Share International Foundation is a non-profit religious organization founded by

Benjamin Creme Benjamin Creme (5 December 1922 − 24 October 2016) was a Scottish artist, author, esotericist, and editor of ''Share International'' magazine. He asserted that the second coming, prophesied by many religions, would come in the form of ''Mai ...

(1922–2016) with its main offices in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

. Melton J. Gordon, Gale Research Inc, Jerome Clark, Aidan A. Kelly Original from the University of Michigan, ''New Age Encyclopedia'', 1990, , entry nr. 96, page 135 From their 'about us' page: "A worldwide network of individuals... whose purpose is to make known the fact that Maitreya ― the World Teacher for the coming age ― and his group, the Masters of Wisdom, are now among us..." The organisation believes that a spiritually advanced being named

Maitreya Maitreya (Sanskrit: ) or Metteyya (Pali: ), also Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha, is regarded as the future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. As the 5th and final Buddha of the current kalpa, Maitreya's teachings will be aimed at ...

, the World Teacher, has returned to the everyday world and has been living among the Asian community in

since 19 July 1977. They assert that when Maitreya first arrived in London he lived in the

Brick Lane Brick Lane (Bengali: ব্রিক লেন) is a street in the East End of London, in the borough of Tower Hamlets. It runs from Swanfield Street in Bethnal Green in the north, crosses the Bethnal Green Road before reaching the busiest ...

area for several years Barrett David V. ''

The New Believers ''The New Believers: A Survey of Sects, 'Cults', and Alternative Religions'', is a book by David V. Barrett covering the origin, history, beliefs, practices and controversies of more than sixty new religious movements, including The Family Inter ...

'' 2001 , page 347 Brown, Mick. ''The Spiritual Tourist''. Bloomsbury publishing, 1998. page 8 before moving to another unspecified location in the city.

Beliefs, practices and background

Share International's publications claim that the coming of

(meaning "friendly" in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

) fulfills not only

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

prophecies about the appearance of a future great teacher named ''Maitreya'', but also the prophecies of a number of other world religions ― including

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

(the second coming of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

(the

Kalki Kalki ( sa, कल्कि), also called Kalkin or Karki, is the prophesied tenth and final incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is described to appear in order to end the Kali Yuga, one of the four periods in the endless cycle of exist ...

avatar of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

(the

Imam Mahdi The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad wh ...

) and

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...

(the Jewish

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach'' ...

). Creme claims that Maitreya manifested himself through (or ''overshadowed'')

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

2,000 years ago, that Maitreya resided in the Himalayas, and that in 1977 he descended from his ancient retreat in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

and took an aeroplane to

. His belief is that Maitreya is omniscient and omnipresent, and that he took up residence in the Indian-Pakistani community of London in the Brick Lane area and has been living and working there, seemingly as an ordinary man, his true status known to relatively few. Furthermore, that Maitreya has been emerging gradually into full public view so as not to infringe humanity's free will. Journalists had been invited to find Maitreya in the Brick Lane area but were unable to do so. According to Creme, Maitreya influenced the ending of the Cold War,

German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

, and the ending of apartheid in South Africa. In 1974, Benjamin Creme introduced a meditation called Transmission Meditation which he says is a way of transmitting spiritual energies through the meditators to create a pool of positive, spiritual energy for the benefit of humanity. Share International says there are 600 Transmission Meditation groups all over the world. The groups sit silently while spiritual energy is transmitted or 'stepped-down' by the Masters of Wisdom (also called by some groups Ascended Masters). This group meditation is a form of service, rather than the traditional personal meditation, which can be continued as well as this service activity. Transmission Meditation is a non-denominational meditation and people from all faiths (or none) take part in this form of service. Benjamin Creme was a student of the teachings of

Alice Bailey Alice Ann Bailey (June 16, 1880 – December 15, 1949) was a writer of more than twenty-four books on theosophical subjects, and was one of the first writers to use the term New Age. Bailey was born as Alice La Trobe-Bateman, in Manchest ...

Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, uk, Олена Петрівна Блаватська, Olena Petrivna Blavatska (; – 8 May 1891), often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian mystic and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 187 ...

and

Helena Roerich Helena Ivanovna Roerich (born Shaposhnikova; russian: Елéна Ивáновна Рéрих; 12 February 1879 – 5 October 1955) was a Russian theosophist, writer, and public figure. In the early 20th century, she created, in cooperation with t ...

. Barrett, David V. ''

'' 2001 , page 348 Share International says that Maitreya appeared before a Christian gathering of 6,000 people on the outskirts of

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

on 11 June 1988. This happening was widely published, and photographs of the

-like apparition were distributed worldwide. Since then, it is claimed that he has made many more appearances. From 1991 to 2002, they say

appeared before gatherings of orthodox religious groups worldwide. He addressed them briefly in their own language and was recognized by the majority of people in attendance as their awaited Teacher. Maitreya also apparently created healing springs of water in the areas near these appearances. These healing waters in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

have drawn millions of visitors. The organisation has published a list of Maitreya's alleged appearances.

