December 2000

Book Review by Theresa Olson-Sorflaten
His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi:
A Living Saint for the New Millennium
By Helena and Roland  Olson

In the summer of 1959 my parents, Helena and Roland Olson, opened our home at 433 South Harvard Boulevard in Los Angeles, California to a most extraordinary houseguest—Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. That was the year Maharishi first came to the United States, bringing with him the compassionate knowledge for dramatically improving the quality of life throughout the world.

His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: A Living Saint for the New Millennium charmingly describes the simple beginnings of Maharishi’s TM movement when East met West for the first time and a new Age was about to dawn. This third, newly titled edition of the beloved classic, Maharishi at ‘433’, includes the original heartwarming story, a new preface, and updated appendices.

It took just three weeks for "Mother Olson," as Maharishi called my mother, to write the first draft of her book—she had that wonderful gift of a photographic memory. My father contributed his recollections, while Maharishi himself reviewed mother’s original manuscript and made many suggestions, such as inclusion of scientific research charts.

I remember the special care and attention given to keep the story—especially Maharishi’s words—authentic and accurate. Mother reviewed audio-taped lectures given by Maharishi during 1959, both in our home and at the first TM program center in Los Angeles, to select lecture quotes for the book. You’ll find many of Maharishi’s original expressions of his practical and profound wisdom throughout the book.

In later years, when the project of updating the book fell upon my shoulders, I discovered that many of the predictions Maharishi made in 1959 regarding the benefits of the Transcendental Meditation program had been confirmed as fact by modern science. As a result, this newest edition contains what I fondly refer to as the second part of the story—confirmation of Maharishi’s original vision by years of achievement and scientific research. These validations are found in the new appendices.

Also new to this edition are endorsements by members of the world’s main religions including Rabbi Alan Green, Father Kevin Joyce and Reverend John Reigstad.

We are delighted to present this book to Meditators and the public for their enlightened enjoyment. Proceeds from its sale will go to fund a future restoration of the 433 South Harvard Boulevard property as a Maharishi Vedic Center.

To order this book, contact Samhita Productions at www.samhita.com