Testimonials on Transcendental Meditation Program
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Letters from Religious Leaders on the Transcendental Meditation Program A universal theme in these letters from religious leaders is that the Transcendental Meditation program deepens their own spiritual life and enhances their comprehension and love of their own tradition. They note that it does not require any belief or change in life style to practice. They point out that the technique has been scientifically validated to reduce stress and improve mental clarity, health, and interpersonal relations, which are beneficial to any cultural tradition and which serve to increase appreciation and tolerance of other people's traditions and worldviews.
Contents:
Andean Path: Shaman Mallku Aribalo, November 4, 2008 Catholicism:
Father Leonard Dubi, December 1, 2008
Father Thomas R. Miller, June 17, 2008
Father Cletus Stein, October 2, 2008
Sister Carol Wirtz, August 25, 2008
Islam Mohammad Haghverdi, December 24, 2008
Judaism: Senior Rabbi Allan Green, June 27, 2008
Rabbi Michael Shevack, November 12, 2008
United Methodist Church: Reverend Jonathan Chadwick, November 4, 2008
Unity Church: Reverend Don Lansky, June 30, 2008
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Andean Path:
Shaman Mallku Aribalo, November 4, 2008
As a Shamanic Andean spiritual leader, I can say that Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a technique for inner development and growth has no contradictions to what the ancient masters from the Andes were teaching and practicing. Au contraire, we are finding that some of the spiritual wisdom regarding both theory and practice of the Andean traditions was lost. Now, through Transcendental Meditation, the Andean people can receive the great benefits of understanding and experiencing that they can have a life where their mind, heart, and daily actions can be in balance and harmony with all of nature; they can grow in peace, energy, creativity, love, and wisdom. I think it is also important to express that there have been hundreds of scientific research studies performed on the TM technique that have shown its effectiveness in enriching all, aspects of life. From my own experience, I can recognize the soft and clear ways in which the TM technique acts in the life of a person, and I highly recommend the TM technique to be introduced and taught in our communities with the main goal of having peace on Earth.
With gratitude to master Maharishi for illuminating this time with his blessings."
Mallku Aribalo
Author of the books: "The Awakening of the Puma," "Machu Picchu Forever," "Cusco Forever," and "Inka Power Places." President of the: Mondial Association of Andean Writers (AMEA)
Catholicism:
Father Leonard Dubi, December 1, 2008
I am an active 66-year-old Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago who has served 7 parishes in a 40-plus year career. I began practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) in my middle 30s while serving in a third assignment as an associate pastor. I went on to serve two more parishes as an associate pastor until the archbishop made me a pastor of a parish that I served for 21 years. I am in my present assignment as a pastor for almost three years.
The practice of TM has been among the highest priorities in my life since I began to meditate 33 years ago. I also became a Sidha by learning the advanced TM-Sidhi program, including Yogic Flying, 17 years ago. During this entire time span I have practiced these techniques faithfully, twice a day, 365 times a year, including all the secular and religious holidays. I have meditated on airplanes, ocean liners, buses and cars; in airports, bus stations, hospital chapels, banquet halls, friend's homes as well as my favorite prayer chair in my room.
The time commitment has been woven into the fabric of my spiritual life. My prayer and preparation to celebrate the Sacraments of the Catholic liturgical tradition, especially the Holy Eucharist, has been augmented by practicing the TM and TM-Sidhi programs.
The daily centering experience as a meditator and a Sidha has deepened my appreciation of the contemplative dimensions of mental prayer taught in the Catholic spiritual tradition. As a calmer and more centered person, my prayerful reading of the sacred scriptures is more profound and rewarding. Deeper meaning seems to surface as I read the various passages of the books of the Holy Bible.
My prayer life has become richer. Life has slowed down interiorly even as it has accelerated externally. In addition, using the various easy Yogic breathing exercises as well as the Yoga postures I learned from the TM Movement has increased my lung capacity and my physical strength. I look and feel younger than my age.
The distress that comes with being a pastor in a Catholic parish in a 21st century urban setting in the mid-west of the USA, as well as just living in the modern world of instant communication is potentially debilitating. Regular practice of TM has proven to be an effective way of dissolving stress as well as an effortless way to slow me down.
