Customer Reviews

The Science of Being and Art of Living: Transcendental Meditation

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

A book which answered many questions which pondered in my mind, and gave me the realization that life IS bliss, and that suffering is foreign to life - A beautifully written book which provides a logical and deep insight into the mechanics of life, and evolution. A must for those already practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM), and also an excellent source for those interested in learning more about it.

After the persistent urging of a friend (for over 2 years), I tried reading this book. I made it through about 3 chapters before realizing that to really UNDERSTAND I must EXPERIENCE; so I just paid the money (the fee was $1000 but is less now) and learned the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique.

You will not find any instruction on the "how to" of Transcendental Meditation in any book. The TM technique is an oral tradition and requires one-on-one instruction.

The important thing I want to relay to readers is that most anyone can INTELLECTUALIZE the concepts within this book; but with the EXPERIENCE from a routine TM practice--you will really UNDERSTAND the concepts and incorporate them (and the benefits) into your life without effort.

Before learning the TM technique, this book was interesting to read and talked of "pie in the sky" stuff about WHAT and WHO we humans are; but after learning TM, I generally seemed to have an innate understanding / realization of the message being portrayed.

With or without TM, I recommend this book; however, I am glad I had a persistent friend because I originally thought the whole thing to be crazy and crazy expensive! If you are "straddling the fence" or searching for a better life, read this book to get concise information that you need to make your own decisions about TM.

If you want testimonials, read other books. This book is all meat. TM gives you teeth.

Its takes a while to get past the front of the book which offers praises of Maharishi, his history and plans to transform the world. Once you get past that (which appears again in the rear of the book) you realize this book does not teach you TM (so why is it in the title?).

There are some helpful things in this book especially if you are new to the spiritual path. But if you are looking for a serious book on meditation in general look elsewhere. This is more on the 'so how are you doing now after learning TM' side.

Anyone seriously considering the practice of transcendental meditation will find this updated edition to be a perfect aid to understanding TM and it's benefits. It also contains a survey of the unfoldment of Maharishi's Vedic Science and Technology from the early days up until today.

The book was actually recorded onto tapes decades ago and retains the style of the spoken discourse as it deals with the most fundamental issues of practical life and the most profound issues of philosophy in a graceful, direct and simple way.

For those already practicing TM, this handbook makes great occasional reading. The reader will frequently notice some new angle of intellectual understanding about his experience as a meditator.

You have to wonder why the secret to life's happiness costs somewhere between $1000 and $300, don't you? Where does all the money go, anyway? Building a society on the foundation of peace, harmony, and unity shouldn't start with the participants shelling out a small fortune to begin. I meditate and I've found that there are great similarities between zen, samatha (jhana), and transcendental meditation. Meditation is meditation...the underlying principle is always the same, but if you go to a Zen or Vipassana meditation center the cost is FREE and you are asked only for a donation. I've been an avid reader of Buddhist philosophy and meditation for years and upon coming upon this book and the TM philosophy and method I was VERY impressed! But any institution that exchanges salvation and enlightenment for money should be questioned.

Buy the book, but you won't get any methods or practical advise without spending $300 or $1000.

This is a wonderful book. I read it when I was 19 years old because I was interested in spiritual ideas that would lead to a wider view of life, the world, the universe, etc. It certainly did that quite well. If all one wants to know is how to meditate transcendentally, just read the chapter titled "How to Contact Being"; it's really about the easiest thing a person can "learn" how to do. I use quotation marks around learn because most all people meditate in this way all the time; they just don't realize it, or do it systematically.

How do I know? When I was 21 my dear old mother paid $150 for me to take the transcendental meditation course. (She was a physician at a student health center and had seen her patients become healthier as they reduced their anxieties by meditating. Was the benefit psychosomatic, I asked her? Of course, she answered, the health benefits of anxiety/stress reduction are ALL psychosomatic but nonetheless real.) When I first "learned" I worried that "nothing was happening", so I asked my TM instructor. He basically answered that as long as my experience was consistent with the description of meditation in the book's chapter titled "How to Contact Being", then exactly what was supposed to be happening was indeed happening. In fact, as I continued to meditate over the next several days/months/years I became aware that what was happening during meditation was *exactly* as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi describes in the chapter.

