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'Maharishi ushered in spiritual renaissance'
7 Feb 2008, 0200 hrs IST,Deepak Chopra
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NEW YORK: The Maharishi didn't die like mere mortals do. He just went
into what we call 'maha samadhi'. On
January 12 this year, his 91st birthday, he announced that his work in
the world was over and he was going into silence. He didn't speak to a
single soul after that day. And today, he has passed so elegantly.
Maharishi began the spiritual renaissance. He was one of the most
significant figures of the century. Personally, I owe everything to
him. Everything I have learnt, I have learnt from him. He has
influenced some of the most important people of this century. The
Maharishi had grandiose ideas sometimes even impractical but he
was a great man.
I remember taking George Harrison to meet him in 1993. George had gone
to apologize for the bad behaviour of the Beatles back in 1969. Back
then, the Beatles, especially John Lennon, had insinuated that the
Maharishi was having an affair with Mia Farrow.
When George apologised, the Maharishi said there was nothing to be
sorry about. He said the Beatles were angels on Earth with their music
and he could never be angry with them. Another incident that comes to
mind is back in 1996 when I rushed him to hospital in London. The
doctors declared the Maharishi dead but he came back. When an urgent
blood transfusion was required, I was found to be the only one with
matching blood type. Initially he refused a transfusion, saying he
didn't want my karma coming along with my blood! It was only when the
doctor in me convinced him that red blood cells didn't carry DNA that
he relented and agreed to take my blood.
It's enough to say I am who I am because of my Guru. I'm grateful that
I was part of his dream. If there is such a thing as 'devaloka', they
must surely be celebrating and welcoming a great sage.
(As told to Anubha Sawhney Joshi)
