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The value of the Transcendental Meditation Programme—in dollars and beyond The scene was the University of California at Berkeley. Bob Roth, Vice President of the David Lynch Foundation and master of ceremonies for the discussion on Consciousness, Creativity, and the Brain, stepped to the podium and read the following words about filmmaker David Lynch, one of the evening’s speakers. ‘We are proud that an individual can have pursued this hard, this twisting highway in this spiritually desiccated and hostile environment of Hollywood,’ Roth said. ‘And we are here to learn how you kept your bearings, kept your vision, and kept sharp your probing imagination in that smog of money and illusion.’ ‘You are not an engineer of emotion,’ Roth continued. ‘As a filmmaker, you are rather a searcher of self and society. Well, here we are, David, right now, at this minute. Direct our attention beyond what we know. We’re listening intently. Welcome.’ Dr Lynch came forward. Right away he created a warm and interactive feeling by inviting the audience to ask questions as a springboard for the discussion. ‘Underneath, we’re all one—it’s so beautiful’ After hearing the filmmaker talk about how he came to learn Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation Technique, and what it had done for him, a student wanted to know what peaked Dr Lynch’s interest in meditation. The filmmaker responded, ‘The word enlightenment,’ and then told the college audience what had gone through his mind and what he has learned about true happiness and the unity of life. ‘I thought, “Is it possible for human beings to gain enlightenment and what is that?” And is it possible to really get happiness going from within? 'Cause we are always looking out, out, out for happiness and we live in a world of change. Everything’s always changing,’ Dr Lynch said. He then gave an example of our ever-changing desires by referring to cars. Perhaps we see a new car that we love and we buy it and enjoy it very much. But after some time it gets some dents and scratches. And then we see another car that we really want and we don’t want the old car anymore. The happiness that it gave us was only temporary. ‘True happiness grows from within,’ Dr Lynch went on. ‘When you dive within and really dive all the way and experience that ocean of consciousness—which Dr Hagelin’s [a physicist who spoke later at the event] science calls the unified field—oneness, unity. Oneness and unity—it’s so beautiful. And, as he says, at that fundamental level, we’re all one, we’re one world family.’ Dr Lynch paused before adding, ‘On the surface, we’re all different, which is always gonna be, but underneath, we’re all one—it’s so beautiful.’ ‘It’s worth far more than that’ Later, a young man wanted to know if learning the Transcendental Meditation Technique was worth the $2500 it then cost. (The fee has been reduced and is currently $1500.) The response may have surprised the questioner. ‘To me, it’s worth far more than that,’ Dr Lynch said with the same sincerity with which he gave all his answers. He elaborated. ‘And we have a thing where we think something spiritual or something that’s supposed to be good for you should be free. And yet all these things we want cost a lot of money. And the price—to me it illumines the strength of the desire. If you want that, you’ll get it. ‘And I know people—they don’t have much money. They find themselves wanting it and they get it. Some people with lots of money—they could easily get it and they don’t want it because it costs something and it should be free. It’s a strange, strange thing.’ The filmmaker then explained what the course fee gets used for. ‘Now, some of that money goes to the teacher, the teacher who teaches you. And the teachers are full time. And, as Bobby [Roth] said, wouldn’t it be a beautiful world if the teachers of meditation, the ones that teach you how to dive within, experience Self, pure consciousness, lead you to your full potential, enlightenment—wouldn’t it be beautiful if they could live on that money?’ Dr Lynch continued. ‘Now, the rest of the money goes to world peace. It doesn’t go, like when we pay our taxes, to killing people in the name of peace. It goes to peace-creating groups, who are trained in advanced techniques to enliven that field of consciousness, unity—enliven that in the world.’ He then spoke of his foundation, the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace. He explained that the foundation raises money to provide scholarships for people to learn the Transcendental Meditation Technique. ‘If you are interested in starting or interested in knowing more about it or interested in helping bring a person to their full potential or bring peace to earth by enlivening this field, enlivening this field of oneness, then, let us know. No problem. And we’ll try to raise the money.’ The student who had posed the question about whether or not the Transcendental Meditation Programme was worth the course fee then added, ‘OK, I can tell my parents that David Lynch said to pay for it?’ The filmmaker responded, ‘Please tell your Mom and Dad that it would be so beautiful if they paid for that.’ The audience applauded. ‘Now,’ Dr Lynch went on, ‘I paid for my son, Riley, and my son, Austin, and my daughter, Jennifer, and I paid when I started. ‘But,’ he added, ‘when I started it was only $35.’ After the students in the hall laughed, Dr Lynch continued, ‘But it was a lot of money to me then. I didn’t care. I really wanted it and I’ve been doing it ever since.’ Dive in twice a day The filmmaker then emphasized the practice and its benefits. ‘And it’s the regular practice of diving within. It would be beautiful if you gained enlightenment overnight. But you dive in twice a day—once in the morning, you’re a meditator! You dive in and then you just go about your business and watch things get better. It’s really beautiful! It’s for the rest of your life!’ The student thanked Dr Lynch and then offered a comment: ‘And I really like your movies but at the end of them I usually say, “I don’t get it.’” The filmmaker playfully responded, ‘You start meditating pal.’ He laughed while the audience applauded and laughed, too. [The whole event is available for viewing online.] Editor’s notes: Also see Excellence in Action article, ‘Money in the bank for a human being to do anything’.
© Copyright 2012 Global Good News®
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