Maharishi's worldwide movement celebrates the beginning of each new year on January 12th. Movement leaders, distinguished Vedic pandits, eminent scientists, and other dignitaries gather with Maharishi at the international center of his Global Administration through Natural Law in Vlodrop, Holland, for a celebration and international satellite telecast. During the broadcast, Maharishi describes his vision for the coming year, the outlines of which will guide the activities of his movement for the next twelve months. Other speakers then comment on the plan for the year from their different perspectives, and the Vedic pandits inspire the proceedings with recitations from the Veda and Vedic Literature.

In 1999, the January 12th telecast formed a lesson in the first course of Maharishi Open University (MOU), the Certificate of Total Knowledge Course. Twice each week for two hours, MOU broadcasts through a network of eight satellites to people on all continents. MOU has been broadcasting only since December, and already more than 13,000 students in over 90 countries have enrolled in its first courses. Among the countries with the highest enrollments are the US, Germany, the Ukraine , Russia, and India.

Following is the text of Maharishi's January 12th address

"The message of this morning is in the same context that we have been working on for the last so many years: to create Heaven on Earth. Heaven on Earth means uninterrupted waves of bliss in the daily life of everyone. That is our global program. In that context, we bring this new year with the aspiration of adding a new word, just one new word: total man, develop the total man, develop total knowledge in man; knowledge means Veda, so develop total Veda in everyone.

"Where have we found the Veda? This we have been explaining all these years and months. Total Veda is in the full awakening of one’s own consciousness—Atma, self-referral. The Atma, or the Self, is the fundamental value of all the innumerable values of creation: innumerable diverse expressions of Natural Law in terms of the whole diverse creation, and its basic value is Atma, the Self.

"What is helpful today is the discovery of the Unified Field, that all this infinite diversity has its origin or its basis in the unified state of all the Laws of Nature. The whole diverse creation is the expression of Natural Law. All the Laws of Nature have their common basis, and that is the Unified Field of All the Laws of Nature. This is the gift of modern science, that the diverse classical values, as modern science calls them, all have their basis in the quantum-mechanical field, which is described in terms of self-referral.

"With this discovery of the Unified Field from the level of modern science, it is now easy for us to talk in scientific terms about that level of unity from where all the diversity emerges, all the diversity expresses itself. So the reality of life is in terms of two values, both together: diversity and unity, unity and diversity. Another expression for this is individual and cosmic: the individual is cosmic.

"Veda, knowledge, is self-referral. Knowledge is that unified state of Natural Law. Physics, chemistry, medicine, engineering—each field has its own language, so Natural Law has its own vocabulary, its own terminology. One of the words about this is ‘self-referral’. In the field of modern science, self-referral is referral to that which is on its own, awake. We interpret it in the light of Vedic Science that it is fully awake within itself; the Unified Field of Natural Law is fully awake within itself. This is the totality of Natural Law from where diversity begins, diversity emerges. If we can have it permanently in our awareness, then our awareness will be awake in terms of the Total Natural Law.

"When we say Total Natural Law, then the infinite diversity of the universe—controlled and governed and manifest—this infinite diversity is in our possession today. The knowledge of the infinite organizing power of Natural Law has been recognized by us, has been located by us in our own silent level of consciousness. What we want now is to grab that one value which has, from its own self-referral dynamics, multiplied itself and become the diversified universe. We want to have that one knowledge. Functioning from that level, we will be able to do anything, we will be able to achieve anything. This will be the creation of a perfect man on the basis of that one knowledge, the knowledge of one thing, and that one thing is consciousness, Atma.

"‘Atma’ is a Vedic word, and ‘self-referral’ is an English expression for the quantum-mechanical value which translates itself as ‘parame vyoman’ in the Vedic language. Transcendental consciousness and self-referral value equate with each other—they are the same thing. So the whole essence is that education should be with reference to the Self, with reference to Atma, with reference to consciousness, because consciousness is that one value which from within its self-interacting dynamics multiplies itself and assumes the role of the diverse universe.

