Hello,
Knowing from my own experience and accounts of others about misleading nonsense and fraud of New Age, i'd like to express my appreciation for your work.
I was involved into beliefs and practices promoted on the market by "father of new age" Carlos Castaneda, the first and biggest imposter who started the movement of mass exploitation of indigenous culture for the sake of promoting his own fantastic ideas and monetary gains. He sure encouraged the whole movement of other pretenders to action and even now after Castaneda's obvious and shameful failure created by him commercial company keep promoting his fantasy on the market, perpetuating the fraud and exploitation of indigenous culture, giving people untruthful and perverted idea about Indians.
Please check the site of this organization. "Don Juan", supposed old Indian and "shamans of ancient Mexico" became trade marks of cleargreen inc, who supposedly instructing people on teaching of ancient indigenous sorceric tradition.
http://www.castaneda.org/I think that if we could stop activity of this company perpetuating based on lies shameful exploitation, position of many other pretenders, whose activity was encouraged and supported by success of Castanedian enterprise, would be affected and the whole evil would return where it belongs - to hell.
Cleargreen inc. seems not having any remorse and moving on with plans of expansion. To validate their authenticity in the eyes of people, they trying to connect with esoteric groups which belong to authentic tradition.
Please check info on their workshops in association with Shambhala Mountain Center in "workshops" section.
I wrote a letter of concern to Shambhala directors :
Dear directors of Shambhala Center,
In this message i would like to express my concern about involvement of Shambhala Mountain Center with Cleargreen inc., organization representing and promoting teaching of Carlos Castaneda.
Carlos Castaneda became known as a hoaxer, who was claiming to be linked with prehispanic Mexican tradition of Spiritual knowledge and presenting himself as a hire and leader of this tradition.
Research of cultural facts showing that Carlos Castaneda's presentation of himself as a hire of ancient tradition of Mexican Natives was a fabrication.
There are no facts showing that teaching, which Carlos Castaneda was presenting as originated from Native Mexican shamans, has cultural connection to Native Mexican shamanism and ruts in actual cultural and Spiritual life of Native Mexican peoples.
NAFPS, organization including Native American elders and defining their purpose as following: "We investigate and seek to warn the public about impostors and exploiters posing as Native medicine people or elders", placed Carlos Castaneda in their list of frauds. Please check their website:
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1127.0Carlos Castaneda built his teaching on misleading proposition of being valid representative of authentic Spirituality, and created his own confusing and misleading system of spiritual knowledge and a cult of followers, often basing his relationship with following him people on unethical, abusive and exploiting principles.
Considering the above, I think it is embarrassing and confusing if people representing respected Buddhist tradition are standing together with fabricators, exploiting spirituality and cultures with no respect and consideration.
Seems that Cleargreen inc. seeking some kind of validation and endorsement of their authenticity, trying to associate with representatives of authentic Buddhist tradition.
Hope you have time to give my message your attention,
sincerely, "
I think that if this concern would come from actual indigenous person, it'll be given more contemplation... Please consider sending your protest to Shambhala Mountain Center:
developmentdirector@shambhalamountain.org
It was a pleasure to greet you on this forum. I'm posting as Ari Kisyari on "Sustained Reaction" and happy to invite you to participate in our discussions there.
Sincerely, Ari
