'The Transcendental Meditation Technique strengthens and integrates the physical, mental, and social aspects of life by developing their common basis, pure consciousness.'
—Maharishi

Maharishi's Absolute Theory of Education: Bringing enlightenment to every educator and every student
by Global Good News staff writer
21 July 2008

In his book Maharishi's Supreme Offer to the World, to Every Individual and Every Nation: Enlightenment and Invincibility, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi beautifully explains the purpose and goal and education.

Maharishi explains that the philosophy of education has its beginnings before creation when the unmanifest Absolute, in its state of eternal continuum, could not hold itself back from knowing its own nature.

In this process of knowing itself, the Absolute divided into knowledge and knower, and thus provided the ideal of education—full knowledge of the knower within himself.

'Full knowledge of the knower is essential for education, because it alone provides the stable reference point for the unrestricted flow of knowledge. It gives a common basis to all disciplines and integrates all fields of knowledge,' Maharishi said.

Knowledge is structured in consciousness. The process of education takes place in the field of consciousness; the prerequisite for complete education is therefore the full development of consciousness.

An individual whose consciousness is fully developed is said to be enlightened. Maharishi emphasized that knowledge is not the basis of enlightenment. Enlightenment is the basis of knowledge.

'Ideal education is capable of providing the fruits of all knowledge while the tree of knowledge is still growing; the student is fulfilled, grows in the ability of being at home with everything while he is still in the process of learning.

By providing the means to gain enlightenment through the full development of consciousness, the Transcendental Meditation Technique brings about an ideal educational system, in a very natural way, in every culture.

'An ideal educational system should develop wholeness in the life of the learner. The Transcendental Meditation Technique strengthens and integrates the physical, mental, and social aspects of life by developing their common basis, pure consciousness. This creates a wholeness of awareness, the expression of a truly integrated life in which all the material and spiritual aspects of life are fulfilled,' said Maharishi.

When individual awareness is established in pure consciousness, the home of all the Laws of Nature, thinking is free from weakness and action is free from mistakes. 'In this state of enlightenment the individual meets with no resistance in achieving his goals; problems and failures are foreign to his life,' says Maharishi.

A few fully educated, or enlightened, individuals are sufficient to give a new direction to the life of their community and by their very presence bring about an enlightened society.

'Every man of knowledge knows what an inspiration it is to be in the company of the wise, where every expression shines with the light of knowledge,' Maharishi concluded. 'In the past this opportunity was scarce, and was available only in the presence of highly educated and experienced scholars.

'The time has now comes to have this joy even in the company of the young with the growth of higher states of consciousness. Enlightenment is now going to be a common feature of the youth of the Age of Enlightenment in every country.'

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