Benjamin Creme

Questions and answers selected from an interview for “Seeing Beyond” on Internet Radio-Santa Cruz, California, with host Bonnie Piper, covering topics such as the United Nations, the environment and peace.

Questions and answers selected from an interview for “Seeing Beyond” on Internet Radio-Santa Cruz, California, with host Bonnie Piper, covering topics such as the climate crisis, and unity in diversity among nations.

The relationship between people's attitudes (inner environment) and earth's environment.

The first step we have to take to address the world's problems is to see ourselves as one, brothers and sisters of one humanity, and therefore the food, raw materials, energy, scientific know-how and educational facilities of the world belong to everyone.

The evolution of consciousness on individual, planetary and cosmic levels; bringing the monad, soul and personality into alignment; the nature of the soul; the laws governing evolution.

Every thought, every action that we have and make sets into motion a cause. These causes have their effects. These effects make our lives, for good or ill. We are now, have been, and will go on, making our lives from moment to moment. Sooner or later, the causes set into motion by our thoughts and actions will produce effects which will rebound on us; and we will experience that as good karma or bad karma.

Our dread of death is the dread of the unknown, of complete and utter dissolution, of being ‘no more’ — despite the vast amount of evidence gathered over the years by the many spiritualist groups that life of some kind continues after death; despite the intellectual acceptance by many that death is but an awakening into new and freer life; in spite of the growing belief in reincarnation, and notwithstanding the testimony of the wisest Teachers down the ages.

The Teachings of the Christ, we shall find, are the Teachings which we all inherently know and accept to be true: right human relations are at the basis of our lives and to create such right relations we come into incarnation again and again. He will reiterate the need, and show again the way, to implement them — sharing the resources of this plentiful world is the essential first step into right relationship. Maitreya will make this clear and inspire humanity to act towards this end.

Through meditation, contact with the soul is deepened and strengthened, gradually bringing about the infusion of the personality by the soul. Through service, the purpose of the soul is carried out.

Written for the first issue of Share International magazine in January 1982, this article provides a unifying and far-ranging definition of spirituality, urgently needed today, since it holds the key to solving the many crises now facing the world. In it, Benjamin Creme provides one of the reasons for the magazine’s existence — to provide a re-definition of spirituality, one which may give pause for thought in challenging times.