Celebrating Akshaya Tritiya,
the Day of Lasting Achievements

8 May 2008

On 8 May 2008, the Global Country of World Peace held a grand, global celebration in MERU, the Netherlands, of the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, the Day of Lasting Achievements in the Vedic Calendar.

The celebration, which included traditional Vedic Recitation by the Vedic Pandits at the Global Capital of Raam Raj in the Brahma-Sthan (geographical centre) of India, was broadcast live worldwide via satellite and over the Internet on Channel 3 of the Maharishi Channel.

At the beginning of the celebration, Dr Bevan Morris, Prime Minister of the Global Country of World Peace, said that this day of Akshaya Tritiya is 'the day when whatever one begins, will achieve in a lasting and immortal way, for the good of one's own life, and the good of the whole world.'

Dr Morris said that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Founder of the Global Country of World Peace, 'had laid out for us so kindly the entire Vedic Calendar, where each day has a very special character; and that character, if properly enlivened by the performance of our Maharishi Vedic Pandits, can bring great good, great benefaction to everyone in the world.

'We are now connected to the Maharishi Vedic Pandits at the Global Capital of Raam Raj at the Brahma-Sthan of Veda Bhumi Bharat (India, the home of the eternal Vedic Tradition of knowledge),' Dr Morris said, and he asked Dr Benjamin Feldman, the Minister of Finance and Planning, to formally invite the Maharishi Vedic Pandits to perform the Puja (Vedic ceremony of gratitude) of Akshaya Tritiya, 'in the presence in the Brahma-Sthan at MERU in Holland, of Maharaja Adhiraj Raja Raam, all his Rajas and Ministers, and all his leaders around the world'.

Inviting the Vedic Pandits to begin, Dr Feldman expressed his 'great honour and joy . . . to request Guru Dev's* blessings, Maharishi's blessings, from the Vedic Pandits of India—in terms of the Constitution of the Universe, the traditional recitation of the Veda, that will thrill the atmosphere for all the world with Invincibility, the lasting achievement of life in fulfilment, for 192 countries of the world, and for the enlightenment of the individuals in those nations.

'It is a supreme joy,' said Dr Feldman, 'that this is being broadcast through the Maharishi Channel. Five Maharishi channels are broadcasting, and one channel is broadcasting for whole world, the Vedic chanting of the Vedic Pandits—so that every thrill of the Absolute that they perform can also be enjoyed in every home throughout the world. So please, dear Vedic Pandits of India, give us the joy of your Vedic Recitation, for the lasting achievement of all peace, and all good for everyone—Vishwa vyapi Raam Raj is your gift on this day of Akshaya Tritiya.'

Following the Vedic Recitation, Maharaja Adhiraj Raja Raam, First Ruler of the Global Country of World Peace, gave a beautiful address. He began by lauding the Vedic Pandits and said, 'On this very auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, having received the blessings of the Vedic Pandits, and performed Puja (Vedic ceremony of gratitude) to Guru Dev*, all our thoughts, feelings, and gratitude go to His Divine Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who in the light of Guru Dev, in the light of the eternal Vedic tradition, has given everyone in the world the ability to achieve anything, to reach the highest goals and fulfil the highest aspirations of all sages and of all good-wishers of humanity.

'Maharishi has given answers to all questions, unfolded total pure knowledge, pure Being, in the lives of all individuals who learned his techniques and listened to his teaching.

'In life so many questions arise: Why are we here? Why are we living? What's the purpose of all of it? Why do we eat? Why do we have wishes and hopes and desires? Why do we see conflicts? Why and why and why—so many questions about life.

'And Maharishi has answered all of these questions. Of course, there are many answers on the individual life and different levels of the answers. Every individual has so many answers to so many of his questions, and there are so many individuals. And all of these answers are real on their level.

'The answers are also given in the Vedic Tradition, and the Veda, Itihas, Puran, Smriti; in Yoga, Karma Mimansa, Vedanta; and all the Vedas—Rk, Sama, Yajur, Atharva—all aspects of Shiksha, Kalp, Vyakaran, Nirukt, Chhand, Jyotish, they have answers—Sthapatya Veda, Ayur-Veda. All answers to different questions and different levels of questions.

'Yet Maharishi has given the one answer that the Vedic Tradition upholds, that Guru Dev upholds, that Maharishi upholds, for the entire creation. This one answer is the secret of all secrets. That is the answer to every question. Ultimately every question that one asks about everything or anything comes to that one answer, to that one reality.

