A Beatle a Yogi and a Beatle

 

I Lived With the Beatles at their Guru's Retreat

 

The author of this story, Simon Regan, did not have an enjoyable time at the Ashram in India.   I think it is because he was there as a report to see what the Beatles were up to and not there to learn about meditation.   However, I do understand why he was suspicious of Maharishi's motives. 

I Lived With the Beatles at Their Guru's Retreat

Written by Sam Regan 

Family Weekly 

May 19, 1968

    Whatever it is that the Beatles and the other stars saw in the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's circus world of high finance and meditation on the banks of the Ganges, frankly, eludes me.

     I spent several days meditating with them earlier this year. I have to report that there's more hokum than spiritual regeneration at the giggling gurus academy. At the Maharishi's retreat, celebrities take precedence. The poor and the unknown are kept out by the guards.

     The bearded guru, who requires each of his converts to donate one week's net earnings to his cause, is making hay while the sun shines and busily lays plans for retirement at the end of the year. 

    Indeed, poverty is apparent everywhere in the town of Rishikesh, India. Yet nearby, the Maharishi is building a sumptuous new headquarters, complete with air conditioning, hot and cold running water, ultra-lavish style chalets with wall-to-wall carpet, and landscaped gardens. He told me, during a lull in the bedlam of pop star publicity, that before he settles down in America, he plans to go on a 100-city tour of India, a 30-city tour of the United States, and jaunts through Italy, West Germany, Holland, Sweden, Norway, and Canada.

    "The Beatles have promised to help me reach up to 10 million new converts before I retire into silence," he declared.

     And he disclosed that he plans to finance his globe-trotting by charging every meditator seven days' salary each year, half the proceeds going to the local meditation Mecca and a half to himself. "With my new converts, I hope to plan world peace within 10 years," he added modestly. 

     What was it like at the Beatles' Shangri-la? Well, a favorite pastime for the visiting celebrities was "who could meditate the mostest."  Although it is against all the established principles, there was a keen competition among the converts to see how many hours each could blank out his mind.

 Before leaving, Paul McCartney led the Beatle's meditation league for four hours. John Lennon was runner-up with three and a half. Ringo Starr, who returned to London, declared it was all like a holiday camp, and George Harrison managed only three a piece.

     The Beatles, their wives, and a phalanx of friends, who included Donovan, Mia Farrow, two of the Beach Boys pop group, and a cluster of agents, friends, managers, and secretaries were in their own carefully guarded enclosure. They enjoyed wall-to-wall carpeting and hot and cold running water. I was billeted in a nearby building where I slept on a single blanket. 

    What bearing it all had on finding personal tranquility and solving the world's major problems, I cannot yet see, nor I suspect can John Paul, George, and Ringo.

    Other holy sects in the area are calling the Maharishi's meditation center the "greatest show on earth." And hecklers are accusing him of egotism, ambition, materialism and exhibitionism.  The holy men say it's against the principles of spiritual life to charge fees for guidance, and they accuse the Maharishi of accepting only the rich and famous, leaving the poor outside the gates. 

    Pilgrims from all over India have been coming to seek the Guru's guidance, only to find their way blocked by armed guards. Ironically, no one is barred from the other nearby holy places. All are welcome. 

    Worst of all, other holy men are seriously disputing whether the Guru is a true yogi or not. They say that only a few years ago, he was a humble employee of the founder of his order, Guru, Shankararacheraya of  Jyotirpeeth. When the leader died, there was an undignified scramble, which ended with two senior priests haggling it out in court. While litigation hog bogged down, the Maharishi quietly took over the operation. 

    These days, the Maharishi's sermons to the crowd outside his allmod home have a bitter tone.  They used to be given in complete peace in the shaded gardens of his ashram house, with monkeys playing and jostling in the trees above.  Now, hecklers dominate the scene.  They scoff at the pop stars avowed plans to turn the world without acid, (LSD), and create world peace within 10 years through meditation. 

    Despite the chaos, which is rather like a three ring circus operating in a madhouse, I decided to find out exactly what the Beatles were doing at the feet of the master. Meditation started each day at 3am with a violent banging on the door. One morning, the devotees had to stumble down to the Ganges for a wash in the dark at freezing Himalayan dawn. There we were then herded off to a small temple, where, under the beloved, benevolent stare of a sitar playing Goddess of music, we sat through a tedious two-hour meditation session, shoes off. Of course.

     At 530, prayers and chants started, and when that session was over, it was yoga time in a room full of withering, contorted bodies. The Beatles were notable by their absence. At this stage, I tried a few simple exercises, but even crossing my legs and touching my toes with my chin sent spasms of agony through my cranking joints. Yoga practice over it was meditation time again.

     The Beatles spent most of the time in their rooms and put aside five hours a day for meditation. Heads in hand, they had an audience with His Holiness for at least two hours a day. He saw that they ate very well and were equipped with all the comforts of home. 

