"Meditation is Great," Says Beatle Paul (1968)

 "Meditation is Great," Says Beatle Paul

No writer listed

Go Magazine

April 5, 1968

    Paul McCartney returned to London last week from Rishikesh, India, where he was studying with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. John Lennon and George Harrison, the two Beatles left in Rishikesh, will probably return home later in the month. 

    Upon his arrival in London, McCartney told reporters, "Meditation is great. You sit down, relax, and count to yourself. It sounds daft, but it's just a system of relaxation, and there's nothing more to it."

     Describing the activities and the retreat, McCartney said, "We meditated about five hours a day, and the rest of the time, slept, ate, sunbathed, and had fun. I don't know how much it cost, but it was very cheap."

     Although there are reports that the Maharishi charges his students a week's salary. McCartney shrugged off reporters' questions about the guru making a fortune. McCartney pointed out that all religions take money to keep themselves going. He explained, "The Maharishi himself has nothing, only a room, a pair of sandals, a chair, and he eats nuts. He doesn't use money and hasn't a flashy car or anything like that."

     McCartney's departure from the Guru's retreat was not as unexpected as Ringo Starr's. Ringo and his wife, Maureen, left after only 10 days with the Maharishi because they were unhappy with the food and also missed their children. At the time. Ringo compared the retreat to Butlins holiday camps, which are British vacation camps with tightly organized schedules.

     McCartney actually stayed in India longer than he had originally anticipated. Jane Asher flew back with McCartney from the retreat.

     In June, the Beatles have scheduled time in the recording studio to work on their next album. John Lennon's psychedelic-painted Rolls-Royce has been on exhibit as the feature attraction at the International Auto Show, which began at the Coliseum in New York last Saturday. The car, which has been used by Nat Wiese of Nemperor artists in New York, has been in this country, in case any of the Beatles come over here and need to use it.