sign in sign up
<<
Home , Jane Asher, Magic Alex

OUT OF THE PAST

tour to turn on millions of people to the prac- tice. His song, “Across the Universe,” cowrit- ten with Paul McCartney, is an anthem to TM, and included the appellation “jai guru deva” (“hail to the divine guru”). Once became public advocates, THE Maharishi found himself all over the press, on magazine covers, and a recurring guest on “The Tonight Show.” Despite host Johnny Carson’s derisive treatment of Maharishi, the shows resulted in thousands of eager students queuing around blocks to learn TM. In February 1968, the shock waves hitting Rishikesh, , reverberated around the world. When the Beatles, , Mia Far- row, and other celebrities attended a medita- tion course with Maharishi, the planet figura- BEATLES tively paused for a moment, then changed or- bit. Though struggling to keep his sparsely constructed ashram solvent, Maharishi pro- vided his famous guests double beds with mosquito netting, sit-down toilets, and bath- AND THE tubs. The Beatles received private lessons on Maharishi's bungalow roof or inside his meet- ing room. and embraced the teachings enthusiastically. Ringo’s allergies and peritonitis caused problems with ashram food. He brought one suitcase stuffed with Heinz beans. Terrified of insects, his wife demanded “Ritchie” kill them all and re- move the carcasses. On one occasion, a single fly held Maureen hostage until Ringo returned GURUBY SUSAN SHUMSKY hours later. Eggs and meat were (still are) banned in “George Harrison's wife began Rishikesh, but Beatles road manager smuggled in contraband eggs. When practicing [Transcendental Meditation] in the staff was caught burying eggshells, Ringo February 1967. Feeling more alert and asked, “Can’t God see that, too?” He and Maureen returned home after two weeks. energetic, she believed it changed her life. When “Wonderwall” film director Joe So, the Beatles, with their significant Massot smuggled in hashish, John Lennon others, attended a Maharishi lecture. . . .” did not hesitate to imbibe, as they played Otis Redding's “The Dock of the Bay” 20 times. John asked Massot to keep it secret from AHARISHI Mahesh Yogi (1918- Afterwards, the Beatles met Maharishi George. 2008) was the mentor of megas- backstage. They expressed that they had been Ravindra Damodara Swami, one of Ma- tars like the Beatles, Rolling seeking a highly spiritual experience, which harishi’s brahmacharyas (monk disciples), MStones, Beach Boys, Deepak the recreational drugs they took failed to de- noted in his diary that Maharishi said the Bea- Chopra, Clint Eastwood, David Lynch, liver. The guru invited them to a retreat in tles had too much brain in the way, except for George Lucas, Tom Hanks, Howard Stern, North Wales, starting the next day. Attendees Ringo, who followed his heart and feelings. Jerry Seinfeld, and more. This extraordinary included the Beatles, Boyd, , He declared George was the most spiritually spiritual master first stepped onto America’s , so-called inventor Alexis Mardas, advanced and this was his last life, but John shores in 1959. Dubbed by the press “The and ’ Mick Jagger and his had many more lives to go, and his weakness Giggling Guru,” within 10 years Maharishi girlfriend, singer Marianne Faithfull. for women might ruin him. made “meditation” a household word. His Three-hundred course participants shared Two weeks into their stay, John moved into brush with celebrities put him into the spot- bunk beds in dorms at University College in separate quarters from his wife Cynthia, light, but his true legacy is his gift of Tran- Bangor and ate canteen food. There the Beatles where he waited with excited anticipation for scendental Meditation (TM). learned TM. Since drug abstinence was a pre- secret telegrams and letters from . George Harrison's wife Pattie Boyd began requisite to starting the practice, the musicians Though Cynthia hoped for a second honey- practicing TM in February 1967. Feeling stopped using drugs—for the first five minutes, moon in Rishikesh, John virtually ignored her more alert and energetic, she believed it chang- anyway. the entire time. ed her life. So, the Beatles, with their signifi- The Beatles expressed enthusiasm about Students gradually increased their medita- cant others, attended an Aug. 24 Maharishi TM—and defended it to skeptics—in multi- tion time and discussed experiences daily lecture at the Hilton on Park Lane. ple interviews, including on “The Frost Re- with Maharishi. After a few weeks, he told missed the lecture to be at hospi- port.” In fact, the band indicated they would them to meditate in their rooms all day. John tal with his wife Maureen, who recently had set up a London meditation academy. John and George stayed inside for weeks, meditat- given birth. Lennon suggested to his co-Beatles a world ing eight hours daily.

