Recently, I saw a music video of the Rankins, performing their once popular song We Rise Again, about reincarnation*. It came to mind again when I saw an ad for a new benefit concert.
“Paul McCartney, Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Paul Horn, Moby and more will perform a global benefit concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Saturday, April 4, 2009, in support of the David Lynch Foundation’s international initiative to teach one million children the Transcendental Meditation technique – and change the world overnight.”
Can you imagine silent time in the classroom, where you can mediate if you want to? What a difference from when I was in school. Research results such as reduced depression, resolving ADHD, lowering blood pressure, and such doesn’t begin to tell the story of what it means to improve quality of life.
It’s notable that 3 of these guys were in India together back in the ’60’s. Last month, I wrote about a letter from that time that John had written. And it was about a year ago that The Beatles’ “Across the Universe” was beamed into deep space. Complete with Sanskrit thanks to the meditation teacher. The message lives on, past all of the players.
Should be quite the concert…
Davidya
*There was another version with Anne Murray where she tried to gloss over this detail, saying the song was about Maritime perseverence.
Thank you so much for your good and satisfying work.
It brings me deep peace to read your essays.
Jai Guru Dev
Hi Paul
Thank you. And That thou art. But clearly you know this. Jai Guru Dev.
Some of the other performers announced are: Ringo Starr (first time performing with Paul in awhile), Ben Harper, Bettye LaVette, and Jim James. Tickets go on sale Monday.
To quote:
“Change Begins Within” will raise funds to teach one million at-risk children to meditate—giving them life-long tools to overcome stress and violence and promote peace and success in their lives. In 1968, the Beatles, Donovan, and Paul Horn traveled to India to study Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The trip’s dramatic impact was evident on their music and is credited for the acceptance of meditation in the West today.
“In moments of madness, Transcendental Meditation has helped me find moments of serenity,” Paul said. He added that he supports the work of the David Lynch Foundation to bring Transcendental Meditation to one million children for the same reason. “I would like to think that it would help provide them a quiet haven in a not-so-quiet world.”
Ringo Starr expressed his personal satisfaction to be performing at the concert: “It gives me great pleasure to be part of this evening. I feel the aims of this charity are wonderful!”
Donovan added: “How great to be playing with Paul, Ringo, and Paul Horn again—as we did in India in 1968. And now we see the amazing results of our work from 40 years ago to bring meditation to the whole world. It’s the same message today, which is, ‘Change begins within.’”
…
If the format allows for it, there may be some great jams. Donovan and Moby have done some together.
Is it legitimate?:
About the David Lynch Foundation
The David Lynch Foundation has provided scholarships since 2005 for more than 60,000 students, parents, and teachers to learn to meditate throughout the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. The Foundation also funds independent university research on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique on stress, learning, and behavior. For more information visit DavidLynchFoundation.org
http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/
National Institutes of Health
The NIH has awarded over $24 million during the past 20 years to investigate
the effects of Transcendental Meditation on brain functioning and cardiovascular disease.
Program researchers
Steel Belok, M.D., Internist, Harvard Medical School
Gary Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., Neurologist, New York University School of Medicine
Noel Bairey Merz, M.D., Medical Director, Women’s Heart Center, Cedar-Sinai Medical Center
Otelio Randall, M.D., Medical Director, Preventive Cardiology Program, Howard University
Norman Rosenthal, M.D., Psychiatrist; Medical Director, Capital Clinical Research Associates
William Stixrud, Ph.D., Neuropsychologist; Director, William Stixrud &Associates
David Haaga, Ph.D., Director, James Gray Psychotherapy Training Clinic, American University
Rita Benn, Ph.D., Director of Education, University of Michigan Integrative Medicine
Robert Colbert, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut
Vernon Barnes, Ph.D., Senior Researcher, Medical College of Georgia’s Prevention Institute
Frank Staggers, Jr., M.D., Drug Detoxification Specialist; Consultant, National Institutes of Health
Robert Schneider, M.D., F.A.C.C., Director, NIH-funded Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention
The concert sold out in seconds. They’re reselling at 10 x the ticket price. Here’s hoping they do a DVD.
Ann Mortifee, a well known singer in Canada will be there with her husband, Paul Horn. Paul is most famous for his flute recording in the Taj Mahal.
Heres more – they’re doing a live backstage webcast of the event Apr 4 with the launch of a new web site,
the foundations tv
http://dlf.tv/
From the sounds of some other comments, there will be a DVD.
How about this:
Howard Stern to Introduce Ringo
“Raunchy radio star Howard Stern has — believe it or not — copped to being a student of Transcendental Meditation for years. …every morning — at 4 am — and night he clears his head and meditates. Stern credits the practice with helping him quit smoking and achieve his goals in radio.”
“Despite Howard Stern’s repeated self-proclamations that he is the “King of All Media,” he rarely makes live appearances in public outside of his radio show. Stern stated that he originally considered declining Lynch’s offer to appear because of his discomfort about appearing in public, but changed his mind because he believes in the cause so strongly. He also stated that Transcendental Meditation helped to reduce his mother’s symptoms of depression.”