Benjamin Creme

Benjamin Creme (5 December 1922 − 24 October 2016) was a Scottish artist, author, esotericist, and editor of Share International magazine.[1]

Benjamin Creme
Lecturing in Paris, 17 March 2006
Born5 December 1922
Glasgow, Scotland
Died24 October 2016 (aged 93)
London, England
NationalityBritish
Occupationartist, author, esotericist
Known forViews on the second coming

He asserted that the second coming, prophesied by many religions, would come in the form of Maitreya, the World Teacher. Maitreya is the name Buddhists use for the future Buddha, but Creme claimed that Maitreya is the teacher that all religions point towards and hope for. Other names for him, according to Creme, are the Christ, the Imam Mahdi, Krishna, and the Messiah. Creme claimed Maitreya is the "Avatar for the Aquarian Age", is omniscient and omnipresent, and has lived in London since 19 July 1977.[2][3][4]

Early life

At the age of thirteen Creme began painting, inspired by the work of Rembrandt. In order to become a painter he left school at sixteen.[5] At the age of fourteen, Creme said, he became interested in the occult, when he read With Mystics and Magicians in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel. From 1957 to 1959 Creme was the Vice-President of the Aetherius Society, a UFO religion based largely on Theosophy.[6][7][8] In 1958 he met George Adamski and Creme said he could personally vouch for the authenticity of Adamski's UFO contacts.[9] Creme became a follower of the Theosophist Alice Bailey and her teachings on Maitreya.

Assigned mission by his Master

Creme said that he was first contacted telepathically by his Master in January 1959, when Creme was asked to make tape recordings of his messages.[10] Creme first began to speak publicly of his mission on 30 May 1975, at the Friends Meeting House on Euston Road in London, England.[11][12] His central message announced the emergence of a group of enlightened spiritual teachers who could guide humanity forward into the new Aquarian Age of peace and brotherhood based on the principles of love and sharing. At the head of this group would be a great Avatar, Maitreya, the World Teacher, expected by all the major religions as their "Awaited One": the Christ to the Christians, the Imam Mahdi to the Muslims, the Messiah for Jews and the 5th Buddha (Maitreya) for Buddhists.

Predictions in 1982 and later
Creme's magazine Share International, featuring one of his artworks

In the spring of 1982 Creme placed advertisements in newspapers around the world saying, "The Christ is now here." According to Creme, the Christ, whom he also called Maitreya, would announce his existence on worldwide television broadcasts. Creme stated in these newspaper advertisements that the Second Coming of Christ would occur on Monday 21 June 1982 (the summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere). On 14 May 1982 Creme held a press conference in Los Angeles. More than 90 reporters attended and heard Creme announce that Maitreya was living within the Asian community in the Brick Lane area of London. Creme presented the reporters with a challenge: if the media made a serious attempt to seek Maitreya in London, he would reveal himself to them. Afterwards, Creme wrote, "It was hoped that the media would respond to my information at a level which would allow Him to come forward to them. This hope, however, was not fulfilled. While the media did show an interest in the reappearance story, it did not go so far as to actually get involved in searching for Maitreya."[13]

After 1982, Creme made a number of additional predictions and announcements about the imminent appearance of Maitreya, based on his claims of receiving telepathic messages from a Master of Wisdom. Creme said that in January 1986, Maitreya contacted media representatives at the highest level in Britain who agreed to make an announcement. Under pressure from high religious and government officials, however, this statement was withheld.[14][15]

Creme wrote, "On 26 February 1987 Maitreya gave an interview to the major American television company, Cable News Network (CNN). He was interviewed under His ordinary, everyday name, and did not call Himself the Christ. He did say, however, that, among other names, He was known as Maitreya. A group of His closest associates journeyed to the United States to arrange further interviews[...]" The CNN interview was made available for possible showing in 26 of a promised 29 countries in Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa and the Middle East, but was not broadcast in the United States. The CNN office in Atlanta explained that they could not see a framework in which to present the interview.[16]

