Share International
Share International Foundation is a non-profit religious organization founded by Benjamin Creme (1922–2016) with its main offices in London, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Berkeley, California. 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, the World Teacher, has returned to the everyday world and has been living among the Asian community in London since 19 July 1977. They assert  that when Maitreya first arrived in London he lived in the Brick Lane area for several years before moving to another unspecified location in the city. Beliefs, practices and background. Share International's publications claim that the coming of Maitreya (meaning "friendly" in Sanskrit) fulfills not only Buddhist prophecies about the appearance of a future great teacher named "Maitreya", but also the prophecies of a number of other world religions ― including Christianity (the second coming of Christ), Hinduism (the Kalki avatar of Vishnu), Islam (the Imam Mahdi) and Judaism (the Jewish Messiah). Creme claims that Maitreya manifested himself through (or  overshadowed) Jesus 2,000 years ago, that Maitreya resided in the Himalayas, and that in 1977 he descended from his ancient retreat in the Himalayas and took an aeroplane to London. 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, 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, Helena Blavatsky and Helena Roerich. Share International says that Maitreya appeared before a Christian gathering of 6,000 people on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya on 11 June 1988. This happening was widely published, and photographs of  the Jesus-like apparition were distributed worldwide. Since then, it is claimed that he has made many more appearances. From 1991 to 2002, they say Maitreya 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, Germany, and India 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. 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. 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 Maitreya 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. 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. Section::::"Share International" magazine and organization. Share International has offices in Amsterdam, London, Berkeley, Tokyo 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 Maitreya the World Teacher & the Masters of Wisdom, world changes, and many miracles 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, Creme's statement served as a catalyst for assessment of the New Age movement by Evangelical Christians. A week after the advertisements in 1982, other advertisements appeared in the "Los Angeles Times" denouncing Creme as an instrument of the Antichrist. Constance Cumbey (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. 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.