The achievements of Maharishi's movement are profound in the field of knowledge and immense in the field of action. More than five million people have learned his Transcendental Meditation technique and are rising to enlightenment through their twice daily practice. Maharishi has trained over 40,000 teachers, opened thousands of teaching centers, and founded hundreds of schools, colleges, and universities. Maharishi Vedic Science and Technology of consciousness is being applied in private businesses, public institutions, and homes in every country on earth. Where did this profound knowledge come from? Where did all this dynamic activity begin? It began in silence, the blissful, infinite silence of Maharishi's teacher, Guru Dev.

"The life of Guru Dev," Maharishi relates in the book, Dawn of the Age of Enlightenment, "was a life of deep silence, eternal silence. . . deep in the forests, away from habitation. From the age of about eleven to the age of about seventy, that was his life. But when I look upon it now,what I find is that an individual life was being designed in deep silence so that the coming times of great activity could be infused with that value of deep silence."

It took 20 years to persuade Guru Dev to come out of his solitude and accept the position of Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math in northern India. "His policy of spiritual enlightenment was all-embracing," Maharishi says. "He inspired all alike and gave upliftment to everyone."

Maharishi explains that "Guru Dev stands nearest to us among the great masters of the Vedic tradition." This tradition, over a very long period of time, has "upheld in its purity the supreme knowledge of integration of life." From time to time, a revival of man's understanding of its eternal wisdom arises from this tradition, "rescuing man from suffering, restoring him to the speedy path of evolution, and awakening him to a meaningful life in fulfillment."

Maharishi studied with Guru Dev during the last 13 years of Guru Dev's life. In 1953, Maharishi himself retired to the caves of Uttar Kashi in the Valley of the Saints, deep in the Himalayas. Two years later, Maharishi's silence began to stir with a faint idea, a thought of going to Rameshvaram in the extreme south of India. As Maharishi relates the story:

"I quite remember, there was absolutely no purpose attached to this thought of Rameshvaram. I didn't know myself why this thought was coming up." But the thought kept coming to Maharishi's mind—go to Rameshvaram, go to Rameshvaram.

So Maharishi made the long journey from the Himalayas to the southern tip of India. After three weeks there an inspiration began to form in his mind: "Coming from the Himalayas, I had the thought—it was very fresh in my mind—that it is not necessary for man to suffer. The Vedas say, 'All this is bliss. I am bliss, infinite, unbounded, eternal, non-changing. But where is the reality of this in the day-to-day life of the people? The natural feeling that was deep in my mind was that something should be done so that people don't suffer, because there is no reason to suffer."

Just as he was preparing to return to the Himalayas, Maharishi was approached by a man in Trivandrum, Kerala. The man asked him, "Do you speak?" Maharishi said, "I do, but do you mean lecturing? I don't." The man said, "You seem to be from the north. Where are you staying?" Maharishi told him, and about three o'clock that afternoon the man knocked on Maharishi's door.

"The knock at the door surprised me. Who can that be? And here was that man. I opened the door. He said, 'Seven lectures have been prepared for you.' I had absolutely no idea of lecturing or lectures or anything. Then he wouldn't wait for my reaction. He continued to say, 'Now I have to give them the seven titles on which you'll be speaking. And this will be a one-week program.' It was strange. Absolutely strange, completely out of the blue it came. It just came like a very natural flow, one step after the other. I dictated to him seven topics, not knowing what I was going to speak on the topics. He started to go, and I said, 'Leave a copy with me.'

"So I went and sat there and talked to the people. The press caught the whole thing up. Every day the audience doubled. I was completely unaffected by anything, because this was sort of passing time before I was to go. The whole thing was so gentle and gradual and automatic, completely automatic—just as the river flows, and it doesn't have to make an effort to flow because the slope is already available to the flow. It flows just like that, effortless flow of life."

At the request of people who had heard him speak and then had learned the Transcendental Meditation technique, Maharishi continued lecturing and instructing. Everywhere his message was the same: Life in its essential nature is bliss; every person can experience unbounded bliss consciousness and integrate it into daily life through the effortless TM technique. Altogether, Maharishi spent six months in Keraland, then another two years traveling throughout India, holding Spiritual Development Camps in all parts of the country.

