Benjamin Creme
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Creme is a Scottish artist, author, esotericist, and editor of Share International
magazine, a monthly non-profit magazine and website.
He asserts that the second coming
prophesied by many religions will come in the form of "Maitreya
", the World Teacher. Maitreya
is the name Buddhists use for the future Buddha
, but Creme claims that Maitreya is the teacher that all religion
s point towards and hope for. Other names for him, according to Creme, are the Christ
, the Imam Mahdi, Krishna
, and the Messiah
. Creme says Maitreya
is the "Avatar
for the Aquarian Age
" and is currently living in London
since 19 July 1977.
when he read With Mystics and Magicians in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel
.
Benjamin Creme was the vice president of the Aetherius Society
(a UFO based new religious movement
) between 1957 and 1959. In 1958 he personally met George Adamski
and Creme says he can personally vouch for the authenticity of Adamski's UFO contacts.
in January 1959, who asked him to make tape recordings of his messages to Creme. He first began to speak publicly of his mission on 30 May 1975, at the Friends Meeting House on Euston Road
in London
, England
. 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 was would be a great Avatar
, Maitreya
, the World Teacher, expected by all the major religions at this time 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.
in the Northern hemisphere
). On 14 May 1982 Benjamin Creme held a press conference in Los Angeles, USA. Over 90 members of the media attended and heard Creme announce that Maitreya was living within the Asian community, in the Brick Lane
area of East London. Creme stated in this press conference when asked "what if someone tried to kill him?" that Maitreya could not be killed because he is invulnerable
. He presented the journalists with a challenge: if media made a serious attempt to seek Maitreya in London, he would reveal himself to them.
Creme has stated that when the "Day of Declaration" occurs, "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."
Since Maitreya's failure to appear in 1982, Creme has made a number of additional predictions and announcement of the imminent appearance of Maitreya based on his claims of receiving telepathic messages from a Master of Wisdom
.
In 1997 Creme made similar predictions that Maitreya would appear on television and be interviewed around the world. This time there was far less media interest.
On 14 January 2010 Benjamin Creme announced that Maitreya had given his first television interview on US television. Soon afterwards several people in the USA, working from Creme's predictions, concluded that British-American journalist and author Raj Patel
was Maitreya. After newspaper articles around the world wrote about this story, Benjamin Creme responded that Raj Patel was not the coming World Teacher in an article in The Guardian newspaper called “Raj Patel is not Maitreya, but the World Teacher is here – and needed.”
Creme, who claims that time is now very near for Maitreya's emergence, does not receive any money for this work or royalties from his 14 books, and has for over 30 years given lectures around the world by invitation only. A worldwide network of volunteers works with Benjamin Creme to give his views out to the public.
Creme has explained 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."
Between 1989-91, Share International magazine published a series of forecasts given to two journalists by an associate of Maitreya, which Share claims came about with uncanny accuracy. These forecasts 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 kidnapped prisoner Terry Waite, the premature resignation of Margaret Thatcher, and many more. These predictions were distributed as press releases were included in a book published by Share International Foundation called ‘Maitreya’s Teachings – the Laws of Life’.
potentials”.
Share International
Share International Foundation is a spiritual movement founded by Benjamin Creme with its main offices in London, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Los Angeles...
magazine, a monthly non-profit magazine and website.
He asserts that the second coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
prophesied by many religions will come in the form of "Maitreya
Maitreya (Benjamin Creme)
In the Neo-Theosophical teachings of Benjamin Creme, founder of Share International, it is promulgated thatthe near-future coming of Maitreya sometime in the 21st century will fulfill not only Buddhist prophecies about the appearance of a future great teacher named Maitreya, but also the...
", the World Teacher. Maitreya
Maitreya
Maitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...
is the name Buddhists use for the future Buddha
Buddhahood
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
, but Creme claims that Maitreya is the teacher that all religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s point towards and hope for. Other names for him, according to Creme, are the Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, the Imam Mahdi, Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, and the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
. Creme says Maitreya
Maitreya (Benjamin Creme)
In the Neo-Theosophical teachings of Benjamin Creme, founder of Share International, it is promulgated thatthe near-future coming of Maitreya sometime in the 21st century will fulfill not only Buddhist prophecies about the appearance of a future great teacher named Maitreya, but also the...
is the "Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
for the Aquarian Age
Age of Aquarius
The Age of Aquarius is either the current or new age in the cycle of astrological ages. Each astrological age is approximately 2,150 years long, on average, but there are various methods of calculating this length that may yield longer or shorter time spans depending upon the technique used...
