MasterPath
eric.ri...@cpocscr.army.mil
your opinion. Thank you.
Eric
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
radha...@my-deja.com
eric.ri...@cpocscr.army.mil wrote:
> Has anyone ever heard of MasterPath? If you have, please respond with
> your opinion. Thank you.
>
> Eric
>
Yes I have. They are another cult with a self-appointed guru who
doesn't want to come clean about where he got the teachings from. They
charge money for initiation, which is the unpardonable sin in Sant
Mat. They also dropped the dietary requirements: vegetarian. They
have borrowed some of their teachings from the Sant tradition of India
and try to market them to the new age community. Both David Lane and
Andrea Grace Diem have written about this group, posting articles on
their websites.
James
radha...@my-deja.com
eric.ri...@cpocscr.army.mil wrote:
> Has anyone ever heard of MasterPath? If you have, please respond with
> your opinion. Thank you.
>
> Eric
>
GNOSTIC GOLFER WEBSITE:
Gary Olsen
Following in the footsteps of Jerry Mulvin, Gary Olsen, also a former
Eckist, founded "MasterPath" in the mid-1980s. Claiming the title
of "Sri" (an honorific prefix which all three Eckankar masters have
used for themselves--it is derived from Hindi and simply means "Sir"
or "Respected One"), Olsen states that he is in a long line
of "Satgurus" who have been appointed to act as vehicles for God to
bring souls back home to the highest abode. Unlike Mulvin whose
terminology is closely linked with Eckankar, Olsen has taken a more
traditional shabd yoga approach, basing much of his terminology on
Radhasoami and Sant Mat. Though he also invokes Eckankar's unique
definition of terms at places, his teachings lack the amalgamation of
Scientology and Theosophy which Twitchell intertwined with shabd yoga.
Olsen's MasterPath is an attempt to present Eckankar's version of shabd
yoga without the admixture of other non-related New Age thought. In so
doing, the MasterPath appears to be a fusing of Eckankar with more
traditional Indian versions of shabd yoga. Olsen's following statement
reveals this fusion:
The first central reality of the MasterPath is Soul Transport. Every
individual has the opportunity to explore the divine regions of Light
and Sound on his own volition. After having the secrets imparted by a
Living Master, and then discovering and identifying with the Soul
essence, the inner door opens and we experience soul transport
firsthand. . . The second central reality is the Audible Life Stream,
the might stream that issues out of the God head. All creation came
into being upon this Sound Current, and it on this gigantic river that
all subsequent creation is sustained. . .[9]
But on almost all key features, Olsen's teachings parallel Eckankar's.
The following are five areas in which Olsen's MasterPath is similar to
Paul Twitchell's Eckankar:
Dreams as an Avenue for Spiritual Unfoldment
Unlike Radhasoami which disdains dreams as mostly projections of the
lower mind, Eckankar advocates dreaming as a royal road to spiritual
progress. Gary Olsen also agrees with his mentor, Paul Twitchell, on
this issue and advocates dreams as a viable means for inner progress.
Writes Olsen:
If there is anything you do not completely understand or believe,
please ask for assistance from the Inner Master. During the dream state
[my italics] and in contemplation, the Master will help you understand
the greater mysteries. [10]
For many the claim that spiritual experiences can occur in the dream
state may be an attractive one. Since dreams are part of one's daily
life the opportunities for religious visions are vast. A feeling of
comfort and security may arise believing that the Master is regularly
manifesting. Thus, disciples of Eckankar and MasterPath receive an
almost immediate boost when they begin on the path, unlike those in
Radhasoami who may spend years meditating before any kind of spiritual
state is believed to be reached.
