:: October 14, 2003 :: Guru gets grant from government for greenhouse In these days of deficits it's nice to know the federal government helping to grow something besides debt. In "Vedic City," Iowa, the creation of purported "cult leader" Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay one fourth of the cost to install wind turbines to generate electrical power for the guru's new greenhouse. That's right, $23,215 has been granted to the guru to help him grow vegetables, courtesy of the American taxpayer reports the Des Moines Register. The bulk of the money for the overall vegetable venture will come from bonds sold by Vedic City; more than $3 million dollars is budgeted. But the mayor of what increasingly appears to be Maharishi Midwest Inc. wants you to know that this is really all part of a program to promote world peace. Huh? "Studies have shown that if 8,000 people use transcendental meditation in the same place, they can create a source of energy for positive change in the world that can lead to world peace," the mayor claims. Will Maharishi's followers meditate while they work in their guru's greenhouse? So far only 200 or so workers are scheduled for the project. But don't be surprised if the Maharishi and his devotees come up with other projects for government grants and to justify further bond sales. This guru has made meditation a very lucrative business. [Posted by Rick Ross at 09:13 AM][Link] ... « Downtown Salt Lake is the Mormon Church's "living room" | Main | Has Madonna hooked another celebrity for "cult"? »