Consciousness-Based Education - Maharishi University of ...

consciousness-based education and governmentin his commentary that Arjuna is a highly developed man: His naturalfield of concern embraces the society as a whole, which he considers ata profound level. In the course of their conversation, Arjuna petitionsLord Krishna with an ultimate dilemma. Maharishi (1967) summarizesArjuna’s petition on behalf of humanity as: “It serves as a petitionfrom the representative of human kind to the Incarnation of theDivine—a petition to say that, even though we try our best to live a lifeof righteousness, suffering does not appear to leave us. The demand is:give us a life free from suffering” (p. 25).Lord Krishna’s teaching on society is revealed in response to thispetition. Maharishi (1967) points out that in the Bhagavad-Gītā, LordKrishna is the embodiment of the absolute value of life, the field of pureconsciousness itself, responding to a petition of Arjuna, the representativeof humanity. Maharishi emphasizes that this teaching, emergingas it does from the embodiment of the total potential of natural law,is universal in its scope and application: The principles it offers are notlimited to a particular time and place, but are absolute.These absolute principles of society are elaborated primarily inMaharishi’s commentary on the first chapter of the Bhagavad-Gītā.Maharishi (1967) notes that “This chapter presents the mechanics ofnature and reveals the fundamentals of life and society” (p. 26). Thispresentation actually occurs before the main body of Lord Krishna’steaching to Arjuna, which begins in Chapter II. However, Maharishiexplains, the first chapter lays the ground for that teaching, in that:Although it does not contain the actual discourse of the Lord, whichreally begins in the second chapter, it presents the basic problems of lifeand gives Lord Krishna the chance to propound the philosophy andpractice which enable man to live his life free from suffering. It is ofgreat value for its contribution to the science of living. (p. 25)Reflecting on Arjuna’s profound concerns gives Maharishi theopportunity to describe the absolute principles that govern life at everylevel, both individual and collective.The elucidation of the principles given here by Maharishi belongto the early phase of his teaching. Over the 25 years since their firstpublication in his Bhagavad-Gītā commentary, Maharishi has continuedto elaborate on them. Yet, since they are absolute principles ofVedic knowledge, they have remained consistent over this time. The104