Hal - Deliberately Basic

On February 7, 2008 a man who influenced much of the world in a profound way died, yet only short blurbs were heard in the mainstream news. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, always associated with the Beatles, was responsible for millions of people becoming involved with Transcendental Meditation. I was one of those people.

I was not quite 30 years old when I started Transcendental Meditation in 1975. The cost was $125.00. And to this day I believe it was the best way I could have ever spent so little for a lifetime of peace, or to be more precise, a tool to achieve peace in my life. As far as the movement goes, I had little to do with that, and in fact saw it as far too idealistic. Over the years I believe I have been proven correct in that aspect.

I tried many things in the 60s and 70s as a personal method of growth, both spiritual, and a way to relax the mind a body. By far the worst thing I attempted to use was conventional American psychotherapy. At best it may help some; at worst it will exacerbate an existing condition. And I believe conventional psychology is a sham for the most part. Perhaps, if you have a known condition, for example you are bipolar, conventional therapy may help, if you happen to be lucky enough to find the right therapist.

I am not bipolar, and like many young people of that era, I was exploring the spiritual aspect of my existence. Life was tough, I was young with a new family, and I wanted a way to discover the inner self, and learn to deal with stresses of life. Self medication was not an option for me, and some of the other programs – Gestalt therapy comes to mind – were far too radical. Organized religion was, and still is, not for me. It is like eating rattlesnake; I tried it, but didn’t care for it. Transcendental Meditation is a gentle way to the inner self.

A Little History

The idealism of the young participants in the movement was sometimes absurd. In 1975/76 I attended many meetings, and took classes they offered in the “science” of Transcendental Meditation. They believed that they could end ALL the problems of the world simply by having 10% of the population learn TM and practice it on a regular basis. There was even a timeline set up for such things as total world peace, and an end to hunger for the entire planet. This is where we parted company. I never believed that any of this would happen, especially in a matter of months, or even years. I still don’t believe it will happen.

Another aspect of the movement was the belief that TM was for everyone. Nothing is for everyone. No specific religion, dogma, or belief system, no certain method for self-fulfillment, peace and happiness, or actualization, or anything to do with the human condition exists that fits everyone. We each need to find our own way, and just as sure as our DNA is different than any other, so is our happiness and fulfillment.

Transcendental Medication is not a religion, although like other organizations I’ve been involved with, it is religion based. There was no requirement to accept the religious dogma of any specific nature. As far as I can tell it is still this way. It is based on eastern thought and Hinduism, and that is sometimes hard for many people to accept in our Judea-Christian society. Likewise, it is hard for some to accept any religious based thought, yet have no part in the religion.

A Little Biography

He was born in the Central Provinces of of British India in 1917. There is some disagreement about the various names he assumed under the caste system in India, and even his date of birth (some claim 1911). He was without doubt, Hindu. He began his career as a physicist after graduating from Allahabad University in 1942. Later, he abandoned that, and several other jobs, to become a follower of the Indian school of religious thought, Advaita Vedanta. He followed this teaching for 13 years, ending with a meditation period in the Himalayas. He then developed a form of traditional Advaita Vedanta and yogic practices, which was to become meditation using the TM style.

From this, he founded the Science of Creative Intelligence, later to be called Transcendental Meditation. This style is a literal interpretation of yoga, and the use of mantras, and was first introduced to the west in 1958. He founded the Maharishi International University (1971), later called M.U.M (Maharishi University of Management). The university is fully accredited through the Ph.D. level. It is remarkable how many name changes have taken place in this organization.

I find it interesting that he died the same day NASA beamed the Beatles song “Across the Universe” into space. This song was written by John Lennon contains the words “jai guru deva” which has a special meaning for those who meditate. This refers to his teacher, Brahmananda Saraswati Shankaracharya (1869-1953) whom he called Guru Dev. It is a form of giving thanks to the original teacher of what evolved into transcendental meditation.

He went on to accomplish much more in the US, including work with prisoners, public schools, universities, and other organizations. Bookrags has an excellent biography about the life of this extraordinary man.

