The Beatles' and Celebrities' Meditation
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And it is a process (Transcendental Meditation) that you can always go back to, if you're in a turmoil, it's a centering process that I like a lot - Paul McCartney

Stella, James and Paul McCartney meeting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1998

Paul McCartney talks about his fondness of Transcendental Meditation and about his experience of meeting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1998 with Stella his daughter, and James his son.

 

Video Transcription:

Paul McCartney: “Years ago when we [The Beatles] studied meditation with the Maharishi in India. We had a real good time and I always felt it was a very valuable experience.

And it was a process (Transcendental Meditation) that you can always go back to, if you're in a turmoil, it's a centering process that I like a lot.

And it is a process (Transcendental Meditation) that you can always go back to, if you're in a turmoil, it's a centering process that I like a lot.

And he gave us his book [Science of Being and Art of Living: Transcendental Meditation]. The great wise man gave us his book.

Cause he was one of the ones that wasn't a fake. There were a lot of them around at that time, who were into Rolls-Royces and chicks [Laughter] and he wasn't one of them.

He gave us his book, and I looked to see what he would write, besides putting his name in. And he wrote about, he said: "Radiate Bliss Consciousness", then at the end of it, he just put: "Enjoy". And I always thought, that was really cool coming from him.

And I actually met him quite recently, just a year and a half ago I think. He lives in the Netherlands now, and he is a spry old cogger, he's in his eighties, and he's still working, he's still spreading the message.

Journalist: He is still the Maharishi.

Paul McCartney: He's still going. And I took Stella my daughter, and James my son with me. And I said "Will it be OK if we all came to see you?"

And they said "Yeah OK". So we went in for a meeting with him.

And they said "We don't know how long you'll have? You know, it could be over quite quickly. Don't know if he gets tired quickly...whatever". In the end it was four hours. We just sat chatting for four hours. We just had a good ole time.

But before we went in Stella said to me: "Dad, I got my video camera, do you think I can shoot a bit of a video?" I said "Well I don't know, I don't know what the scene is here." I said “But give it to me, I'll put it in my pocket, and at the end of our session I'll just ask him. Ì said: is it OK”.

Well of course, the end of our session came. So I said “Maharishi”, I said: “would it be Ok if we just shot a little bit of video?” And he giggled and he said: “Yeah of course”. So I gave Stella the camera, and she says, ah, she lines it up she says: “OK Maharishi, what have you got to say for the camera?” [Laughter]

And he looks right in the camera, and he says: "Enjoy!"

[Laughter]

Its thirty years later! Pretty consistent.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi « Science of Being and Art of Living: Transcendental Meditation », 385 pages, < MIU Press >