Why Maharishi Jyotish is a path to total freedom

This is part two of our two-part interview on Maharishi Jyotish. Read part one here.

In our previous instalment, I interviewed Dr Ann Crowell about Maharishi Jyotish, Maharishi’s approach to Vedic Astrology.

Dr Crowell is a leader within the TM organisation and the Maharishi Jyotish Programme. It was a delight to hear her explain Maharishi Jyotish in very clear terms and clarify misconceptions people have about this subject.

In the second part of the interview, we discussed whether Dr Cowell was ever skeptical about this technology herself, and a big change she made in her life as a result of her Jyotish consultation.

The conversation resulted in some fascinating insights and revelations, which I think you’ll enjoy.

RM: We discussed earlier how you would explain Maharishi Jyotish to a skeptic. Were you ever skeptical of Jyotish yourself?

AC: I wouldn’t say I was skeptical of Maharishi Jyotish because this branch of knowledge hadn’t come out yet – but I was definitely skeptical of astrology!

But Nature eased me into learning more about it. Because when Maharishi first brought out the knowledge of this discipline of Jyotish, he did it in the context of Maharishi AyurVeda.

I was on a course in India with Maharishi and some great Vaidyas (AyurVedic doctors) studying all about this marvelous science and discipline of perfect health, Maharishi AyurVeda.

One of the main principles of Maharishi AyurVeda is that no imbalance or disorder is treated in isolation — perfect health can only be in terms of wholeness. For instance, you don’t treat just the symptoms of the flu; you don’t treat just the digestive system; you treat the whole person — and that includes the entire physiology, the senses, mind, emotions, and also the patient’s consciousness.

After we studied for six weeks, Maharishi said proper treatment of a patient isn’t complete unless you consider his distant environment as well. So that started another chapter of study — Jyotish.

Now, everyone understands our immediate environment has an influence on our health. There’s so much research on environmental toxins, sick building syndrome, pollution. But most people never consider the effects of the distant environment­ — the cosmos. Maharishi AyurVeda regards the environment as the extension of individual physiology, and conversely the individual as a component of the physiology of the near and distant environment. For perfect health, we have to consider that relationship as well.

Everyone understands that immediate environment has an influence on our health. But most people never consider the effects of the distantenvironment — the cosmos. For perfect health, we have to consider that relationship as well.

So as part of the course, Maharishi had arranged a very renowned Jyotishi to conduct Maharishi Jyotish Consultations.

Although I was reluctant to see an ‘astrologer’, I trusted the knowledge Maharishi had given us. Still, there was a part of me that was thinking ‘Really? Astrology?’

The thing was, as soon as I entered the room, I felt more relaxed. A very sweet, satvic man was sitting at a table studying these papers with numbers and diagrams — my birth chart, or kundali. This Vedic Astrologer began what seemed to be reading my life story from this chart — just as if it were a blueprint of my life. It was so accurate and insightful that my skepticism melted away very quickly.

It wasn’t until later that I learned more about what he was doing – that the kundali is a snapshot of the potential of Natural Law available at the time and place of birth. What he was reading was the time-table of each of those packages of potential — when this possibility would manifest, and in what order and intensity. Furthermore, this story of my life was created by the decisions I had made in the past. And the kundali was basically the ‘map’ of the result of the consequences of all my past actions.

Anyway, when the consultation was finished and I went outside, I looked up at the sky. It was night, and Venus was very bright at that time of year, just twinkling at me. And immediately I felt this new connection. It was very personal.

It wasn’t that Venus or any of the cosmic counterparts are way out there … the recognition was that this distant entity was actually my Venus, as if it was an extension of my own physiology, which is what Jyotish actually teaches. The sharir, the individual physiology, and the vishwa, or universal cosmic physiology, are one and the same.

So that was my experience. The Jyotishi said just a few things, but it changed everything that I was about to do, and set me on a wonderful new path of evolution I would have missed without this deeper knowledge about myself. And not only that, when I followed everything the Jyotishi advised me to do, I averted major problems that I hadn’t forseen and established a life-long appreciation for the science and technology of Maharishi Jyotish.

Were the changes he advised you to make in your life easy, or were they difficult?

Intellectually, changing my direction was initially a challenge because it was such a surprise! But once that restricted vision of my potential started to expand, I felt that Nature was beautifully supporting these new options.

