Transcendental Meditation as Advaita Vedanta (Nonduality)
[Updated 2/24/25] A Guide to Effortless Mantra Meditation
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi vs Ramana Maharshi
Transcendental Meditation as Advaita Vedanta (Nonduality)
[Updated 2/24/25] A Guide to Effortless Mantra Meditation
Created by Alan Lew with Microsoft Copilot Designer using the term “Relative Reality and Absolute Reality”. I have no idea what this resulting image has to do with those terms, but I thought it was a cool 😊.
- Non-Medium subscribers can access this article paywall free here.
The TM Phenomenon
MAHARISHI Mahesh Yogi (1918–2008) brought the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) from India to the world in the 1960s and 1970s. It was widely popular in those early years. Many celebrities (from the Beatles to Oprah Winfrey) learned TM and celebrated its effectiveness, at least for a while. Today, TM is a global organization, with teaching and meditation centers located in most of the world’s major cities (outside of China and Russia).
The basic TM message is that it puts your mind and body in a deeper state of rest than sleep. That deep level of rest allows our body and mind to recuperate and revitalize, which makes them more efficient and effective in our daily lives.
Meditating to live a more successful life continues to be the main selling point for learning Transcendental Meditation. Maharishi would often say that through daily TM practice, our lives gain the full support of mother nature.
I have personally seen that through the many positive synchronicities (or “luck”) I have experience. In addition, most (but not all) of the major things I have wished for in my life have been achieved. And I can easily say the considerable success I had in my professional career was largely due to my many decades of TM practice (since I was 18 years old — I am now retired).
Nonduality (Advaita Vedanta)
DURING a TM teacher training lecture at Humboldt State University (California) in 1970 (?) Maharishi said that TM came from the school of Advaita Vedanta (nondualism) in India. That was one of the very few times he said that (and unfortunately, I cannot find the YouTube video where I heard it.)
Hindu nondualism traces its origins to the sages Adi Shankara and Gaudapada in the 8th century CE and was influenced by the Buddhist ideas at that time, such as “emptiness” (*sunyata) and “non-self” ([anatta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatt%C4%81)*). In recent years, Advaita is probably most associated with the sage, Ramana Maharashi (1879–1950).
Ramana Maharshi’s teaching could not be more opposite of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. For example, Ramana emphasized the non-reality of our outer world, with all its divisions and differences. The truth is there are no differences (nonduality), and in fact, there is no outer world (*ajativada*).
“The World is unreal. Only Brahman is real. The World is Brahman” — Adi Shankara (about 700–750 CE)
In addition, unlike Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, for which there a many hundreds of hours of recordings of his lectures, Ramana Maharshi mostly taught by not saying a word. He spoke little, only responding when someone asked him a question. And he wrote little, with most of his written words being transcripts and interpretations by others.
“There is no creation, no destruction, no bondage, no longing to be freed from bondage, no striving to be free [from bondage], nor anyone who has attained [freedom from bondage]. Know that this is the ultimate truth.” — Ramana Maharshi
To me, Maharishi’s teaching of efficiency and success in the world seems the opposite of Ramana’s teachings of “no creation…nor anyone” that is often associated with classical Advaita Vedanta.
Relative Reality vs Absolute Reality
WHAT Maharishi and Ramana share is the belief in an Absolute Reality that is hidden behind or beneath the Relative Reality of our individual experiences.
For Ramana, the Absolute Reality is the only “real” thing that exists. Relative Reality is an illusion (or *maya*). Everything we experience, including the sense that we are an individual, separate from everything else, is not real. Time, space, you, and me, are all a kind of dream. They do not really exist.
There is only one singular and inseparable oneness that includes everything, is infinite, and is timeless — and is entirely beyond understanding by our individual, ego-centric mind.
