About Us
Who We Are and Why We're Here
About MGAC • Who Was Maharishi? • What Is TM?
Our Mission
MGAC was created to help fulfill Maharishi's wish for maintaining the effectiveness of the teachings for all future generations. The many aspects of this process include:
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creating a shielded, digital repository of original materials;
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maintaining an online archive for the public;
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establishing an archive on every continent with exhibitions of Maharishi's teachings on display;
and thereby support the creativity of future generations and their desire for spiritual growth and worldly enjoyment.
Our Values
Orderliness | We have selected standards of best practices and designed a record grouping system based upon the International Council on Archives. This ensures that as we continue to process the original materials in our care, everything is archivally sound, can be easily located, and has been digitally reproduced.
Camaraderie | "Harmony exists in diversity" is a principle of Maharishi's Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI). Our philosophy at MGAC is that the best results come from the cooperation of different, unique elements in our family of meditators around the world.
Enjoyment | We want the Archive to foster a personal connection between the viewer and Maharishi's teachings. In our opinion, that is best achieved by making the process enjoyable and ensuring that the Archive is maintained in a spirit of openness and altruism.
Gratitude | MGAC has received a groundswell of support and donated materials from countless people around the world. A heartfelt thank you to everyone in our community.
Who was Maharishi?
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1918–2008) was a renowned scholar and teacher from the Vedic tradition of India. He is best known for teaching the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program, his commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita, and his emphasis on a scientific understanding of what is classically called enlightenment.
Maharishi taught around the world for over 50 years, and trained tens of thousands of TM teachers from all backgrounds and ways of life. The organizations that Maharishi created are informally referred to as "the Movement" — a contraction of the name "Spiritual Regeneration Movement", which Maharishi established in the 1950s. You can listen to Maharishi tell the story of how the TM Movement began here (the audio begins on page 4 of the eBook).
Who was Guru Dev?
Maharishi's teacher was Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (1871–1953), who became the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math in the Himalayas of Northern India at the age of 70 in 1941. He was one of the most significant proponents of Vedanta philosophy in the 1900s. As is customary in the Vedic tradition, Maharishi referred to his teacher as "Guru Dev", and it's how we refer to him on our website as well.
You may find other words and phrases on our site that are commonly used in the TM Movement. If you're unfamiliar with the meaning of anything you come across, feel free to get in touch.
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Maharishi and Teacher Training Course participants in Kashmir, 1969.
Maharishi's teacher,
Swami Brahmananda Saraswati.
What is TM?
an introduction from www.tm.org
TM is a simple, natural, effortless technique practiced 20 minutes, twice a day, while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed.
The TM technique allows your active mind to easily settle inward, through quieter levels of thought, until you experience the most silent and peaceful level of your own awareness — pure consciousness.
Transcendental Meditation is:
1. Absolutely effortless. It’s so easy and enjoyable that anyone can do it — even children and adults with ADHD. This makes TM different from other techniques. In TM, there is:
No concentrating
No controlling of the mind
No monitoring of thoughts (mindfulness)
No trying to “empty the mind"
2. Authentic. The TM technique was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi over 50 years ago, and has been learned by more than six million people. It can only be taught by certified TM teachers in a course carefully personalized for each individual.
3. Unique. Other meditations are sometimes described as being the same or similar to the TM technique. In fact, the results of every study looking at different techniques of meditation show TM to produce a uniquely comprehensive improvement across all aspects of the individual.
4. Evidence-based. Hundreds of published research studies on the TM technique have documented major benefits for:
stress and anxiety
brain function
cardiovascular health
5. Established. Over six million people have learned the TM technique and experienced its benefits — people of all ages, cultures, religions, and walks of life.
6. Not a belief system. The TM technique is not a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle. No belief or expectation is needed for it to be effective.
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Video of Maharishi describing TM
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Video of Maharishi describing how the Movement started
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Video of Maharishi describing TM
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Video of Maharishi describing how the Movement started