mantra. Very easily we think the mantra and if at any moment we feel that we are forgetting it, we should not try to persist in repeating it. Only very easily we start and take it as it comes and do not hold the mantra if it tends to slip away.

"The mantra may change in different ways. It can get faster or slower, louder or softer, clearer or fainter. Its pronunciation may change, lengthen or shorten or even may appear to be distorted or it may not appear to change at all. In every case, we take it as it comes, neither anticipating nor resisting change, just simple innocence."

"There is no need to try to stop thinking because thoughts are a part of meditation. Even if the mind is filled with other thoughts while the mantra is going on, there is no conflict. Our concern is with the mantra, and if other thoughts are there along with it, we do not mind them and we don't try to remove them. We are not concerned with them, we innocently favor the mantra."

"Noise is no barrier to meditation. Even in a noisy market, it is possible to be thinking thoughts and whenever we can think, we can meditate. So one can think the mantra comfortably even though aware of outside noises. We just innocently favor the mantra and do not try to resist noise in any way."

"Even with some discomfort we should be able to meditate, for anyone who can think can meditate, and even with some bodily discomfort, it's our experience that we do not lose the natural ability to have thoughts."

"One thing is very important, that we do not try to meditate. We do not try to keep the tempo of the mantra the same, nor do we try to change the tempo. And, we do not concentrate against thoughts we might have, or against noises we might hear. We do not r esist thoughts, we do not resist noise, we do not resist the mantra changing or disappearing, we do not resist anything. We take it as it comes. It is a very simple, natural, innocent process. When we meditate at home, we start with half a minute sitting e asily. That means, close the eyes about half a minute and then start the mantra easily. And when we want to end meditation then we stop thinking the mantra inside, but do not open the eyes for about 2 minutes. This is very important that we start with half a minute of silence and end with 2 minutes of silence."

Below here I offer you some questions which may aid you in thinking the mantra effortlessly :

1. " When we close our eyes, naturally we feel some quietness, some silence, yes ?"

2. "Did you feel some quietness, some silence ?"

3. "Did you have any thoughts in that silence ?"

4. "Did you notice how spontaneously, how effortlessly these thoughts come?"

5. " Did you notice that a thought comes naturally, effortlessly and spontaneously?"

6. " Did you notice that thoughts come without any effort?"

7. This is how we should think the mantra effortlessly. We close our eyes and sit easily. After about half a minute, we begin to think the mantra in that same effortless way as we think other thoughts.

Aum Gurudev Shree Maharishi Mahesh Yogi kee Jay