'And that secret of secrets is very simple. It is: Sarvam khalw idam Brahm—''Everything is Wholeness, everything is Totality, everything is pure Being.'' And therefore the quests of all quests, the search for all questions, the fulfilment for all desires, the achievement of all achievements, the highest aspiration of everything and everyone is to live the truth of life, the reality of existence. To fulfil that level of understanding that everything is Wholeness, everything is pure Being, pure silence, pure infinity, Totality, oneness. And that means myself, yourself, and everything that exists.

'Whatever we strive to do in life, whatever we want to achieve, is just in that direction, in the direction of reaching that understanding, and that level of experience in life.'

Maharaja continued speaking on how the supreme understanding from the eternal Vedic Tradition of knowledge, the 'great secret' that we have gained from Maharishi—that everything is Brahm, Totality—holds the answer to all questions in life. 'This knowledge is pure, simple knowledge, very simple knowledge—there is no more search anywhere.

'Of course it is not known by many people,' Maharaja said. 'Some people have heard it but they don't understand it, they don't believe it. Some people believe it but they don't understand it completely. Some people understand it and even believe it, but they don't know what to do with it!

'Some people actually have had a glimpse of it, through transcending.* Sometimes it has come to them in a moment of sudden enlightenment—just a moment of experience, be it a moment of joy with their family, with their loved ones, or with their devotion to God—and they had that beautiful moment, a glimpse of the wholeness of creation, of reality. And they don't know how to get it again, what to do with it? It was something, and—Maharishi gave this example—they may spend their whole life searching for it again.

'Some others, in doing good to others, in good actions, in feeling good—they have that inspiration, that sudden feeling of wellness, of unity, and they think, ''This is the way to do it.'' That's one way to do it—there are many, many ways to achieve that. Again, the answers are on so many levels, every one of them being true and being real.

'Everybody is achieving steps in life, as if sometimes by trial and error, to do something and then learn—and then see when Nature has created a system, that if you do something in that direction you get more fulfilment, more happiness, and therefore you want to do it again; and if you don't, and it brings you other aspects of experience, then you don't want to do it, you want to go in [a different] direction—kind of trial and error. And learning from older people, more experienced people—learning from teachers.

'Then learning that time is also not a barrier, because some things can happen in a short time, immediate satisfaction. But there is also the long term, that Natural Law is also on a long term. You plant a seed today, and it might take years for the fruit to come and the tree to grow.

'But again these are ways of Nature teaching that as we go through time, and maybe many lifetimes—that reality is there as we approach it, and grow in it—as we get more fulfilment, more Ananda, more bliss. So [there are] different ways of experiencing it.

'Some know that reality in a more established way. They have transcended, they feel it, they experience it, as Maharishi has given the technology to transcend and directly Be That and experience That on a daily basis. Then in the growth of That, one comes to the realization, ''I am That, I am that Reality.'' That's a great level of enlightenment. And beyond that, I start seeing others also as being That.

'So for myself, Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahm, Totality); Tat tvam asi—''Thou art That''; Sarvam khalw idam Brahm—''Everything is That.'' That is the highest level of realization, and that is the purpose of all doing, the purpose of all thinking, the purpose of all efforts to reach that reality.

'When living in the glory of that reality, as Maharishi has been . . . with us, as the Holy Tradition is, as Guru Dev is, then comes yet one more level. What can be one more level than knowing oneself as Wholeness and everything is Wholeness? We have reached everything—what can be that one more level? That one more level is: making everyone else also realize that. Bringing it to the heart of everyone in the world, to the mind, to the intellect, to the understanding, and to the deep, true experience of that reality.

'That is the role of the Holy Tradition of Vedic Masters, which Maharishi has been for us, such a profound gift of Natural Law, which brought that understanding in its completeness—Total, unbounded perfect knowledge, perfect science of life.'

Maharaja continued speaking on how, once having achieved the highest level of realization—knowing oneself and everything as Brahm, Totality—there is yet one more level: 'bringing that realization to the heart of everyone in the world', through the gift of the perfect science of life that Maharishi has brought to us from the eternal Vedic Tradition of knowledge.

'And that science is not just pure theoretical knowledge,' Maharaja said. 'It came from Maharishi with a technology—the technology of how to do it in a systematic and an orderly way. That's how we have seen this great enlightenment in the world, great experience of pure Being, of consciousness, of the Absolute which was missing in the lives of people.

