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mccalljo
Dearest Violet, nice thoughts in the context of a philosophical debate, however, I would posit this is not the ground for philosophical or logical discourse as people base their lives on much more. Most important is the Love coursing through every nook and cranny of the creation in such measure as it is almost unbearable to know how it embraces us unconditionally. That said, and knowing that you and I are operating in the context of that most omnipotent of all powers and this discussion occurs in the context of how awake we are to that love in the context of our daily lives - let me lovingly respond below
Hi mccalljo. Just want to make a quick observation about how one might evaluate written and spoken word to determine what is authentically loving...versus what is carefully designed to give the impression of being loving. What I find interesting is that when someone is truly loving and expresses fully and authentically what they feel, they are less likely to overuse words such as “dearest”, and are less likely to repeatedly address people as “loved ones” or “dear ones”, etc. In other words, messages heavily dipped in sugar actually indicate ulterior motives, something patronizing or even phony…but certainly a need to frame or lace the message. It's like the writer/speaker has to TRY (try too hard!) as opposed to just speaking from the heart.
But more importantly, a person who is loving usually does not have to announce that they are being loving and or responding lovingly. There is no need for them to preface what they say with “listen up, everyone. I’m about to be super loving”…because it is something that comes through authentically without pretense.
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mccalljo
I only mentioned this because the information is public record - get it and publish it here - the financials show what is happening - 501(c)3 is not cited in this thread for credibility - it is cited for the idea that there is transperancy (thank you Obama for making this a big deal your first day in office). So we have info on what the corporation makes and some idea of how it disposes of its assets!
Actually I have seen MasterPath’s tax returns for 2003, 2004, and 2005. I have also seen tax returns prepared by other organizations and individuals, enough to know that a tax return does not necessarily equate to the reality of the organization’s finances. So let me ask you…have you only seen what was presented on MasterPath’s tax returns, or are you privy to all of their financial records? Have you seen all of Sky View Corporation’s financial records? Have you confirmed that all gifts and donations have been reported to the IRS? For instance, please point out where we can find the $400,000 donation from a chela that was used for lavish landscaping on the Morongo Valley “parsonage” property.
By the way, I personally don’t care what Gary’s salary is, but last I checked it was somewhere around $80,000, and his wife’s salary is also in that range. They do not have a mortgage because MasterPath paid for the “parsonage/spiritual retreat” (even though 99.9% of his students are not allowed access to the property).
So I think the Olsens are very comfortable financially, and neither of them has worked for 20+ years. By the way, if you believe Gary spends all of his time writing to his students and preparing for seminars, I would be interested to know how many hours you think that requires. Because the majority of those letters are prefabricated and are most likely put together by seva chelas. Listening to his seminars, it becomes obvious that very little preparation goes into them. In any case, Gary is probably jet-skiing, vacationing, golfing, and smoking pot a hundred times as many hours as he spends working on MasterPath.
Is Gary driving a Bentley? No. But does the fact that he is not living in a Beverly Hills mansion make him an honest and humble man? NO. Bottom line, I doubt Gary cares as much about the money as he does about having all of you believe he’s a saint. It is more about power and self-glorification than money. The salaries, large travel expense accounts, and free house (plus guest house) are just bonus gravy.
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mccalljo
Response by McCalljo - Hey, I was not dispatched - I'm a relative infant in this process of Masterpath but a 30 year veteran in spiritual pursuit of Truth.
While you may not have been dispatched directly to this forum and told what to say, in the past there were chelas who WERE given a script and asked to circumvent critical discussion of MasterPath online. You can find these posts in most of the forums; they're easily recognized and nearly identical in wording.
As you very well know, Gary Olsen has (in the past year or so) asked all of his chelas to begin “one-on-oneing” and spreading the word online about how wonderful MP is. Though you may not recognize this as a mandatory directive, I have heard the way Gary presents these “loving suggestions”, and it is very obvious that he made these “loving suggestions” as a way of using all of you to battle the many websites and forums where he has been exposed as a fraud. These tactics are similar to that of multi-level marketing schemes, such as Kevin Trudeau’s directives which reward his followers for plastering glowing reviews everywhere and creating websites recommending his scams all over the internet. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Gary or whoever advises him got the idea from watching someone like Kevin Trudeau.
