Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture course: Highlights of profound knowledge

Global Good News March 2010

A course in Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture and Gardening was recently held in Skelmersdale, England. The four-day, 16-lesson course was enjoyed by 23 participants from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Dr Peter Swan, Minister of Communication of the Global Country of World Peace and Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture expert, conducted the course in the beautiful 'Golden Dome' which is at the heart of a community of about 300 Yogic Flyers and practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation Programme in Skelmersdale.

'The course offers an in-depth overview of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture and Gardening,' Dr Swan said.* 'It offered a deep dive into Total Knowledge, which was so much appreciated by the great knowers of reality of that enlightened community.'

Dr Swan highlighted the knowledge presented in each lesson of the course:

'The first lesson gives an overview of the course—so it gives the whole course in brief,' he said.

The second lesson, entitled Transformation of modern agriculture from ploughing to no-till introduces a major theme of the course: do less and accomplish more, Dr Swan said.

This lesson shows the shift that is taking place in the world from extensive ploughing—which causes a huge amount of damage to the soil and the environment—to no-till agriculture, which doesn't involve turning over the soil.

The third lesson covers the transformation of soil science from chemical to biological. 'Over the past 70 years or so,' Dr Swan continued, 'the major emphasis has been on adding chemicals to the soil for fertility.'

The use of chemicals has caused extensive damage, he said. It actually weakens the crop as well as people's health.

Now there is a new understanding 'that the biology [bacteria, fungi, earthworms, etc.] is what is responsible for creating not only the soil structure, but also the soil fertility.'

'The fourth lesson' Dr Swan said, 'is titled The transformation of soil fertility from limited to unlimited.'

For the past 70 years or so it was thought that soil fertility was produced from outside, that it was dependent on chemicals, and that because plants use up the fertility of the soil, it is therefore limited, Dr Swan said.

The new understanding that the fertility of the soil is dependent on the biology of the soil—bacteria, fungi, earthworms, etc.—reveals the reality that soil fertility is unlimited as long as soil biology is available, he explained.

The fifth lesson, Dr Swan continued, covers the transformation of gardening techniques—from culturing outer appearance to culturing inner nutrient value.

The sixth lesson goes deeply into many systems of organic agriculture, which have successfully been able not only to suspend the use of chemicals, but also to increase the fertility in the soil year by year with each new crop.

'This was interesting to the farmers in the group,' Dr Swan said.

The seventh lesson discussed the modern scientific understanding of compost—the aerobic breakdown of organic matter. The lesson details how to create and use compost successfully.

Lesson eight covers principles of organic agriculture and Vedic Organic Agriculture, Dr Swan said—including cultivating not only abundant crops, but an abundance of highest-quality crops.

The ninth lesson covers principles of matter and sound, Dr Swan said. The main part of this lesson is a beautiful lecture by world-renowned quantum physicist Raja Dr John Hagelin** about 'the understanding of modern quantum physics that the entire universe is the frequencies of self-interaction of the Unified Field. Those frequencies, as they become more manifest, then they can be perceived as sound frequencies. So the whole universe can be said to be the interplay of sound frequencies,' explained Dr Swan.

This lays the foundation for lesson 10, which is the central lesson of the course: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's inauguration of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture, Dr Swan continued. The inauguration took place during the World Parliament for World Peace, held at the Brahmasthan of India.

Lesson 11 explores 'Vedic Agriculture as Total Knowledge—From human intelligence to Nature's intelligence', Dr Swan said. The lesson discusses how Vedic Organic Agriculture is Total Knowledge, from seed to seed.

'Maharishi Mahesh Yogi said,' Dr Swan continued, that 'this is the knowledge of agriculture, from seed to seed through all the manifest levels in between. This is the nature of knowledge of agriculture, which is the nature of Total Knowledge, knowledge of Brahm [Totality], from wholeness to wholeness through all the various levels of manifestation in between.'

Lesson 12 is about 'the sequential unfoldment of total Natural Law in agriculture and the environment,' Dr Swan explained.

The lesson is based on Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam's book: Human Physiology: Expression of Veda and the Vedic Literature, which Maharishi called 'the textbook of all time', Dr Swan said.

Lesson 13 discusses Veda (Total Knowledge of Natural Law): Veda in the environment, Veda at the basis of agriculture, Dr Swan said. Participants see how Veda is expressed in the environment and how enlivenment of Veda in the environment, enlivenment of the intelligence within matter, is at the basis of Vedic Agriculture.

In lesson 14, participants learn how greatest yield can be produced from softest thinking. The lesson covers principles of Vedic Agriculture, principles of wholeness, Dr Swan said.

The 15th lesson highlights the role of Vedic Agriculture in the transformation of poverty to affluence. The poverty removal programme of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi shows that the dust of the earth is the gold of every nation, with the potential to bring affluence to every country.

Maharishi's Programme to Eliminate Poverty brings together many of his programmes. In addition to Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture and Gardening, it utilizes Maharishi Vedic Architecture, Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health, Consciousness-Based Education, and the Raam Global Development Currency.

Lesson 16, the final lesson of the course, summarizes all the knowledge of previous lessons and brings it all together in the light of wholeness. It is the fulfilment of the whole course, demonstrating that Consciousness-Based Agriculture ranges from the Unified Field to the farmer's field.

The entire 16-lesson course is structured in terms of analysis and synthesis, Dr Swan said. The first nine lessons are presented in terms of synthesis—going from the practical application of the techniques of agriculture like ploughing, soil fertility, composting, and gardening techniques to deeper and deeper, more unified levels of knowledge, culminating in the most unified level: Maharishi's inauguration of Vedic Organic Agriculture.

'After that, lesson 11 begins the process of analysis—analysis of all the different aspects of agriculture and gardening in terms of unity—unity established by Maharishi in lecture 10, the central lecture' of the course, Dr Swan said.

course participants said:

'This course was a revelation, giving deep insight into the potential of correct knowledge to establish a meaningful, abundantly productive, and blissful relationship with the earth.

'It clearly demonstrates how modern approaches to agriculture in recent decades have gone disastrously wrong.'

The course also presents, the participant continued, 'how simple, holistic, and energy-efficient approaches . . . demonstrate the ability of Natural Law to heal the mistakes of the past, produce healthy food in abundance, and through Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture create nourishing, vital food for perfect health and enlightenment.

'For everyone who wants an in-depth, comprehensive vision of an inspiring future for our world through agriculture—including abundant practical information on how to get started, from a window box to a farm or an entire desert region—this course is an absolute must.

'It was hugely stimulating and enjoyable,' the course participant concluded.

One course participant expressed 'many thanks for developing such a brilliant, enlightening, and inspiring course—and for presenting it in such a clear and lively manner'.

Another said the course was 'a real fulfilment of my desire for something better than standard organic gardening, where I have been feeling as if I am fighting nature—getting good crops but with a feeling of struggle. Thank you so much.'

'I have to say that the course has been superlative,' said a third participant. 'I have never enjoyed a course so much, and I have attended many here in the Ideal Village [community of Yogic Flyers]. It has been a great and joyful experience.'