These benefits are attested to in numerous scientific studies that have been conducted on the TM technique. The best "study," however, has been my personal experience.
I have recommended that friends and parishioners learn the TM technique. Some have. Those who have continued to practice the technique regularly have experienced the same results as I have.
I certainly recommend Transcendental Meditation to everyone, particularly to those in the society who are responsible for the spiritual and intellectual growth of congregations and students. I have used TM as a tool that has helped me in my vocation as a priest and as a man of faith and prayer. The technique has only helped me experience the spiritual core of my religious belief at a deeper level.
Sincerely,
Father Leonard Dubi
Saint Victor Parish, Calumet City, IL
Catholicism:
Father Thomas R. Miller, June 17, 2008
To whom it may concern:
In my experience of thirty-nine years regular practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM), I have found it only strengthens and enhances the practice of my Christian religious faith. In fact, it is clear to me that growing more and more familiar with the simple state of inner awareness cultivated by TM opened my ear to the "still small voice" within, and paved the way for my vocation in Christian ministry twenty-two years ago.
In my experience as a priest, many TM meditators who left formal religious practice earlier in their lives, almost as a rule, returned to it after learning to meditate. Most of these credit their practice of TM for leading them back to their faith.
Scientific research has shown that the TM technique reduces stress, improves health, mental clarity, social responsibility, and moral maturity. These benefits are directly supportive to a life of spiritual development, devotion and service to God.
The technique of TM does not provide an alternative faith. The practice itself strengthens faith in God. So, my answer to those who wonder whether TM is a religion is that there is nothing to fear and everything to gain for Christians who wish to deepen and enrich their prayer life and faith.
Sincerely,
Father Thomas R. Miller
Rector St. Gabriel and All Angels Church Fairfield, Iowa
Catholicism:
Father Cletus Stein, October 2, 2008
Dear Catholic friends,
I am a retired Catholic priest who practices Transcendental Meditation (TM) and did so while I served in the Catholic Church for about 30 years. Based on my own experience, I know that TM is a universal technique that is in harmony with the goals of our religion. It requires no change in personal lifestyle or beliefs and is an effective aid for us to become stronger in our own faith. Transcendental Meditation has enhanced my own religious practice and has been a great way for me to relax and become more alert for my work and my life as a whole.
I served in parishes in Kansas for 20 years and in Texas for 11 years, also doing some hospital and student chaplain ministry. I did my Theology studies in Rome and was ordained there in 1966. It is my experience that TM is an excellent way to prepare for prayer. I have also found that TM teachers and practitioners have great respect for all religions; therefore, I believe that TM allows us to practice ecumenism and not just talk about it.
Meditation has been encouraged by the Church over the ages and by the saints, including the writer of the Cloud of Unknowing, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and many others. TM is a proven technique for joining them in meditation. Many scientific research studies over the years have shown significant results with TM; it has been known to improve physical health and to increase mental clarity and creativity. It is my experience that the practice of TM and the benefits that it brings only get better over the years. I believe that anyone can find great value in practicing this meditation regularly.
Sincerely,
Cletus Stein
Retired Catholic Priest
Catholicism:
Sister Carol Wirtz, August 25, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a letter of support for the practice of Transcendental Meditation. I have been a Catholic Sister for twenty-two years and have been practicing Transcendental Meditation for fourteen years. I have found this technique to be very beneficial in different aspects of my life. It has helped calm and focus my mind during times of stress as well as in everyday life. I have also noticed physiological effects such as less muscle tension, more relaxed breathing and just overall greater awareness. In addition, there have been many scientific studies to support the benefits of Transcendental Meditation.
Since Transcendental Meditation is not a religion nor is it taught as a doctrine, it does not interfere or conflict with my Catholic Christian faith. In my years of practicing this technique I believe it has enhanced my prayer and Christian life.
Sincerely,
Sister Carol Wirtz
Anthony, New Mexico
Islam:
Mohammad Haghverdi, December 24, 2008
To Whom it May Concern,
I am a Muslim who practices Transcendental Meditation (TM). In my experience of many years of regular practice of TM, I have found a deeper level of understanding of everything in life. TM opened my mind and heart; it expanded my awareness, helped me to be more forgiving and compassionate, sharpened my senses, and has made me much more alert to everything.