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mccalljo
Gary Olsen and Character - and question are interesting words - i find his character impeccable - but only from experience - I've tested some of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time and I've found this guy - humble, not too well known and somewhat off-putting in some of his parochial mannerisms to some folks I know, is absolutely the most incredible example of the life of a saint I've ever met! And I've been to Indian and met a few well proclaimed saints and a few folks in some of the churches here too.
May I ask...have you ever actually met and spent time with Gary outside of seminar? Are you visiting him at his home frequently and observing his private interactions and behaviors? What is your reaction when you read the disturbing testimony of four or five former chelas who were once in his closest inner circle and spent time a lot of time with him and his family?
While I don’t know him myself, I have personally listened to a dozen or so of his seminars and frankly I find him to be patronizing, self-centered, mean, condescending, disrespectful, and completely out of touch with reality…to say the least. One example of this is the tape “Master Satsangs The Bird Flu” from 2006.
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mccalljo
Absolutely he would - Many of his students are Counselors!!
My question should have been more specific: would Gary recommend counseling for anyone if the counselor is not a MasterPath chela? No. And if you need proof of this, I can provide you with some truly disgusting and heartbreaking excerpts found in “Letters From The Master” which clearly demonstrate that he does not want mentally ill chelas to seek treatment or therapy. They are advised instead to “take it to the master”.
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mccalljo
Certainly I'm aware - I've spent years on the streets and met Jesus-like folks on many ocassions. I don't think there is any denial of the incredible Light in our society and the spiritual practices of people all around us. I don't have a picture of Gary Olsen on my desk, I have a big picture of Jerry Garcia on my wall staring at me all day long in my office (I love the Grateful Dead and any music that sparks consciousness - but I'm not a cult follower of the Dead either). I have read a bit of the Tibetan Book of the Dead and spent a lot of time with Tibetan Lamas who are very high and simple and spiritual people. Great teachers and simple and humble too! And, I can tell you that Gary Olsen is not ego-driven - geez that is like saying Jesus was a Roman schill. And the magickal thinking thing is really important - The breakthroughs are mine to keep and I'm basing my statements on a personal and scientific endeavor in questioning every spiritual path I've encountered and seeking to feel the real power of God moving into my being when I encounter these folks - in this case I have personal experience to compare with other spiritual teachers and their communities and, ultimately, I've got tangible and non-sensational movements in my perspective, my attention, my consciousness that tell me I'm becoming a more refined spiritual being, a more refined father, worker and mate to my partner. All of these manifestations are welcome as, when I was young I did try to run off to the perfect spiritual world and I found out that I have to walk right through my mundane life to the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, I've got the company of a great group of people in the Masterpath students and I look with a critical eye and over and over again I find sincerity and integrity and a lot of love born of a lot of seeking.
That’s great mccalljo. As convinced as you are that you have looked at MasterPath in a an objective and scientific way, I can assure you that I have also looked at it in an objective and scientific way. Believe it or not, I have also read some of the Tibetan Book Of The Dead, the Bhagavad Gita, and many, many similar spiritual texts (including RSSB staples, Paramahansa Yogananda/Sri Yuketswar, Rumi, and even MasterPath’s recycled Eckankar materials)…and I’m absolutely positive that Gary is not who he claims.
To put it simply once again, what you are attributing to Gary and Garji actually has nothing to do with Gary and Garji. But Gary Olsen wants you to believe it does, and he uses manipulative tactics that are designed to deceive you into voluntarily hypnotizing yourself. The “proof” ends up being created by you, but the result is what Gary wants: you become his loyal disciple (a.k.a. paying member).
For me to explain why I know this would take pages and pages. So perhaps later I will post some links to information you can peruse at your convenience. Long story short, the good news is that you are indeed connecting with the divine on some level (at least in my view). The bad news is that your mind has inserted Gary/Garji into the experience. He coaches you that it is your reactive mind that leads you astray in doubting him...but it is ALSO your mind that he uses to inject himself as the ruler of your soul.