"The individual, at his basic reality, is Atma, the Self. Veda is the self-referral dynamics of the Self. Veda is knowledge. Knowledge is, in itself, the field of consciousness. The self-interacting dynamics of consciousness are displayed in the Samhita of Rishi, Devata, and Chhandas, which is the structure of Veda. So, in this historical development of science today, we are in possession of that level of intelligence which is one with the ability to be many: one and many, one and many: one and many means it's the Self, it's the Veda. When we say Veda, then it makes the unified state functioning with the three fundamental values—Rishi, Devata, Chhandas.

"We have been explaining this all these years. We are in possession of that knowledge of ultimately one value, consciousness or intelligence, this consciousness or intelligence which we know to be creative intelligence. We say consciousness and creative intelligence: Atma, the Self, is creative intelligence. It is intelligence and it is creative intelligence. When we say creative intelligence, we equate it with Veda, which is the Samhita of Rishi, Devata and Chhandas, the unified state of the three values of knower, knowing, and known. The experience of this field is, through Transcendental Meditation, Transcendental Consciousness, the transcendental experience of unbounded consciousness.

"Transcendental Consciousness is unbounded consciousness. Waking state of consciousness is full of boundaries. We see this there—all boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. But when we close the eyes, we get out of diverse perceptions and the mind settles down in quietness, unboundedness, unbounded consciousness, unbounded intelligence. It is self-referral—self-referral unboundedness. There is Veda. Because Veda means knowledge, it has complete knowledge of itself; that intelligence knows itself.

"In what way does it know itself? It knows itself in its unboundedness and its points—whole unboundedness. When the unboundedness of Atma is awake within itself, then it locates its point value. The example is, when the waves of the ocean settle down then that unbounded, settled, peaceful state of the ocean, fully awake within itself, that ocean knows its unboundedness. At the same time, the ocean knows the value of the points of unboundedness. It is the points in a series that construct unboundedness. In the settled state, the ocean is aware of its point value and it is aware of its unbounded value. Within the unbounded value and the point value is the field of all possibilities. So we know all possibilities in the field of knowledge. All possibilities are in that settled state of consciousness, Transcendental Consciousness.

"In this experience of Transcendental Consciousness, what has been found is that the total brain functions. Every part of the brain functions, every fiber and every gap of the fiber. Everything is fully awake, and in that is the total use of the brain. The total use of the physiology and neurology of the brain makes the brain lively. If there is no chance of experiencing unboundedness, then there is no chance of putting to use all the physiology and neurology of the brain. When aspects of the brain, aspects of our physiological structure, are not used for some time, they become idle and lose the ability to function. If the total brain is used all the time, then of course the infinite creative potential is in function. But if the brain is not put to total use, after some time the individual loses the ability of total perception, total activity, total behavior.

"Though born with infinite creative potential, the individual remains segregated from his wholeness; he remains a partial person. Remaining partial, but being in actuality unbounded, the man will always remain frustrated. This is the fundamental reason for frustration in everyone’s life, and this is one wrong thing in education, that the education does not make use of the full brain so the brain is handicapped; the education does not provide an opportunity to the individual to make full value of his brain.

"If the full value of the brain is utilized, then the cosmic potential of the individual is utilized. Here is the turning point of the human race, the destiny of the human race now. This morning, with the grace of Guru Dev, we are sitting and designing a new destiny of mankind. Total infinite creative potential is the birthright of everyone. With that ability, everyone is born. But education does not give him a chance to utilize his full cosmic potential. Having come to know this and having been in possession of Atma-based education, having been in possession of the knowledge of Atma as the knowledge of Veda, having known the Veda to be the basic substance of the physiology, having known this and having known that the individual is cosmic, we are so very tempted to make this knowledge available to everyone.

"What is the future of all these presently existing schools, colleges, and universities? In the future—that means tomorrow, not today but tomorrow—all the universities will rise to fulfillment. We don’t say that they will be closed—though that is one aspect of it—but we will say the education will rise to completeness. All the universities, for thousands of years of university life, have been inviting the people, young and old, saying, ‘Come to our campus, we will give you knowledge of whatever you want. Do you want physics? Go to this class. Do you want chemistry? Go to this class. Music? Go here and go there. Whatever knowledge you want, you can have it.’ This was the pride of the universities of all these thousands of years.

