Absolute Principles of Society
in Maharishi's Commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita
Geoffrey A. Wells and Samuel Y. Boothby
Maharishi
University of Management
Fairfield, Iowa, U.S.A.
(Originally published in Modern Science
and
Vedic Science Volume 6, NO. 1, p. 3-30)
In his commentary on the conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi presents principles that govern the most evolutionary, and therefore ideal, individual and collective life in society. Maharishi derives these principles from an analysis of the role that the field of pure consciousness-the unified field of natural law, the total potential of natural law-plays in structuring the evolution of the universe, including human life. Maharishi describes the mechanics of how natural law governs evolution through the instrument of dharma-the cosmic force of evolution that keeps life progressive. In addition, Maharishi describes how natural law structures the diversity of evolutionary paths through family dharmas that uphold the most evolutionary lifestyles for different individuals with different psychological and physiological characteristics. Based on these principles, Maharishi explains that individual suffering and collective catastrophes like war result when individuals use their free will to violate natural law, deviating from the evolutionary process structured by cosmic and family dharmas. Thus, all problems in society ultimately stem from individual thought and action, and an ideal society can only be structured by teaching individuals how to spontaneously think and act in accord with natural law. Maharishi's Vedic Science makes available technologies for promoting individual growth to higher states of consciousness, in which all thought and action is spontaneously in accord with dharma, the total potential of natural law. Maharishi predicts that societies of such enlightened individuals will create a perfect civilization-Heaven on Earth.
Contents
In his Vedic Science, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has brought to
light the complete science of consciousness available in the Vedic
literature. The essential insight of Maharishi's Vedic Science is that the
entire universe is the expression of a fundamental field of pure
intelligence, of pure consciousness. The Vedic literature itself, Maharishi
(1986a) explains, embodies the eternal self-interacting dynamics of the
field of pure consciousness. These self-interacting dynamics give rise to
all the laws of nature that structure creation and guide its evolution (pp.
24-49; please also refer to Dillbeck, 1989).
Maharishi (1972) teaches that for human life, evolution expresses itself in the development of higher states of consciousness, in which the experience of pure consciousness is increasingly integrated into daily life. Maharishi (1978, 1986a) has demonstrated that each branch of the Vedic literature contains systematic knowledge of these higher states of consciousness as well as specific technologies for developing them. Maharishi (1978, 1986a) has brought to light many of these technologies in his Vedic Science, including, most fundamentally, his Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program whose practice has been shown to systematically develop higher states of consciousness.
On the basis of the knowledge and technologies brought to light from the Vedic literature in his Vedic Science, Maharishi (1991) has created a comprehensive program for reconstructing human life on earth. For individuals, the implementation of these programs can quickly give rise to the highest state of consciousness, which Maharishi (1978) terms enlightenment. For society, Maharishi's programs can create an ideal structure composed of enlightened individuals, who spontaneously act in accord with natural law and thus continuously enhance the evolution of the entire environment. Such a perfected state of collective life is described in the Vedic literature, and Maharishi (1991) terms it Heaven on Earth.
In the vast body of the Vedic literature, Maharishi has given the Bhagavad-Gita a place of special importance with regard to the knowledge and technologies for perfecting individual and collective life. Introducing his commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita he explains:
The Bhagavad-Gita presents the science of life and the art of living. It teaches how to be, how to think and how to do. Its technique of glorifying every aspect of life through contact with inner Being is like watering the root and making the whole tree green. It surpasses any practical wisdom of life ever cherished by human society. (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1967, p. 19)
The term "Being" here signifies the field of pure consciousness referred to above. Maharishi (1963) explains that it is a field of pure existence, hence a field of Being (pp. 26-30).