When I look back to those days of my life without TM, I could not believe myself. I was so ignorant and dull to everything, but, at the time, I did not even know it. When I consider the great contrast in my life between before and after learning TM, it is so clear to me how much my life has improved in so many ways.
I was also very pleased to learn that the benefits I was experiencing from TM have been documented by a great quantity of scientific research. This research has shown that the TM technique reduces stress, improves health, increases mental clarity and creativity and improves social responsibility and moral maturity.
I have found that TM's benefits are supportive to life as a whole and are also supportive to a religious life that is dedicated to spiritual development and to devotion and service to God. As a Muslim, I have found that TM makes me more effective and successful in my religious life on the "Saarat el mostaghim" on the straight path to God. I have discovered that TM can help one to achieve the highest level of service to God, which can only be accomplished through a complete surrender to the will of God.
However, TM does not replace my religion it is only an excellent support to it. TM does not provide an alternative faith; it is not a religion. But, it does serve to strengthen one's faith in one's own God and in one's own religion. So my answer to those who wonder whether TM is a religion is that there is nothing to fear and everything to gain for Moslems who wish to deepen and enrich their own prayer life and faith.
Sincerely,
Mohammad Haghverdi
Practicing Muslim, Fairfield, Iowa
Judaism:
Senior Rabbi Allan Green, June 27, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
The first thing I want to say about my thirty-seven year practice of the Transcendental Meditation program is that I never would have become a rabbi without it. Transcendental Meditation saved my Jewish life.
How so? The short story is that in addition to its many other benefits, verified by over 600 scientific studies, the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique gave me an experiential referent for the word, "God." Based on my own developing experiences with TM, I grew in love and appreciation for God, for His amazing universe, and for my own religious traditions. At the same time, I would emphasize that TM is truly universal, as anyone of any age, education, or background can practice it successfully, without any need for change in personal beliefs or lifestyle.
With the regular practice of TM, people not only become more calm, energetic, and creative than before, but they also change in ways they couldn't possibly have anticipated—innocently growing in love, compassion, ethical sensitivity, and devotion to God. All too often in religious life, these ideals prevail far more in theory than in practice. But the TM program gently, effectively transforms these ideals into living realities.
Therefore, I would recommend the practice of Transcendental Meditation to any student or teacher of Judaism (or indeed, of any religious tradition) interested in living the highest ideals of their tradition in everyday life. In the words of the rabbis, "May we then find grace and enlightenment, in the eyes of both God and humankind."
Very sincerely yours,
Allan Green
Senior Rabbi, Shaarey Haarey Zedek Synagogue Winnipeg, MB Canada
Judaism:
Rabbi Michael Shevack, November 12, 2008
To whom it may concern:
As a rabbi, I would like to comment on my experience of the technique of Transcendental Meditation (TM) in relationship to the practice of my religion of Judaism.
There is a common misconception amongst many different "western" religions, mainly Judaism, Christianity and Islam that Transcendental Meditation is a form of some kind of Hindu worship and is therefore pagan. Based on my direct experience with the TM technique, I can clearly say that this idea is a misunderstanding and is simply not true.
In fact, my experience as a TM practitioner, since the age of 17 (I am now 55) has proven just the opposite. At first I was attracted to TM as a way to reduce stress, and was very excited by the hundreds of studies that demonstrated it having a positive effect on lowering stress, blood pressure and improving generally well-being, both mental and physical. However, as I practiced TM, I found that these benefits were actually mere "by products" of the experience.
I found that I was opening, day after day, meditation after meditation, to what I considered to be a deep spiritual experience. Such an experience was not "other worldly", nor did it belong to "another religion". Such an experience was deeply rooted in the practical day to day experiences of life, and as such, became deeply integrated with the practice of my day to day Judaism. I found that TM opened me up to intuitive insights and understandings which helped "make sense" of my Jewish practice; it made the observance of my own faith increasingly alive and spiritually vibrant.
