The most important action with which Maitreya is concerned is the saving of millions of people who currently die from starvation in a world of plenty. He says that nothing so moves him to grief as this shame: “The crime of separation must be driven from this world. I affirm that as My Purpose.” So the first aim of Maitreya is to show humanity that we are one and the same: wherever we live, whatever our colour, background or religious belief, the needs of all are the same.

Equally important and just as urgent is the saving of our planet from the destruction caused by our misuse of its resources. Governments today are more and more becoming aware, after many years of information from scientists, that global warming is a reality. Global warming is now understood to a degree, but man’s responsibility for it has not yet dawned on all the national authorities. This is one of the most important realizations that we have to make — that man is responsible for at least 80 per cent of the warming up of the planet, and if this continues it will drastically affect our daily lives. Maitreya and the Masters alone have the exact knowledge of how to proceed but we already know the first steps to take (the need to restrict carbon emissions and so on) but the urgency of action is probably not fully realized by governments. Maitreya will emphasise how really urgent this action is. The destruction of trees on the planet — for example, an area of primal forest the size of Belgium is destroyed every year in Central and South America — has a profound effect on essential oxygen in the world.

The necessity for sharing the resources of the planet is the number one action which Maitreya will emphasise. This will create the trust which will open the way to the solution of all further problems, national and international.

Maitreya’s coming is about world change: change in our understanding of the needs of the planet, the ecological balance; the change in our economic systems so that all people are fed and cared for properly; change in relationships between people everywhere. The true understanding that humanity is one will show the absolute necessity for this profound transformation. It is the making of a new world.

You are not alone on the planet and therefore you will see that these changes relate to you and your life, and this will give a deepening sense of the reality and meaning of Maitreya’s coming.

Maitreya does not come alone but is the head of a large group of perfected men, the Masters of Wisdom. As humanity starts to take seriously the advice and guidance of Maitreya and the Masters, there will begin this process of world change, which eventually will cover every aspect of our lives. This will of course affect you as it affects everyone else. Think about the coming of Maitreya in this way and I think you will get a deeper understanding of what his coming means to us.

Maitreya is here to advise, guide and teach. He is not here to direct our actions and will not do so. He is a teacher. The Masters, His immediate disciples, will be available with Their higher knowledge and experience for help and advice, as also will Maitreya. But we have to want what we have to do. Maitreya will outline the broad general direction of our thinking. That is: a sense of the oneness of humanity; the absolute necessity for the sharing of the world’s resources; and the ending of war and terrorism as a way of solving international problems. When we show that we understand this, as much help and advice as we can use will be provided. But we have to want the changes for ourselves; willingly, gladly make these changes. The Masters do not come to tell us what to do. Maitreya has said: “I am the Architect, only, of the Plan. You, My friends and brothers, are the willing builders of the Shining Temple of Truth.” — the temple of truth being the new civilization.

We should do nothing in relation to the media other than make known that Maitreya and His Group are in the world. It is not our task to point Him out to the media. They, like all humanity, have to make the recognition for themselves. If people believe, rightly or wrongly, that Maitreya is the Christ, the Imam Mahdi, Maitreya Buddha, the Messiah or Kalki Avatar, and accept His advice because of that, it does not mean that they are in themselves ready to make the changes which must ensue to preserve the world and humanity with it. We have to recognize Maitreya, not because we think He is Maitreya, or the Christ or the Messiah, or whoever, but because we agree with what He is saying, that we want for the world what He says is necessary for the world: justice and sharing and freedom for all people, rather than because we think He is the World Teacher or some great spiritual being.

When He appears to people He is usually using a ‘familiar’, a created person through which some part of His consciousness manifests. But when He appears openly to the world, although not using the name Maitreya, He will appear as in fact He is, in the self-created body in which He manifests now in the world.