- *Radical Nonduality, also called [Neo-Advaita](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Advaita)*, is a more western and non-Hindu perspective on this same teaching. In this article, I describe four general versions of nonduality teachings today:
Maharishi also sees Absolute Reality as the ultimate truth. But he gives equal value to Relative Reality. Absolute Reality is the source of everything in Relative Reality. He liked to link this to Quantum Field Theory, which suggests the smallest quantum particles are *excited states or higher energy states of an underlying silent field (or [ground state](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_state)*). Another popular analogy is an ocean where the choppy waves are Relative Reality and the ocean floor is Absolute Reality.
Another analogy of nondual oneness, and the one I like the best, is that of the Big Bang. If the astrophysics is right, our Relative Reality came into existence from a Big Bang point of point origin. Everything exists within the Big Bang energy field, and nothing exists outside of it.
The differences we see, hear, touch, and taste (Relative Reality) are simply variations within that large bubble of energy — which is only one, indivisible thing (Absolute Reality). Parts of that energy field learn to “sense” apparent patterns within the field. Those apparent patterns form the worlds, stories, and lives (and egos) we identify with. But in reality, it is all entirely random.
For more on that perspective, see my article:
Suffering and Enlightenment
FOR both Ramana and Maharishi, and most of the spiritual teachings of South Asia and East Asia, “suffering” is living solely in the duality of Relative Reality (everything is separate and disconnected). “Enlightenment” is some kind of realization that everything, including us, is only the one nondual Absolute Reality.
For Ramana, enlightenment is not something that we, as a Relative and apparently separate “ego” can achieve. However, for those who are interested, he suggested the technique of “Self-Inquiry” as a way for our ego to reduce its stranglehold on our apparently individual and separate experiences.
The technique of Self-Inquiry is investigating “who am I?” — who or what is this thing that calls itself “I” or “me”? To do that, we do not ask “who am I?”. Instead, we explore or delve into our sense of “I”. Ramana says when we do this, the Relative “I” (or ego) will disappear, revealing our Absolute oneness with the universe.
The question ‘Who am I?’ is not really meant to get an answer, the question ‘Who am I?’ is meant to dissolve the questioner. — Ramana Maharshi
He also says Self-Inquiry is easy. It simply takes constant perseverance. But our ego does not want to disappear, and that is the biggest challenge.
The “transcending” part of TM is the same as what Ramana refers to as “dissolving” the ego/questioner. Maharishi refers to that as “transcending Relative Reality”, or more simply, “transcending our thoughts” or “transcending our mind”.
For both sages, when we dissolve and transcend the outer world (including our ego and all thoughts), we allow our mind and body to realize or reconnect to its true nature as Absolute Reality. Absolute Reality is always present. It is just that it cannot be perceived by our outward looking mind.
The greatest obstacle to enlightenment is getting past your delusion that you are not already enlightened. — Ramana Maharshi
As mentioned previously, in Ramana’s version of nondualism, the Absolute is the only reality — the Relative is an illusion (or delusion in the quote above).
But for Maharishi, the Absolute and Relative are opposite sides of the same coin (another analogy). His teachings seek to maximize both Relative Reality and Absolute Reality in our life experience. He would often say the more we practice TM, the more we move toward a life of 200% — 100% of the Relative, and 100% of the Absolute.
The techniques of Self-Inquiry and Transcendental Meditation are also vastly different. — Self-Inquiry is a somewhat vague practice that does not require any formal teachings or teachers. In addition, while it may reduce suffering, it will not lead to enlightenment, according to Ramana. — Learning TM, by contrast, is a highly formalized process, provided by teachers with extensive training from the international TM organization. It is not free to learn, but if practiced properly, Maharishi said it will lead to enlightenment.
Created by Alan Lew with Microsoft Copilot Designer using the term “suffering and enlightenment compared”. I like that they both have a distant light as the apparent goal.
Transcendental Meditation as Self-Inquiry
WITH that basic background to the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Ramana Maharshi, I will now explain how Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation is a form of Ramana’s Self-Inquiry.
For me, personally, TM is easier than Self-Inquiry. In fact, it is the easiest meditation technique I have ever tried, which is why I continue to do it after 50 years.
