 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and TM are the master and the technique upon whom and which our unique community in Fairfield Iowa was founded. His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born in India in the middle of the second decade of the twentieth century. His enlightenment was gained by serving his Guru, Swami Brahmandanda Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, (whom he and we respectfully refer to as "Guru Dev") one of the great Indian saints of the twentieth century. Before becoming a yogi, Maharishi earned a university degree in physics. Maharishi has made many unique and profound contributions to spiritual evolution in the West. It is estimated that as many as 5 million people worldwide have learned and practiced the TM technique. More biological, physiological, mental, and sociological studies have been done on TM practitioners than all other meditation techniques combined. The scientific data is quite compelling as to the effectiveness of this simple mental technique. Beyond that, Maharishi is given credit by many for leading a revival of Vedanta in both the West and India. This revival includes not just meditation and Sidhis, but also Jyotish, Ayurveda, and Sthpatyaved. In the 1970's the TM Movement purchased the physical property of the bankrupt Parsons College, in Fairfield Iowa, and moved Maharishi International University here. A few years later Maharishi suggested that dedicated American followers move to Fairfield in order to do their programs together to multiply the consciousness raising effects of the practice. During the last 30 years many have responded to this invitation. Fairfield and Jefferson County, Iowa are now home to an estimated 5000 or so seekers who have moved here from all over the U.S.A., and from many foreign countries. "This ain't your ordinary Iowa town." A couple of years ago, for the first time, Fairfield elected a meditator as mayor, Ed Malloy, a native New Yorker. The founders and owners of "your neighborhood bookstore on the web" are part of this community of what I like to think of, or call, spiritual expatriates who have settled in Fairfield. People in Fairfield are pretty serious about their personal evolution and search for Truth. There are also quite a number of highly creative and successful business people here. This unique combination has produced a remarkable culture. 21st Century Books has served this community for over 20 years. We believe this experience has helped us to put together this unique catalogue to help you to find the best of "Books That Matter." If you are a TM practitioner, or have an interest in TM, we have a comprehensive selection of books, CD's, and even photos, on Maharishi and TM. We particularly call your attention to, and recommend the pamphlets listed immediately below, which are published in Eastern Europe and very difficult to obtain. They contain some of the earliest and best teachings of Maharishi, and hearken back to the old SRM days. 
$16.00PaperbackThe Science of Being and Art of LivingMaharishi Mahesh YogiMaharishi’s book is as is stated in the Introduction, "the summation of the practical wisdom of integrated life advanced by the Vedic Rishis of ancient India, understood in the light of scientific thinking in the present-day western world." There are certain books that everyone must read! Without a doubt this falls into that category, and that is why it is included in our very select list we call "Books You Can’t Live Without". Not only should everyone read this book, it should be read every few years. One of the basic teachings of Maharishi is that "Knowledge is structured in consciousness". This was the motto chosen by Maharishi International University when it was founded. A corollary of this, is that "The world is as you are." I would say that these two interrelated statements form the cornerstone of Maharishi’s teachings. When I first encountered these teachings from Maharishi I grasped their profundity. As I have lived and matured and been exposed to more and more teachers and more and more wisdom, I have come full circle to the realization that there are no more profound teachings than these. This book covers all subjects from all angles of approach. Whatever your state of consciousness and whoever you are, you will gain a tremendous amount of insight into yourself and the nature of reality as you read this book. Because our consciousness is always evolving we should read this book over and over again to maximize our own understanding and evolution. Review by Len Oppenheim. 
