Harrison on The Today Show (1985)
George Harrison is interviewed by Rona Elliot for "The Today Show" in January 1985, the day of the release of the movie "Hurricane on flat water", and during the preparation of the film "Shanghai Surprise" which he is the producer and his album "Cloud Nine".
Rona Elliot: Good morning gents, throughout the years there has been certain constants in George Harrison's life. The commitment to spiritual growth, is enjoyment of gardening. Even his home in England is in the middle of a national park and of course there is his music.
Your commitment to spiritual values has been a constant part of your life in the form that we experienced in the sixties : devotees and Gurus. Is that still the form that it takes in your life?
George Harrison: Hum, I think the sixties, it was sort of necessary and important what happened, and I think like with anything , if you want to learn tennis, you go to somebody who can instruct you in tennis. If you want to learn how to be a yogi or to meditate or whatever, then you need an instructor or somebody who knows that? And unfortunately the word Guru became a bit of a joke because again with the way the press saw them as silly old fellows, you know like Maharishi with his long hairs, and also because there were a lot of “bogis” . You know as there are Yogis, there are “ bogis”, and you know, (without ) mentioning names, it was been part of influx of them over the years into America. And I still think it's like somebody once said, you have to be like the wise ant that crawls through the grains of sand and find the grains of sugar. And so each person has to find for himself a way for inner realization, I mean with the goal as to believe that the only reason we are on this planet is like going to school again. Each soul is potentially divine and the goal is to manifest that divinity. Everything else is secondary.
Rona Elliot: Of all the privileges and the opportunities accorded to you, because of the circumstances in your life, when you stop and reflect on it, what is the greatest benefits that comes through all of this?
George Harrison: The greatest benefit I think is the knowledge that comes from the experience and that is... I don't really know what it is , it's very subtle but it's something like, you know, only by going through certain things do you understand what happened, why it happened, and how some sort of deeper strength that comes out of that. And I suppose that was the main thing through the sixties I got into India. I think that was the ONE thing in my life - I could have done without everything else, but that one thing - get me in touch with what is inside through Maharishi and Ravi Shankar and in the music and the spiritual things. That was it.
I think that was the one thing in my life - I could have done without everything else, but that one thing - get me in touch with what is inside through Maharishi and Ravi Shankar and in the music and the spiritual things. That was it.
Rona Elliot: George Harrison's music will also be heard in his newly film music “Water” witch open in theatres around the country. He is also writing songs for the up-coming film ”Shanghai Surprise”.