In TM we use a mantra (sound) that is supposed to have no meaning to the meditator. (For Hindus, however, the mantras/sounds are associated with specific goddesses from ancient India.) We start our TM meditation by effortlessly “allowing” (not forcing) the mantra to arise, which it will do after we have been formally taught the technique by a TM teacher.
While we are meditating (allowing the mantra to repeat itself), we treat everything that comes up in our mind (thoughts), body (pains), and environment (irritations) as “stresses” that are being released as we enter deeper states of relaxation. No matter what we think, they have no other meaning or significance.
When we realize we have lost the mantra, due to those stresses, we gently (without force) return to the mantra, which may continue along with the stress. Eventually, the stress will subside because that is the nature of Relative Reality. The mantra is our connection to Absolute Reality.
Sometimes our TM meditations are very deep (we may fall asleep). Other times they are very agitated (lots of stress release). Both are considered good meditations. At the end of the meditation, we stop the mantra and take several minutes (2 to 15) to come out. The purpose of this time is to help bring the benefits of meditation into our daily waking life.
What TM is Teaching US
EVERYTHING above pretty much aligns with what any trained TM teacher would say. The following are my insights into the TM technique, drawing on my more recent interest in Ramana Maharshi and more Radical forms of Nonduality.
What Maharishi calls “stress”, I prefer to call “karma”. All we are is a concentration of karma. We can try to guess, but no one really knows where the karma comes from. Karma is simply the concentration and then release of energy.
We, our ego-self, identify with the concentration and release of karma (stress) that creates our identity, experience, and world. It is all happening to me, created by me, shaped by me, and is who I am.
But Advaita Vedanta nondualism suggests that none of that is really me. Who I am is beyond all the experiences that arise in my mind, body, and world.
In Transcendental Meditation, we treat everything that arises as the release of stress (karma). We learn to separate ourselves from our thoughts, pains, and external irritations. It is like that Neti-Neti meditation technique, in which we repeatedly tell ourselves “I am not this, I am not that”.
What is interesting is that doing this can also relax us physically and mentally (often, but not always). As a result, we naturally are more effective in our Relative waking life.
Maharishi said proper practice of TM will guarantee enlightenment (self-realization). Most TMers (teachers and students) feel he over-promised on that. (Ramana Maharshi once told Paramahamsa Yogananda (1893–1952), author of Autobiography of a Yogi, that there is no technique that will ever guarantee self-realization.)
What the practice of TM can do, however, is expand our perspective on personal stresses (karmas) into our larger daily life, beyond meditation. In meditation, we disassociate ourselves from the stresses/karmas that arise. We sit back and watch them as they play out and dissipate.
Disassociating ourselves from the stresses/karmas that arise in our regular/daily life is much harder. But I believe it gradually emerges, without effort, from the TM mantra meditation.
For Maharishi, “enlightenment” is when we hold that disassociation toward our entire life (100% Absolute Reality), while at the same time being fully engaged in our life (100% Relative Reality). In other words, we become our Absolute Self, even as our Relative Self (or life) continues as a ball of releasing stresses/karmas.
But it is the Absolute is what connects us to the nonduality of everything…
“The Self of everyone, the Atma of everyone, the transcendental field of reality of everyone, is the same in everyone. Whether the body calls itself an American, German, Indian or Chinese, it doesn’t matter.” — Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
I do not know if Ramana Maharshi would agree or disagree with that definition of enlightenment. My understanding of his teachings (and those of modern Radical Nondualists) is that he would emphasize the truth of the Absolute and the untruth of the Relative.
Guidelines for Effortless Mantra Meditation
I AM not a trained TM teacher. But I have been practicing TM for 50 years, I have attended many TM retreats, and I have learned two of the advanced TM techniques, but not the TM Siddhis (yogic flying). For my own interest, I put together the following summary of what I have learned about how to do Transcendental Meditation.
If you learned TM a long time ago, this list could help you get started with TM again. If you are not a TM meditator, but like this list, I suggest you contact a TM center and consider formally learning TM. Alternatively, you could create your own version of TM, based on the principles below.