Maharishi's travels brought him to Madras in December 1957. More than 10,000 people had assembled there for the three-day Seminar of Spiritual Luminaries to celebrate the 89th birthday anniversary of Guru Dev. They were gathered in a field before a large, tented platform called a pandal. Maharishi has told the story of the climax of that seminar: "Speaking on the third day, I reviewed these two years' experience in India—north, south, east, and west—and said that this Transcendental Meditation is such a simple thing, and it is found to be producing effects in all parts of India. In each province, the living values are completely different. In this small area of the world where the cultures are different it has produced this effect, so why can't we spiritually regenerate the whole world through this technique? With that thought I just said it, and the clapping went on for about two or three minutes.These words, 'spiritually regenerate the whole world', came completely automatically.

"When the clapping was going on with such enthusiasm, I looked to the secretary of the seminar and said, 'Can you maintain the pandal for a day more?' He said, 'Don't worry for management, you go ahead with what you want to say. 'When the clapping stopped I said, 'When this is the response for Mother Nature to the thought of spiritually regenerating the world through this practice, we'll inaugurate a world movement, we'll inaugurate the Spiritual Regeneration Movement here tomorrow evening.' And there was another clapping, another set of clappings, for five minutes. There was such a joyous feeling in the whole atmosphere. The feeling suddenly rose, as if every heart was just enlivened with the thought.

"Later, when I was coming home surrounded by all the organizers, they said, 'If you had this thing in mind you should have told us in the beginning, and we would have organized on a bigger scale.' I said, 'I didn't know until just now. It was a natural consequence from the response of the people. I gave a voice to that which the people felt all along.' And that was the start of the movement. Just that."

On January 1, 1958, Maharishi formally launched his worldwide movement. Since then Maharishi has circled the globe many times, teaching his simple Transcendental Meditation technique, writing many books, consulting with heads of state and other leaders of government, and addressing conferences of the world's leading scientists, educators, and intellectuals.

Scientists have made the Transcendental Meditation technique the most thoroughly studied program for human development in the annals of modern science—more than 600 studies conducted at over 200 independent universities and research institutions in 30 countries and published in over 100 peer-reviewed scholarly journals. These studies have shown Maharishi's program to be by far the most effective remedy for the ills of modern life. They have revealed the Maharishi Effect—the influence of intense coherence produced in a society with just one percent of its population practicing the Transcendental Meditation program—and the Extended Maharishi Effect, in which the same coherent influence is produced by only the square root of one percent of the population practicing in a group the more powerful TM-Sidhi Yogic Flying program.

This discovery has given every country, even the smallest, a formula to eliminate problems and negativity and strengthen positive trends in its national life while bringing peace to the entire family of nations. On this basis, aboard the Flagship Gotthard on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland in 1975, Maharishi proclaimed, "Through the window of science we see the Dawn of the Age of Enlightenment." Over the next months he inaugurated the Dawn on very continent. "Our scientific age," he said, "is rising to be the Age of Enlightenment."

Maharishi's teaching has inspired many of the ablest modern scientists to find through the objective approach of their own disciplines—whether physics, mathematics, chemistry, physiology, or any of the many other branches of modern science—the Unified Field of all the Laws of Nature at the basis of all objective, material creation, and to identify this field as the field of pure subjectivity, consciousness, the inner intelligence of the scientist himself. Further, in his Apaurusheya Bhashya of Rk Veda, Maharishi has provided all seekers of knowledge with a vision of the sequentially evolving structure of Natural Law within this unmanifest, unbounded ocean of pure consciousness. He has discriminated the 40 qualities of intelligence that characterize this self-referral process and has identified them as the 40 aspects of the Veda and Vedic Literature. Thus he has shown that the sound vibrations of the Veda and Vedic Literature, eternally resonating in the field of pure consciousness, are the structuring dynamics of Natural Law at the basis of the infinite diversity of creation.