How it Works

The mechanics of TM are simple. You are taught a mantra, supposedly specific to you, tailored to your special being, and you are required never to tell anyone what it is. To this day I have never told a soul. I have seen lists of what are supposed to be mantras, but from my own experience, I don’t believe they are legitimate. Using my experience in 1975 as a reference, I was required to attend at least four sessions, or classes, to understand the changes that are likely to occur as you meditate. The first step was a free lecture that outlined the benefits of meditating; in my mind it was a well presented sales talk.

The first learning session was only me and the teacher, and I was taught the actual technique. The follow-up sessions were group classes, strictly held in succession. This was where my first doubt came. I didn’t know what I was supposed to feel; I felt nothing. Finally it hit me, I was supposed to feel nothing. Once I relaxed, I enjoyed a good experience, something I had never felt before, and cannot describe. All I can say is, for me it worked.

After that, I was made to feel as if I had joined a special private club, and was welcomed to attend as many meetings as I wanted. I was encouraged to come back at any time to ask questions and go over the material I had learned. In fact, I was a lifetime member. I work under the assumption I am still a lifetime member.

For the first few months I was “tested” to be sure that I was performing the technique correctly. Testing consisted of returning at regular intervals, about once every two weeks, to be “checked.” Any teacher can do the check. You simply sit with the teacher and meditate. He or she can determine, by means unknown to me, if you are meditating correctly. You do not have to be checked alone. A group of people can all be checked at the same time.

This was what I did 33 years ago. After all these years of being out of contact with TM and the movement, I was curious to see what might have changed. I sent an email to the national organization, and discovered, to my surprise, there is little change, with one major exception. It now costs a lot of money - $2500.00 - to start, and de facto removed the practice from the reach of the working class. All the way from $125.00 to $2500.00 is a stretch, even taking the 30 years into account. I do not know if they provide a method to use an installment plan. What I believe is, they want young, intelligent, enthusiastic adherents with money to be members.
The steps to entering the practice can be found tm.org

The question used to come up, if TM is so great with solving the problems of the world, why not offer it free. The answer was, by placing a monetary value on it, only those who are serious would consider it and have a vested interest beyond simply “giving it a try.” Besides that, they do need money to fund the organization. This makes sense at the cost in 1975. It would make sense to raise the price to coincide with the current economy. The CPI has risen about 400% since 1975. What cost $1.00 in 1975 would cost over $4.00 in 2007. With that I can see a cost of around $600 to start. But at $2500.00 there must be an ulterior agenda.

The Spread and Popularity of TM

TM peaked in the 1970s. Centers were available in hundreds of cities, small and medium towns all across the US. The rest of the world, especially Europe, was fertile ground for this movement. The centers were not only a place to learn to meditate, but a gathering place for social events as well. Carry-in dinners, talks and presentations and specialty speakers were brought in to enlighten the ardent followers.

It is interesting to note that in India, TM was never as popular as in the rest of the world. I once had the opportunity to talk with an Indian at the height of the movement. He was not a practitioner, had no interest, and thought it to be just another fly-by-night scam like so many others in India. In fact, he informed me that in India there are thousands of so-called wise men who travel the country giving spiritual advice and begging to eat. For him, the Maharishi was just another fraud who had managed to sell his racket to the western world. Could this, or even a small part of it been true? I didn’t know then, and I certainly don’t know now.

As with all organizations with which I’ve been involved, the leaders of the movement went after celebrities to further the cause. People such as Ellen Corby, (Grandma Walton), Mia Farrow, David Lynch (Movie producer, and ) and Donovan come to mind and were interviewed often for publicity. Famed magician Doug Henning went so far as to campaign to open a theme park called Vedaland.
The leaders wanted people who had attained some measure of success in the white collar professions as spokesmen; lawyers, doctors, and captains of industry were sought to speak in public on behalf of the movement.

The infamous row with the Beatles was played down during the height of the movement. I’m not certain anyone except the Beatles know for sure what happened during their time with the Maharishi. In my research for this article, I read most accounts of the death of the Maharishi in major newspapers. All articles I read expounded on the association with the Beatles. They play down the impact of the movement, as if it were of little significance. This is why I distrust the news media so much. If reports are flawed about what I know, will they not also be flawed about what I do not know?

