Global Good News: Excellence in Action

On 9 May 1978, in Seelisberg, Switzerland, Maharishi inaugurated Vedic Studies, which he explained is the study of pure knowledge, the Veda. This talk is published in the book Maharishi Speaks to Educators: Mastery over Natural Law, Volume 3.

Maharishi said that life is lived on the basis of knowledge. Whatever our level of knowledge, that is the level of action, achievement, and fulfilment. 'If knowledge is not profound and complete, then action will not be successful and fulfilling,' he said.

'The nature of life has been understood to be a struggle,' he continued. 'This misunderstanding is due to lack of complete knowledge of life, lack of knowledge of the transcendental nature of life.

'Physics has advanced so much today that it has reached the level of infinity, that level which is free from boundaries, non-physical, transcendental, and which is at the basis of all physical values. This field, [the Unified Field], is the non-changing basis of all the changing physical values in creation.

'Transcendental Consciousness, the non-changing basis of life, is a field of all possibilities. When one's awareness is open to this ultimate value of life, one can operate in a specific way to achieve any desired result. When one is able to fulfil one's desire in an effortless way, life ceases to be a struggle.'

Vedic Studies will replace the incomplete knowledge and understanding of life with new principles of living that will make every man a universal individual, capable of fulfilling his own desires and at the same time fulfilling the interests of society.

World events today reflect purer values of life in world consciousness. As world consciousness becomes purer, the unfoldment of the lively, transcendental field of pure knowledge is coming to light. 'This changing value of time is the inspiration for the inauguration of Vedic Studies,' Maharishi said.

The purpose of inauguration of the Vedic Studies programme is to free mankind from suffering, to free nations from problems, and to make available to everyone those beautiful principles of life whereby the individual will enjoy perfect health, fullness of knowledge, and the cosmic, unbounded value of life.

'Through the Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme life will be lived from the level of all possibilities. This is the gift of pure knowledge, the Veda—life in fulfilment, life in pure knowledge,' Maharishi said.

'Pure consciousness is the home of all the Laws of Nature. When one's awareness is open to the ground state of all the Laws of Nature, awareness becomes a lively field of all possibilities, and one is able to utilize the Laws of Nature to fulfil one's desires. This is the key to success in life.

'When awareness is open to the ground state of all the Laws of Nature, the individual enjoys the unbounded status of life—complete freedom and independence. Only one per cent of the population with awareness established in the ground state of Natural Law is sufficient to make the whole community independent and the nation independent and invincible.'

The ideal of Vedic life, 'The world is my family,' will be a reality only when the members of the world family have this cosmic vision of life, unbounded awareness. This Vedic vision of life is becoming a reality as more and more people practise Transcendental Meditation and experience pure knowledge, the cosmic value of life.

'The goal of the inauguration of Vedic Studies is to create ideal citizens of the Age of Enlightenment—enlightened individuals who have a universal vision of life and who are successful in every undertaking,' said Maharishi.

He explained that experience enriches and supports knowledge, and knowledge enriches and supports experience. Vedic Studies provides verification of one's own inner experience as higher consciousness grows through the practice of the Transcendental Meditation and Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme.

Maharishi also explained that the Vedic Hymns are the fluctuations of consciousness, the impulses of Natural Law cognized on the level of Transcendental Consciousness, the ground state of all the Laws of Nature. 'In the phenomenon of cognition, consciousness itself tells its own story, the story of creation—how the Laws of Nature create the manifest universe from the cosmic, unmanifest value of life,' Maharishi said.

'The Veda presents a complete picture of Natural Law in all its different values. The different branches of modern science until now have brought to light only isolated values of the Laws of Nature, but now science has discovered the common basis of all the Laws of Nature, [the Unified Field.]

'The Language of the Veda is the Language of Nature,' Maharishi continued. "The sequential flow of the Veda is the most natural and most perfect flow of knowledge.

'Life lived in perfect accordance with all the Laws of Nature is the Vedic ideal of life, in which man will not make mistakes or violate any Laws of Nature. On this basis he will enjoy perfect health and will be able to fulfil his desires because every desire will be supported by Natural Law. The ideal of Vedic Life is expressed as Samitih samani—'the whole society established in evenness, the level of Cosmic Life.'

Maharishi said that the value of time is changing and man is awakening to the value of inner silence, Transcendental Consciousness. 'The Transcendent is always there at the basis of creation, and now that transcendental value, which had long been forgotten, is awakening in man's awareness.

'Now life is rising to the full value of Natural Law, which is the aspiration of Vedic Wisdom. In this state life will enjoy the full support of almighty Nature, and action will be spontaneously right and fulfilling.

'The real meaning of Veda is not contained in books, but rather is experienced in pure consciousness, the simplest form of the awareness of the knower. Through the practice of Transcendental Meditation, consciousness is wide awake in the value of pure knowledge. This is why the tradition of Vedic Studies has always included the daily practice of Transcendental Meditation.

'Veda means complete knowledge. The Veda is a universal reality because the full potential of Natural Law is everywhere. This is why life everywhere must be guided by pure knowledge, the Veda. In the dawning Age of Enlightenment every individual will enjoy the blossoming of pure knowledge in the state of enlightenment. This is the blessing of Vedic Studies to mankind,' Maharishi concluded.

"The potential of every student is infinite. The time of student life should serve to unfold that infinite potential so that every individual becomes a vibrant centre of Total Knowledge."—Maharishi