In 1997 Creme made similar announcements that there would be imminent global TV broadcasts from Christ/Maitreya, though with far less media interest.[17] Creme stated that when the "Day of Declaration" occurred "The Christ will come on the world's television channels, linked together by satellite. All those with access to television will see ... [his face]. He will establish a telepathic rapport with all humanity simultaneously. While the Christ is speaking... [everyone will feel far more love than they've ever felt before, that massive outpouring of love will cause] hundreds of thousands of 'miracle' cures [to] take place simultaneously."[18]

On 14 January 2010 Creme announced that Maitreya had given his first interview on American television. Soon afterwards several people in the United States, working from Creme's predictions, concluded that the British-American economist and author Raj Patel was Maitreya. After newspaper articles spread this story around the world Creme responded that Raj Patel was not the coming World Teacher in an article in The Guardian under the headline "Raj Patel is Not Maitreya, But the World Teacher is Here — and Needed."[19]

Creme, who claimed that the time was now very near for Maitreya's emergence, apparently did not receive any money for his work or royalties from his 14 books, and for more than 30 years he gave lectures around the world by invitation only. A worldwide network of volunteers worked with Creme to give his views to the public.[20]

Creme died in October 2016 at the age of 93.[21]

Crop circles and UFOs

During an interview in 2006 Creme confirmed his views on the importance of crop circles: "The UFOs have an enormous part to play in the security of this planet at the ecological level. [The crop circles are part of] a new science that will give us energy directly from the sun. Oil will become a thing of the past. No one will be able to sell energy in the future."[22]

Creme gave his explanation as to how crop circles are made by UFOs in his magazine: "The crop circles are there to draw attention to the fact that the Space Brothers are there. They are amazing constructions. They are made in seconds by the 'ships' of the Space Brothers. They are complex and beautiful constructions which cannot be made in any other way. They appear all over the world, but the majority are in the South of England. Why? Because Maitreya is in London."[3]

Predictions and responses

Sceptics ridiculed the story presented by Benjamin Creme and took issue with the possibility that his predictions might have come true.[23][24][25] Some others have treated Creme's story with interest and are waiting to see what happens.[26]

Between 1989 and 1991 Creme's magazine Share International published a series of forecasts given to two journalists by an associate of Maitreya, which the magazine claimed had come about with uncanny accuracy. These forecasts were purported to have included the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the ending of Communist rule in the Soviet Union, the release of Nelson Mandela and the ending of Apartheid in South Africa, the release of Terry Waite, the resignation of Margaret Thatcher, and many more.[27][28][29]

Some fundamentalist Evangelical Christian sources and other detractors accused Creme of being part of a satanic conspiracy and placed him among a number of “antichrist potentials".[30]

Bibliography
  • Creme, Benjamin. The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom. Tara Press, 1980.
  • Creme, Benjamin (ed.). Messages from Maitreya the Christ. (Share International Foundation), 1981, 1986.
  • Creme, Benjamin. Transmission: A Meditation for the New Age. Tara Center, 1983.
  • Creme, Benjamin (ed.). A Master Speaks. Share International Foundation, 1985.
  • Creme, Benjamin. Maitreya's Mission. 3 vols. Share International Foundation, 1986, 1993, 1997.
  • Creme, Benjamin. The Ageless Wisdom Teaching: An Introduction to Humanity's Spiritual Legacy. Share International Foundation, 1996.
  • Creme, Benjamin. The Great Approach: New Light and Life for Humanity. Share International Foundation, 2001.
  • Creme, Benjamin. The Art of Co-operation. Share International Foundation, 2002.
  • Creme, Benjamin (ed.). Maitreya's Teachings — The Laws of Life. Share International Foundation, 2005.
  • Creme, Benjamin. The Art of Living: Living within the Laws of Life. Share International Foundation, 2006.
  • Creme, Benjamin. The World Teacher for All Humanity. Share International Foundation, 2007.
  • Creme, Benjamin. The Awakening of Humanity. Share International Foundation, 2008.
gollark: Did you know?
gollark: Doubtful.
gollark: Simply approximate other people as identical to you.
gollark: The haptic/audio feedback on the keyboard on my phone does a bit, but that is negligible.
gollark: Technically, I'm not making much of a sound right now.