    Nevertheless, they claim vehemently that the Maharishi's teachings worked wonders. They must be used to him, for I couldn't make heads nor tails out of what he had to say. He told us in one session, for instance, "Now, even intellectually, we understand that the world is changing all the time, that means it is eternally changing. And when it is eternally changing, that means the basis of change is something eternal, changing, changing, changing, and goes on changing, and it's very changing. "No, I'm not kidding. Those were the words as I tape-recorded them!

     George Harrison, not to be undone. Told us all, "I want to be unseen, unknown, unheard." Quite a change for the Beatles.

     Lunchtime brought the end to the day's meditation. Everyone settled down for the siesta until the evening brought the beginning of the parties, in the lush tropical gardens or down on the small beach by the river.

     One day, the Maharishi gathered the famous Four and told them, today is Mahashitri, the day of Lord Shivas wedding. Paul McCartney quipped, "Who is he marrying?  Mrs. Shiva, I suppose?"
Which startled several onlookers. Shiva being the most revered of all the Indian Gods.

     The Maharishi, as an expert on publicity, knows the true value of a photo session. Whnever one was held,  the Beatles brigade always was asked to join in. He told me, "I devote a lot of time to The Beatles because they arrived later than anyone else. They are picking up fast and are getting lessons in what I call practical philosophy for action, I must admit they are playing a very important role in my campaign." 

     After a recent photo session, the Beatles retired to chant and mumble in the Maharishi's personal meditation room. They sat cross-legged on the floor, fiddling with the beads around their necks and toning the age-old words from the scriptures as the guru spoke to another visitor. After lunch, Ringo and his wife came up holding hands, looking decidedly worried. "Can you spare a minute?" he asked. The great man took them into his room for a 15-minute conference. "They were beset by some problems. Now they are both meditating happily again," he said.

     Afterwards, the next day, we all trip down to the banks of the Ganges for an impromptu party. Folk singer Donovan, ("a great leader of youth," says the Maharishi) put Hindu chants to a modern pop setting, and the Beatles joined the group.

     All the while the Maharishi set gurgling, squeaking happiness. "They are wonderful lads,"he said, "they always make me so happy."

     Then, of course, there was George Harrison's birthday party, complete with a seven pound birthday cake and 25 candles. The Maharishi put Sandalwood perfume on the Beatle's head, and George flung flowers around a picture of a former holy man.  Mike Love of the Beach Boys sang a song, and famous Indian musicians joined in the chorus with traditional music. The Maharishi presented George with the globe of the world turned upside down. "That's the state of the world today," he explained. George promptly turned it the right way up. "That's what we're going to do about it," he replied.

But lately, one by one, the celebrities are becoming dropouts from the Maharshi's Academy: first Ringo, then Paul, then Mia Farrow. It could be that they have found their spiritual fulfillment, or it could be that after serious meditation, they found their wallets becoming unfilled. Only time will tell.

My Last Hunt

Black and white photos taken by Pattie Boyd 

 My last hunt

 by Richard Ricky Cook III,

50 years ago, after graduating from college, I traveled to India and had a great adventure Tiger hunting. I grew up hunting deer on  MoloK'ai. And had taken my gun all over the world. I loved hunting. My mother and I were in Northern India to learn transcendental meditation with the Maharishi. The Beatles were there. At the same time, a friend from India who was an adventure guide was able to get me on a tiger hunt, during which we rode elephants. It was a thrilling experience, and I shot a tiger.

The following day, my mother related the venture to the Maharishi as John Lennon was listening. I was proud of my accomplishment, and my mother was proud of me. The Maharishi, however, was not impressed. After listening to the story, he replied in a very cold tone, "Life destruction is life destruction." I simply had never thought of hunting in those terms before.

Some months later, my sister pointed out a new song by John Lennon. The lyrics were as follows: "Hey, Bungalow Bill, what did you kill? Bungalow Bill.  He went out Tiger hunting with this elephant and gun. In case of accidents, he always took his mom. He is the All American bullet-headed Saxon mother's son."

 I decided to exchange my gun for a camera. Photographing wild animals in Africa was much more challenging and thrilling and, in the end, much more rewarding. I became a National Geographic photographer for 22 years, covering many stories and books for them.

 Now, I'm an advocate for the natural world and beauty that I so love to photograph today. I would ask Bungalow Bill, what did you honor instead of what did you kill? My father's company, Pole House of Hawaii, built George Harrison's house in Hannah, Maui. And when I sent him my book, Moloka'i, an island in time, I signed it. Bungalow Bill. I thanked him for witnessing and honoring this special passage in my life.

India oh India

 

Happy Birthday To You

 

March 17, 1968 

Celebrating Pattie's Birthday 

Oh when the Saints

 

Class picture

 Before Ringo and Maureen left India, a huge "class photo" of everyone at Rishikesh was taken.  When you see the full large photo, you realize that quite a few students were there -- more than you realize.  

George and Paul in Sweden

 October 14, 1967

Learning at the feet of the Guru

 August 31, 1967 - London 

Traveling with the Maharishi

 August 25, 1967

Contact with The Beatles

 After seeing photos of The Beatles with the Maharshi in Wales in August 1967, I wondered about the fans that are in these photos.  Were they there to listen to the Maharishi too?  Were they local fans?   I was happy to discover this story written by an unknown fan that was there that day.  It was written right after seeing them during that time.  The printing on this article in the newsletter was hard to read (I sort of enjoy it because I feel like I am breathing new life into this story).  There is one word that I just couldn't make out, but it doesn't take away from the story at all. 

