R.I.P. Mahareshi Mahesh Yogi: He Came Along to Turn On Everyone

R.I.P. Mahareshi Mahesh Yogi

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi came to the world's attention as a cartoonish, high pitched, slightly greasy soothsayer who introduced the Beatles, and thus the world, to the mind-expanding, Beatlemania-relieving powers of Transcendental Meditation. (In Hindi, “maha” means great, and “rishi” means seer.) He passed away this week at the age of 91 or so.

The Fab Four first heard about him via George Harrison's shagalicious wife Pattie Boyd. After attending a couple of lectures and getting their own customized mantras, they signed up for an extended holiday at the Yogi's compound at the foothills of the Himilayas.

For several months in early 1968, our Liverpudlian heroes, with their birds and other beautiful people (including Donovan and Mia Farrow) in tow, ate veggie, tapped into their higher consciousness and of course, wrote songs. "Across the Universe," "Blackbird," "I Will," "Mother Nature's Son," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Dear Prudence," to name a few. Not bad.

Many of these songs, which became the White Album, are based on the Maharishi's teachings. For example, he would say things like "the higher you fly, the deeper you go" and "Your inside is out and your outside is in," which John Lennon converted into the great rocker "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey."

As legend has it, the Beatles soured on their spiritual guide when they learned he had put the moves on "Dear" Prudence Farrow, sister of Mia. But there are also rumors that it was the Maharishi who dumped the Beatles, due to their fondness for recreational drugs.

Feeling burned by the experience, Lennon, bitter and acerbic as always, paid a thinly veiled tribute to the Maharishi by changing his name to "Sexy Sadie." But whether you think the Maharishi is a visionary or a Nowhere Man, there is no denying his impact on the grooviest aspects of Western music and culture. Peace out and TCB, MMY.

For your meditative contemplation, a history of the Maharishi experience as told by the Beatles themselves in the must-own Beatles Anthology. Plus mp3s of demos of key Maharishi tracks recorded at George Harrison's Sussex estate and the super-rare Harrison track "Dehra Dun." To get the complete set of demos, pay a house call to the great music site Dr. Mooney's 115th Dream.

YouTube: The Beatles in Rishikesh from The Beatles Anthology


mp3: The Beatles, "Sexy Sadie," 1968 Esher Demos, George Harrison's House
mp3: The Beatles, "Dear Prudence," 1968 Esher Demos, George Harrison's House
mp3: The Beatles, "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey," 1968 Esher Demos, George Harrison's House
mp3: The Beatles, "Blackbird," 1968 Esher Demos, George Harrison's House
mp3: The Beatles, "Dehra Dun," White Album rehearsal