Excerpt on Kalu's video from Elephant journal. by Shamyan Dodge, who was recognized as enlightened in a Hindu monastic tradition, renounced it, has published a memoir, and is now a student at Harvard Divinity School. Corboy note: I want to add that discussions of Vajrayana that some are claiming to be inappropriate are already available in Geoffrey Samuel's book, Civilized Shamans,
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Full disclosure: author of that article may be involved with Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. Neverthless, his phrase "evidence we are only just starting to disentangle what the Tibetans brought with them out of their long seclusion." -- that phrase ties in with what others are learning. I strongly recommend finding and reading Civilized Shamans by Geoffrey Samuel. He is re
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

As an antidote to dreamy fantasy, I recommend reading Civilized Shamans by Geoffrey Samuel, Smithsonian Press, 1993. This book was written by someone appreciative of the cultures of Tibet, but able to describe them objectively, as having histories. Samuel notes that continuity is of the utmost importance in the various Tibetan cultures, and this was important to maintaining the function of
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

According to Stephen Butterfield (The Double Mirror) Yet, as a young man Trungpa himself studied with many different teachers. This was normal and acceptable in the Rimed tradition. Yet, Trungpa told his Western students different instructions. That anyne who went to study with a teacher other than Trungpa would be a 'heretic'. In doing this, Trungpa departed from the very tra
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

(Glum) My guess, is its the 'ol skillful means argument. That even a questionable teacher like Ole is conveying enough of the Dharma that there is a chance someone might hear of it through him and if not in this life time, then in a future lifetime, find a root lama (not Ole) to take them to the final heights of enlightement. This argument is used in all sincerity. It also conve
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteKANASKA Zeitgeist 3 Review - NWO B.S. Posted by Kanaska Carter on January 17, 2011 at 2:51 PM After watching Zeitgeist at The Mayfair last night I am left with a bitter mind-numbing feeling. To put it bluntly. This movie is fucked up. We are expected to sit through an almost 3 hour long video, listening to this monotanous voice. It then rises bluntly at a few random points
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

More on the above... Mysterious Buddhist Retreat in the Desert Ends in a Grisly Death By FERNANDA SANTOS Published: June 5, 2012 BOWIE, Ariz. — The rescuers had rappelled from a helicopter, swaying in the brisk April winds as they bore down on a cave 7,000 feet up in a rugged desert mountain on the edge of this rural hamlet. There had been a call for help. Inside, they found a jug w
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Easier to Find! Published 2008 with a 2009 reprint. This covers India. As one of the reviewers on Amazon's site warns, this book might arouse the ire of those invested in world views driven by emotion but not supported by textual, archeological or anthropological evidence. The Origins of Yoga and Tantra Indic Religions to the 13th Century--Another book by Geoffrey Samuel (The 13th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Civilized Shamans - Geoffrey Samuel QuoteOverview Civilized Shamans examines the nature and evolution of religion in Tibetan societies from the ninth century up to the Chinese occupation in 1950. Geoffrey Samuel argues that religion in these societies developed as a dynamic amalgam of strands of Indian Buddhism and the indigenous spirit-cults of Tibet. "Samuel stresses the diver
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A Research Resource: Civilized Shamans: Buddhism in Tibetan Societies by Geoffrey Samuel Smithsonian 1995 QuoteSamuel relates the difference between Tibet and other Buddhist societies to the weakness of the State in Tibet: it never succeeded in controlling Buddhist monasteries and their lamas, or making the religious system completely `clerical'. Corboy note: Seventeen years after i
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Part three. Again, take care to skim. This is confusion inducing. Notice how each so called scholar or authority is described as famous or eminent or special. Its the classic method. Co-opt scientists by quoting them but use the material to make the kinds of sweeping generalizations that no responsible scientist could actually make and remain a scientist. QuoteThe Vitruvian Man The Vit
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Twaddle Part Two. This is meant to illustrate how SIMILAR this crap is. Whether it is Serge's or someone elses. Get ready for more confusion. I busted this up into paragraphs just to make it slightly more bearable. I advise skimming this stuff so you dont zone out and get stupid. QuoteNonetheless, once we saw the creation story focused through the lens of Galileo and later Hubble a
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

If you all want to see how similar this stuff is, and how different groups in different parts of the world come up with different interpretations of this same stuff, here is a sample from an entirely different group. Its like Wendy's, Wimpy's, White Castle, Jack in the Box, Micky D, In n Out Burger, all having their different interpretations of fries and burgers and fast service.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

What "very old Indigenous practice" in Mongolia and Buryatia? There is no tradition of tantric sex in that region, that I know of. Shamans didn't practice tantric sex. Are you saying they borrowed the Hindu practice, when Tibetan Buddhism spread into their region? That would make sense. Just clarifying. (Note--Corboy: analyzing TB in light of tantric history would best go on
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