The Bhagavad-Gita has immense practical value, Maharishi (1980) points out, because of the comprehensive range of knowledge it presents; its knowledge is, in essence, that which is found in the Vedic literature as a whole. Thus, the Bhagavad-Gita provides knowledge of the complete range of natural law; and this knowledge is competent to transform human life at any level, individual or collective, from suffering to enlightenment:
It may not be necessary for everyone to go through the entire Vedic literature, but the seven hundred verses of the Bhagavad-Gita, in the light of personal experiences, should be good enough to elevate one's awareness to the totality of natural law and enable one to live life completely according to natural law. (p. 20)
Historically it is clear that more comprehensive knowledge contributes significantly to quality of life in a society: Newtonian physics, for example, underpinned the industrial revolution; quantum physics the electronic age. Maharishi (1967) emphasizes this role of knowledge in providing a foundation for the quality of life in the preface to his commentary on the first six chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita. He presents the Bhagavad-Gita as that universal knowledge, on the basis of which alone, society can be properly organized to provide for the unrestricted development of its citizens and for the fulfillment of its collective purpose. Maharishi explains that over time this knowledge has been lost and revived many times, but that the result of this loss for society at large has been catastrophic. This paper reviews the principles that comprise this knowledge of society-absolute principles, in that they derive from an understanding of the absolute basis of life, the field of pure intelligence-as given in the Bhagavad-Gita and as commented upon by Maharishi.
Maharishi's commentary is presented from the perspective of the highest state of consciousness-unity consciousness-and includes commentary on each of the other major states of consciousness as well. Maharishi (1972) has explained that in higher states of consciousness perception is more refined and comprehension unbounded (pp. 9-3, 9-4). In the highest state, perception is faultless and completely comprehensive (1972, Lesson 32). Maharishi's commentary therefore provides the most complete explanation of the universal principles of society. For this reason, throughout this paper we rely on Maharishi's commentary to illuminate and explain fully the dialogue between Arjuna and Lord Krishna.
Viewed as a narrative, the Bhagavad-Gita is an account of the conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Although many commentators have portrayed Arjuna as weak and confused, Maharishi (e.g., 1967, p. 77) emphasizes repeatedly in his commentary that Arjuna is a highly developed man: His natural field of concern embraces the society as a whole, which he considers at a profound level. In the course of their conversation, Arjuna petitions Lord Krishna with an ultimate dilemma. Maharishi (1967) summarizes Arjuna's petition on behalf of humanity as: ". . . even though we try our best to live a life of righteousness, suffering does not appear to leave us. The demand is: give us a life free from suffering" (p. 25).
Lord Krishna's teaching on society is revealed in response to this petition. Maharishi (1967) points out that in the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna is the embodiment of the absolute value of life, the field of pure consciousness itself, responding to a petition of Arjuna, the representative of humanity. Maharishi emphasizes that this teaching, emerging as it does from the embodiment of the total potential of natural law, is universal in its scope and application: The principles it offers are not limited to a particular time and place, but are absolute.
These absolute principles of society are elaborated primarily in Maharishi's commentary on the first chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita. Maharishi (1967) notes that "This chapter presents the mechanics of nature and reveals the fundamentals of life and society" (p. 26). This presentation actually occurs before the main body of Lord Krishna's teaching to Arjuna, which begins in Chapter II. However, Maharishi explains, the first chapter lays the ground for that teaching, in that:
. . . it presents the basic problems of life and gives Lord Krishna the chance to propound the philosophy and practice which enable man to live his life free from suffering. It is of great value for its contribution to the science of living. (p. 25)
Reflecting on Arjuna's profound concerns gives Maharishi the opportunity to describe the absolute principles that govern life at every level, both individual and collective.
The elucidation of the principles given here by Maharishi belong to the early phase of his teaching. Over the 25 years since their first publication in his Bhagavad-Gita commentary, Maharishi has continued to elaborate on them. Yet, since they are absolute principles of Vedic knowledge, they have remained consistent over this time. The new elaborations of this knowledge that have emerged have their seeds, therefore, in the earlier discussions. To maintain continuity with more current formulations of Maharishi's Vedic Science and Technology, from time to time this article will also refer to Maharishi's later expressions of these principles.
[Dharma as the Absolute Basis of Society]
[Social Relationships and Social Behavior]
[The Causes of Social Disintegration and War]
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