Contact with the Beatles

As told by an anonymous girl in Wales

Around the Beatles fan club newsletter

October 1967

We left the house at about half-past six the same night, and we made our way to the college.  We came up to the main gates where a crowd of only 15 people were there.  We saw Marianne Faithful across the courtyard, but we weren’t satisfied at only being outside the college.  We walked along the road by the college.  We walked along the road by the college and found a small path going alongside the college.  This path led to an archway just about 50 feet from the building in which THEY were in.  We dared not go any farther as there was a policeman with an absolutely huge ______ guarding the door.  We waited there for about half an hour and decided to ask one of the men if the Beatles would be coming out soon.  He was very nice and said that the Beatles would be coming out before long to go to a lecture in a hall about 100 yards away.  We dashed along to the hall to find that we were the first there.  The crowd gathered before long, but it was only a small crowd of about 60. 

I had a present for Paul.  It was a huge fluffy flower on a stick.  I had inscribed on the stick “TO PAUL FROM DILLYS”.  The followers of Maharishi began to come to the hall.  We had a talk from a lady, warning us that The Beatles were here not for singing but for meditating.  And that we shouldn’t’ scream or mob them.  I was beginning to get nervous by now and wishing that I wasn’t in the front row of the queue.  But suddenly there was a blaze of flashbulbs and I heard a cry from my sister, “Oh isn’t Ringo good looking!”  And there walking towards us were John and Ringo.  They both said “Hello” to us and they were so close that we could have rubbed shoulders.  They walked slowly by – they are so better looking than their photos.  John was clean-shaven, but Ringo had a mustache.  George followed them.  He also said “Hello” and flashed a quick smile which showed those gorgeous white teeth.  George had a mustache and his hair was almost reaching his shoulders.  And following George was Paul!  His tall slim figure was easily recognizable.  His pictures do not do him any justice at all.  He walked slowly up by me.  I clutched my present in a shaky hand and I told myself that it would be now or never.  I took a deep breath and I put my present in his hand.  He turned around and looked at me. He is so good-looking.   His hair is black and shiny, his eyes slant, and are gentle.  He said, “Oh, is this for me?”  I said, “Yes, it’s a present for you.”  He said in a sincere voice, “Are you sure you don’t’ want it back?”  I could just about manage to say, “No, you can keep it.  It’s a present.”  He clutched the stick to him, took one step forward, looked back again and smiled (and oh what a gorgeous smile), and said, “Thanks love” in that gorgeous Liverpudlian accent.  For the next five minutes, I could only say “He spoke to me.  He spoke to me.”

  After the crowd had dispersed my sister and I went to the large windows of the hall.  We went to the nearest window by the stage and watched and listened to Maharishi talking to The Beatles and his followers.  Maharishi and the Beatles sat on the stage, and the followers sat on seats in front of the stage.  Paul wore an ice blue Chinese-style shirt, green trousers, and brown leather shoes.  He sat most of the time with his right leg crossed over the left and his hands clutched his right knee. George wore a multi-colored shirt and orange trousers and only sandals on his feet.  Ringo wore a multi-colored shirt, green corduroy trousers, and mustard-color suede boots.  John also wore a multi-colored shirt, white trousers, and only sandals on his feet.  Paul noticed us once and smiled.  But George was the worst.  He kept looking at us through the corner of his eyes every five minutes.  We arrived home at about eleven o’clock that night.

The next day we went to see them again on Sunday.  We were allowed to wait outside the door this time.  We had only been waiting for 10 minutes when John came running out before anyone could ask for an autograph.  Paul was the next to come out, his stepsister Ruth was holding his left hand, and in his right hand, he had a load of newspapers.  I was a bit nervous of asking him for an autograph as he had his hands full.  But I went up to him and asked, “Paul, please may I have your autograph?”  He smiled and said “Sure, love.”  As he signed my book on top of all his newspapers, I told him that my present looked like a large fluffy flower and not like a duster as some people had thought.  He laughed and said that he had thought that my present looked like a flower.  As soon as he had given my autograph book and pen back, he was surrounded by pressmen.

  I couldn’t get to Ringo as he was also surrounded by pressmen.  George was only talking to one man, therefore I ran up to him to ask for his autograph.  But it was evident George was arguing with the man.  I stood by George’s elbow for five minutes listening to the argument.  When they had finished talking, George was in such a temper that he didn’t see me and walked away and opened a door and slammed it behind him!  I’m glad I didn’t follow as I might now have a broken nose!  I went home feeling very happy. 

  But that happiness did not last for long, as that night we heard of the tragic death of Brian Epstein.  I deiced to go up to the college and try to see The Beatles and say how sorry I was.  But on the road to the college, I saw a big, black car passing and sitting in the back was Paul.  He looked pale and his face expressionless.

 

 

Learning from the master

 

Cameraman John

 

I now want to see every little bit of footage The Beatles shot in India in 1968