(11 March 2003) His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi proclaimed that his global efforts to establish 3,000 Peace Palaces in the world’s largest 3,000 cities will crown humanity with its rightful destiny – to live in permanent peace and radiate Total Natural Law, the light of God, on earth, thereby ending the age-old legacy of problems and suffering.

"Our efforts are simple – it’s like lighting candles in a hall to remove the darkness," Maharishi said. "We are building these Peace Palaces in every country to create a new world of enlightenment."

Maharishi’s proclamation came during his global news conference that was held last Wednesday and broadcast live to media on all continents via satellite, Internet webcast, and teleconference call. Maharishi’s next global news conferences will be held on 12 and 13 March.

Maharishi said that construction is scheduled to begin on the Peace Palaces within a few months, including the first 100 Peace Palaces in the United States. The newly founded Maharishi World Peace Trust of Germany will build the Peace Palaces throughout Europe, with groundbreaking already completed for the first 20 in Germany.

Each Peace Palace will be home to 100 to 200 peace-creating experts and will offer the complete Science of Consciousness – which includes both modern science and the Vedic science of ancient India – to bring lasting peace and perfection to all areas of life. Each Peace Palace will be built according to the peace-promoting principles of Vedic architecture in harmony with Natural Law. The plan includes 51 Peace Palaces in the major cities of the UK.

"It is our joy to offer a Consciousness-based approach to education that will develop every individual’s total brain functioning and enable everyone to think and act from the infinite creative intelligence of Natural Law," Maharishi said. But, Maharishi emphasised, "I am not offering the world infinity. Only God can offer infinity – infinite care, infinite wisdom, and infinite possibilities – to His children on earth and in heaven. We feel very honoured to have received this blessing, and very humble to offer it to our dear world family to create a prevention-oriented, problem-free administration in every country. Then every government will be supremely successful, and no one will suffer in any way whatsoever."

Maharishi made a point to correct a long-held misconception by some religious leaders that suffering is necessary in life. "Throughout the ages, the wise have sung the glory of God – that God created man in His own image, and that it is not necessary for God’s children to suffer. This proper understanding of life will now be realized by everyone through Consciousness-based education, which brings to every individual and nation the full support of Natural Law, which administers the infinite diversity of the universe with perfect order. Then no one will make a mistake, so there will be no ground for punishment or suffering. Life will be a blissful play, not a field of suffering."

Maharishi also expressed amazement that religion and science have become divorced from each other. "Every religion is a great science because it provides both the principles and practice to realise God. Religion is not divorced from science – it is the supreme science of Total Natural Law which guides the destiny of trillions of suns and moons and galaxies in the ever-expanding universe."

In response to a question about the problem-ridden state of world affairs, Maharishi said that the whole world needs to be reconstructed from its roots through his Consciousness-based programmes. As an example, Maharishi cited his prevention-oriented approach to defence, which calls for establishing large groups of peace-creating experts in every continent, including a larger group of 40,000 experts in India. He said that these larger groups, together with smaller groups in every country, will do what today’s military cannot do: prevent negativity from sprouting anywhere in the world.

"Every country will have a military, but the people will not be trained to shoot and kill. They will practise Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying to create coherent national and world consciousness, which alone will prevent an enemy from arising either inside or outside the nation."

Maharishi concluded the news conference by saying that he has founded a new government – his Global Country of World Peace – to provide a supreme level of administration for a world which will soon be living its full potential in Unity Consciousness. "It won’t take much time for everyone to blossom in infinite creativity. Every individual has unbounded possibilities within his own Self – which is what makes Transcendental Meditation a useful technique for everyone. It naturally draws the mind back to the source of thought, so that all thought engages the infinite organising power of Natural Law. That way, every thought is quickly materialised and no one feels defeated in life."

Maharishi said that the world will be transformed as soon as governments understand his offer and contract with the Global Country of World Peace to adopt his Consciousness-based programmes. For that, the Global Country of World Peace is educating heads of state and their ministers through an ongoing series of meetings, written correspondence, and announcements published in the press. "We are trying our best to inform governments of our offer," Maharishi said. "We also invite the press to carry our message that a golden age of prevention-oriented, problem-free administration is dawning for all mankind. Soon no one will make mistakes and suffer – soon peace and righteousness will prevail everywhere on earth."