You will find that Maitreya and the Masters, although from our point of view perfected, spiritual beings, are straightforward, simple, and totally respectful in their approach to humanity. They do not, and will not ever, behave like remote Gods of popular imagination. They are men, like us, but men without fault. They have a ready sense of humour, a simplicity of approach, and They know better than we do ourselves the inner spiritual nature of all people. Maitreya is the Lord of Love, the Spiritual Hierarchy is the Centre on the planet in which the Love of God is expressed and that exemplifies Their approach to us. It is unconditional.

The fundamentalists of all religions will probably be the last people to recognize and respond to Maitreya, but eventually they will.

The Palestinian/Israeli problem, which is central to the problems of the Middle East, I believe will only be solved through the action of Maitreya. But even Maitreya cannot impose a solution, he can only advise. But his acceptance by countless millions in the world as a spiritual teacher and guide will make it easier for the most fanatical Israeli Jew or Palestinian Muslim to accept the necessity of living together side by side. This can only take place when justice is given to the Palestinians. When justice is done and seen to be done, fully and completely, then the solution will become acceptable by the Muslims, and, even if grudgingly, by the Israelis. They have eventually to learn to live side by side and they can only do so in a state of justice. Otherwise there would inevitably be perpetual war between the two.

Unless the Middle East problems are solved there will never be peace in the world and we know, if there is no peace, then the future for humanity would be very bleak indeed. Muslims await the Imam Mahdi, and the Jews await the Messiah, and many will be ready to recognize Maitreya as such. This will, I am sure, soften their stance in relation to each other.

But the important thing is that justice must be given to the Palestinians. The West Bank was gifted by the late King Hussein of Jordan as a homeland for the Palestinians and that means the whole of the West Bank, not the fraction which has been offered to the Palestinians so far. It requires the return of the 4.7 million refugees, mainly in Lebanon, to their homeland, and the status of Jerusalem — which is of major importance to the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians — to be changed into an open, central city for all three groups. I believe it will take Maitreya to bring this reconciliation about, but so it will be.

I can understand this feeling but it is just a feeling and does not take into account the Law that Maitreya cannot ignore: that is the Law of human Freewill. At any time in the last 30 years, if we had ourselves taken some steps to right the wrongs of today, to implement the principle of sharing, to restore justice and peace to the world, then we would have seen Maitreya openly long ago. Blame ourselves and not Maitreya (or me!)

Maitreya is in the world, but once He emerges openly, every action that we take in the right direction — that is towards oneness, justice, freedom for all people — will invoke His help and energy. He will potentize our actions and the changes will proceed with enormous speed and order.

I cannot speak for everybody, but the vast majority of humanity will have heard His words telepathically on the Day of Declaration, and it seems obvious that the time and resources of the media from then on will be devoted to making known the advice and priorities of Maitreya. One must remember that there will be no recording of the telepathic message that Maitreya will give and no doubt there will be misremembering and misquoting of His meaning. But Maitreya will be available for clarifying in the normal way, in further interviews, the exact meaning of His words.

It will be a spiritual experience, but always at the level of each individual. People can only take what they can take, they can only be who they are. Some people will immediately sense and recognize Maitreya as the spiritual giant that He is. Others will respond more to what He says, it will satisfy their sense of justice and purpose. But that spiritual outflow will always take place. I doubt that it would be as strong as on the Day of Declaration.

No, but Maitreya has continued to make individual contact with many leaders in every branch of human activity.

Maitreya is here, as the World Teacher. Is this the end? On the contrary, this is the beginning of a new time for humanity. But a humanity chastened and relieved of its illusions and destructiveness. For two thousand years, the Christian groups have taught an account of the return of the Christ, coming on a cloud in the last days of the world, the ‘end times’. This, I submit, is a completely wrong interpretation of Christian scriptures which has distorted Christians’ expectations of the Christ’s return. The so-called ‘end times’ have nothing to do with the end of the world but refer to the end of the Age of Pisces, inaugurated by the Christ through Jesus 2,000 years ago. He promised to return, at “such a time as you think not”, to inaugurate the new age, that of Aquarius. This time He has come Himself to expand the teaching given through Jesus and to prepare the world for the Aquarian experience.

