Veda is the Sanskrit word for knowledge, and Vedic (VAY-dik) means related to the ancient Indian tradition of knowledge known as the Vedas, from which the Transcendental Meditation technique is derived.
According to scholars, the Vedic tradition is the oldest continuous body of knowledge, dating back at least 10,000 years. The Vedic literature includes detailed information on a wide range of topics, from health care to architecture and agriculture to music. It's also the source from which Yoga is derived.
The Vedic literature is a wellspring of knowledge about consciousness, technologies of self-development, and growth to higher states of consciousness, which are characterized by peak mental performance and optimal health and well-being.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Founder of the TM program, restored aspects of Vedic knowledge that had fallen into disuse or been lost. While some regard Vedic wisdom as a cultural tradition primarily relevant to India, and others see it as a philosophical tradition, Maharishi understood that the Vedic tradition contains practical knowledge that is as scientific and measurable in its effects as knowledge from modern physics or biology.
Just as we think of Newton’s Laws of Motion and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity as universal rather than English or German, the TM technique, revived from the Vedic tradition, is based on a scientific understanding of laws of nature that are universal for all people and cultures.