WHAT?  ANOTHER SECOND COMING?  
                                  
                            by Tom Betz 
       
  MAITREYA BUDDHA IS HERE...
  
       ...and living in the Asian community in London, according 
  to Benjamin Creme, a 63-year-old Scots artist who also lives 
  there.  According to Mr Creme, he has been interested in 
  esoteric philosophy since his early youth, and in 1959, he 
  received a telepathic message from his own "Master", a member of 
  the "Spiritual Hierarchy" that the Future Buddha, whose personal 
  name is Maitreya, was at hand, that Maitreya and Christ were one 
  and the same, and that he would have an opportunity to be 
  actively involved if that were his choice.  
  
       Apparently it was, because in 1972, Creme says, he began 
  "arduous and intensive training" under his "Master's" guidance, 
  to prepare him for his task.  Since then, his telepathic contact 
  with his "Master" has been continuous.  His "Master" provides 
  him with current news of the Maitreya's emergence, and the 
  "conviction necessary to present that information to a skeptical 
  world."  
  
       Creme says he is one of five disciples in different parts 
  of the world given the mission, in 1975, of publicly announcing 
  the Maitreya's coming, although at the time he did not know when 
  that would occur.  Creme does not mention who the other four 
  disciples might be.  
  
       The "World Teacher" (another of Creme's names for the 
  Christ) reached his 'point of focus' in the East End of London, 
  and shortly thereafter, Creme 'received' his first public 
  telepathic message from him.  This began a series of 140 public 
  lectures transmitted through Creme by Maitreya in London 
  lasting until May, 1982.  
  
         In 1978 Creme began lecturing in Holland and Belgium, and 
  in 1980 he began to tour the US.  His teachings (and rather 
  incongrouously, those of late 19th and early 20th century 
  Esotericists Helena P. Blavatsky and Alice A. Bailey) are now 
  being promoted by a network of "transmission groups" around the 
  country, including the a Los Angeles organization called The 
  Tara Center.  
  
       According to literature distributed free by the Tara 
  Center, "In July of 1977, Maitreya, the Christ, descended from 
  His ancient retreat in the Himalayas and took up residence in 
  the Asian community of East London.  There He lives and works as 
  an ordinary modern man concerned with modern problems...  His 
  presence is our guarantee that there will be no Third World War.  
  Nevertheless, it is humanity's responsibility to make the needed 
  changes to fashion a saner and more just world.  
  
       "When we have sufficiently demonstrated our readiness to 
  accept His presence among us - and our willingness to rebuild 
  our world along more just and passionate lines - the He will 
  come forward to lead us into a new era of unprecedented 
  opportunity and achievement...  The reason for His not appearing 
  immediately and working openly as the Christ is that humanity 
  must choose its future, of its own free will."  
        
       The literature also describes a forthcoming "Day of 
  Declaration":
  
       "At the earliest possible moment, Maitreya will demonstrate 
  His true identity.  On the Day of Declaration, the international 
  radio and television networks will be linked together, and 
  Maitreya will be invited to speak to the world.  We will se His 
  face on television and hear His appeal telepathically.  He will 
  overshadow all humanity simultaneously.  [sounds suspiciously 
  like a James Bond plot, doesn't it?  ;-) tb.  The next line is 
  the one I like the most--->] Even those who are not watching 
  television will have the same experience.  Every person will 
  hear his words in their own language.  From His point of 
  omniscience and omnipresence, He will repeat, on a world-wide 
  scale, the true happenings of Pentecost.  At the same time, 
  hundreds of thousands of spontaneous healings will take place 
  throughout the world.  In this way humanity will know that this 
  man, and only this man, is truly the Christ."  
  
       [Whew, what a party!  tb] 
  
        If you are curious about this event, and would like more 
  information, the Tara Center can be contacted at PO Box 6001, N.  
  Hollywood, CA 91603.