" and is currently living in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
since 19 July 1977.
Early life
At the age of fourteen, Benjamin Creme says he became interested in the occultOccult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
when he read With Mystics and Magicians in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel
Alexandra David-Néel
Alexandra David-Néel born Louise Eugénie Alexandrine Marie David was a Belgian-French explorer, spiritualist, Buddhist and writer, most known for her visit to Lhasa, Tibet, in 1924, when it was forbidden to foreigners...
.
Benjamin Creme was the vice president of the Aetherius Society
Aetherius Society
The Aetherius Society was founded by Dr George King , an English-born Master of Yoga, occultist, alleged spiritual healer and UFO Contactee. The society was first established in London in 1955, and later becoming incorporated in America as a not-for-profit organisation in 1960. Its guiding...
(a UFO based new religious movement
UFO religion
UFO religion is an informal term used to describe a religion that equates UFO occupants with gods or other semi-divine beings. Typically, the UFO occupants are held to be extraterrestials and that humanity either currently is, or eventually will become, part of a preexisting extraterrestrial...
) between 1957 and 1959. In 1958 he personally met George Adamski
George Adamski
George Adamski was a Polish-born American citizen who became widely known in ufology circles, and to some degree in popular culture, after he claimed to have photographed ships from other planets, met with friendly Nordic alien "Space Brothers", and to have taken flights with them...
and Creme says he can personally vouch for the authenticity of Adamski's UFO contacts.
Assigned his mission by his Master
Creme says he was first contacted telepathically by his MasterMasters of the Ancient Wisdom
The Masters of the Ancient Wisdom are reputed to be enlightened beings originally identified by the Theosophists Helena Blavatsky, Henry S. Olcott, Alfred P. Sinnett, and others. These Theosophists claimed to have met some of the so-called Masters during their lifetimes in different parts of the...
in January 1959, who asked him to make tape recordings of his messages to Creme. He first began to speak publicly of his mission on 30 May 1975, at the Friends Meeting House on Euston Road
Euston Road
Euston Road is an important thoroughfare in central London, England, and forms part of the A501. It is part of the New Road from Paddington to Islington, and was opened as part of the New Road in 1756...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His central message announced the emergence of a group of enlightened spiritual teachers who could guide humanity forward into the new Aquarian Age
Aquarian Age
Aquarian Age may refer to:* Age of Aquarius - astrological belief that the sign Aquarius has sovereignty over civilization during its part of the Great Year* Aquarian Age TCG collectible card game...
of peace and brotherhood based on the principles of love and sharing. At the head of this group was would be a great Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
, Maitreya
Maitreya (Benjamin Creme)
In the Neo-Theosophical teachings of Benjamin Creme, founder of Share International, it is promulgated thatthe near-future coming of Maitreya sometime in the 21st century will fulfill not only Buddhist prophecies about the appearance of a future great teacher named Maitreya, but also the...
, the World Teacher, expected by all the major religions at this time as their “Awaited One” – the Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
to the Christians, the Imam Mahdi to the Muslims, the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
for Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, and the 5th Buddha (Maitreya
Maitreya
Maitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...
) for Buddhists.
1982 prediction
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 world wide television broadcasts. Creme stated in these newspaper advertisements that the Second Coming of Christ would occur on Monday, 21 June 1982 (the summer solsticeSummer solstice
The summer solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is most inclined towards the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also...
in the Northern hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
). On 14 May 1982 Benjamin Creme held a press conference in Los Angeles, USA. Over 90 members of the media attended and heard Creme announce that Maitreya was living within the Asian community, in the Brick Lane
Brick Lane
Brick Lane is a street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It runs from Swanfield Street in the northern part of Bethnal Green, crosses Bethnal Green Road, passes through Spitalfields and is linked to Whitechapel High Street to the south by the short stretch of...
area of East London. Creme stated in this press conference when asked "what if someone tried to kill him?" that Maitreya could not be killed because he is invulnerable
Vulnerability
Vulnerability refer to the susceptibility of a person, group, society, sex or system to physical or emotional injury or attack. The term can also refer to a person who lets their guard down, leaving themselves open to censure or criticism...
. He presented the journalists with a challenge: if media made a serious attempt to seek Maitreya in London, he would reveal himself to them.