'And, as we have seen that there are many who have not been able to understand . . . , Maharishi has expanded his teaching to say ''now you come into a group [of Yogic Flyers] and awaken collective consciousness''. That way, even those people who are remote, who are distant, will feel that effect and awaken in that reality and then experience and want to search for it. And suddenly they will go to an introductory lecture on Transcendental Meditation and suddenly they will be interested—could be sometimes because they have high blood pressure, or whatever the reason, they are not sleeping well, something. Nature will bring them there. And then they will get into it as collective consciousness improves.

'He has also brought to us all the different aspects of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, for example, that will help to organize structures of homes so people are more in tune with Natural Law, and therefore naturally will come to that desire, will understand more of the truth of life, and want to truly experience it and live it.

'Proper healthy food, proper healthy programmes, avoiding things with side effects that disturb the functioning of the nervous system; and all of these different, different aspects—even Maharishi Gandharva Veda, beautiful music. All the aspects of proper food, agriculture, everything that is conducive for the physiology to align itself. And naturally as it gets more balanced, then the understanding and the clarity of thinking increase, and the individual desires the true direction, and starts seeing what the true purpose of life is—what the ultimate answer to every one of his questions is, and then the process of growth and evolution goes on.

'So where do we stand in terms of that reality of the gift of Maharishi today? In our perception, we see Wholeness everywhere, so therefore our role is based on the understanding and experience that everything is divine. Every human being is pure Being, is the light of God living on earth. Everyone has a physiology that is containing the Total Constitution of the Universe, so everyone is a temple of God, everyone is a living reality of Wholeness, of Totality, and therefore we adore everyone. It's a true adoration because we adore God, we adore infinity, pure Being, and everyone we know is that reality, is that pure Being.

'Now, in the functioning of the activities of our Global Country of World Peace, Maharishi has put us in that light of the Holy Tradition of Vedic Masters. Every time we were teaching transcending**, Maharishi insisted it's in the light of the Vedic Tradition—we do Puja to Guru Dev.

'The technique is very simple—we all know, and those who don't know, they will get to know. But it's put in the light of a Tradition, because that is the connection that ensures that the teaching is connected to the source, and it takes the individual to the source. This is very, very important—the connection to the Vedic Tradition, the connection to Maharishi, to Guru Dev, to the whole Tradition of Vedic Masters—is very, very essential in terms of the long-term result of truly achieving the goal of individual enlightenment, and bringing that reality to the whole society.

'Therefore if we feel—Rajas, Ministers, [Teachers of Transcendental Meditation, and Yogic Flyers]—we are the representatives of the Holy Tradition, and we feel that everyone is absolute pure Being, and therefore we have adoration for everyone; and it's only from that platform that we take our action as guided by the Holy Tradition, by Maharishi, to bring to the world that perfect knowledge of life. . . .'

Maharaja Adhiraj Raja Raam commented, regarding the role of the Rajas, that it's not a question of Rajas wearing crowns or speaking and acting according to ceremonial procedures. 'We are here to adore and to serve. That's our role, we are the servants. We are the servants.

'But in every kind of situation one has many hats. The man who goes to his job, he has children. At home he is the father. When he drives the children to home, to school—he is the driver. When he is the judge he goes to the [court], he's the judge—he's a very important person. So he performs these roles in life. Yet, if he is enlightened, he knows that whether driver or judge—it doesn't matter—he is pure Being, Absolute pure Being, like everyone else is.

'And that's how we feel. So we do have a system, we do have etiquette if you like, because the judge has to give judgement in the courtroom, and therefore he has to have certain dress, a certain way of doing things. When he's driving he has to be careful, has to follow the rules of the road, to stop on the red light. There are rules he has learned that he has to follow.

'So there are systems that ensure that there is a proper relationship that allows knowledge and experience to flow in the proper way. It's never on the level of who you think you are, who you think I am. What I am, what you are, who is where? Humble, more humble, honest, simple, innocent—all of these are real on many levels, but on the level of truth of life, it's only that one reality. One unbounded pure Being is the reality of everything.'

Maharaja continued discussing the organizations and systems established by the Global Country of World Peace 'that ensure that there is a proper relationship that allows knowledge and experience to flow in the proper way. . . .