Where it is Today

There is much current information about the program at the TM web site. It appears to have evolved into less of a movement and more of an academic life. And it is no longer the inexpensive “for the masses” program it was more than 30 years ago. In the entire state of Ohio there is but one teacher. He travels the state, lecturing and teaching, and if you want to learn, you contact him to see when he will be in one of the major cities. This is a far cry from the days of large centers with many teachers, and well publicized lectures. Ohio is not as metropolitan as New York, but not as rural as Montana either. With 11.5 million people and cities the size of Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, it is a diverse state. It may well be representative of how TM works with other states.

Final Thoughts

I was never certain if the Maharishi was a man who discovered how to make a lot of money, or if he was a man akin to the Dali Lama. I doubt I will ever know. I tend to believe he did both. By the 1980s I had left my relationship with the TMers and moved on to other aspects of living. I am by nature a cynic, and suspicious of any organization that deals with as much money and property as these people do. But, they could not possibly be worse than certain religious organizations, known to influence government and funnel money into unsavory and treacherous third world countries.

I still continue to meditate, and will do that as long as I live. I do not follow the prescribed method, twice a day for 20 minutes. For years I’ve only done it when I’m stressed or need to relax. But I have never found anything in my life to equal what TM does for me.

I love debunking email “pass it on” messages. This one begs to be taken apart and reconstructed. Long ago I stopped pointing people to snopes.com or other sites to check the facts before accepting anything as truth. We live in a “National Inquirer” world, where yellow journalism and blatant lies are the norm for the written word. Email is fertile soil for anyone to grow the most outrageous lies, and ask that they be passed to everyone in the world as truth.

I got this message from a friend, and its interesting, but not exactly factual. I don’t know when this was written, or who wrote it, but it appears the baby-boomer generation has been forgotten. Also, consider that even though this fictional man was born before some of these things were in wide spread use, he nevertheless had them around the house as a child.

I am in the same age bracket as “Grandpa” - In fact I am a Grandpa. I remember the 50s and 60s well. I grew up in the era, and although I trusted my memory, I did a little research to see what the real story was behind what Grandpa thought he didn’t have.

How old is Grandpa? Really? And has he lost his memory?

—————The Message———–

Stay with this — the answer is at the end. It will blow you away.

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events. The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and things in general. The Grandfather replied, ‘Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:

Television - Facts: First public demonstration 1934. While only 0.5% of U.S. households had a television set in 1946, 55.7% had one in 1954, and 90% by 1962.

Penicillin - Facts: It was developed as a practical antibiotic during the late ’30’s and early ’40’s, becoming available in quantities in time to treat the Allied wounded on D-Day.

Polio shots - Facts: On April 26, 1954, scientists delivered what was called “the shot felt around the world.” In the cafeteria of Franklin Sherman Elementary School in McLean, Va. That was 58 years ago folks.

Frozen foods - Facts: To begin with, take away artificial freezing and you have several months in winter. But that aside, The first to harness the power of freezing foods beyond the winter months were the Chinese, who used ice cellars as early as 1000 B.C. My grandmother had an icebox. In 1930 Clarence Birdseye made frozen foods practical. Still, through the 40s and 50s various products were introduced (fish and orange juice for example) and the TV dinner was a prime catalyst for general acceptance for frozen food. And the TV dinner was a 50s product.

Xerox - Facts: Xerox was founded in 1906 as The Haloid Company, which originally manufactured photographic paper and equipment. The company changed its name to Haloid Xerox in 1958 and then simply “Xerox” in 1961. In 1959 the company became a household name, synonymous with copying. The Xerox 914 was the first one-piece plain paper photocopier, and sold in the thousands.

Contact lenses - Facts: Leonardo da Vinci was the first to describe this idea. Thereafter is a long history. The first known contact lens was produced by German glassblower F.A. Muller in 1887. The first fitting was by two Swiss physicians around this same time. William Feinbloom, a New York optometrist, first used plastic and in 1936 and in 1948 optician Kevin Tuohy manufactured lens made completely of plastic. My father wore contact lens in the early 50s, and most of his adult life.