As I recall Maharishi Mahesh Yogi points out in the book that meditation is completely natural in the sense people already know, subconsciously, how to do it and do it all the time without knowing it. About 10 years ago I tested this by teaching a friend of mine TM. The teaching consisted of explaining the ideas in the first 50-or-so pages of the book to him, then guiding him in the choice of a neutral mantra. He then practiced TM for several weeks and we had a few discussions where I confirmed his experiences were essentially the exactly the same as those I experienced in TM over about 15 years.

So ... the book provides an excellent explanation of what TM is, and why it's beneficial and important to us and society.

There are two types of people who will read this book: those who haven't learned Transcendental Meditation yet and those who have.

For those who haven't, the book certainly provides the most in depth understanding and analysis of this unique meditation and its benefits in daily life. This insight can help you understand how TM is different from other meditations and decide for yourself if you want to go ahead and learn the technique from a qualified instructor.

For those who have already learned Transcendental Meditation, this book explains in detail the theory behind TM and acts as a valuable and authoritative resource to help you with questions either you or anyone else may have about the technique.

But in the end, it is just a book - if you want to experience the real thing, there is no substitute for actually learning it the only way you can - from a qualified teacher, one-to-one.

I did, and I've never looked back.

I would reccomend this book to anyone looking for answers to life, the universe, and everything in it. I read this book after I learned the Transcendental Meditation(TM) technique, and it brought a fullness, and an intellectual understanding that satisfied my need to live life in harmony with the laws of nature. Although it's expensive to learn, the benefits I have gained through praticing TM are enormously rewarding. TM gives the basis from which to act, and The Science of Being and Art of Living gives the guidelines to live life in the most fulfilling way possible.

i logged on to the site of this maharishi and and in just a few clicks i got to a point where i cannot go beyond if i couldnot spend few hundred bucks. i am in to meditation and its philosophy from my school and i am an indian.(so i know pretty much more about all meditation & hindu philosophy stuff than foreigners and its difficult to foolme) and i have never come across a so called teacher who asks for money to sell his so called secret.

the problem with the meditation is no one will take you in the arms and carry you. you have to walk on your own feet all alone. mark my words" anyone saying "give me some bucks and i will take you there" is only fooling you. money is necessary is for oranizations to spread knowledge. but one can always tell the difference between asking money for survival (in the form of donation and which usually small) or make money(2,500$).

meditation(zen, indian, buddhist) is a subjective science. it has survived from centuries even with out all those statistics these people give.

if you are insearch of a comprehensive book about hindu philosophy and meditation, read "Raja Yoga" by swami vivekananda.

he is the authority on meditation. his life says so. and this book is a beautiful explanation of the yoga sutras of "Patanjali"
the original ancient indian saint, who brought into existance the comprehensive system of yoga.(yoga here is not practising different postures. yoga literally means 'science to know oneself' meditation is but one step in it)( the popular meaning of yoga- which is practising different postures- is actually called 'hathayoga'; B.K.S.Iyengar is the authority here) no one can be a greater authority than sage patanjali in this area. the book has original sanskrit text, with beautiful explanation by a competent author in the form of swami vivekananda. it is the purest knowledge from ancient india. dont expect to understand every thing in the book in a few moments or days. many things seem irrelavant, but as you go further and every thing unfolds you can see the beauty. the bud blooms by itself when the time comes. you cannot hasten it.

This is the second time I've read this book. Back in the 70's, as I was learning TM, I read it for the first time. Now, having had the experience that Maharishi writes about, I realize that this book contains essential truths about the nature of life. This book explains the mechanics of Transcendental Meditation and the importance of performing right action in life. I won't get into the cost of learning TM, but keep in mind the amount of money we squander on pharmaceuticals, alcohol, psycho-therapy, large screen TV's and other material things. TM is a priceless gift that can help everyone realize their full potential. I know so many people who can benefit from this technique. However, I would not recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn TM. That can only be taught by a qualified teacher. So people can read and read and read, but unless you have the experience, true knowledge of the Absolute will never be known. More than ever, our society needs to turn inward first (through meditation), then perform right action. It's just that simple.