'Then there is a system of flow of information, of structure. That's why Maharishi has created a system such as our system—our system, in the light of the Holy Tradition of Vedic Masters, where everyone does carry a responsibility, everyone has a duty on that surface level. It's a surface level, that's why they call it like a Lila (play)—it's like a theatre. It's not that we are acting in the theatre . . . but you imagine someone going into the theatre, and then suddenly he is to play a certain role, and that role he plays fully, and integrates it, and he believes in it.

'So in the Lila of life, every one of us is playing a role, every one of us is putting himself in a position of a role to play. Of course, the actors are also selected according to how they have certain abilities to act in some way or another . . . . Some may have more experience in architecture, some more in health, some more in finance, some more in management, some more in administration. And it's the same one pure Being playing these different roles.

'So the Minister of Health doesn't really feel in his deep Self he is different from the Minister of Architecture, because he knows it's one and the same. Yet they are playing different roles. That same person, that same individual is playing these different roles. 'So we are here to give enlightenment,' Maharaja Adhiraj Raja Raam said.

'We are here to fulfil Maharishi's most supreme achievement of all times, for having brought total science and total technology to create true enlightenment in the world, and truly achieve the lasting—everlasting achievement, which is alone Pure Being; because there is nothing that lasts except pure Being and its expressions. Its expressions, when they are in tune with it [pure Being]—when the house is in tune with Natural Law, it is more lasting and brings more fulfilment. When the individual is purely, even on the physical level, truly fully integrated, the Constitution of the Universe is integrated in his physiology, therefore he can live longer, he can last longer. Even immortality has been mentioned in the Vedic Tradition. That is possible according to time, and according to requirements of Natural Law and the quality of time. . . .

'Therefore I wanted today, in explaining all of this, to give all of you and the whole world a pledge from my side: the pledge that every one of my intentions, feelings, thoughts, planning, be in that very simple guiding light of Maharishi to create Heaven on Earth. . . .

'It's a beautiful feeling . . . . I do feel that any minute we wait in the ability to [teach] someone [Transcendental Meditation] and bring to him enlightenment, even some glimpse of the Absolute, is a minute wasted if we don't use it for that.' Maharaja explained that he would be meeting on that day of Akshaya Tritiya, the Day of Lasting Achievements, with the Prime Minister and the Rajas and Ministers of the Global Country of World Peace, because 'we feel that urgency today to bring to the whole world that light of knowledge.

'We don't want our world to go into any pains and difficulties. We are aware that there are problems, we're aware and feel saddened by [natural disasters] in Myanmar, and the loss that is going on there; and any wars, also any conflicts in the world. We know that we can create Heaven on Earth; therefore I personally call—and I know all my Council and Ministers and Rajas with me—call upon everyone in the field', everyone who practises Transcendental Meditation, every Yogic Flyer, every Teacher of Transcendental Meditation, 'to come together and think of the highest achievement that one can do today is a lasting achievement.

'Think that all these details of anything are of no importance. Today, the world needs you. You have been put on that level, the highest level of possible human consideration and dignity. Not only that level where you know even intellectually, and a lot on the level of experience, that you are Brahm, you are Totality and everyone else is that Reality.

'You have been put on an even higher level. You have been put on the level that you can give that knowledge to others. That is even higher. That is the level of the Guru, the teacher, the giver of reality, the Holy Tradition of Vedic Masters.

'So when a Teacher of Transcendental Meditation has received that gift, then it's a big responsibility. No other consideration of past, present, or anything, should come to our mind, except to come together, go out, and bring enlightenment. That is how we can fulfil Maharishi's desire to create Heaven on Earth, Raam Raj (Administration through Natural Law) for all mankind.'

At the close of the Akshaya Tritiya celebration, Dr Morris gave special thanks to the Vedic Pandits in India. 'It's an extremely precious part of our lives that we have this connection, through the high-definition television as organized by Dr Feldman, to the great Vedic Pandits there.' He explained that they included a very special group of the greatest, senior Vedic Pandits of all India, who on the previous day had performed a special ceremony inaugurating the Palace of the Raja of India, Raja Harris Kaplan, in MERU, Holland.

Dr Morris also gave recognition to leaders of the Global Country in India, 'everyone who is involved in bringing us this blessing from the Land of the Veda'.

* Maharishi's Master, Shri Guru Dev, His Divinity Brahmanand Saraswati, Jagatguru Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, Himalayas

** The process of experiencing progressively finer levels of the thinking process, and eventually experiencing the source of thought, the field of Pure Consciousness, which is provided systematically through Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation Technique.