I call my list “Effortless Mantra Meditation” to avoid violating TM’s trademark. There is a similar technique, also based on Maharishi’s teachings, called Vedic Meditation, which is also trademarked.
EFFORTLESS MANTRA MEDITATION TIPS
- Sit comfortably in an upright position.
- Do not try to meditate. — Allow the meditation to happen.
- Start with about half a minute sitting quietly with eyes closed. Notice the quiet when your eyes are closed. — Allow the mantra to start naturally, just as with any thought or sound. The mantra arises naturally, without effort on our part.
- Do not force the mantra. Allow the mantra to change in any way it naturally wants to. Do not resist the mantra from changing in any way that feels comfortable.
- Do not concentrate against thoughts. Do not resist thoughts, noises, or physical sensations — take these as they come. They are natural processes in ourselves and the environment. Allow them to exist, but give the mantra a slight preference.
- We can have four experiences in meditation: (1) Mantra only, No Thoughts — nothing needs to be done; this is often very relaxing; (2) Mantra with Thoughts — give slight preference to the mantra, but do not force the mantra, and do not resist thoughts; the thoughts will end or change, eventually; (3) Thoughts only, No Mantra — when we realize the mantra is gone, we make a slight intention to bring it back, but we do not force it; if the thoughts are too powerful, the mantra might need to wait until they have calmed down; (4) No Mantra and No Thoughts — this might mean we have transcended our thinking mind; but if we think to ourselves, “oh, I have no mantra or thoughts” — that is a thought. Note that the mantra is also a thought that is transcended.
- All thoughts and sensations we have during our mediation are the release of “stress.” This is a fundamental teaching of TM/Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It is how he “westernized” eastern meditation and made it testable through scientific examination. — Thoughts and sensations (including physical) have no other meaning or importance while we are meditating. When we release a stress from our physical nervous system, that energy attaches itself (or becomes the energy behind) thoughts and sensations that arise randomly in our mind. — Physical sensations, such as pain and environmental irritations, are also thoughts, because we react with them through our mind. How we react is a type of thought. — During meditation, we do not care about the content of our thoughts, because they are the release of old stresses embedded in our physical body. — As a thought/sensation dissipates, the stress (energy) behind it is released and we become more relaxed. In meditation, we move through cycles of stress release (thoughts and sensations) and relaxation. — The more thoughts we have, the more stress we release; so thoughts are good. But of course, we do not force this. Having no thoughts is also good because we are approaching the transcendent state of consciousness, which is the oneness/nonduality of all creation. — Also see the Zazen quote I inserted below this list, as well as the article I linked below on TM as nonduality.
- We stop the mantra when we want to end the meditation, but we do not open our eyes for about 2 minutes. We end the meditation with 2 or more minutes of silence. — Optionally, we can lie down and rest for 5 or 10 minutes. We do this: (1) to allow our stresses to be fully released; (2) to allow our deeper consciousness to become more present with our waking consciousness; and (3) to apply to our daily life the meditation attitude of allowing thoughts/sensations to dissipate without overly attaching ourself to them.
- If you fall asleep during meditation, do not mind the time. Allow yourself to wake up naturally. Our body falls asleep because it needs that type of rest to release stresses. — Optionally, you can do a short, 5 minute, meditation after waking up.
- If you have a headache during or after meditation, it usually means: — You were trying too hard to meditate. You may have been forcing the mantra or trying to stop thoughts (see #2, #3, & #4 above),. Or you may have come out of the meditation too fast (see #8 above)
- Never speak your mantra out loud — it is for internal use only. It is most effective if you keep it inside only.
- In general, do not use an alarm when meditating. You can glance at a clock or timer to keep track, if you are anxious about that. Unintentionally meditating longer than 20 minutes is a sign that your body needed that (like falling asleep). If you must stop by a certain time for an appointment or task to do, then you can use a quiet alarm.
