Anyhow, Anthony writes here that ” He was kicked out of Samdarshi’s ashram…he was such a nuisance…really disturbed…wanting to be recognized as enlightened and really pushing for it, when it was obvious to everybody that he had had a psychotic episode.“

Actually, Samdarshi has acknowledged Maitreya’s enlightenment in a recent satsang in Goa, so this is clearly not accurate. In the satsang video which is posted on YouTube, Samdarshi said that only around four people who spent time with him have really been enlightened, and that included Maitreya and also Tyohar, although others had been prematurely believing themselves awakened.

According to Maitreya’s own account , his enlightenment took place whilst meditating with Samdarshi near Byron Bay in 1995.

“After another two years of passionate meditation with Samdarshi the ego finally left forever. On 26 October 1995 near Byron Bay there was a huge jerk in the belly and the psychic knot separated from him and disappeared. Maitreya had been fooled twice by satoris, this time he kept quiet about his experience. Even when Samdarshi said he had entered the fifth body, Maitreya made no comment. He wanted to see if it was really permanent.

Meditation continued with expanding consciousness, love and bliss for another twenty months till the third-eye explosion in Dharamsala on 10 June 1997.”

Maitreya’s own account of his leaving Samdarshi’s ashram can be found in his book ‘Biography of a Buddha’:

“Meditation continued with even greater intensity. Now the system had opened up beautifully except for the third eye and the top of the head. During meditation, all of my awareness would be involved in very intense third-eye energy, as consciousness did its miraculous work of opening this most powerful centre.For two months in early 1997, I meditated twice a day in Mahabaleshwar with Purnanand Baba, a beautiful soul who shares his enlightenment mainly in silence.

Every day we disappeared into the arcane realm of the sixth body, the intense cosmic fire of awareness that is the eternal witness of all.

During every meditation the third-eye drama intensified more and more, but still it did not open fully. That penulti- mate opening came four months and many meditation hours later after all human help had been relinquished.In Poona I underwent surgery on both knees to repair damage from long hours of sitting on the floor without moving.

Nowadays I recommend chairs for meditators who are uncomfortable sitting on the floor. Meditation does not appear to be afraid of chairs, and it is more important for meditators to be relaxed and keep the spine straight than to achieve yogic mastery over the body.

I returned to Khaknal in April and kept meditating alone in my room without even saying hello to Samdarshi. I felt the next step would happen only in aloneness.

One day in late spring, I met Samdarshi on the road and he invited me for a visit. I told him I no longer felt the need for any support from anyone. He agreed and suggested I move to Dharamsala to be completely away from his energy.

That felt perfect and the next morning I left Khaknal for the last time, with Samdarshi’s blessings and a sense of impending release from the all-consuming drama of the third eye.”

Welcome to jackass news
A home from home….

Hari Om

His visit was so timely because I was incredibly ripe. After spending time with Wayne Liquorman and Ramesh and doing my own intensive spititual practice I needed a bit of a final push.

Then it happened – while sitting in a Pret a Manger eating a crayfish sandwich it felt like the crown of my head was unscrewed and deep silence descended and the mind and ego dropped away effortlessly (they later luckily returned – but that’s another story). No thoughts at all and a profound deep peace.

Later that day we were in satsang and Maitreya asked what I wanted to discuss – we just looked at each other and I remained silent. His response was “Ah! Enough chit chat…” and a smile. We sat and shared silence…

Soon after I ‘popped’ he went back to New Zealand – it felt like he visited just for me – especially once all becomes self! I am massively grateful for ‘his’ presence and assistance at that time…