1982 onwards

In the spring of 1982 Creme held a press conference in Los Angeles, California, USA. Afterwards, Creme wrote: "It was hoped that the media would respond to my information at a level which would allow Him to come forward to them. This hope, however, was not fulfilled. While the media did show an interest in the reappearance story, it did not go so far as to actually get involved in searching for Maitreya.http://share-international.org/background/printed/mission_1.htm Maitreya's Mission, Vol.1, p. 14 Creme wrote: In January 1986, Maitreya contacted media representatives at the highest level in Britain who agreed to make an announcement living in the Asian community of London. Under pressure from high religious and government officials, however, this statement was withheld. In 1997 Creme made similar announcements that there would be imminent global TV broadcasts from Christ/Maitreya, though with far less media interest. In the last month of 2008 Creme & Share International distributed a news release stating that soon, a very bright star would appear visible throughout the world, both night and day. Creme said it would be a sign that Maitreya’s first major public appearance would be very soon. In January 2009, several sightings of the ‘star’ were reported in the media, posted on YouTube, described in letters to Share International's magazine.http://www.share-international.org/media/newsmedia.htm For the News Media: What's next? On 14 January 2010 in London, Benjamin Creme reported that Maitreya had given his first television interview recently "...on a major US television network, inaugurating his public work." Creme stated that Maitreya had given over two dozen television interviews in 2010, and had not been introduced as Maitreya "but as a seemingly ordinary man" and that His media interviews continue with him proposing "practical solutions to our pressing global problems." Creme continued until his demise in October 2016, to claim that time is now very near for Maitreya's emergence. He did not receive any money for this work or royalties from his 14 books, and for over 30 years gave free public lectures around the world. A worldwide network of volunteers worked with Benjamin Creme to inform the public of this information. Share International maintains that Maitreya's interviews will eventually "lead to an international press conference and, ultimately, Maitreya's 'Day of Declaration' when he will reveal his true identity."

Main priorities of Maitreya and the idea of sharing

Share International does not claim

as a religious leader, or that he is to found a new religion, but that he is a teacher and guide for people of every religion and those of no religion. They believe this to be a time of great political, economic and social crisis, that Maitreya will inspire humanity to see itself as one family, and create a civilization based on sharing, economic and social justice, and global cooperation. They highlight the main goals that Maitreya will immediately recommend dealing with after the 'Day of Declaration.' They say that he will call to action the people of the world to save the hundreds of millions who are starving and hungry in a world of plenty. Among Maitreya's recommendations will be a shift in social priorities so that adequate food, housing, clothing, education, and medical care become universal

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

. Believers claim that through the years, Maitreya has given 140 messages. Share International quotes him as saying, "See your brother as yourself". They say that Maitreya says only through sharing can the world be renewed, and that only sharing will bring justice and peace, and that his can only be achieved by the perception of brotherhood.

''Share International'' magazine and organization

Share International has offices in

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

and several other countries. It publishes a monthly magazine, also called ''Share International''. In it, Creme has published a number of articles that he claims were dictated to him telepathically by a Master of Wisdom ( Ascended Master), an enlightened being who apparently has already passed through evolution on this planet and has an expanded consciousness and therefore does not have to reside in a fixed human body. The magazine documents the gradual Emergence of

the World Teacher & the Masters of Wisdom, world changes, and many

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

s sent in by people experiencing them, that they assert appear all over the world.

Reception and criticisms

According to the American religious scholar

J. Gordon Melton John Gordon Melton (born September 19, 1942) is an American religious scholar who was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is currently the Distinguished Professor of American Religious History with the Ins ...

, Creme's statement served as a catalyst for assessment of the

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

movement by

Evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...

s. Newport, John P. ''The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1998, , pages 180-181 A week after the advertisements in 1982, other advertisements appeared in the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' denouncing Creme as an instrument of the

Antichrist In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form) 1 John ; . 2 John . ...

Constance Cumbey Constance Cumbey (born February 29, 1944) is an American lawyer and activist Christian author. Views Cumbey offered the first major criticism of the New Age movement from a Christian perspective in ''The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow: The New ...

(an Evangelical Christian and a Detroit area attorney and author) holds that "Maitreya" is a pseudonym for the Antichrist and regards Share International as an openly Luciferian movement. Other Christian Evangelicals distanced themselves from Cumbey's

conspiracy theory A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

. British journalist Mick Brown wrote "I came to enjoy my talks with Mr. Creme. His stories of the Hierarchy, of hidden retreats in Tibet, of... the cogs... guiding the planet towards an age of harmony and enlightenment ..." He described Creme's claims as fantastic and outlandish. Brown, Mick. ''The Spiritual Tourist'', Bloomsbury publishing, 1998.

Notes

References

* Barrett, David V. ''

'' 2001 * Brown, Mick. ''The Spiritual Tourist'', Bloomsbury publishing, 1998. * Groothuis, Douglas R. ''Unmasking the New Age'' 1986,

Inter-Varsity Press Inter-Varsity Press (IVP) was previously the publishing wing of Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship. It support the publishing or distribution of well over one million books each year to over 150 countries, including the translation ...

, , page 120 * Melton J. Gordon, Gale Research Inc, Jerome Clark, Aidan A. Kelly Original from the University of Michigan, ''New Age Encyclopedia'', 1990, , entry nr. 96, pages 135-137 * Nagel, Alexandra ''De Sai Paradox: Tegenstrijdigheden van en rondom Sathya Sai Baba''/''The Sai paradox: contradictions of and surrounding Sathya Sai Baba'' in the series ''Religieuze Bewegingen in Nederland''/''Religious movements in the Netherlands'', 'Sekten''/''Cults'', 1994, nr. 29. published by

Free university of Amsterdam The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (abbreviated as ''VU Amsterdam'' or simply ''VU'' when in context) is a public research university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, being founded in 1880. The VU Amsterdam is one of two large, publicly funded research ...

press, Dutch language

External links

Official international website
{{Authority control New Age organizations Religious organisations based in the Netherlands Theosophy World government