For example, the Jyotishi said, ‘For the next three years, you should focus on your evolution and your experiences in meditation and spend the time in seclusion and in the company of other spiritual ladies.’

And I said, ‘Do you mean the Mother Divine Programme?’

He said, ‘Yes, that’s what I just said.’

Now, in my mind, I was not a likely candidate for the Mother Divine Programme. I liked my social life, I liked to travel, I liked movies, I liked pizza. The fact that he was recommending this new lifestyle and extreme commitment to the inner value of life came as a surprise to me.

But I joined the programme, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. And I never would have done it on my own! I now see that through Jyotish, Nature was giving me the impetus and direction I needed to start a new evolutionary adventure.

Let me put it this way. You think you know yourself — I certainly did — yet the deeper reality revealed through Jyotish was that I had so much more latent potential just waiting to be activated.

That’s the thing about Jyotish — it brings knowledge that is hidden from view to the surface so we can take full advantage of greater possibilities in life.

That’s the thing about Jyotish — it brings knowledge that is hidden from view to the surface so we can take full advantage of greater possibilities in life.

Vedic disciplines such as Maharishi Jyotish have the ability to go deep within that subtlest value of Nature’s structure and find greater and greater truth in its fullness. It is a more complete view of reality.

And using this knowledge — following Nature’s intelligence, aligning your life with natural law — is always the wisest path to follow. It’s a choice that truly does enhance every aspect of your life.

If people want to learn more about Maharishi Jyotish, what resources would you recommend? 

Well, we have a couple of levels of resources, depending on how much benefit you want to receive from this discipline. The first thing is we have a website, maharishijyotishprogram.eu. This site has lots of knowledge about the science and technology of transformation and prediction. So you can study right there and learn more about it.

We also have a place on the site where you can sign up for the services that are offered from Maharishi Jyotish Programme, including Personal or Institutional Consultations, One-Year Predictions, including questions, Muhurta (auspicious times to begin a new activity), or Compatibility services to assess the level of harmony and cooperation for marriage or business partnerships.

The Brahmananda Saraswati Jyotish Foundation also sponsors tours of Maharishi Jyotishis for Personal Consultations — one just started in Europe and the Middle East.

If you’re interested in the intellectual understanding, we’re offering a week-long course at MERU in April, and it is going to be quite thorough. You will learn the vocabulary and fundamental principles of prediction and transformation, which help you gain the most from your Maharishi Jyotish Consulation.

We’ve actually designed this course in conjunction with the Maharishi Jyotishis, who have made several lectures for us. And Maharishi’s lectures on Jyotish are really fabulous — so profound and blissful! They help you understand not only Jyotish, but the whole principle and understanding of life itself.

Knowledge of the future gives us organising power and alerts us to greater options for success and happiness. It is a great resource.

Some people say, ‘Well I don’t want to know what I shouldn’t do or what I should do. I just want to live life spontaneously.’

And I always say that Maharishi Jyotish never limits your possibilities. It just indicates when is the best time to avoid some things or when we should move quickly ahead with full confidence of success.

A life that is not in accord with Natural Law is always restricted by ignorance, and you’re always going to be running into obstacles. So this is not the path of freedom, it’s not spontaneous — it’s limited by these obstacles and stresses.

Having this greater knowledge of things hidden from view, you can just flow freely with least effort. That’s real freedom. And total knowledge gives you total freedom.

Having this greater knowledge of things hidden from view, you can just flow freely with least effort. That’s real freedom. And total knowledge gives you total freedom.

The definition of Enlightenment is, after all, a state of spontaneous right action and all possibilities. Until then, we can use Maharishi Jyotish to protect us from mistakes and wasting opportunities, so we are always creating a brighter future.

Curious about Maharishi Jyotish? 

Our upcoming course with Raja Chris Crowell and Dr Ann Crowell is happening from 26 April – 3 May 2019. It offers an in-depth, immersive look at this fascinating field. This course hasn’t been offered before in this format, and will leave you with a completely new perspective on your life. Go here to find out more.

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 About the Author

Rebekah Mays is originally from Austin, Texas, and currently lives in the Netherlands. She is thrilled to now be working as MERU’s Content Director, and her aim is to help make Maharishi’s vast knowledge more accessible to people from all countries, ages, and backgrounds.