- Try to meditate twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon/early evening, for 20 minutes each time. It is best to follow a regular schedule. If needed, you can meditate for less than 20 minutes in one sitting, but usually not more. If needed, you can meditate only once a day, but not more than twice a day. — A short meditation (5 minutes) before a major meeting or presentation might be helpful. It might also be helpful just before sleep if your mind is especially active. — If you are sick, you can meditate all we want, though that is not easy. You can also meditate more on long haul airline flights. — If you have been meditating regularly like this for about 6 months with no adverse side effects, then you can increase your meditations to 30 minutes each. If you are also retired, you can do 30 minutes, and you can meditate three times a day. Stop any extended meditations if you experience agitation and discomfort of any kind after meditating.
- Remember to only judge the effectiveness of your meditation by looking at your daily life. Never judge the effectiveness of your meditation from the meditation experience itself. The experience may be deeply relaxing or highly agitated — both of which are good (see #7 above). It is important to remember that the results of meditation appear as we gradually come to experience more positive synchronicity and a higher quality of life successes, opportunities, and experiences. We become “lucky” and our wishes tend to come true more often — though that is not guaranteed.
- If you find meditating difficult, you should review this list to make sure you have not wandered from practicing correctly. — One of the benefits of paying to learn TM or Vedic Meditation from a certified teacher is that you can always review/renew your meditation practice with them at no additional cost.
- This quote about Zazen meditation practice is from Shunryu Suzuki’s ‘Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice’ (1970). But it reminds me a lot of my TM practice…
When you are practicing zazen, do not try to stop your thinking. Let it stop by itself. If something comes into your mind, let it come in, and let it go out. It will not stay long. When you try to stop your thinking, it means you are bothered by it. Do not be bothered by anything. It appears as if something comes from outside your mind, but actually it is only the waves of your mind, and if you are not bothered by the waves, gradually they will become calmer and calmer.
Meditation and Daily Life
If nothing else, the meditation practice described above can help us develop a subtle sense of patience (allowing stresses/karmas to dissipate) and perseverance (gently returning to the mantra). That alone can make our daily lives more effective and successful.
In fact, the changes meditation can bring to our life are so gradual and natural, it is easy for us to not see how they are connected to our meditation practice. That is why the last point above (#13) is so important.
“Do not strain after your needs of life. It is sufficient to be quietly alert and aware of them. In this way life proceeds more naturally, effortlessly. Life is here to enjoy.” — Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Related
- My favorite source on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi is Michael James, who you can see here <click here — on YouTube>:
- Many of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s lectures are on YouTube. The older ones are better than those in the years before he passed. <click here>
- For more on TM as it is taught today, see this introduction on YouTube: <How Transcendental Meditation Works — by Bob Roth>.
- For more on Nonduality (Advaita), see this collection of my articles:
- For more on Meditations & Meditating, see this collection of my articles:
- Note that my articles in the two collections above are behind the Medium paywall. Most should have links to paywall free versions near the top of the article. For paywall-free access to all my articles, go to www.AlanLew.com, linked below.
Contact
- A remarkably busy 7 months half passed since the last time I wrote on Medium. I have been thinking about this article for a long time. I am glad it finally came forward to share, despite all the other karmic energies that have been swirling around me.
- I am not financially affiliated with any of the people or products discussed in this article.
- I appreciate comments, questions, and typo corrections. — See the About link in my Medium profile for contact information and related articles.
My Medium writings are available “paywall free” at www.AlanLew.com:
- subscribe to My Medium Writings
- become a Medium member to support my writings
Visit and Follow New Earth Consciousness (NEC) for More Articles like this.
메타데이터
- post_id
- 96fc7a2ceb00
- slug
- transcendental-meditation-as-advaita-vedanta-nonduality-96fc7a2ceb00
- url
- https://medium.com/new-earth-consciousness/transcendental-meditation-as-advaita-vedanta-nonduality-96fc7a2ceb00
- canonical_url
- https://medium.com/new-earth-consciousness/transcendental-meditation-as-advaita-vedanta-nonduality-96fc7a2ceb00
- author_url
- https://medium.com/@alanlew
- status
- ok
- fetched_at
- 2026-06-09 15:37:30