Many decades ago, I had come across a quote by Maharishi which said, "As you spontaneously meditate you begin to understand the religion of your birth." This has proven to be the truth. The more I meditated, the more the customs, the traditions, the theology and the practice of my religion deepened within me. TM did not remove me from Judaism; it actually guided me back to Judaism, with improved understanding, deepened spiritual experience, and greater love and commitment.
I have therefore recommended TM to many Jews within my congregation and beyond my congregation, as well as to all seekers-of-Truth, including many within Christianity and Islam. Based on my experience, I can say that there is nothing to fear about TM. If you are Christian it will make you more Christian. If you are Jewish, it will make you more Jewish. If you are Muslim, it will make you more Muslim. Due to the growing appreciation of one's own faith through TM, one does not seek out other religions; one becomes fulfilled in one's own.
Lastly, as a leader in inter-religious dialogue, who has worked with many of the world's noble religions, I believe that TM can provide a doorway to a common spiritual understanding and experience that can help bring about, and speed about, the development of mutual respect and understanding of the world's religions, by deepening and enlivening the universal spiritual foundation upon which they are all based.
In short, it is a fast, effective, universal approach to peace.
Rabbi Michael Shevack
The Bucks County Free Synagogue Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania
United Methodist Church:
Reverend Jonathan Chadwick, November 4, 2008
Dear friends,
I would like to take a brief moment to address the issue of the teaching of the Transcendental Meditation Technique (TM) in the public schools.
Many years ago I learned TM while in high school and during that time I had opportunity to attend several weekend TM residence courses led by Dr. John Hagelin, who is currently the National Leader of the TM Movement in the U.S. Also, I was fortunate to spend my sophomore year of college in residence at Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa. After graduating from Boston University and seminary, I then served for twelve years as full-time pastor in charge of various United Methodist churches throughout Iowa.
The relationship between meditation and religion is an interesting and complex question. During my years in parish ministry my exploration of this question was detailed and included dialogue on this topic with Bishop Rueben P. Job, who ordained me twice. Overall, I have come to the conclusion that the practice of TM really does not conflict with any religion; at least, whatever perceived "rubbing points" there might be in the opinion of some, are greatly outweighed by the benefits of TM, many of which have been documented by years of scientific research.
Please note that I do not make this claim lightly. For more than three decades I have asked tough questions on these matters to TM officials, and their responses were quite satisfactory. Also, in recent years, I have made it a point to communicate in some depth with a number of prominent critics of TM. As far as I am concerned, TM resoundingly passes the test.
Perhaps the best watchword on these considerations is "diversity." My own alma mater, Boston University School of Theology, has produced graduates as diverse as Norman Vincent Peale and Martin Luther King, Jr. So it is in their spirit of prophetic positivity that I would encourage you to check out TM both for yourself and your public school. Personally I can't imagine continuing to grow without it.
Yours sincerely,
Reverend Jonathan Chadwick
Pastor of various United Methodist churches throughout Iowa
Unity Church:
Reverend Don Lansky, June 30, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
When I first learned the Transcendental Meditation technique in 1970 I was an avowed agnostic. Over my years of practicing the TM technique, I found myself growing into a greater awareness of something much larger than myself.
Particularly on the TM retreats I attended, this awareness continued to blossom into a deep appreciation and gratitude for the Creator — and a profound and abiding love of Jesus Christ. At no point have I ever found a conflict with TM and my religious beliefs and practices. In fact, the TM program has not only served to strengthen my faith in God, it has also deepened my prayer life as well.
When I first learned TM in 1970, there was only one scientific study conducted by the Harvard Medical School. Today, TM is the most widely researched technique of meditation in the world with over 600 scientific studies validating its benefits for improving health and overall well being.
On a more practical level, I cannot imagine doing ministry without my daily, twice-a-day TM practice. The deep rest and silence of the TM technique helps me to find balance, energy, and the spiritual connection to cope with the rigorous demands and stresses of ministry. In short, I am a better minister because of the TM program.
With my direct experience of the TM technique for over 38 years and the growing body of scientific research, I can whole-heartedly recommend the TM program. I especially would recommend the TM technique to my brothers and sisters in the clergy, whatever their denomination or faith tradition.
Sincerely,
Reverend Don Lansky
Co-Minister, Unity Church Charlottesville, North Carolina