A thread discussion on the New Age Frauds and Plastic Shamans website.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The problem is not only with charlatans (for example: would Chogyam Trungpa qualify?), but with legit lamas behaving illegitimately. That problem needs to be addressed, too. This is a very helpful phrase, 'legit lamas behaving illegitimately.' Many years ago a librarian at a Buddhist research institute, a woman who cared deeply about spiritual abuse, shook her head. "So v
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The dark legacy of Carlos Castaneda Quote De Mille also uncovered numerous instances of plagiarism. "When don Juan opens his mouth," he wrote, "the words of particular writers come out." His 1980 compilation, "The Don Juan Papers," includes a 47-page glossary of quotations from don Juan and their sources, ranging from Wittgenstein and C.S. Lewis to papers in obscu
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Other red flags you are in cultic milieu territory and risk recruitment. The cultic milieu is a smoke filled room. Getting into a cult is inhaling enough smoke that your lungs get damaged and you forget what its like to have full lung capacity and function. In the subjective cultic milieu you're in a social situation that is going to be disempowering for you in the long run , no m
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Here are two longer versions of Gary Smiths legitimation narrative. A longer version of Gary Smith’s biography Article: Healings With The Christ's Light - by Gary Smith Corboy--this is a specimen of one of Gary's prayers. This is an abbreviated version. One can go to the cached text to read the full version. Am reproducing the run on sentences. QuoteHealings Wit
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There's a photo of Gary Smith at with a biog: excerpt: "Gary's in-depth spiritual journey began with learning Transcendental Meditation from Charlie Lutz in 1968. He personally received his teaching certification from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1972 and was invited to join Maharishi's personal staff. Gary left TM in 1980 to began a spiritual odyssey to find Enlightenment and
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Tormod wrote: As for Tibetan teachers, they adhere to spiritual customs that Buddha nowhere goes for in the Pali Canon. He did not keep any secret teachings or techniques, he says in the sutra about his last days, the Maha-parinibbana Sutta. Parts of it are online at Access to Insight. Buddha: "I have set forth the Dhamma without making any distinction of esoteric and exoteric doctrin
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How Classically Educated Westerners May Have Become Enchanted by Tibetan Rinpoches, Tulkus, Lamas and Idealized Shambala? Much of Western education has, since the Renaissance, been influenced by Plato's ideas. Plato, in his Republic, speculated about the possiblity of creating a society ruled by 'Guardians' a trained elite. In shorthand, this was popularized as the notion of the
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteGary Smith, founder of the Sacred Merkaba Techniques was born in the 1930's and is a man that truly "Walks His Talk". As well as writing, he currently spends a minimum of 8 hours each day in prayer and meditation and also teaches 8 day Adept and Master Teacher courses in The Sacred Merkaba Techniques. Background Information Gary's in-depth spiritual journey bega
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

For persons who want to search the bona fides of shamans and medicine folk, this is one place to begin.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

To those who would like more information on plastic shamans and new age scam artists mixing native indigenous teachnings with their own 'brand' of "clap trap", this might be a forum worth looking into - i.e., James Ray. As we are approaching the hyped up 2012 nonsense (fear trigger or trigger, anyway), sects & cults and false $haman$ trying to lure in the gullible will
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This article was really good so I wanted to repost it here. An Open Challenge to all Committed Members of the Gnostic Movement Gnosis, we are told, is about investigation. Investigate, Investigate, don’t believe, experience things for yourself, make your own conclusions. Gnosis is not a religion, in a religion you believe or don’t believe, you are with them or against them, Gnosis is d
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

From the Foreward, written by Carole Lieberman, M.D., M.P.H. (a Beverly Hills forensic psychiatrist, who examined two of James Ray’s followers who were in the sweat lodge that fateful day of tragedy in Sedona. Her background encompasses additional experiences that give her deep insights into self-styled gurus like James Arthur Ray. These include having: spent weeks in the Peruvian Amazon conv
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Here are a few named because they continue to this day and remain influential, generated derivatives (spin offs) that remain influential to this day, or because so very many were affected as children that they are still haunted by after effects today. EST/Werner Erhard--current form is Landmark Education and many others have taken the template and created their own LGAT (Large Group Awarenes
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Dear Blackhat, Yes you may post as you please....ahhh....the "inspiration" that can I derive just from the fiendish idiocy of one sick, sick man.... Joe would appear to be slowly becoming a "projection" of David's personality....(otherwise he could not survive in the JC cult over any length of time...).....and YET, David is apparently a little nervous that he r
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

More on Heinberg, particularly his fascist associations in Russia. This is all very strange stuff, but, hey, Nazi/Indo-Aryan philosophy is INHERENTLY strange stuff! This whole thread can be found here and should be read by ANYBODY skeptical of Richard Heinberg and the Oily Peakers in general. Heinberg is fascinated by "shambala", the lost tibetan world that obsessed the Nazi
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"