The God-Worlds
Olsen's "Planes Chart" given in his booklet, MasterPath (1993), [11]
reveals a significant influence from Paul Twitchell's God-Worlds chart
which Twitchell copyrighted in his book, The Spiritual Notebook. While
Olsen utilizes Eckankar's official version, he also draws from some
Radhasoami terminology here--particularly the names of the various
presiding rulers and the names of the highest regions. Below is a
comparison of Twitchell's and Olsen's cosmologies:
Cosmological Correlations #1
Eckankar Version (as given in The Spiritual Notebook by Paul Twitchell)
MasterPath Version (as given in MasterPath by Gary Olsen)
1. Physical
1. Physical Plane (ruler: Ganesh)
2. Astral
2. Astral Plane (ruler: Jot Niranjan)
3. Causal
3. Causal Plane (ruler: Omkar)
4. Mental
4. Mental Plane (ruler: Kal Niranjan)
*Etheric Plane
*Etheric Plane
5. Soul
5. Daswan Dwar Plane (ruler: Ramkar)
6. Alakh Lok
6. Banwar Gupha Plane (ruler: Sohang)
7. Alaya Lok
7. Sach Khand (ruler: Sat Purush)
8. Hukikat Lok
9. Agam Lok
10. Anami Lok
11. Sugmad World
12. Sugmad
A more detailed cosmology is offered by Olsen in an early work,
MasterPath Book II (1988), [12] which is almost a near match with the
Radhasoami cosmology found in Daryai Lal Kapur's Call of the Great
Master (1964). Both authors describe twelve states of consciousness,
the first six being the classic Indian chakras, and later six being
beyond the third eye. In his cosmological chart, Olsen not only refers
to the same deities found in Radhasoami literature, but he also
mentions the same signposts, like the "crooked tunnel," intended to
direct the soul back to Sach Khand, the highest spiritual region. In
fact, Olsen is so indebted to Radhasoami that his chart appears to have
been a "photocopy" of Kapur's, which he then slightly altered. Hence,
Olsen is clearly relying on both Eckankar and Radhasoami for his
sources of inspiration. Here is a direct comparison of Radhasoami's and
MasterPath's states of awareness:
Cosmological Correlations #2
Radhasoami Version (as given in Call of the Great Master by Daryai Lal
Kapur)
MasterPath Version (as given in MasterPath Book II by Gary Olsen)
Muladhar
(location: rectum; color: reddish; presiding deity: Ganesh; function:
elimination of physical matter)
Stage 1
(location: rectum; color: reddish; presiding deity: Ganesh; function:
elimination of physical matter)
Svadasthan
(location: genital; color: whitish black; presiding deity: Brahma;
function: to prepare the physical body)
Stage 2
(location: genital; color: whitish black; presiding deity: Brahma;
function: to prepare the physical body)
Manipurak or Nabhi
(location: navel; color: dark red; presiding deity: Vishnu; function:
to nourish the physical body)
Stage 3
(location: navel; color: dark red; presiding deity: Vishnu; function:
to nourish the physical body)
Anahat or Hirday Chakra
(location: heart; color: blue; presiding deity: Shiva; function:
protection and destruction of the physical body)
Stage 4
(location: heart; color: blue; presiding deity: Shiva; function:
protection and destruction of the physical body)
Vishudhhi or Kanth Chakra
(location: throat; color: dark blue; presiding deity: Shakti; function:
minor creative spirit)
Stage 5
(location: throat; color: dark blue; presiding deity: Shakti; function:
minor creative spirit)
Ajno Chakra
(location: center of eyes; presiding deity: Soul and Mind; function:
enlivens the body)
Stage 6
(location: center of eyes; presiding deity: Soul and Mind; function:
enlivens the body)
Radhasoami Version
MasterPath Version
Sahansar, the Thousand
Pettalled Lotus
(the flame/jyoti; before Bank Nal or the Crooked Tunnel; presiding
deity: Sabal Maya Brahm (Brahm with Maya); after this region there is
Brahm without Maya)
7. Sahansar, the Thousand Pettalled Lotus
(the flame/jyoti; before Bank Nal or the Crooked Tunnel; presiding
deity: Brahm with Maya; after this region there is Brahm without Maya;
here is the radiant form (dhyani) and the sound current begins)
Musalsi [Trikuti]
(presiding deity: Brahm; Aum or Om; from here the creation began
Trikuti
(presiding deity: Kal; Aum or Oml from here the creation began; cosmic
consciousness)
Sunna [Daswan Dwar]
(presiding deity: Par Brahm; these are two parts of Daswan Dwar
[referring to the next region])
Daswan Dwar
(presiding deity: Rankar; these are two parts of Daswan Dwar [referring
to the next region]; self realization)
Nirala (Maha Suna)
(as yet aloof; though descended much, still not engulfed in matter)
10. Maha Suna
(as yet aloof; though descended much, still not engulfed in matter;
soul merges with Master)
Anaa Hoo (I am that)
[Bhanwar Gupha]
(soul unalloyed; drop separated from the ocean)
11. Bhanwar Gupha
(drop separated from the ocean; soul unalloyed; spirit realization)
Sach Khand
(the ocean of spirituality; oresiding deity: Sat Purush)
Sach Khand
(the ocean of spirituality; oresiding deity: Sat Purush; God
