Cult News

A new book is now available free online titled Call No Man Master, written by Joyce Collin-Smith.

The author has had “fifty years of spiritual adventures” and offers “praise of teachers,” but warns to be “wary of gurus.”

One of the gurus she warns about is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Collin-Smith was one of his early disciples, so she “knew him when.”

A reader recently told CultNews.com the following:

“Chapters 9 to 14 give a detailed description of the early years in which Maharishi established himself in England.

The author passed through a variety of spiritual movements and spent about 8 to 10 years meditating with Maharishi and also served in some capacity as his administrator.

Her period of involvement was from 1960 to about 1968-70.

Fascinating and valuable descriptions of how Maharishi got his start in England.

The author provides convincing evidence that his Transcendental Meditation (TM) may have caused damage and passivity, from the very beginning.

Collin-Smith also offers a fairly convincing case that the guru was an imposter, basically a monastic washout who failed to get a promotion in India, who then sought to re-invent himself as a ‘Realized Master’ in the West. And then marketed that persona to less discerning and more gullible audiences.

It seems significant that Maharishi did not minister to the more knowledgeable émigré Indian community in London, but instead concentrated on Westerners, that probably could not tell a bogus yogi from a real one.

Collin-Smith appears to demonstrate that from the outset Maharishi was greedy for money and that he seemingly ruthlessly used and discarded followers. The guru also apparently showed no concern when people began breaking down as a result of practicing TM.

The author says that though Maharishi might have some special gift, he abused it. And of course, how the guru struck gold when he was able to latch onto the Beatles.”

Collin-Smith claims to have suffered personal injury as a result of her years of TM practice and reports that many artists she knew also had their careers derailed because of this form of meditation.

She also discusses how TM-related passivity and depression may have disabled people’s critical faculties.”

The author writes, “The stream of creative energy, once so vigorous and prolific in me, had been dammed, diverted or even destroyed altogether. I therefore had no source of happiness and satisfaction. Judging by the conversations I had with various artists, writers, musicians and a ballet dancer, this experience of the meditation effects was shared with them. ‘The ballet used to be my life. Now it’s just the way I earn my living.’ ‘I don’t seem to want to paint any more. I’d rather just sit in the sun.’ ‘I can’t get on with writing my book. I don’t seem to feel much interest in anything but TM,’ were some of the comments I heard.”

Note: This book, now made easily accessible through the Internet, provides thought-provoking information for anyone interested in the early history of Maharishi and/or the origins of TM.