Yogic flying, or levitation, is practised by the devotees

The man who brought the appeal of Eastern meditation to the Western world has died. In the 1960s, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi became world famous almost overnight and, over the years, he has built up a following of about six million people worldwide. This report from Chris Jones:

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His vast home in the Netherlands became a tourist attraction and transmitted courses on meditation via a global cable channel. British and European elections in the 90s were brightened by the yogic-flying candidates of the Natural Law Party, closely allied to the Maharishi's beliefs.

His movement, officially non-profit-making, is said to be worth at least two billion pounds. Any questions to the guru about the contradictions of his lifestyle brought a simple answer: "Just be yourself".

Chris Jones, BBC

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spiritual enlightenment struck a chord with many celebrities
a lot of famous people were attracted to the possibility of gaining a deep understanding of religious beliefs and teachings

soon tired of his message
quickly became bored with his teachings

vast
large, very big

transmitted courses on meditation
broadcast lessons on how to think about only one thing, in a religious way, so that you become calm and relaxed

brightened
made more interesting and colourful

yogic-flying candidates
people who wanted to be elected as politicians who said that by meditating they could fly

closely allied to
had strong ties with, had a close relationship with

guru
a religious teacher or leader

contradictions of his lifestyle
the way he lived his life (with his large house etc.) seemed to be the opposite of what he taught (encouraging people to follow a simple, religious life)

Just be yourself
behave in your usual manner, rather than behaving in a way you think other people might like or expect; be true to yourself

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