What we have to look forward to is not the end of the world, which will not take place for millions of years yet, but for the creation of a new civilization based on higher and truer spiritual values than were possible for humanity at the time of Jesus. Jesus Himself, now a Master, works with the Christ on a daily basis and will reform the Christian churches and teaching, as His part in the Great Plan.

I quite agree. When people come to know the Masters more closely they will recognize that They are filled with the joy of life and have an extraordinary and quick sense of humour. The inventiveness of Their imagination is one of the outstanding qualities of Their activity.

He will appear in other countries. He will appear first in America in such a way that He can speak to millions of people. Then in Japan. Which country do you think has the largest and most influential media network in the world? If He appears on a major network in America He can be heard immediately by millions of people not only in the US but, through the internet, all over the world.

Eventually, after the Day of Declaration when He is known and accepted by humanity, He will make a pilgrimage around the world.

[Note: this question and answer was published in the April 2006 issue of Share International magazine, several years prior to Maitreya’s first TV interview. In January 2010, Benjamin Creme announced that Maitreya had recently given that first interview (although not announced as Maitreya) on a major US network. By the end of that year, Maitreya had given more than two dozen such interviews, and in the years following He proceeded to appear on TV in other countries — in South America, in Russia and in Asia. See also: Maitreya’s TV interviews (video)]

Yes. Not everybody is selfish and competitive. Probably the majority of people are partly selfish and partly altruistic; people are mixed, not one hundred per cent this or that. There are degrees of selfishness and altruism. There is a great body of people who are ready for an unselfish action, ready to see justice in the world and therefore sharing.

In the second of the Agni Yoga books, Leaves of Morya’s Garden Book Two, published in 1925, Maitreya said [paraphrased]: “There was a time when 10 true men could save the world. Then came a time when 10,000 was not enough. I shall call on one billion.” About five or six years ago, I asked my Master whether Maitreya had His one billion yet. Yes, I was told, Maitreya had 1.5 billion people He could call on. So it was 1.5 billion people out of 6.5 billion in the world — people whom He knew to be of goodwill; ready to change, altruistic and ready to see new structures and new ways of living. Now [April 2006], there are 1.8 billion people He can call on — more than enough.

Besides, we have no alternative. If I offer you life or death, what are you going to take? Maitreya will say: “You have a choice. Choose life, if you are sensible, and create a brilliant, golden, civilization, better than anything the world has ever seen. Or face annihilation.” Which are you going to choose?

There has never been an Avatar, a Teacher, of such potency as Maitreya. Have no fear. The world will change quickly from being greedy and selfish to showing the true quality of humanity.

From Maitreya’s point of view humanity is wonderful. Maitreya loves humanity, not only because He is the Lord of Love — that is why He is able to love humanity, despite everything, despite all our greed and selfishness. But He also sees the light of divinity in humanity. He is the head of the kingdom of souls and He sees the soul of humanity and that soul is in every single human being. No matter how selfish or hateful we might seem, He sees that light of divinity in us, and on that you can rely.

You will have to wait because there is a moment which is the best possible moment for Maitreya to appear and that moment He will choose. You have to trust Him. That is the thing, people don’t have the trust. You have no one else to trust.
Questioner: I trust myself!
Trust yourself? All right, change the world, make everyone happy tomorrow! You can’t do it. You have to trust the World Teacher to help us, because He is so wise, the Lord of Love, embodying the Love of God. If you can’t trust Him to know the best time, who else can you trust? Trust and relax and don’t be so impatient.

About three months.

We have a photograph of the ‘hand’ of Maitreya. Get a copy of that ‘hand’ and invoke His help. Look at the hand and ask Him through the hand. Ask Maitreya whatever it is you need help for. That is all you need to do if you want help.

Maitreya has given a simple, direct means of contacting Him. Use the ‘hand’ of Maitreya which is given for this purpose. Simply look at it and that immediately draws His attention to the person asking for His help.

All the Masters of Wisdom are direct disciples of Maitreya. Benjamin Creme is a disciple of one of these disciples.