See also

References
  1. "Benjamin Creme: A Messenger of Hope". Share-international.org. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  2. "Share International Index". Share-international.org. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  3. "Share International July / August 2009". Share-international.org. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  4. Niebuhr, Gustav (20 July 1996). "New Millennium, Great Expectations". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  5. "Benjamin Creme, b. 1922, A Selected Chronology". Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  6. Creme, Benjamin The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of the Wisdom London: Tara Press 1980 , p. 11
  7. Barrett, David V. The New Believers 2001 ISBN 0-304-35592-5, page 347-349
  8. "Encyclopedia of Esoteric Groups — Aetherius Society". Archived from the original on 11 May 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  9. Creme, Benjamin The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of the Wisdom London: Tara Press 1980, p. 13
  10. Creme, Benjamin The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of the Wisdom London: Tara Press 1980, p. 14
  11. Creme, Benjamin The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of the Wisdom London: Tara Press 1980, p. 19
  12. Creme, Benjamin (ed.). Messages from Maitreya the Christ. Amsterdam: Share International Foundation 1981
  13. Maitreya's Mission, Vol.1, p. 14
  14. Maitreya's Mission, Vol.1, p. 14
  15. Alcuin Bramerton: Christ and Jesus at the BBC - London 1986 BBC misses biggest story in English history. UK church establishment rejects Second Coming of Christ. Why did the BBC, the Queen and the Church of England bishops choose to ignore the Second Coming of Christ in 1986?
  16. Maitreya's Mission Vol. II (1993)
  17. "British Futurist Says 'World Teacher'... will be interviewed on a major American network before the end of the year. This will be followed by appearances on other networks around the world and...will lead to a global satellite hook-up where Maitreya can speak to all people simultaneously -- in their own language". Canada NewsWire. 2 December 1997.
  18. Creme, Benjamin Maitreya's Mission I 1986 p. 23
  19. Benjamin Creme (30 November 2006). "Raj Patel is Not Maitreya, But the World Teacher is Here – and Needed". The Guardian.
  20. The Tara Press (3 June 1982). "Advertisement". The Times. p. 6.
  21. "Author Benjamin Creme Has Passed Away". 28 October 2016.
  22. R.V. Scheide (30 November 2006). "Signs of the Times: Crop Circles, Weeping Madonnas and the Strange Esoteric World of Benjamin Creme". Sacramento News & Review.
  23. "Francis Wheen's Diary". The Independent 27 January 1991: "Alas and alack, on the great issue of the day poor Mr Maitreya seems to have stubbed his toe rather badly. After Saddam sent his tanks across the border last August Maitreya suggested that a mystical power and force in nature will make Iraq withdraw totally and unconditionally from Kuwait. In November his message was unequivocal: The Gulf Crisis: Maitreya has made it clear from the beginning that there will be no war."
  24. "Kiwis Prove to Aussies They're Not That Gullible". The Evening Post 4 December 1995. "But it's not just the eruptions at issue. Benjamin Creme, based in London and a five-time visitor to New Zealand as ambassador for Maitreya, the saviour he claims is awaited by all religions, has extended the connection. John O'Donnell of the New Zealand Transmission Meditation Network said Mr Creme had told him the 5.9 South Island quake on Friday, November 24 had been caused by the fourth French atomic test two days before. Nobody has yet predicted plagues of locusts, frogs, flies, rivers of blood or other disasters for the fifth and subsequent tests."
  25. Ron Rosenbaum (15 August 2005). "Voices in Our Head: Where is Good Old American Weirdness?", New York Observer
  26. "TV interviews with Benjamin Creme". Share-international.org. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  27. "The Coming of Maitreya, the World Teacher" (PDF). Share-international.org. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  28. "Signs and Miracles". Share-international.org. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  29. "Compilation of Comments on World Events by Benjamin Creme in the Year 2005 as Published in Share International Magazine" (PDF). Share-international.org. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  30. David V. Barrett, The New Believers, 2001 ISBN 0-304-35592-5, page 349
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.