Time has come to take back our country. We will have to re-structure society and its going to need everybody to chip in. There are many promising approaches. We support them all – but some, like gun control, do not address the heart of the problem. We are doing our bit by promoting and teaching Transcendental Meditation because we believe peace starts inside the individual – and as Maharishi is fond of saying – if all the trees are green, the whole forest is green.
Its simple really – we just have to heal the sick, raise consciousness, find the money to build new homes, fix the health care system and what else?
According to Lizette Lancaster at the Mail and Guardian: “Research shows that most victims are killed by acquaintances, friends or family members during disputes overwhelmingly fuelled by alcohol and in some occasions, drug abuse.
“Murder rates are driven by poverty, social ills and society’s general inability to deal with daily conflict and stress in a non-violent manner. Murder should therefore be seen as a social problem which cannot be solved by policing alone.
“Unfortunately, South Africa does not have a comprehensive strategy that guides government departments, civil society organisations and the public and encourages practical ways to reduce interpersonal violence. This means that the police are saddled with the problem, an impossible task for one organisation to achieve.
“Violence prevention requires long-term interventions. These may not be politically exciting to sell to a crime-weary public but are more likely to yield real results in reducing violence. Interventions which focus on improving parenting skills, reducing the exposure of children to violence and building self-esteem are more likely to interrupt the cycle of violence than anything the police can do.
I have always believed that if I am not part of the solution I am part of the problem. So 30 years ago I chose to work on myself because I was in pain. The more I learned the more I realised I had stumbled on a solution that fixes the ills of society by healing the individual. And not surprisingly it radiates to others. But it may surprise you there is a mass of scientific evidence to support this idea. I’m talking about some 25 peer-reviewed articles published in respected journals, embracing hundreds of replications of what has come to be called the Maharishi Effect.
Here is a proven solution to the problems Lizette Lancaster raises. Specifically, regular practice of Transcendental Meditation can improving parenting skills, has been proven to reduce exposure to violence (e.g. in schools) and build self-esteem. And a lot more.
I’d love to read your comments.