Frisbees - Wham-O (A toy company) first began production in 1957, then called Pluto Platters. This is the same company that made the Hula-Hoop, Super Ball and Water Wiggle. Grandpa, did you ever hear of the Hula-Hoop? Frisbee ® is a registered trademark. In 1964 the first professional model went on sale. Grandpa was not very old in 1964. In 1967 some high school students in New Jersey invented Ultimate Frisbee, a recognized sport that in 1977 became complete with professional playing courses. The Frisbee, now more than 50 years old, is now owned by Mattel.

The pill - Facts: Another long history that started with Margaret Sanger (Planned Parenthood) as early as 1910. The chemistry of the birth control pill was invented in 1951. It was first tested on women in 1954, submitted to the FDA in 1956, approved in 1960. Many more trials and issues occur, especially from the Catholic church during the 1960s, and by 1967 12.5 million women worldwide were using the pill. A hit song from from Loretta Lynn that bode well with millions of women in 1974 was, “The Pill.”
I’m tearin’ down your brooder house
‘Cause now I’ve got the pill
There is a great timeline for the pill on this PBS site.

———–Message continued——

There were no:

Credit cards - Facts: From The Encyclopedia Britannica, “the use of credit cards originated in the United States during the 1920s…” About 1938 companies started to accept each other’s cards. Skipping forward, In 1950, the Diners Club issued their credit card in the United States. American Express issued their first credit card in 1958 and BankAmericard (now Visa) bank credit card later that same year. Although my family was not in the income bracket to have the luxury of a credit card, as a kid in the 50s, I knew others did.

Laser beams - Facts: Realize that there are many different kinds of lasers. In keeping with a short history, Theodore Maiman invented the ruby laser considered to be the first successful optical or light laser, in 1960. The common CD (using laser technology) was invented in 1965, although not mass produced until 1980. Note the date on this post is 2008. Do the math Gramps, even that was 28 years ago.

Ball-point pens - Facts: First invented in 1888, first mass marketing in 1935 by Gimbels in New York. By 1952 they became accepted and marketed as the “Ballpoint Bic.” Unless Grandpa is way beyond his years, he would have worn out many a ball-point pen in school.

—————And More From Gramps faulty memory.———–

Man had not invented:

Pantyhose - Facts: Allen Gant Senior invented pantyhose. In 1959, Glen Raven Mills of North Carolina introduced pantyhose — underpants and stockings all in one garment. In 1965, Glen Raven Mills developed a seamless pantyhose… From About.com

Air conditioners - Facts: As we know it today, invented in 1902. Widely circulated (no pun intended) in the 1950s. Problems with Freon and the environment, so alternatives have been developed.

Dishwashers - Facts: First invented in 1850, hand-cranked mechanical machines followed. Again, in the 1950s dishwashers caught on and came into general use. Grandpa must have been a dull boy.

Clothes dryers - Facts: Electrical, first appeared about 1915. Tiresome as it is, they became popular in the 1950s.

Man hadn’t yet walked on the moon - Facts: No, but as any school kid knows, he did in 1969. Gramps, you were a very young man then.

Your Grandmother and I got married first, . . . then lived together.
Ever hear about Woodstock Gramps? Enough said about moral issues in the sixties.

Every family had a father and a mother.
True, but they didn’t necessarily live in the same house. Divorce happened, much earlier than 1950. In fact the rate was higher in 1950 than it was in 1965. It appears to have peaked in the 1980s and again began a decline. In 1950 the divorce rate per 1000 was 2.6. See this site for a nice graph.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, ‘Sir’. And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, ‘Sir.’
Do not call a cop sir. I nearly got my ass kicked once for that. Cops like to be called Officer. Times change as well. Now that I am getting older, I do not like to be called sir. It makes me feel so…old.

We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.
You chose not to see that homosexuals existed, women worked, you hired a baby sitter, and some therapy may have kept you from beating your wife and kids. Computer dating may have put you together with someone more compatible than the woman you hooked up with as a matter of chance. Or not.

Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense.
Tell me you never coveted your neighbor’s wife, and I’ll show you a man with no testosterone.

We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.
Did you pass that on to your kids? Do you take any responsibility for a generation that takes no responsibility? I see a generation of kids who live at home, many in their 30s or 40s. I would be embarrassed to have a kid like that.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege.
You must mean as in the Vietnam war. Yes, the 58,000 men who died as a result of Vietnam gave up their lives for what? A privilege to serve?

