(1 April 2003) His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi declared this week, in addressing all the followers of all religions of the world, that the solution to all problems will be found in enlivening the light of God – total Natural Law – in everyone.

"The light of God is always evolutionary and guides the infinite diversity of the ever-expanding universe with perfect order," Maharishi said. "The only way to solve the problems of religion, politics, economics, education, health, defence, and administration is for everyone to enliven the light of God within himself and spontaneously radiate it around him through all of his thought, speech and behaviour."

Maharishi’s declaration came during his most recent weekly global news conference, which was held at the Capital of the Global Country of World Peace in Meru, Holland. Maharishi’s next news conferences will be held on 2 and 3 April and will be broadcast live via satellite, Internet webcast, and teleconference call.

"Omnipresence is the quality of the light of God, which is the goal of all religions," Maharishi said. "Omnipresence means ‘beyond boundaries’, and therefore it is transcendental. The way to bring the light of God is to open one’s awareness to the transcendental field through Transcendental Meditation – a universal technique, which through many different expressions, is certainly available in the holy texts of every religion. It is simple, it is direct, it naturally draws the mind and brings the support of the light of God from the transcendental field of self-referral consciousness. And when this is done by groups the effect is more – depending on the size of the groups practising together. Our conclusion from the angle of religion is that if large groups of people are professionally engaged by the leaders of religion in different parts of the world, positivity and harmony will prevail in the family of nations."

Maharishi said that in the absence of the light of God, all current, man-made approaches to promote human well-being are weak. Maharishi commented on:

• Weakness in the field of politics: "No government has succeeded because its administration is based on man-made constitutions with inherent human weaknesses and failings."

• Weakness of medicine: "Modern medicine fails to prevent disease because it is not connected with the basis of physiology, which is consciousness, the light of God."

• Weakness in economy: "World economy is unable to maintain balance in the field of wealth. Half of the world is poor, discrediting present day economy as a road to peace and affluence."

• Weakness of defence: "No nation is capable of defending itself because no defence is prevention oriented. Defence must be prevention oriented – it must ‘avert the danger that has not yet come’, which is the Vedic formula for defence. Then only, the word ‘defence’ can be meaningful."

• Weakness of education: "Education is not consciousness based – it fails to develop total brain functioning. It does not promote the cosmic creative intelligence of the student."

Maharishi explained that all such approaches are ineffective because they are based on human conjecture – and because people in leadership positions have what neuroscientists call "functional holes" in their brains due to their past, or present, use of alcohol and drugs. This makes them unable to understand and implement effective new solutions.

"The only way to solve problems is to bring the light of God – and for that, go to the transcendental field," Maharishi said. "I am offering the world something practical. Take it or suffer. My advice is: Remain in light, and darkness will not touch you."