Consciousness-Based Education - Maharishi University of ...

absolute principles of societysœ;" kmR°yivÃ;'so yq; kuvRiNt .;rtkuy;RiÃÃ;'Stq;sœiÄk7WuRloRks'[ghm9SaktԀԝ karmaԗy avidvԀԣso yathԀ kurvanti BhԀratakuryԀd vidvԀԣs tathԀsaktash chikԂrshur loka-saԣgraham(Bhagavad-GԂtԀ, 3.25)As the unwise act out of their attachment to action, O BhԀrata,so should the wise act, but without any attachment, desiringthe welfare of the world.Maharishi (1967) comments that an enlightened man's action benefitsthe world:His actions are in response to the needs of the time; they fulfil thedemands of their surroundings. The wise are tools in the hands of theDivine; they innocently carry out the divine plan. Their actions arisefrom their desire for ‘the welfare of the world.’ (p. 218)Here the field of social relationships has expanded to embrace thewhole of humanity, the ideal of what Maharishi identifies as vasudhaivakutumbakam (Maha Upanishad, 6.17) and translates as “the world is myfamily” (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1987, p. 9).The Causes of Social Disintegration and WarMaharishi’s analysis of the absolute principles of society encompassesnot only those that structure an ideal society but also those that accountfor social disintegration and disharmony. From the most expanded perspective,Maharishi (1967, 1986a) teaches, the fundamental cause ofsocial disharmony of any kind, and of its most extreme manifestation—war-is to be found in the loss of the complete knowledge of life that isrestored by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gītā:When the philosophy of integrated life restored by Lord Krishna waslost from view, the idea grew that everything which life can offer ispresent on the obvious levels of existence, and that it would therefore beuseless to aspire to anything that might lie deeper than external appearances.Society became dominated by this superficial outlook, insight121