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.
White Castle in Wichita, Kansas is credited with being the first fast food restaurant, even though the term “fast food” was not used when the restaurant opened in 1921.

Why is something like this important? As parents and grandparents, we rant about the inferior education our children receive. We blame teachers, the system, the kids, everyone but ourselves. Yet we believe drivel like this, and pass it on the our friends. Imagine a real grandfather teaching his grandson that technology was unheard of and moral values have gone the way of the dinosaur.
“We Have Met The Enemy and He Is Us” — Pogo

The list of things this man believes is straight out of the WWII generation. This might be somewhat believable if he was 90 years old. Every item below can be either proven false, or not generally accepted by this man’s real generation. I have chosen to stop here, and let the rest of this bullshit speak for itself.

• Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.
• Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started.
• Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums.
• We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.
• We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President’s speeches on our radios.
• And I don’t ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.
• If you saw anything with ‘Made in Japan ‘ on it, it was junk
• The term ‘making out’ referred to how you did on your school exam.
• Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and instant coffee was unheard of.
• We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.
• Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel
• And if you didn’t want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.
• You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, . . but who could afford one?
• Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.

Are you ready ?

This man would be only 59 years old.

Could this be a typo, and he is really 89 years old? That must be the problem. As Gilda Radner, who played Rosanne Rosanna Danna on SNL, used to say,

“Never mind.”

What We Can Learn From a Man Who Conquered The World

In a mere quarter century, the Mongol army conquered more land and people than the Romans did in four centuries. The land area alone was greater than all North America, close in size to the entire continent of Africa. In terms of people, the Mongols conquered about three billion. The man responsible for this was Genghis Khan, named Temüjin after a battle in which a Tatar chief of that name was killed by his father.

Temüjin rose from poverty, by the standards of his environment on the steppes of Mongolia, to become one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. He lived by a set of exact and stringent rules he set for himself, and expected his people to follow the same code.

Although the Mongols were seen as barbarous demons from hell by the conquered, especially what was known of him in Europe, by European standards they were certainly no worse and in many ways not as cruel as Europeans. One example is torture. Long before the 12th and 13th centuries Europeans had perfected torture to the point of being an art. Temüjin did not allow torture or mutilation – conversely, death was a matter of course.

Temüjin was a charismatic man, one who inspired men to follow him, yet he did not hesitate to use any means available to maintain order, often exacting an agonizing death to enemies. So, what were the traits and principles he laid down for himself and his people?

Loyalty to Friends, No Mercy to Enemies.

Temüjin demanded loyalty and in turn was loyal to his friends. The rules of conduct he created were as simple as the Ten Commandments, and as harsh and similar to we now perceive as the Mafia. In fact his methods were Mafia like in that one was either a friend or and enemy, with him or against him.

During the campaigns across Asia, the Mongols typically used a “Godfather” like ploy before attacking and taking a city. They made “an offer you can’t refuse” in an effort to avoid the inevitable battles necessary to conquer the city.

Appoint The Most Loyal Followers to Critical Positions.

At age 12, Temüjin’s father was poisoned. Your food may not be poisoned, but this illustrates the reasoning for absolute loyalty and an occasional check of who prepares the food. In the armies of the Mongolians, he instituted a system of checks and balances, to insure loyalty, and demonstrated to those who were disloyal a painful death.

Reward Based on Merit and Achievement, Never Title or Position.

Under the rule of Genghis Khan the lowliest camel boy could become a general and ride in front of an army of ten thousand. Temüjin made it a practice to appoint men based on proven ability and loyalty. He had a particular disdain for royalty, aristocracy and heads of state, men or women with inherited position. Upon conquering a city or territory, the ruling class was usually executed to prevent future problems. He viewed kings and aristocratic authority with disdain and mistrust, a holdover from his boyhood.

Advisers to “Stay beside him morning and evening to advise him.”

Temüjin demanded that his advisers advise him. Apparent as it may seem, no one works in vacuum. While trying to teach his sons the necessary qualities for leadership, he warned them “never to think of themselves as the strongest or smartest” and “If you can’t swallow your pride you can’t lead.” The final decisions were made by him, but the opinions came from many heads.

