TONY PARSONS


Tony Parsons is not a self-confessed criminal nor an accused (and virtually confessed) rapist like James Swartz.

Tony Parsons is, what?

I don't know, personally. I've never met the man, attended one of his meetings, or even read anything he's put out. Unlike with James Swartz, nothing Tony Parsons has done has hurt someone I care about. Nor has Tony sent me threatening messages and insults as has Swartz.

However, some persons whose judgment I trust have sent me some claims about Tony Parsons which, to say the least, are concerning. Among them are:

---"Tony Parsons has ruined Advaita in the UK for a generation. He's a used car salesman who had a partial-awakening and semi-realization at a Vipassana Retreat and he's turned it into gold for himself, and tragically skewed the spiritual path for thousands."

---"Tony Parsons has no wisdom or deep understanding of that which he teaches. However, he is very clever, and he is an interesting speaker who can be charming and convincing. Except, what he teaches is wrong and incomplete. He says, "The body is unreal, but the world is real." He claims that any "doership" is false, a mistake, and pointless, so his 'students' are left with nothing to do except, perhaps, to deeply consider whatever that means (which is a doing in itself, which must be even more confusing)."

---"Tony Parsons? I saw him once being interviewed and he told the interviewer that the way to Enlightenment was to "feel the resonance" that he, as an Enligtened One, gave off. Right. You bet. Funny that the Buddha or Ramana Maharshi didn't use that method for their followers."

---"Damn, some followers of Tony Parsons came to Tiruvannamalai and they ran around telling everybody that all their meditations, sadhanas, and pradakshinas (pilgrimages around the holy mountain Arunachala) were bullshit. They said, 'Tony taught us that all this was unnecessary; that you don't need to do anything.' Funny, that. His followers felt impelled to run around telling everybody else they were messed up--isn't that a 'doing' in itself?"

Still another friend said:

---"What you've heard about Tony Parsons is absolutely correct. He's a terrible teacher who is only of benefit to people who've practiced for years who then are told that they're ready for a next step. And he teaches that by accident!
"Except, be careful! Tony Parsons' followers are dedicated and they defend their master with great vehemence and cleverness. Regarding Tony they're like some Republicans about Trump. Facts don't stand in their way. I simply won't communicate with them anymore. It's pointless."

Okay. So what is the truth here?

Some of Tony Parsons' people react to criticism of him like they're indoctrinated cult members, but Tony Parsons is not the usual cult leader.

Tony Parsons' teachings are, if they are as described to me, reprehensible. Every great teacher advocates some form(s) of practice for persons as they begin their 'spiritual seeking.' Ramana Maharshi at various times advocated at least ten different types of practice, and translated and advocated Adi Shankara's Vivekachudamani, which promotes "The Four Sadhanas", one of which includes "The Six Virtues." Nisargadatta "practiced" before and after Enlightenment. So did Papaji. For Tony Parsons to say "Practice is wrong" is to say that these teachers were all mistaken?

Plus, the most elementary "Practice" of all is what all spiritual persons do. That is, to engage in 'Shravana' (listening to and reading the words of true spiritual masters), 'Manana' (to reflect and meditate upon these words), all with the goal of 'Nidyidasana' (being one with the conviction arrived at). (Note- Manana is very different in meaning and pronunciation than the Spanish word for ‘tomorrow.’)

So, with all that said, what is the truth about Tony Parsons and his teachings? Is he a "true teacher" facing the criticism that seems to always come the way of spiritual masters, or is he a half-baked fellow who found a better way to make a living than to sell used cars?

Do an all dates search on CEI onTony Parsons w TP name in the all words slot.

We had allegations TP was involved with Rajneesh.

Hi Traveler,

you might like to take a look at this website:

[www.enlightened-spirituality.org]

The author refers to Tony Parson's teachings as "dangerously imbalanced" and from what I have seen of him, I tend to agree with this assessment. Tony Parsons appears to be just another neo-advaita salesman, in a long line of half-baked, self-deluding, egotistical individuals who seem intent on convincing people that they don't even exist! I suppose that if you don't exist, then you can't complain about the teachings and can't ask for your money back, so there is some logic in the idea.

Also take a look at this well-written general critique of neo-advaita by the same author:

[www.enlightened-spirituality.org]

Also, thanks to Corboy's suggestion,

take a look at: [www.sannyasnews.org]

If you scroll down to the second last paragraph, Tony Parsons is mentioned as a former member of cult leader Osho's commune. The author of this article suggests that Parsons "half disowns" Osho - I'd say that Parsons sits on the fence here due to economic necessity. If he disowns Osho then he risks excluding Osho's former followers. If he embraces Osho, then he risks being formally associated with a cult, which could put a lot of people off.

Like most new age charlatans he want to cast as wide a net as possible and not rock the boat.

There is also this:

[stephenbray.com]

Quote: "At the start of the meeting he announced, to my delight, ‘I am known as Tony Parsons and I am not enlightened’. The room filled with laughter, mine included.
Tony had come up from Cornwall. He insisted, however that he was ‘not a person’ and ‘Tony Parsons did not exist’. Everything within the room was a magnificent, ‘hypnotic dream’, he claimed."

I suppose that the money he makes from peddling this mumbo-jumbo is only a 'hypnotic dream' as well?

To the Poor Victims
of Tony Parsons

He is a money-grubbing fake with occasionally eloquent moments that seem meaningful, but his message is bullfeathers.

Sri Ramana Maharshi gave at least ten "things to do" to various seekers at various times. Of course his "Find out 'Who am I'?" is the most well-known. However, there were many others, with each answer at any time that which was most appropriate to the questioner at hand.

Please, study beyond Parsons. Understand, please, that his followers often turn out as "think they know-it-all horses asses" when they show up in places like Tiruvannamalai--and in fact they are just loudly displaying their ignorance.

For all i know about Tony Parsons it is that he DOES attract spiritual seekers. I had a spiritually-oriented friend of mine who was a fan of him for awhile, she even went to the UK for a seminar of his. His main mantra is : "you are not a person", "you don't exist" and this friend repeated me that so often, like that is the door to enlightenment or at least should solve all our problems. I listened to her but was never convinced of this message.Though my friend no longer follows him, she still is very much influenced by his mantra in the way she addresses issues.

I would not recommend TP as a teacher; his messages are confusing and lead you astray spiritually speaking, but make you feel good for awhile as do messages of good social entertainers, but that is about it.

You don't get any closer to enlightenment in a 'satsang' of the type Tony P or Moo preside over. Instead you learn to behave according to the unspoken rules of the satsang leader and group. All you learn is how to fit in as a member of the clique and how to laugh on cue so you fit in.

We've learned a bit about abuse of group laughter as a method of social control

People become afraid of looking foolish and getting laughed at so they submit to what the 'satsang' leader says and does.

Just as Valma said, people like this are social entertainers and that's about it.