Knowing to Being: A Paradigm Shift

Feb 24, 2004, 12.00am IST


His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who founded the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, is recognised worldwide as the foremost authority in the field of consciousness. He recently said that a great shift is about to take place in the world; a new paradigm is unfolding for faster progress. Maharishi said this great leap of progress for mankind will be a shift from “knowing to Being”.


For generations, life has been lived on the level of “knowing” (I know this, I know that). But “Being” is the basis of knowing. The field of Being is infinitely more powerful than the surface level of “knowing”. Physics tells us that more subtle levels of nature contain more intelligence, more power (the atomic level is more powerful than the molecular level).


Physicists describe an unmanifest field of nature — the “ground state” or “vacuum state” — which is a field of perfect orderliness. This Unified Field of Natural Law (UFNL) is the source of all the energy and intelligence seen in the entire universe. It is a “field of all possibilities”, since it is the source of the great diversity we see around us. This same UFNL can be located within each individual, in the most silent level of the mind, in the transcendental state of consciousness. This is one’s Being, the Atma.

The field of Being is like the sap in a flower. We don’t see the sap, but it is the sap which is responsible for all the different aspects of the flower: the hard, green stem; the soft and red petals. The sap, giving rise to all the different expressions of the flower, is a field of all possibilities. Like that, our inner Being is a field of all possibilities, the basis of our creativity, intelligence, and energy. If a gardener had that supreme skill of being able to function from the level of the sap, he could create any desired effect on the surface of the flower. Likewise, if we had the ability to think and act from the level of Being, any level of achievement, progress and happiness would be possible.

Maharishi says the most important verse in the Bhagavad Gita is chapter II, verse 45. Krishna tells Arjuna, “Nistrai-gunyo bha-varjuna” — Be without the three gunas. Krishna advised Arjuna to come out of the field of activity, of diversity, and experience the field of inner Unity, Being. Then, in verse 48, Krishna said: “Yogasthah kuru karmani” — Established in Being, perform action. This is the technique for “skill in action”: Do less, accomplish more.

For so long, the saying has been “know thyself”. But this is only on the intellec-tual level. Maharishi says what is needed now is “being our Self”. Function from the level of Being, of perfect silence, energy and bliss.

Maharishi says, “Consciousness is the prime mover of life.” Everything that we do depends on the quality of our consciousness. If one’s consciousness is tired, chaotic or anxious, then everything they perceive will reflect that incoherence. If one’s consciousness is fresh and alert, everything they do will reflect those values. The Rig Veda says: “Knowledge is structured in consciousness”. Maharishi says, “The world is, as we are.” The key to life is: “Handle that one thing, consciousness, by which everything else is handled.”


The Maharishi’s message is simple: “Water the root to enjoy the fruit.” By nourishing the basis of life, by enlivening the field of Being, all aspects of life automatically get enriched. Maha-rishi’s TM technique is a direct, effortless way to open one’s awareness to the field of Being.

(The writer is International Director of Maharishi Corporate Development Programme. E-mail: lane@ maharishi.net. website: www. maharishi-india.org)