"Now, in this scientific age, we found that this was a deception in the field of knowledge. Universities have been giving knowledge and degrees, Ph.D.’s and all that, but only partial use of the brain, only five to ten percent of the potential while ninety percent is closed. It needed a scientific age to realize that the man is much more competent to enjoy waves of bliss in his daily life, not waves of suffering and waves of problems—no, no, no.

"So we are designing today, with the grace of Guru Dev, a new destiny of mankind, a destiny which will enable everyone, in a very spontaneous manner, to use his full cosmic potential. A new destiny of mankind is being designed today by realizing that every man is basically the Self. The Self is basically Veda. Veda is basically the body. The body of the individual is basically of the same structure as the body of the universe. So the cosmic potential of the individual will be enjoyed by every individual, cosmic creative intelligence will be enjoyed by every individual, and this will be the blissful new destiny of mankind which we are opening today through Maharishi Open University."

Maharishi Open University will open a new destiny for mankind: unbounded creative intelligence. Cosmic creativity will be naturally lived in the life of everyone when the brain physiology of everyone is trained to function holistically. So much scientific research has been gained to indicate that, when one practices Transcendental Meditation, total brain potential becomes lively. That means the physiological instrumentation of the body uses total knowledge, total Veda. This is what the pandits have just recited: Yo jagar tam richah kamayante.*

"It is a great call of this scientific age to come to that essential nature of life which everyone is born with as his birthright, to use his full cosmic potential. Our program of Maharishi Open University will lay out this cosmic potential of everyone.

"'A new destiny of mankind': I feel very good to say these word. There is no exaggeration in any of these expressions: 'a new destiny of mankind,' 'new' because life had been known in terms of struggle.

But now the call of Vedic knowledge whispers quietly, and speaks loudly, that the total creative potential, the cosmic potential of everyone, is available to everyone in one's own settled state of consciousness. Transcendental Meditation is the way, and Heaven is the destiny of mankind. Heaven on Earth will be the reality for all times now.

"Jai Guru Dev."

*(Rk Veda, 5.44.14) He who is awake, the Richa (expressions of the Veda) zoom forth in his awareness and uphold his thought, speech, and action.

Click Here for the conclusion of Maharishi's address

Maharishi's inaugural address was followed by speeches from Professor Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D.; Dr. Bevan Morris; Volker Schanbacher, Ph.D.; Dr. Girish Varna; Dr. Neil Paterson; Dr. Benjamin Feldman; Keith Wallace, Ph.D. The remarks of two special guests, one form Pakistan and one from India, are presented here

Mr. Hussain Khan is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The highlight of Mr. Khan's remarks was an impassioned appeal to the people of Pakistan.

"Please, this is no time for indignation between Hindus and Muslims," Mr. Khan said. "We have suffered a lot before and after Partition. This indignation has destroyed both of us. It is about time to be peaceful, and it is no longer difficult—it is easy. Through Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying, we can achieve unity in diversity.

"We are two nations, no doubt: Pakistan is invincible, India also is invincible. But we can live like brothers. What is the sense in it, that in the past fifty years we have had three big wars and so many conflicts, and we are spending a huge amount on arms and ammunitions, and those nations who are selling arms are getting benefit out of this indignation and conflict? Now we should come to our senses. We can very easily establish peace and tranquility between us."

Mr. Khan's appeal was broadened by the last speaker on the telecast, a prominent representative of the Indian government, the Honorable G. M. C. Balayogi, Speaker of the Parliament of India.

Mr. Balayogi noted the recent, rapid expansion of our technological knowledge, saying,

"Microchips have proved what an incredible microcosm the world really is. But the human mind is not tolerant; we see intolerance everywhere—between races, communities, sexes, and religions. This intolerance is evolving into new forms of negative and destructive fundamentalism.

"His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has contributed in earnestly reducing negativity and increasing positivity through his Transcendental Meditation program, a practical aspect of a new science, the Science of Creative Intelligence, which is an instrument of enlightenment. Through forty years of imparting Transcendental Meditation in the East and the West, with more than sixty thousand teachers and over six million practitioners all over the world, Maharishi has inspired us to create in the world community a community of peace and tranquility, of enlightenment and prosperity."

Mr. Balayogi concluded with words that echoed the Upanishads, one of the forty aspects of the Veda and Vedic Literature:

"Through Transcendental Meditation, let us lead ourselves from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality."

"Jai Guru Dev."