72 USA TODAY ★ JANUARY 2018 Sky Horse Publishing OUT OF THE PAST

The Beatles and wives competed over the ductions lawyer and a signed contract—grant- the Kama Sutra with one—a shorthaired blond length of meditation. Debates raged about ing exclusive rights to film Maharishi for the schoolteacher from Brooklyn, Rosalyn Bonas. who was “getting it,” and who was not and next five years. On April 9, the Four Star Through the thin walls, Mike Dolan, Ros- “who was going to get cosmic first.” Paul movie crew arrived overnight. At dawn, in the alyn’s next-door neighbor, overheard Alexis McCartney said the Beatles hoped for an- Beatles courtyard, the bed-headed, bleary- and Rosalyn nightly in flagrante delicto. Whiffs swers for personal and world peace. Howev- eyed, half-asleep Lennon opened his door to of a distinct herb wafted from her room, and er, their towering expectations included the cameramen and a director yelling, “Action.” bottles of fermented brews came and went. secret of life, astral magic, supernormal Now the Beatles were expected to be two- The pair were told they would be expelled powers, and global peace—all in one month. bit players in the Four Star film. John and from the ashram. Lennon believed there was some secret to George avoided the lecture hall, installed with Alexis and Rosalyn started spreading ru- get—then he could just go home. He suspect- lights and cameras. They refused to leave mors that Maharishi had made sexual advances ed Maharishi's disciples knew the secret but their rooms. With this back-alley deal ex- toward her. Alexis claimed he hid in the under- were holding out. When industrialist K.S. posed, John and George suspected Mahar- growth and spied Maharishi in his bungalow Cambata loaned Maharishi a helicopter, John ishi’s motive all along was exploiting them trying to hug Rosalyn (both fully clothed). volunteered to ride along, figuring Maharishi for publicity, but their disenchantment over Whether Alexis actually saw the purported might slip him “the answer.” the film contract was the first rumble in a “hug” was immaterial. What was real was The musicians (the Beatles, Donovan, Paul coming volcanic eruption. More heinous pow- that Rosalyn reported to Alexis, Cynthia, Pat- Horn, and Mike Love) made music in the ers churned in the molten crucible below. tie, and Tom Simcox (a Hollywood actor) that ashram—noisy music. Students who came for Johan Alexis Mardas, dubbed by John “my Maharishi made a pass at her. Her accusation deep meditation became resentful. Harrison new guru ‘,’ ” seemed to have sur- exacerbated John and George’s disillusion started a daily mini-rock festival on the lec- gically attached himself to John’s hip. Cyn- about Maharishi's exploitation of them—a ture hall roof for twenty-somethings, who en- thia, alarmed at his Svengali-like influence wound still bleeding fresh blood. visioned a TM hippie revolution, without Hypersensitive and suggestible after two course fee, puja ceremony, or drug ban. The months of constant meditation, the Beatles group pleaded their case to Maharishi, who “In the early morning and wives stayed up all night debating the al- responded with typical evasive giggles. legation. Alexis warned the evil Maharishi George converted a hut overlooking the of April 10, Alan might hex them with black magic and that Ganges into a music room, lined with carpets, they should leave immediately. Finally, John cushions, and Indian musical instruments. He Waite and Paul Horn and George started to believe the rumor. extended an open invitation for anyone to lis- In the early morning of April 10, Alan ten or learn to play. Maharishi hired a sitar were with Maharishi Waite and Paul Horn were with Maharishi in teacher to instruct George and Donovan. in his bungalow. his bungalow. When John and George How much TM influenced the