$20.00PaperbackBhagavad Gita, A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1 - 6Maharishi Mahesh YogiThis was first published in 1967. As Maharishi points out in the preface, truth and eternal wisdom are available in the Veda. The absolute, unchanging nature of truth underlies the relative, always changing nature of the manifest universe. Although the underlying truth is independent of time, man’s perception of truth changes with time. There are times when mankind and societies are closer to the truth, and other times when the truth is obfuscated by the blinding influence of the phenomenal world. Mankind has been fortunate to enjoy the revival of truth from time to time as the great teachers and masters of different epochs have expounded it. However, because ultimate Truth is subtle and non-linear in nature, language is an inadequate medium to convey Truth. For example, that which the Buddha knew, he may have been able to communicate to his closest disciples, but as the message gets passed on from one generation to the next inevitably it is subject to change and a diminution of its accuracy and efficacy. The analogy most commonly used is of the party game, called the "telephone game", when one person tells a story which is passed on to each person, one at a time, until it arrives back to the originator in a very distorted manner. It is Maharishi’s purpose in writing this commentary "to restore the fundamental truths of the Bhagavad Gita, and thus restore the significance of its teaching." In my opinion, one of Maharishi’s greatest contributions to the intellectual grasp of enlightenment or higher states of consciousness, is his explanation of how for many generations seekers have been confusing the path with the goal. Maharishi does an incredible job of explaining how the concept or doctrine of non-attachment has been misunderstood by most seekers as referring to "an attitude" when in fact it refers to a state of consciousness. Rather than my trying, in my inept way, to explain this in greater detail, I say go right to the Master, and read this wonderful book. If you have read other translation or commentaries on The Gita, but you have not read this one, you have a real treat in store. This was another "no-brainer" to include in our selections of "Books You Can’t Live Without". Review by Len Oppenheim. Please note this title is currently out of stock with publisher. Please contact us for updates. 
$25.00DVDSage of a New GenerationAlan WaiteMany of our customers and friends have their spiritual roots in TM and the message delivered by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This DVD format film that goes back to the good old days. This is a high quality documentary (not a propaganda production) that presents precious footage going back to some very early days. There are scenes from Lake Tahoe, and Estes Park, among other venues. There are interviews with meditators and non-meditators who discuss powerful issues like race, drugs, and politics. Whether or not you have ever practiced TM you will find this a remarkable period piece and it will probably find you thinking about where you were and who you were back in the 60's and 70's. There are incredible interviews with Mother Olsen, Jerry Jarvis, Charlie Lutes, and many others, not to mention footage of early talks given by Maharishi. There are also question and answers with Maharishi in some very intimate settings. This is a must own. The DVD also has bonus still photographs of Maharishi.. as well as a history of the TM Movement told by Maharishi Review by Len Oppenheim. 
$10.95PaperbackWhole Thing the Real ThingRameshwar TilwariAnother biography of Guru Dev., a very inspiring story of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Master. 
$10.95PaperbackStrange Facts About a Great SaintAdilakshmiA biography of Guru Dev by an uncle of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. A book for any practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation techniques. 
$16.95HardcoverVision into InfinityBarbara A. BriggsA collection of short texts about art, consciousness, and creativity viewed from the insights of ancient Indian seers as well as famous artists. Chapters include:
Barbara is a teacher of the Trancendental Meditation (TM) Technique. 
$22.00PaperbackAll You Need Is Love: An Eyewitness Account of When Spirituality Spread from the East to the WestNancy Cooke de HerreraNancy has packed three or four lifetimes of living into one. From riding the desert with Sir Edmund Hillary, meeting the Dali Lama, to friendships with many prominent people in politics and Hollywood… Nancy’s is an amazing life story. About 85 percent of this fascinating autobiography deals with the early beginnings of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement in the US. There are many personal stories of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (the founder of the TM Movement) and as I am a long time practitioner of TM myself, I was totally enchanted by this intimate history of my spiritual movement. Nancy spent many precious moments with Maharishi and was able to ask many fascinating questions… this alone I feel is worth the price of the book. Nancy was also in Rishikesh, India at the time the Beatles, Donovan, and Mike Love were there. This section is like opening a time capsule for readers of my generation. This is a wonderful book filled with many priceless photos. Even if you do not practice Transcendental Meditation I would still highly recommend Nancy’s book as a first hand account of the advent of Eastern Spirituality to the Western world and, if you are a practitioner of TM and have yet to read this… well what are you waiting for? Reviewed by Tony Kainauskas. This is one of my all-time favorite books. The author led an incredible life, both hobnobbing with "the rich and famous", and partaking in a unique spiritual quest. This is one of those books that has something for everyone. On the seeking side, she was very early on with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and, at times, very close to him. Her stories are a must for those who have never been up close and personal with this great master. She reveals the authentic "lowdown" and really is a spellbinding storyteller. She spent part of 1968 on a teacher-training course with Maharishi in Rishikesh. It so happens that this was the course attended by such luminaries as Mia and Prudence Farrow, Donavan, and of course, the Beatles. The chapters on this adventure are rated "can’t miss." The book has great recollections and priceless pictures. If you have not read this book you are in for a real treat. Review by Len Oppenheim. 
