Disaster in Japan? Send us money for exotic religious rituals!

Just when you think the global organization that teaches Transcendental Meditation can't sink any deeper, "Global Country" leaders are now organizing monetary support for Vedic rituals performed by "specially trained Maharishi Vedic Pandits of India" as their unique way of providing "urgent relief for Japan." They claim that these rituals "will be vastly more powerful and effective than what the general public can achieve by contributing to rescue efforts and similar, classical approaches."

The following is an excerpt from the TM movement's "Global Good News" website:

Large Maharishi Yagyas being organized to provide urgent relief for Japan

Global Good News    Translate This Article
19 March 2011

In response to the critical situation in Japan, the Global Country of World Peace is organizing a special global emergency initiative to create a very large, sustained Maharishi Yagya performance—to bring immediate and lasting relief to the people, neutralize negative influences, and prevent further calamities in the nation. 

Yagyas are ancient precise performances by specially trained Maharishi Vedic Pandits of India, which create specific life-supporting influences for individuals, families, and nations from the field of pure consciousness, the Unified Field of total Natural Law. 

Leaders of the Global Country around the world, including Dr Bevan Morris, Prime Minister, and its Administrators in the United States, Japan, and India, are promoting this urgent initiative among participants in Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes and well-wishers of humanity in every nation. 

Addressing Transcendental Meditation Teachers and practitioners in the United States, Dr John Hagelin, Administrator of the programme in that country, explained, 'While we are contributing a great deal through our daily meditations—especially those on the Invincible America Assembly**—there is one more very powerful thing we can and must do. 

'We must harness the Vedic technology of prevention throughYagya. Whereas group meditation and Yogic Flying produce a powerful, generalized, non-directed surge of positivity for the general well-being of society—Maharishi Yagyas create a very focused, concentrated influence of positivity designed to neutralize a specific threat.' 

A very large, sustained Yagya for Japan 'is exactly what is needed now to avert further calamity in Japan,' said Dr Hagelin and the other leaders. 

While it may be true that certain rituals may be performed as a result of this campaign, I can't help but notice that this is an appeal for people to send large sums of money to an organization that's directly connected with the particular Vedic/Hindu sect in India that originally spawned Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, known as the Brahmanand Saraswati Foundation, headed by the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math. The lineage of this Shankaracharya, which only dates to its revival in 1941, has long been in dispute, but this organization apparently serves to substantiate the TM movement's claim to be derived from a particular Indian spiritual tradition, and it is the beneficiary of various Western fundraising efforts like this one.

Meanwhile, the TM movement's "Governors" - teachers of Transcendental Meditation - have been instructed to send a special e-mail message announcing this campaign:

Dear Governors,

As we are all aware, the situation in Japan has become extremely critical.

To help alleviate the growing crisis and avert the potential for a nuclear catastrophe, Raja Hagelin with Raja Ram, Dr. Bevan Morris and the International leadership of Maharishi's Movement are urging the immediate creation of a large and powerful Yagya for Japan.


They have created a special announcement to be sent to ALL Governors and Sidhas in your area as well as the more experienced Meditators who would understand the power of the preventative technology of Maharishi Yagya. 

In that special announcement addressed to "Sidhas and Governors of the United States" is the core of the movement's appeal for boatloads of money. Unlike the movement's practices of the distant past, they make no secret of the fact that the donations won't even be used for the things the TM movement used to claim justified charging fees for meditation instruction; funds collected in this campaign will only pay for people doing rituals that allegedly have some magical influence on the planet. Unlike the movement's promotions of Transcendental Meditation, for which they claim to have achieved some level of scientific validation, this program is fully in the realm of unsubstantiated religious claims and practices.

To this end, we invite you to join us in the establishment of a special emergency fund to create a very large, sustained Yagya for Japan.

This is exactly what is needed now to avert further calamity in Japan.

We need everyone—hundreds of people—to contribute whatever they can. This will be vastly more powerful and effective than what the general public can achieve by contributing to rescue efforts and similar, classical approaches. Only we have the knowledge of how to engage the managing intelligence of Nature so directly and so powerfully. And with that knowledge comes the responsibility to act.

The Brahmananda Saraswati Foundation, with the Shankaracharya as its Patron and Maharaj Adhiraj Rajaraam as its President, was established by Maharishi to support the Vedic Pandits in India and to perpetuate the Vedic Tradition, including the Vedic technologies of Jyotish and Yagya. For the special purposes of this global effort to bring immediate and lasting relief to the people of Japan, this 501c3 charitable fund will be used.

PLEASE, EVERYONE: LET’S GIVE GENEROUSLY!

With a contribution of $1,250 or more, your name will be acknowledged in the Maharishi Yagya Performance, and we will provide you with special guidelines to follow during the days of the performance.

Please send your donations today. Include your name and address, and you will receive a letter acknowledging your tax-deductible gift.

So what they're basically saying is, send us lots of money so we can arrange for fabulously expensive religious rituals in Fairfield or India that will be much more effective than actually working toward feeding, clothing or housing people affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Trust us. After all, we wear crowns and we've appointed our very own King and after all that you still take us seriously, so we know you'll take this seriously too.

Update, 21 Mar 2011 16:02 EDT: Here's the latest e-mail from "Raja" John Hagelin.

A Heartfelt "THANK YOU" from the People of Japan

Dear Sidhas and Governors of the United States,

I want to thank you, profoundly, for your immediate and overwhelming response to this urgent appeal from the people of Japan.

In less than two days, we have raised over $125,000 from approximately 350 generous souls. This is truly heartening, extraordinary, and absolutely beautiful.

The Yagyas have begun! And they are being expanded continuously as your support flows in. Already, even from the mere sankalpa (commitment of intention) from so many, the dangerous compounding of nuclear mishaps and related danger to the population may be easing. It is too early to declare victory, and we must not become complacent. There is still much hardship, with the death toll now at a projected 18,000.

Our immediate goal is to raise $200,000 to engage the largest possible, sustained Maharishi Yagyas for Japan. Amazingly, we are already mostly there-a historic and highly commendable response.

For those who have not, please take a moment now to give generously. (The details are below.) Thanks to the uniquely powerful and profound Vedic wisdom and technologies Maharishi has blessed us with, we have the ability to accomplish what no-one else can.

I am extremely proud of you. Our dear brothers and sisters in Japan, and indeed the whole global Movement, are thrilled and grateful for what you have done, and are doing.

With heartfelt congratulations and deep thanks to all of you,

Jai Guru Dev

Raja John Hagelin