tm

The word “Veda” means knowledge, and this tradition involves the passing down of knowledge from teacher to disciple over countless generations. This uninterrupted tradition of knowledge has developed a variety of methods which allow the occurrence of inner experiences on a repetitive basis. Adi Shankara, an extraordinary exponent of the Vedic tradition, commonly dated around 500 AD, founded four teaching centres, one in each corner of India. He then appointed his closest disciples to lead these teaching centres. They and their successors were subsequently titled Shankaracharya.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was a close disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, the Himalayan teaching centre, from 1941 to 1953. Maharishi spread the technique, which he called Transcendental Meditation, throughout the world because it refines mental activity in a completely natural, effortless way and opens pure consciousness to direct experience, regardless of the cultural background or belief of the person meditating. Maharishi developed a standardised teaching method that allowed the training of thousands of authorised TM teachers. Around 12 million people have learnt the technique of TM worldwide.