$17.95PaperbackAwakening Nature's Healing Intelligence: Expanding Ayurveda Through the Maharishi Vedic Aproach to HDr. Hari SharmaEureka! I’ve found it! This is one health book I would describe as truly great. There are a lot of health books these days that I find interesting, but this is one of those very rare ones that seems to have been written by Nature itself. From the appropriate title, Awakening Nature’s Healing Intelligence, to the last page, it reads like a contemporary scripture. Like the petals of a flower which blossom in perfect sequence, so does the profound knowledge contained in this book unfold. Dr. Hari Sharma is eminently qualified to write on this subject. He is chairman emeritus at Ohio State University’s College of Medicine and Public Health. A native of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, he was trained in a Western-style school of medicine in Lucknow. Later he studied under the tutelage of the great sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who, together with India’s foremost Ayurvedic physicians, has refined and expanded Ayurveda into a potent medical system—the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health. Sharma’s book describes this system, its underlying theory, as well as the impressive body of scientific research on its various modalities. What is the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health? Dr. Sharma explains: "The focus of this comprehensive system of natural health care is on the underlying wholeness of existence and the structuring dynamics of intelligence that give rise to the human physiology. Disease is viewed as the result of the breakdown in the delicate balance of the coordinating intelligence that rules the functioning of the body. This breakdown occurs on a level deeper than organs, tissues, or cells—it results from the disconnection of intelligence from its source in wholeness. This concept of wholeness derives from the Vedic tradition and parallels modern physics’ discovery of the unified source of reality beyond the subatomic level. The insubstantial nature of material creation—as identified by both Vedic science and modern physics—cannot be ignored if we are to have a complete model of the human body and the nature of health and disease. As the only system of health care that provides a model for integrating this understanding of the deepest nature of reality with our current understanding of health and disease, the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health has much to offer." According to Sharma, the essence of the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health is that healers should address healthcare holistically, as well as all the specific values that constitute health, i.e. physiology; intelligence at the basis of physiology; influence of the environment; influence of buildings in which one lives and works; influence of the distant environment: sun, moon, planets, stars; and the influence of collective health on society. While many of the modalities employed by the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health are similar to traditional Ayurvedic techniques, they have a strong emphasis on the element of consciousness, which renders them far more effective. For example, subtle Vedic sounds, which have been found to correspond to areas of the human body, have been very effectively used to heal chronic illnesses. This is Maharishi Vedic Vibration Therapy and functions at the subtle junction point where mind and body meet. Because he delves so deeply into the field of pure knowledge, Sharma highlights what is achingly missing from Western allopathy. The many shortcomings of modern healthcare stem from a lack of total knowledge of the mind and body interplay. And that total knowledge is lucidly, and I would say historically, presented in this book. All medical doctors and health practitioners should be required to read it! This book is not just for healthcare providers; anyone who is a seeker of wisdom will revel in it. If you really want to have the inside track on a profound approach to health, you will love this book. Without being a typical ‘how-to’ volume, it offers expert resources one can seek to pursue this path. And if you are even a bit as inspired as I am after reading it, you will want to do just that. Review by Dr. Craig M. Berg. 
$35.00HardcoverMirror of Consciousness: Art, Creativity and VedaAnna BonshekAnna (a Fairfield resident) "traverses a wide range of themes pertaining to art, creativity, knowledge, and theory. Its unique perspective lies in its exposition of Vedic Science as brought to light by His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and in the application of the principles of this science to preliminary analysis of the Vastusutra Upanishad. No other publication has examined art and theory with the same comprehensive vision. Though comprehensive and detailed, it will appeal to those who are curious about trends in the visual arts, the advent and impact of new technologies, and the development of collective consciousness in our time. 
$175.00PaperbackHuman Physiology: Expression of Veda and the Vedic LiteratureTony Nader, M.D., Ph.D.
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