Complete And Total Religious Freedom For Everyone.

Now there is a concept. As long as religion did not interfere with the laws of the Mongol empire, Temüjin deemed it better to leave these institutions intact. Europeans were incredulous to find that in China under Mongol rule, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and many other religious sects lived peacefully side by side. Religious freedom prevents turmoil, for what could create more incitement to rebel than religious intolerance?

As a side note, in the US we tend to believe that we have always enjoyed religious freedom, but such is not the case. Before, during and after the Revolutionary war, each colony subscribed to a particular Christian faith, forcing residents to do the same. There were exceptions in some cases, but you would not want to be Jewish in Virginia during this period. Thomas Jefferson was most responsible for the freedom we enjoy now.

Exploit Internal Turmoil With Enemies Using Propaganda.

After the attack of 9/11, citizens of the US were told to go about their business as usual, else the terrorists have won. Immediately the US government, under the Bush administration, set up all manner of impediments to “business as usual.” Of course we need better security; we should have had that to begin with. Airline travel is not merely uncomfortable, it is a nightmare. The recent incident of a plane sitting on the tarmac with hundreds of passengers for more than 10 hours should serve as an example. And in so many other ways has our fear been exploited since that time. Temüjin knew how to use FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) centuries ago. It still works.

Create External Confusion, Foment Anxiety and Fear Among Enemies.

The Mongols were highly skilled tacticians in warfare. They may have invented the blitzkrieg method, attacking with force and coming from all directions at once. They would send soldiers into enemy cities, often disguised, to spread rumors about the ferocity of the Mongols. To make it known that a barbarous horde was about to descend on them, cities would be terrified before the Mongols ever got there. These concepts too, work still to strike fear in the heart of the enemy.

Wage War to Preserve Life.

Although in some ways an oxymoron, consider that war was (is) a historical inevitability. Unlike other generals and rulers in history, Temüjin never sacrificed a single soldier if possible.

Temüjin never asked for “the supreme sacrifice.” His strategy was to preserve the lives of his soldiers and the Mongol life. It was taboo even to think or talk about death, or talk about those who had been killed. The Mongols believed that thinking about a thing could make it happen. Had these isolated – in the respect they were after all in Mongolia - soldiers discovered what we consider a modern concept? Learned psychologists and religious leaders today refer to this as positive thinking.

There is no Honor in Fighting; There is Honor in Winning.

The Mongols never waged war for glory. They erected no statues, no memorials, and hardly kept a history of great rulers, certainly not outside the Mongolian world. They fought to conquer and rule, because to rule meant to enjoy the material benefits of the conquered. To that end, they used any and every trick or deception they could think of to win. Winning was indeed, everything.

The Snake of Many Heads

In the latter part of his life, Genghis Khan was trying to explain to his four sons how to rule the vast Mongolian empire. He feared that each of the four would try to rule, divide Mongolia, and in essence, revert to the state of warring clans that existed before his tribal unification. He related the fable of the single-headed and the many-headed snake to them.

There existed two snakes, one with many heads and one tail, and one with many tails and one head. When winter came, the many-headed snake’s heads pulled in different directions, arguing and fighting over which hole would provide the best protection for them from the freezing cold of winter. The snake with one head and many tails immediately found a hole and survived the winter, but the many-headed snake froze to death for lack of decision.

The Mongols were a free people, in many ways reminiscent of the North American plains Indians. They never adjusted to “civilization”, always revering the blue sky. The nomadic life of the Mongolian was harsh and barbaric, and though they conquered most of the world in the 13th century, they remained to themselves.

Genghis Khan laid the foundation for this conquest. Can we learn from his leadership principles something of value? Yes, when applied in concept only, for these days we humans are not the barbaric butchers of our ancestors. Or are we?

notes:

Please note that the greater part of my research for this article was taken from “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford. Other parts were researched from various Internet sites, including Wickopedia.

The book is a wonderful study of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian people. A New York Times best seller, I highly suggest it for those interested.

Buy the book HERE

Also note: I have no personal gain or monitorial interest in this book.

Hal Brown