This work recently culminated in a remarkable discovery. Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D., has found that the structures and functions of human physiology are the exact expressions of the 40 fields of the Veda and Vedic Literature, and that each of these values of intelligence that structures the physiology, and each corresponding physiological structure, has its specific counterpart in the cosmos. Dr. Nader has shown, in essence, that the individual is really cosmic. This discovery is eminently practical. It means that the individual, by applying technologies of Maharishi Vedic Science, can, in Maharishi's words, "maximize the positive effects and minimize the negative effects coming to him as a result of the friendly or unfriendly relationship he has created with his cosmic counterparts due to his positive or negative—Vedic or non-Vedic—actions in the past or present."

In bringing to light the 40 aspects of his Vedic Science, Maharishi has shown that each part breathes the life of the whole even as it presents pure knowledge, Veda, from a particular perspective. "Everything," Maharishi says,"is Vedic, and everything should be what it is." Education, health care, administration, industry, economy, management, communications, defense, law, justice, rehabilitation, architecture, agriculture, all fields of human endeavor should be Vedic, they should be what they essentially are—a means to enlightenment, to living wholeness in daily life.

All of Maharishi's achievements of the last 40 years have come naturally, spontaneously. They are the automatic expressions of Nature's evolutionary impulse unfolding fuller and fuller values of total knowledge down the long corridor of time. Because they are the expressions of Nature's eternal creative process, the continued progress of Maharishi's worldwide movement and its noble goal—the creation of Heaven on Earth—can only be inevitable.