realization)
The Sacred Writings
Gary Olsen has been highly influenced in his teachings by the writings
of the Radhasoami Satsang Beas Masters, particularly Sawan Singh, Jagat
Singh, and Charan Singh. However, Olsen has like his predecessors
before him, particularly Paul Twitchell, attempted to veil his
indebtedness to Radhasoami. For instance, in his private discourses
which are only available to paying members of MasterPath, Olsen has
appropriated large sections from Beas publications without citing or
referencing where he got the material. Instead Olsen infers that he is
the sole author of the discourses, even though there are hundreds of
sentences and direct quotes from Charan Singh's Words Eternal, Jagat
Singh's Science of the Soul, and Sawan Singh's Dawn of Light. In these
private discourses, Olsen even prints a warning that they are meant
for "members only" and he includes a copyright page which states: "All
rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form by an electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording means or otherwise without written
permission of the copyright holder." Such stark warnings to his would-
be readers is consistent with Eckankar's and M.S.I.A.'s policy of not
letting outsiders read or copy what is considered esoteric or "secret"
material meant only for initiates. Another reason, of course, may be
that Olsen does not want to face accusations of plagiarism from other
shabd yoga groups--groups like Beas which have been the source of much
of his esoteric material. Indeed, when Olsen learned of a defection
within his group, he asked his secretary to contact the disciple in
order to get the "members only" discourses back. The secretary even
went so far as to offer payment to get Olsen's discourses back. Due to
increasing pressure from both within and outside of his group, Olsen
has reluctantly admitted on taped discourses to "plagiarizing less than
fifteen percent" of his material, a startling admission for any
fledgling God-man to make. Below are numerous examples illustrating
Olsen's unquestionable indebtedness to Radhasoami literature. [13] His
inspiration in this case was Charan Singh's Words Eternal. [14]
Empirical Correlations
Radhasoami Literature:
Charan Singh’s Words Eternal (published 1983)
MasterPath Literature:
Gary Olsen’s MasterPath Book II (published 1988)
Example One
The very reason we are placed on this earth is to enable us to realise
God within ourselves. (p. 2)
Example One
The very reason we are placed on this earth is to enable us to realize
God within ourselves. (p. 96)
Example Two
There is nothing in this world that is worthy of our effort and
achievement except the wealth of Nam, the jewel of Shabd…(p. 7)
Example Two
There is nothing in this world that is worthy of our effort and
achievements except the Jewel of Soul…(p. 96)
Example Three
The real form of the Pertfect Master is the Word of Shabd. It assumes
the human form in order to be able to communicate with man and to show
him the way back to his home. (p. 10)
Example Three
The real form of the Pertfect Master is the Word of Shabd. It assumes
the human form to communicate with man and to point the way back home.
(p. 96)
Example Four
The first and most important thing for an initiate to realize is the
great value of human life and its true purpose. The human body is a
priceless gift bestowed on man through the Lord’s Grace. The purpose of
this rare gift is to afford us an opportunity to return to our True
Home. (p. 17)
Radhasaomi Literature
Example Four
The first and most important thing for an initiate to realize is the
great value of human life and its true purpose. The human body is a
priceless gift, for only through this vehicle can we attain Godhood. No
other life form has this opportunity. (p. 96)
MasterPath Literature
Example Five
We are to do everything according to the best of our knowlegde but the
results are to be left entirely in the hands of God. The Lord loves to
meet us even more than we can possibly long to meet Him. It is He who
creates the desire in out hearts to meet Him. (pp. 18-19)
Example Five
We are to do everything according to the best of our knowlegde but the
results are to be left entirely in the hands of the Master…The Inner
Master desires to meet us more than we desire to meet Him…He creates
the desire in us to find Him in the first place.
(pp. 96-97)
Example Six
Blessed are those whose hearts the Lord has kindled the flame of His
own Love. (p. 21)
Example Six
Blessed are those in whose hearts the Master has kindled the flame of
His own love. (p. 97)
Example Seven
It is only a question of time. The battle with the mind has to be won.
Many blows will be given and many received but with the Master and the
Lord on our side Victory is assured. (p. 27)
Example Seven
It is only a question of time; the battle with the mind has to be won.
