Congressman Tim Ryan delivered a powerful commencement speech to Maharishi University’s largest graduating class © Jim Davis
Maharishi University’s 42nd Commencement took place on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at 1:00 PM in the Maharishi Patanjali Golden Dome of Pure Knowledge, graduating its largest class of 579 students representing 55 countries.
An earlier press release was sent out and MUM was included in a listing of commencement speakers posted by Inside Higher Ed, and later mentioned in a CNN Politics report. A second more detailed release was sent out and The Gazette also ran an article announcing Ohio (D) Congressman Tim Ryan as the commencement speaker. Matt Kelley of Radio Iowa interviewed Congressman Ryan the day before graduation. KTVO TV reported on the event including interviews with graduating student Chris Grace, MUM VP Craig Pearson, and Congressman Ryan.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Craig Pearson gave an overview of the number of students graduating and some of the countries they were from. Fifteen minutes in, Dr. Pearson introduced MUM Trustee Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, and director of the Center for Leadership Performance, who then introduced commencement speaker Congressman Tim Ryan. Ryan delivered a powerful address, peppered with applause throughout, which ended with a standing ovation!
Maharishi University President John Hagelin bestowed an honorary doctorate on Congressman Tim Ryan. Maharishi University of Management © 2017
Maharishi University President John Hagelin exclaimed, “That was a speech for the ages; a message for all time.” He then bestowed an honorary doctorate on Congressman Ryan, which brought everyone to their feet again. Hagelin said, “Wow! Really inspiring.” Watch this video and be inspired!
MUM’s Achievements newsletter published a summary of U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan’s Commencement Address. Enjoy TM News reported that U.S. Representative gave an extraordinary commencement address for TM meditators everywhere. See “Lead Us to the Next Renaissance,” Says Congressman Tim Ryan to MUM Grads.
Below are some excerpts, but there was much more in his speech, with profound ideas and quotes, which you can only get from watching it all.
Congressman Ryan started off by saying it was an honor for him to stand before everyone “on this most important day at this most remarkable university in this most extraordinary town of Fairfield to speak to you about the brighter future that you are distinctly qualified to create.”
Everywhere he travels, he said, he sees “the outreach of this great university: Transcendental Meditation—the meditation you practice, the meditation you research, the meditation you teach—is now being offered in big companies and small family-owned businesses, hospitals and clinics, tough inner-city schools and military bases, in prisons and homeless shelters.”
“It’s clear from the research,” he added, “that Transcendental Meditation is helping to unlock the limitless potential of the human mind. It is an essential tool that can immeasurably enrich our lives and help us take on intractable ills like prejudice, violence and addiction.”
He went on to say that Maharishi University “is working to identify, implement, and bring to scale innovative knowledge and technologies that promise to completely restructure the way we educate our young, heal our sick, grow our food, and safeguard our borders.”
Then he told the students his real reason for coming to speak to them, to put out the call for them to participate in changing the world. “As students dedicated to developing the FULL VALUE of human consciousness, you are all desperately needed in the global challenge to find a new path forward.”
“Let’s challenge ourselves to create a health care system that actually makes people healthy. And that starts with prevention—a science that this university is renowned for.”
He challenged students “to advance sustainable practices that respect our planet. That starts with your meditation practice…we cannot disrespect nature if we know and respect ourselves.”
“And let’s challenge ourselves to relentlessly pursue new directions and new approaches to create peace. And that has been the mission of this university since its founding in 1971.”
Congressman Ryan went on to say that the answer to change lies within ourselves. He spoke of the great changes that came in the past from adventurers who believed in their vision and were not swayed by the limited perspectives of their day. They were the ones responsible for bringing humanity out of the Dark Ages into The Renaissance.
“We have gathered here today to honor and celebrate something both modern and ancient—something as old as human life on earth: the ability to access the silence, the unity, that lies deep within. And that silence, as you well know, is a reservoir of unlimited creativity, intelligence, energy, and happiness. That’s your adventure, to live your life from the deepest and best part of you—the quiet part.”
Ryan emphasized the urgency for a new form of leadership. “We are living in a moment that calls out for leaders who are wiser, smarter, and bigger than our problems. We need leaders who are established in that underlying unity of life, so that they can see that our differences and diversity—whether in language, cultural inflections, or political beliefs—are our greatest strength. And this diversity provides opportunity for competition—the competition of ideas of how we can best govern ourselves and our world.”
He reiterated, “Your Consciousness-Based Education has prepared you to take your place among those leaders who are redefining the rules and changing the way we all see things—and our nation and the world desperately need you now.”
Congressman Ryan then charged the graduates to “look into your own souls, and find the courage to believe you can make a difference, the courage to imagine the world as it should be, and the courage to take us forward where we need to go.”
Tags: Bob Roth, Commencement Address, congressman tim ryan, Craig Pearson, John Hagelin, Maharishi University, Maharishi University of Management, Tim Ryan
The Uncarved Blog 
July 7, 2017 at 9:35 am |
Practical inspiration!
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