Highlights from Maharishi's World Wide Movement

1958: Maharishi's Year of Spiritual Regeneration Movement: Inauguration of the Spiritual Regeneration Movement in Madras, India
1959: Maharishi's Year of Global Awakening: First world tour begins—Maharishi starts to teach the TM technique around the world
1960: Maharishi's Year of Cosmic Consciousness: Maharishi explains experiences of the TM technique in terms of Cosmic Consciousness; First 3-Year Plan inaugurated in London
1961: Maharishi's Year of Teacher Training: Second world tour begins; Maharishi inspiration to ‘multiply himself’ by training teachers of the TM technique—first international course held in Rishikesh, India
1962: Maharishi's Year of Theory of the Absolute: Third world tour begins; Maharishi brings to light the Theory of the Absolute
1963: Maharishi's Year of the Science of Being and Art of Living: Fourth world tour begins; Science of Being and Art of Living published
1964: Maharishi's Year of God Consciousness: Fifth world tour begins; Maharishi explains experiences of the TM technique in terms of the most refined state of Cosmic Consciousness—God Consciousness
1965: Maharishi's Year of Bhagavad-Gita: Completion of Maharishi’s translation and commentary on the first six chapters of the Bhagavad Gita
1966: Maharishi's Year of Academy of Meditation: First International Academy of Meditation established in Rishikesh, India
1967: Maharishi's Year of Unity Consciousness: Maharishi explains experiences of the TM technique in terms of Unity Consciousness
1968: Maharishi's Year of Students: Students International Meditation Society founded in many countries
1969: Maharishi's Year of Supreme Knowledge: Maharishi comments on the Brahma Sutras, the textbook of Vedanta which provides complete knowledge of Unity Consciousness
1970: Maharishi's Year of Scientific Research: First scientific research published on the benefits of the TM technique
1971:Maharishi's Year of Science of Creative Intelligence: Maharishi formulates the Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI); Maharishi International University founded in the United States
1972: Maharishi's Year of the World Plan: Inauguration of the World Plan to ‘solve the age-old problems of mankind in this generation’; 2000 teachers of SCI trained
1973:Maharishi's Year of Action for the World Plan: More than 2000 World Plan Centers established in all parts of the world
1974: Maharishi's Year of Achievement of the World Plan: Discovery of the Maharishi Effect—1% of a city’s population practicing the TM program reduces crime, accidents, and sickness in society
1975: Maharishi's Year of the Dawn of the Age of Enlightenment: Maharishi travels to all 6 continents to inaugurate the Dawn of the Age of Enlightenment; Maharishi European Research University founded in Switzerland
1976: Maharishi's Year of Government: World Government of the Age of Enlightenment established; TM-Sidhi program introduced, reviving the theory and practice of Yoga
1977:Maharishi's Year of Ideal Society: Ideal Society Campaign launched in 108 countries to decrease negative tendencies and increase positive trends in society
1978: Maharishi's Year of Invincibility for Every Nation: Discovery of the Maharishi Effect—the square root of 1% practicing the TM-Sidhi program together in one place produces coherence in collective consciousness; Maharishi proclaims ‘Invincibility to Every Nation’
1979: Maharishi's Year of All Possibilities: First Annual World Peace Assembly held in Amherst, MA to create coherence in national and world consciousness
1980: Maharishi's Year of Pure Knowledge: Maharishi brings to light his timeless commentary of Rk Veda—the Apaurusheya Bhashya; First International Vedic Science Course for 3,000 Governors held in New Delhi, India
1981: Maharishi's Year of Vedic Science: Founding of two groups dedicated to gaining enlightenment: the Thousand-Headed Purusha program for men and Thousand-Headed Mother Divine program for ladies
1982: Maharishi's Year of Natural Law: Inauguration of Maharishi University of Natural Law in England
1983: Maharishi's Year of the Unified Field: Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa hosts 7000 ‘Yogic Flyers’—experts in Maharishi’s Technology of the Unified Field—to create the first Global Maharishi Effect
1984: Maharishi's Year of Unified-Field Based Civilization: Maharishi formulates his Unified Field-Based Integrated Systems of Education, Health, Government, Economics, Defense, Rehabilitation, and Agriculture
1985: Maharishi's Year of Unified-Field Based Education: Maharishi Vedic University inaugurated in Washington, DC; Maharishi restores Ayur-Veda to its completeness; Maharishi Ayur-Veda Prevention Centers established worldwide
1986: Maharishi's Year of Perfect Health: World Plan for Perfect Health and the Global Campaign to Create a Disease-Free Society inaugurated; Maharishi Amrit Kalash offered to the world
1987: Maharishi's Year of World Peace: Maharishi discovers the 21 lost Samhitas of Rig Veda; Global Festival of Music for World Peace introduces Maharishi Gandharva Veda music to create balance in nature
1988: Maharishi's Year of Achieving World Peace: Maharishi celebrates World Peace Day and inaugurates his Master Plan to Create Heaven on Earth through the reconstruction of the whole world, inner and outer
1989: Maharishi's Year of Heaven on Earth: Eradication of poverty and achieving an affluent society as steps to create Heaven on Earth
1990: Maharishi's Year of Alliance with Nature's Government: Introduction of the knowledge of natural law for perfection in every profession
1991: Maharishi's Year of Support of Nature's Government: Group of 7000 ‘Yogic Flyers’ established at the World Capital of the Age of Enlightenment in Maharishi Nagar, India
1992: Maharishi's Year of the Constitution of the Universe: Maharishi Vedic University inaugurated in ten countries; Discovery of the Constitution of the Universe
1993: Maharishi's Year of Administration Through Natural Law—Ram Raj: Inauguration of Maharishi’s Global Administration through Natural Law; Maharishi’s Absolute Theory of Government published
1994: Maharishi's Year of Discovery of Veda in Human Physiology: Discovery by professor Tony Nader, under Maharishi’s inspiration, of Veda and Vedic Literature in the human physiology;
1995: Maharishi's Year of Silence: Maharishi Absolute Theory of Defense and Maharishi University of Management published
1996: Maharishi's Year of Awakening: Construction of the Spiritual Center of America in North Carolina
1997: Maharishi's Year of Global Administration through Natural Law: Inauguration of the Global Development Fund to create ideal homes for every family
1998: Maharishi's Second Year of Global Administration through Natural Law: Maharishi Vedic Instant Relief program offered to the world
1999: Maharishi's Third Year of Global Administration through Natural Law: The year of Invincibility to Every Nation through Maharishi Open University