band’s showed up, Maharishi took them into his bed- songwriting is hard to say, but fans, music When John [Lennon] room. Twenty minutes later, the Beatles an- critics, and audiophiles laud the album “The nounced they were leaving. No one knows Beatles” (aka the “White Album”)—consist- and George [Harrison] what happened during that meeting other than ing mostly of songs written in Rishikesh—as John, George, and Maharishi. Alexis claimed a masterpiece. showed up, Maharishi he was in the room, but he was not. Maharishi offered the Beatles’ company Ap- John Lennon returned to his bungalow, ple Corps Ltd. exclusive rights to produce a took them into his ripped up his poster of Maharishi, and tossed movie about TM and Guru Dev, but he also it, face down, onto the cement floor. Alexis had made the same promise to someone else. bedroom. Twenty scrambled to find taxis to speed the group to In August 1967, Charlie Lutes—president of the airport, before anyone changed their Maharishi’s Spiritual Regeneration Move- minutes later, the mind. As the taxis were loading, the shaken, ment—gave meditator Alan Waite permission weeping wives pleaded with John and George to film Maharishi and the Beatles in Rishikesh. Beatles announced to reconsider. David Charnay of Four Star Productions of Alexis got what he wanted—a job at Apple Hollywood contracted those rights. they were leaving.” Corps—and Rosalyn left the ashram one day On March 20, 1968, (manag- after she became disillusioned with her guru. er of ) and Denis O'Dell (produc- over her husband, declared that Alexis made However, in September 1991, in Mahar- er of “A Hard Day's Night”) arrived in Rish- her “skin crawl.” ishi’s presence in Vlodrop, Holland, George ikesh to negotiate the Apple Corps film deal. Alexis’ imaginary inventions included a Harrison revealed to Deepak Chopra the real Aspinall intended to thwart the project, since force field to keep fans away and paint that story. Here is what Chopra reported to The the Beatles were under contract with United made objects invisible. However, his most Times of India on Feb. 15, 2006: Artists. O’Dell planned to convince the Beat- improbable device, which was the size of a “The Beatles, along with their entourage, les to make “The Lord of the Rings.” trash can lid, would power a radio station, were doing drugs, taking LSD, at Maharishi's On March 26, Aspinall, McCartney, and broadcast Maharishi’s message worldwide, ashram, and he lost his temper with them. He Jane Asher left for London. Not long after- and supply electricity to the entire region. asked them to leave, and they did in a huff.” ward, John and George cabled Aspinall to re- (Reality check: Alexis was a TV repairman.) Chopra said Maharishi never encountered any- turn to Rishikesh with a film crew to start Alexis arrived in Rishikesh near the end of thing like that before, and he strongly opposed it. shooting the Apple Corps film. Despite obvi- March. No one ever saw him meditating— George told Chopra that, when he revealed ous conflicts of interest, Maharishi paid no quite the opposite. Alexis told Lutes his real this story, he felt a huge karmic weight had mind and declared everyone could work to- intention was to get the Beatles away from lifted, because he did not want to lie. ★ gether for the glory of Guru Dev (Maharishi's Maharishi. guru). Though Maharishi was warned con- Alexis described the ashram students as Susan Shumsky is the author of 14 books, tracts did not quite work that way, he seemed “second-rate American actresses,” “mentally ill most recently, Maharishi & Me: Seeking En- undaunted. old ladies, and a bunch of lost, pretty girls.” lightenment with the Beatles’ Guru, from Lutes arrived April 4 with a Four Star Pro- Yet, he had no compunction about practicing which this article is adapted.

74 USA TODAY ★ JANUARY 2018