Many blows will be given and many received, but with the Master on your
side victory is assured. (p. 97)
Example Eight
God is your Father and you are His child. Try to approach Him in that
light. (p. 31)
Example Eight
God is your Father and you are His child. Try to approach Him in this
light. (p. 97)
Example Nine
It is not for us to judge the progress. Ours is to do duty faithfully
and leave the rest to the Master (p. 38)
Radhasoami Literature
Example Nine
It is not for you to judge your progress…Simply to do your duty and
leave the rest to the Master… (p. 97)
MasterPath Literature
Example Ten
The doctrine of karma is not against making any effort but teaches us
to be content when our efforts fail. (p. 43)
Example Ten
The doctrine of karma is not against making any effort but teaches us
to be content when our efforts seemingly fail. (p. 97)
Example Eleven
It is true that slow and steady wins the race. How many times do we
stumble and fall when we are learning how to walk. But as we grow older
we forget the struggles and enjoy the performance. So it is with
spiritual work. (p. 47)
Example Eleven
It is true that slow and steady wins the race. How many times do we
stumble and fall when we are learning how to walk. But as we grow
older, we forget the struggles and enjoy the performance. So it is with
spiritual unfoldment. (p. 97)
Example Twelve
Ups and downs come into the life of everyone in this world, but a
Satsangi who always has the protecting Hand of the Master to guide him
should never lose heart under any circumstances. (p. 59)
Example Twelve
Ups and downs do come into the life of everyone in this world, but a
chela who always has the protecting hand of the Master to guide him
should never lose heart under any circumstances. (p. 59)
Example Thirteen
One should follow a career or profession to make one’s living but
should not become engrossed in it to the detriment of one’s spiritual
attainment. (p. 63)
Example Thirteen
One should follow a career or profession to make one’s own living, but
should not become engrossed in it to the detriment of one’s own
spiritual attainment. (p. 98)
Radhasoami Literature
MasterPath Literature
Example Fourteen
You can say, "I am doing the meditation," providing you are doing it.
But when you really do it then you won’t say, "I am doing it." "I" only
comes when we don’t do it. When we truly meditate the "I" just
disappears. (p. 74)
Example Fourteen
You can say, "I am doing the contemplation," providing you are doing
it. But when you really do it, then you won’t say, "I am doing it." "I"
only comes when we don’t do it! When we truly contemplate, then the "I"
just disappears. (p. 98)
Example Fifteen
Please don’t worry about any persons leaving the Master. The Master
will never leave any of His disciples. (p. 77)
Example Fifteen
Please don’t worry if any persons leaves the Master, for the Master l
never leaves him. (p. 77)
Example Sixteen
The constant feeling of loneliness and missing something is in reality
the hidden unquenched thirst and craving of the soul for its Lord. It
will always persit as long as the soul does not return to its ancient
original Home and meet its Lord. This feeling has been purposefully put
in the heart of man. (p. 82)
Example Sixteen
The constant feeling of loneliness and missing something is in reality
the hidden unquenched thirst and craving of the Soul for its Master. As
long as the Soul does not return to its original home, this feeling
will purposefully persist in the heart of man. (p. 98)
Example Seventeen
The Master is not very far. He is within you and if you go in, you will
be able to contact Him…(p. 84)
Example Seventeen
The Master is not far from you. He is within you and if you go in, you
will be able to contact Him…(p. 98)
Radhasoami Literature
MasterPath Literature
Example Eighteen
To lose our own identity and to become another being is love…Who are
the true devotees of the Lord? Not those who know the most, but those
who love the most. (pp. 96-98)
Example Eighteen
To lose our own identity and to become another being is love…Who are
the true devotees of the Master? Not those who know the most, but those
who love the most. (pp. 99)
Example Nineteen
Without Divine Grace Satguru cannot be contacted. Without Satguru Nam
cannot be obtained. Without Nam there can be no salvation. Such is the
essence of the Path of the Masters…In this world we accept a reflection
for real, a counterfeit for genuine, a piece of galss for a diamond.
(pp. 99-100)
Example Nineteen
Without Divine Grace, the Sat Guru cannot be contacted. Without the Sat
Guru, Shabda cannot be obtained. Without Shabda, there can be no
liberation…Such is the essence of the MasterPath…In this world we
accept a reflection for real, a counterfeit for genuine, and a piece of
galss for a diamond. (p. 99)
A larger question naturally arises: Why do American gurus like Olsen,
Twitchell, Thind, and Rogers utilize Sant Mat publications without
acknowledging their sources or properly referencing them? According to
Paul Johnson, author of Initiates of Theosophical Masters (SUNY, 1995),
it is not a new phenomenon but one which has a longstanding tradition
in America, dating back to Madame Blavatsky and her claim that there
was a Brotherhood of Great Masters living in the deeper recesses of the
Himalayan mountains who were guiding her path and those of others in
Theosophy. What Blavatsky, Twitchell, Thind, and Olsen are trying to do
is "genealogically dissociate" their roots. As Johnson writes:
The nature of the evidence makes it impossible to determine the truth
about Gurdjieff's sources. He, like HPB and the Baha'i leaders,
exemplifies a pattern of genealogical dissociation. This term, coined
by David C. Lane, is illustrated in his study of the roots of the
Eckankar movement. It describes the practice of concealing the real
origins of an emergent spiritual tradition and supplanting the truth
with more appealing mythological genealogies. [15]
Olsen's reticence in identifying many of the sources of his written
material is reflective of genealogical distancing, just like his
predecessor Twitchell had done with his books. The overriding concern
that Twitchell had with Eckankar and which Olsen has with MasterPath is
the establishment of a new lineage, a new mythology--in sum an
autonomous tradition divorced from Radhasoami or any other previous
parampara. The problem is that Twitchell's and Olsen's struggle to
divorce themselves from Radhasoami is impossible to achieve. Why?