Creme has stated that when the "Day of Declaration" occurs, "The Christ
Maitreya (Benjamin Creme)
In the Neo-Theosophical teachings of Benjamin Creme, founder of Share International, it is promulgated thatthe near-future coming of Maitreya sometime in the 21st century will fulfill not only Buddhist prophecies about the appearance of a future great teacher named Maitreya, but also the...
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."
After 1982
Masters of the Ancient Wisdom
The Masters of the Ancient Wisdom are reputed to be enlightened beings originally identified by the Theosophists Helena Blavatsky, Henry S. Olcott, Alfred P. Sinnett, and others. These Theosophists claimed to have met some of the so-called Masters during their lifetimes in different parts of the...
.
In 1997 Creme made similar predictions that Maitreya would appear on television and be interviewed around the world. This time there was far less media interest.
On 14 January 2010 Benjamin Creme announced that Maitreya had given his first television interview on US television. Soon afterwards several people in the USA, working from Creme's predictions, concluded that British-American journalist and author Raj Patel
Raj Patel
Raj Patel is a British-born American academic, journalist, activist and writer who has lived and worked in Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United States for extended periods. He is best known for his 2008 book, Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System...
was Maitreya. After newspaper articles around the world wrote about this story, Benjamin Creme responded that Raj Patel was not the coming World Teacher in an article in The Guardian newspaper called “Raj Patel is not Maitreya, but the World Teacher is here – and needed.”
Creme, who claims that time is now very near for Maitreya's emergence, does not receive any money for this work or royalties from his 14 books, and has for over 30 years given lectures around the world by invitation only. A worldwide network of volunteers works with Benjamin Creme to give his views out to the public.
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."Creme has explained 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
Nordic aliens
Nordic aliens are said by self-described contactees and some UFOlogists to be a group of humanoid extraterrestrials who resemble European racial images, or more specifically Nordic-Scandinavians....
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."
Creme's predictions--criticism and reply
Creme has made a case for the imminent appearance of Maitreya based on his claims of receiving telepathic messages from a Master of Wisdom. Skeptics have ridiculed the story presented by Benjamin Creme, or have taken issue with the possibility that his predictions might have come true. Others have treated Creme’s story with serious interest and are waiting to see what happens.Between 1989-91, Share International magazine published a series of forecasts given to two journalists by an associate of Maitreya, which Share claims came about with uncanny accuracy. These forecasts 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 kidnapped prisoner Terry Waite, the premature resignation of Margaret Thatcher, and many more. These predictions were distributed as press releases were included in a book published by Share International Foundation called ‘Maitreya’s Teachings – the Laws of Life’.
Criticism by Christians
Some Christian Evangelical sources and other detractors have accused Benjamin Creme of being part of a satanic conspiracy and place him amongst a larger list of “antichristAntichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
potentials”.
Further reading
- Bailey, Alice A. The Reappearance of the Christ. Lucis Publishing, 1948.
- Bailey, Alice A. The Externalisation of the Hierarchy. Lucis Publishing, 1957.
- Bistrich, Andrea. Maitreya: "I Come to Change All Things". Eine moderne Heilserwartung im interkulturellen Vergleich. (Münchener Ethnologische Abhandlugen 17) Akademischer Verlag München, 1996.
- Brown, Mick. "Messiah is alive and well and in London." The Sunday Times, 23 October 1988, p. A15.
- Brown, Mick. The Spiritual Tourist. Bloomsbury publishing, 1998.
- Carey, Howard Ray. The Joy of Christ's Coming: From Traditional Religion to Ageless Wisdom. Share International Foundation, 1988.
- Cumbey, Constance E. The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow. Huntington House, 1983.
- MacDonald-Bayne, Murdo. Beyond the Himalayas. L. N. Fowler, 1954.
- Muto, Nyaga wa, and Ben Mitukaa. "Did Jesus Visit Kawangware?" [Kenya] Sunday Times, 26 June 1988, pp. 12, 17.
- Mutungi, Job. "Did Jesus Christ Come to the City?" Kenya Times, Wednesday, 22 June 1988, pp. 16–17.
- Peterson, Wayne S. Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Beings. Hampton Roads Publishing, 2003
- Spalding, Baird T.Baird T. SpaldingBaird Thomas Spalding was an American writer. He is the author of the spiritual book series : Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East.-Early life:...
Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East. 5 vols. De Vorss & Co., 1924-55. - Stammer, Larry B. "Years After Apparition Claims Fizzled, Creme Keeps the Faith." Los Angeles Times, Saturday, 3 July 1993, p. B10.
External links
- Books (Share International) by Benjamin Creme.