I don't know you. I don't know your name. But I do love you because you are a human being. That is sufficient for me to open up my heart and bring forth to you all that I know.

— Maharaji

When people ask me who Maharaji is, I usually describe him as a ”teacher.” Which makes me, I guess, his student — though he has no school, no curriculum, and no exams.

What he does have is an extraordinary knack for accelerating a person's education. About what? About life. And how to get the most out of it.

A clue about Maharaji's approach comes from the word itself.

”Education” comes from the Latin word “educare” — meaning “to bring out.” That's what a good teacher does — brings out, from the student, the desire to learn — the thirst to know.

A good teacher does not stuff the student with facts, formulas, and information. A good teacher unstuffs. A good teacher removes the obstacles that get in the way of learning — then finds a way to encourage, inspire, and guide his students to find out for themselves.

What Maharaji brings out of a human being is innate wisdom — direct contact with the inner experience of knowing — or what some people refer to as ”knowledge of the self.”

Here's the paradox:

Even though Maharaji teaches and has a lot to say, he'll be the first to admit that what his message is about goes far beyond words — words, amazingly, that have been translated into more than 70 languages and considered daily by thousands of people worldwide who pay no tuition — only attention.

Because what he teaches is free.

Which makes perfect sense when you stop to consider that what he's teaching is all about the fine art of becoming free.

Illustration by Sara Shaffer.