Because both grounded their respective teachings (both in written and
in oral form) directly from Radhasoami. For Eckankar and MasterPath to
completely cut asunder their ties with Radhasoami would necessitate a
wholesale transformation of their tenets--a transformation that both
have been unwilling to do.
Brian Zischkau
>In article <8e9996$l8i$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
> eric.ri...@cpocscr.army.mil wrote:
>> Has anyone ever heard of MasterPath? If you have, please respond with
>> your opinion. Thank you.
>>
>> Eric
>>
>Dear Eric:
>
> Yes I have. They are another cult with a self-appointed guru who
>doesn't want to come clean about where he got the teachings from. They
>charge money for initiation, which is the unpardonable sin in Sant
>Mat. They also dropped the dietary requirements: vegetarian. They
>have borrowed some of their teachings from the Sant tradition of India
>and try to market them to the new age community. Both David Lane and
>Andrea Grace Diem have written about this group, posting articles on
>their websites.
>
>James
>
Well James, Sri Gary has about 8000 chelas who would disagree with you. Just curious
as to whether your information is first-hand or gleaned from the internet?
May the blessings be,
Brian Zischkau
"Shabda can not be taught, it can only be caught".
-Sri Gary Olsen
Brian Zischkau
>
>I read these claims about "large" satsangs, but then I wonder why only
>a few of them ever do any posting here? Could you explain that?
>
>I wonder why more members of the SOS, Rajinder Singh Ji's Satsang
>Organization, don't post, since it was just posted to this NG the other
>day, that he has initiated 220,000 souls into Sant Mat? Does anybody
>from the SOS have an explanation for that?
I can offer my opinion Michael. Not evryone is online and of those that are, I would
guess only a small percentage are even aware that newsgroups exist. My parents, for
instance, enjoy aol chatrooms but would not even be able to log onto a newsgroup.
Another thought. I read posts here and even replied to a few, for 2 years before I
mentioned my own affiliation. You might be surprised to learn that many of the group
here are associated with Masters. After all, if they clicked on a group heading
titled alt.meditation.shabda, they must have some knowledge of the topic.
Or maybe they use their spare time meditating and consider the internet an
unspiritual endeavor.
>
>Michael Martin
>http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/michaelmartinwesternsatguru
sh...@my-deja.com
don't.s...@me.com wrote:
> radha...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> >In article <8e9996$l8i$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
> > eric.ri...@cpocscr.army.mil wrote:
> >> Has anyone ever heard of MasterPath? If you have, please respond
with
> >> your opinion. Thank you.
> >>
> >> Eric
> >>
> >Dear Eric:
> >
> > Yes I have. They are another cult with a self-appointed guru who
> >doesn't want to come clean about where he got the teachings from.
They
> >charge money for initiation, which is the unpardonable sin in Sant
> >Mat. They also dropped the dietary requirements: vegetarian. They
> >have borrowed some of their teachings from the Sant tradition of
India
> >and try to market them to the new age community. Both David Lane and
> >Andrea Grace Diem have written about this group, posting articles on
> >their websites.
> >
> >James
> >
>
> Well James, Sri Gary has about 8000 chelas who would disagree with
you.
I read these claims about "large" satsangs, but then I wonder why only
a few of them ever do any posting here? Could you explain that?
I wonder why more members of the SOS, Rajinder Singh Ji's Satsang
Organization, don't post, since it was just posted to this NG the other
day, that he has initiated 220,000 souls into Sant Mat? Does anybody
from the SOS have an explanation for that?
> Just curious
> as to whether your information is first-hand or gleaned from the
internet?
>
> May the blessings be,
> Brian Zischkau
>
> "Shabda can not be taught, it can only be caught".
> -Sri Gary Olsen
Michael Martin
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/michaelmartinwesternsatguru