June 2001

 Total Knowledge Comes Home
By Charlie Walters

I met my friend Wayne Walston and his wife in 1979, when we were students together at Maharishi International University. That same year they had their first child, a baby girl named Shanda.

Wayne and I kept in touch, and by 1983 he had two more children, Isaiah and Rami. As a result of our friendship, he began supporting the Thousand-Headed Purusha program with regular donations.

In 1998, Dr. Bevan Morris announced Maharishi Open University, explaining that Meditators could now have Maharishi’s latest knowledge directly from Vlodrop via satellite in their own homes. I immediately called all my friends to let them know about this great opportunity.

When I told Wayne, he said, "Charlie, you know I don’t have any spare cash to do all that. I’m driving a 1987 Honda Civic just so I can help you meet your fund-raising goal on Purusha." I told him that I was sure we would figure something out.

About this time, my mother had given me some money, and I realized that I only really required half of it for my own needs. So I called Wayne and said I could loan him the money for the first Maharishi Open University course. He thought for a minute and said, "Charlie, if it means that much to you, let’s go for it."

Wayne installed his own satellite dish and enrolled in the Total Knowledge course. Then he announced to his children, "Alright kids, we have a great opportunity. We are going to have Maharishi’s knowledge coming directly to our home with a wonderful course. I paid the family rate, so the door is open."

By now, Shanda was 19 years old, Isaiah was 17, and Rami 15. Isaiah was a star soccer player, but famous in his league for being a bit too rough. And although Wayne practiced the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs regularly, he had never pressured his children to learn to meditate.

Wayne’s house is not real big, so when one person is watching TV, everybody can hear it, unless they’re in one of the basement bedrooms. Isaiah was the first to start watching the Total Knowledge course with his father.

Maharishi was talking about Dr. Lubimov’s brain research, how parts of the brain atrophy when not used and, as Maharishi put it, "turn to rusty junk." Maharishi continued, "Transcendental Meditation enlivens the total brain physiology unlike any other activity known to science."

This statement started a conversation between father and son about how, without the TM technique, parts of the brain go to sleep. Wayne pointed out that Maharishi is renowned as the greatest scientist of consciousness on Earth, and what he has been telling us for 40 years is now being confirmed by neurophysiologists with the most sophisticated, modern equipment.

A few days later Isaiah joined his father to hear a lecture by Professor Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D., who was correlating our "cosmic counterparts" to the basal ganglia in the brain. He said the whole universe is there in the human brain: the Sun is the thalamus, the Moon is the hypothalamus, Saturn is the putamen and Mars is the amygdala. He went on to say that the correlation between the brain and every planet and constellation is perfect both in structure and function.

This revelation struck such a profound note in Isaiah’s heart. He told his father, "I’m ready to learn TM. And as soon as I can, I’d like to become a Sidha." Wayne brought him to an introductory lecture at the Maharishi Vedic School in Virginia. Jeff and Mary Murphy gave a wonderful introductory talk, and Isaiah learned the Transcendental Meditation technique that weekend. Within two weeks Isaiah was feeling great. "Dad", he said, "TM is the single best thing I’ve ever done."

Within a few months Isaiah told his father he wanted to go see Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, and maybe even enroll there as a freshman. Wayne was thrilled, and they drove out to Fairfield for a Visitor’s Weekend. Maharishi University of Management was a transforming experience. Isaiah was convinced by the atmosphere and enrolled that fall.

By this time Isaiah’s two sisters had heard quite a lot of Maharishi’s knowledge, and Shanda had learned to meditate. Before long, Shanda and Rami came to visit Fairfield, too. After one or two meals at Annapurna dining hall, Shanda turned to her Father and said, "Dad, I spent the last two summers as a waitress in Ocean City, Maryland. People were there on vacation to have a good time, but not one of them was as happy as every student I see here, and they aren’t even on vacation!"

Shanda enrolled for the spring semester. Then Isaiah became a Citizen Sidha, followed closely by Shanda. Rami has now learned the TM technique and loves it. She’s even talking about joining Shanda and Isaiah in Fairfield.

Wayne is in total bliss. How many fathers can say that their three children are meditating, with two of them Yogic Flyers happily enrolled at Maharishi University of Management?

Wayne is eternally grateful to Maharishi for blessing his family with the gift of enlightenment, and especially for delivering all the knowledge directly into his living room through Maharishi Open University.

Charlie Walters has been a member of the Thousand-Headed Purusha program since 1982.

MAHARISHI OPEN UNIVERSITY COURSES AND PROGRAMS

  • Total Knowledge
    The complete range and application of Maharishi Vedic Science.
  • Creating a Perfect Man (Course 1 and Course 2) The 40 values of Veda and the Vedic Literature in human physiology; traditional Vedic recitations
  • Maharishi Sthapatya Veda Vastu Vidya: The structural engineering of the universe which promotes bliss, good health and success
  • Continuing Free Programs H.E. Dr. Bevan Morris, H.E. Dr. John Hagelin, H.E. Dr. Volker Schanbacher, and other speakers; live broadcasts of global celebrations and lectures by Maharishi

How to apply: Visit www.mou.org