The Guardian reports on bad vibes at the campus of Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa, where followers of the former guru to The Beatles learn "yogic flying" to engender world peace.

At 7pm Shuvender Sem, a 24-year-old from Pennsylvania, sat down in the university dining hall with fellow students to eat his organic vegetarian dinner. Suddenly Sem stood up, took a knife from his pocket and plunged it into the heart of 19-year-old Levi Butler.

In the ensuing melee, Sem stabbed Butler at least three more times before he was restrained. The police were called and Sem, said to be extremely calm, gave himself up. Butler was taken to Jefferson County Hospital, where the first-year student from California was pronounced dead.

The death left many in the college in a state of shock - if yogic flying brings harmony how could one of their own kill in their midst?

Sem is charged with first-degree murder. But it turns out that - using a pen - he'd stabbed another student in the face the same day, in a "Teaching For Enlightenment" class. Seven stiches were required. He was sent to a dean's apartment to chill, where he got the knife he used to kill Butler. The college did not report the first attack, according to The Guardian and school officials. If they had, the killing might have not occured.

Quick to offer a strong defense, The Maharishi pins blame for the murder on "society" and George W. Bush.

The Maharishi himself is reported to have blamed the violence on US foreign policy. Dr. Craig Pearson, executive vice-president of Maharishi University, said: 'Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has made one comment regarding this event. He said that this is an aspect of the violence we see throughout society, including the violence that our country is perpetrating in other countries.'

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at May 4, 2004 09:24 AM

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