Fairfield 18: Little Did I Know

In November (2019) I made another trip to Fairfield Iowa and the Maharishi University of Management (now Maharishi International University, its original name). This was the latest in a series of visits, the first of which I documented here. I overnighted on the journey in Champaign, Illinois, where I took this sunset photo from my hotel window.

The first several days of this two-week Fairfield sojourn were spent at The Raj, an Ayurvedic health clinic, where I received a series of treatments. One of my early reports on the Raj is here. I enjoyed and felt refreshed by my stay, more than I could achieve with the duties and distractions at home, but I was also eager to begin joining the folks doing their TM-Sidhi program in the Golden Dome.

After my time at The Raj I moved down to the campus Peace Palace, where the lower floor hosts meeting and consultation rooms, and the upper offers residential rooms to rent. After spending most of each morning practicing in the men's Golden Dome as part of the Invincible America Assembly, it would be lunchtime, and after that I would explore. Here is a campus map, only slightly out-of-date, from the university website. Click on the image to enlarge.

This first photo is of the back side of the men's Dome, and includes the solar panels.

Here's a panorama that includes the Argiro Student Center and the (relatively) new amphitheater.

The lobby of the Argiro, seen from an upper balcony.

Inside the old Student Union/Art Center, the post office boxes had been turned into an art installation.

The expansion of North Campus Village was in its final phases, adding housing options for those who wish to live close to the campus.

This increase has carried North Campus to the edge of Highway 1.

Adjacent to the scene in the above photo was the home of the regenerative agriculture program at MIU.

One of the interesting oddities on campus is the "silver shed." It held overflow meditation space for an assembly I attended in 1993, but is now the campus storage building. Inspect the foundation in this photo. The concrete triangle in the shade. What's that?

At some point the building was rotated about 17º so that the entrance faced due east, the most auspicious direction according to Maharishi Vastu® Architecture.

 

A sunrise photo. The Maharishi Tower of Invincibility sits between the men's and women's Domes.

Big changes were afoot: a meeting was called for all who practice the TM-Sidhi program in the Domes, "sidhas" for short. John Hagelin, the president of MIU, announced that starting on Dec. 7th meditators who had not taken the Sidhi course would be allowed to do their TM program in the Dome. The more enthusiastic meditators had been requesting this for a while, and, I noted to myself, there was space available in the Dome because of the decline in attendance at the now thirteen-year-old Invincible America Assembly.

 

The presence of non-sidhas meant several changes in procedures at the Domes. The interested meditators would apply for a Dome badge. Those accepted would have their own section marked off with tasteful screens, and use a particular entrance from the lobby. Sidhas would use the other entrance. Proctors or "angels" would check badges to ensure that the proper entrance was used by both, and to guarantee that the meditators would depart after 30 minutes (the sidhas go on longer). The sidhas, on their part, must be on their best behavior, and, for example, not discuss in the shoe room advanced topics to which the meditators have not been introduced. My reaction was hopeful; this was a step towards greater integration or camaraderie between the two groups.

I made a point of walking downtown to view this month's display at ICON, Iowa Contemporary Art, featuring Irene Murphy.

This exhibit showcased a particular one of her several styles, flowers in black-and-white.

Within a constricted medium there is still room for great variety of technique.

A new storefront on the town square, now moved to Briggs Ave.

A wine store in Fairfield!

One sunny afternoon I strolled on a portion of the Jefferson County Loop Trail, from Chataqua Park down through the Lamson Woods.

The weather had been cold, and the streams sported a skim of ice.

Near the end of my walk the woods opened up and the path widened as it passed by a large pond.

 I had a chance to visit friends as well as to sink into program in the Dome, making this another excellent visit. Once back in Columbus I planned to repeat the visit in March 2020, including treatments at The Raj. Little did I know what was coming.

The coronavirus pandemic appeared on the scene in January and February. By the time we appreciated the scope of the plague, I had already made my reservations at The Raj and the Peace Palace. In early March another trip seemed uncertain, so I queried the Invincible America Assembly, and they replied "Please, no out of town visitors on campus." The Raj was still running, however; it is supervised by an MD and classified as a health clinic, not a spa, and was allowed to remain open. In the end I drove to Fairfield and stayed at The Raj for seven days of treatment, and then drove home. No walks -- I didn't go outdoors for a week -- and only two short visits with friends, for The Raj had taken the step of not allowing visitors, but the reservations I had already made for lunch guests were honored. It was a good seven days, but I was then glad to be home.

 

A November 2020 visit was completely scratched off the calendar. March of 2021? Who knows? The best-case scenario might be another Raj-only visit. The Dome, completely closed for several months and then available on a limited basis, will not be open to those who don't live on campus for a while to come.