Palace plan jars community leaders' peace of mind (Peace Palaces)

www.startribune.com ^ | October 26, 2005 at 11:49 PM | Curt Brown

[Esther Ruth]

Palace plan jars community leaders' peace of mind

Harmony and joy may be coming to St. Paul and other areas in the form of a Peace Palace.

Curt Brown, Star Tribune Last update: October 26, 2005 at 11:49 PM

They promise inner happiness and fulfillment through transcendental meditation. And they've got their eye on a vacant lot on St. Paul's East Side for the first of 10 Maharishi Peace Palaces in the Twin Cities area.

Neighbors and community leaders, trying to keep an open mind about opening minds, are a bit skeptical and concerned about "hidden agendas."

But the group's local leader insisted Wednesday that "our only agenda is world peace. "It's all part of a gigantic push, and we've bought 34 pieces of property scattered across the United States in the last week," said Michael Hauth, the Minnesota director for the Global Country of World Peace.

The organization, based in Holland with a university in Iowa, flows from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who founded the transcendental meditation movement.

Hauth said he hopes to complete negotiations within a few weeks to buy a parcel on the southwest corner of Ruth Street and Wilson Avenue, a couple of blocks north of Interstate Hwy. 94.

City planners and politicians hadn't heard about the plan, yet the property is zoned for schools or businesses. Hauth said the $3 million project would be privately financed.

[Esther Ruth]

"Despite my East Side background, there is some benefit to having an open mind to different ways of doing things," she said. "And honestly, how can you disagree with world peace?"

[Esther Ruth]

"It's all part of a gigantic push, and we've bought 34 pieces of property scattered across the United States in the last week," said Michael Hauth, the Minnesota director for the Global Country of World Peace."

"The organization, based in Holland with a university in Iowa, flows from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who founded the transcendental meditation movement."

[MizSterious]

Well, at least it's not a mosque. No minarets or calls to prayer broadcast across the neighborhood. I think meditators are pretty quiet, if they're really meditating.

[Hegemony Cricket]

I think the disciples of Yogi should go by the name BooBoo. (j/k) :-)

[Khurkris]

This guy and his group have been around for a long long time. They are pretty cool. Their University in Iowa is a good one. They accept students and do not 'indoctrinate' or force any views on them. They also do a great deal of research in Ayuverdic medicines and manufacture same with extremely high quality standards. All in all a pretty good group.

The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was the happy grinning Guru dude you used to see with the Beatles.

[zeaal]

Don't try to eat meat at the Maharishi University cause they don't serve or eat meat.

http://www.mum.edu

Does anyone here at FR live near or in Fairfield, Iowa or Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa?